Winter Cycling - Nokian replacement studs and tool

I have Nokian 294's, and anticipate losing quite a few studs, from what I've read. Does anyone know where I can get the stud tool, and replacement Nokian studs? TIA.

If you don't skid or slide, or ride really hard off road, you won't lose any studs. I use dental pliers with a concave jaw that grabs the stud diameter very nicely. I got my studs on line at All Weather Sports. They may be closed. You can switch studs around if you lose one. The studs don't get any shorter, the tire behind the stud eventualy allows the stud to go too far into the tire to grab well.

Maybe you read one of my previious posts about loosing studs off of my 294's?

I lost about 36 studs front & back last year but only while Mountan Biking. I never lost any studs while Commuting. As 2many said, studs tend to get pulled out while skidding or slipping. I try not to skid while mountain biking and have lost studs only off of the side knobs. I figure that as i roll over rocky terrain, the knobs slip off of the rock as it passes over them and rips out the stud out.

I wrote bike@suomityres.com an email telling them about the problem and they mailed me a bag of 50 replacment studs and tool for free. Props to them for standing by thier products.

T.J.

Here is the Innova Tool (http://cgi.ebay.ca/STUD-TOOL-KIT-FOR-SNOW-TIRES-CARBON-STEEL-FOR-BIKES_W0QQitemZ7118415417QQihZ015QQcategoryZ27954QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem) on ebay for $11.

Studs are around $20 per 100

TJ, I did read your post,and figured I'd get some so I can replace them as they pop out. 2manybikes, thank's for the link to AWS. I went on their website and found the email for Suomy. I also emailed them with my name and address. Hopefully some studs and a tool will appear in my MB. Thank's for the links! PS ViperZ, I found the Innova tool and studs, but want to get the Carbide ones if possible...

I wrote bike@suomityres.com an email telling them about the problem and they mailed me a bag of 50 replacment studs and tool for free. Props to them for standing by thier products.
T.J.

well, i tried that too... (thanks for the hint...) but it did not work out as well...
here is the reply i got...: :(

Received: from skmail.suomityres.com (ws9.kumitehdas.fi [217.152.169.9])
by smtp71.kolumbus.fi (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id kB88ksPi026246
Subject: VS: carbide studs
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 10:52:59 +0200

Hi,
unfortunately we don't have any replacement studs.

Nokian Team

anybody knows if the studs for their car tires are exactly the same? i would then stop at a nokian dealer to get back the 4 or 5 i've lost... (on my two sets of 106)...

anybody knows if the studs for their car tires are exactly the same? i would then stop at a nokian dealer to get back the 4 or 5 i've lost... (on my two sets of 106)...

Good question. I'm curious too.

I would guess car studs have to be carbide tipped or something better. If car studs are carbide tipped, no wonder you can ride Nokians forever.

well, i tried that too... (thanks for the hint...) but it did not work out as well...
here is the reply i got...: :(

Received: from skmail.suomityres.com (ws9.kumitehdas.fi [217.152.169.9])
by smtp71.kolumbus.fi (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id kB88ksPi026246
Subject: VS: carbide studs
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 10:52:59 +0200

Hi,
unfortunately we don't have any replacement studs.

Nokian Team

Thats too bad. How did you write your email?

I wrote them telling them that I broke in the tires for 70 miles commuting on dry asphalt as directed, then went mountain biking and came home to disapointment when I discovered that ~20 studs were missing. Also I told them that everytime after that, I was missing more studs and at the rate that I was loosing studs, the Extreme 294's would have no studs after 10-15 mountain bike rides. I asked if they thought my tires were defective and if I could return/warrantee them. They quicky offered the studs and tool.

I wrote them an email, saying that I have broken them in on the road per instructions, and have lost studs on subsequent rides, and would appreciate some new studs and an insert tool. I haven't heard from them, but hope to see some in my mail. TYVM!

Good question. I'm curious too.

I would guess car studs have to be carbide tipped or something better. If car studs are carbide tipped, no wonder you can ride Nokians forever.

The Nokian bike tire studs are clearly carbide. They tell you, you can see it, and they don't get any shorter with use. the tire backing collapses behind the stud. Then the stud goes too far into the tire to grab well.

The Nokian bike tire studs are clearly carbide.

Yep, but the quesiton is, are car tire studs the same thing? I'm pretty sure they are. Steel with carbide pins in the middle which protrudes. Since they work on cars, no surprise you'll get a lot of miles out of a bike tire like Nokians.

Yep, but the quesiton is, are car tire studs the same thing? I'm pretty sure they are. Steel with carbide pins in the middle which protrudes. Since they work on cars, no surprise you'll get a lot of miles out of a bike tire like Nokians.

Studded tires on cars have been illegal since the 1970's here. Are they legal where you are?

You could always Google it to find out. :)

Edit post: I just looked they are different. They look carbide tipped, it does not say on the Nokian site.

The stud used on Hakkapeliitta 5 is a new evolution version of our patented square stud.

The hard metal pin is square-shaped like earlier but now we have the square shape also on the upper body of the stud. This new body shape improves the locking of the stud inside the tread block. The benefit from better stud fastening is better grip and longer duration of studs in the long run.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/4640/nelionastaxy0.jpg

Studded tires on cars have been illegal since the 1970's here. Are they legal where you are?

You could always Google it to find out. :)
[/IMG]

Yes thay are legal here. I started to Google it but decided I didn't want to waste the time when I didn't get an immediate answer.

Thats too bad. How did you write your email?

i do not have my original email, but i guess it showed a bit too much that i really like their tires...:o i think yours is better... i guess that the mention of return and/or warranty is more convincing... but i played the "i'm a very good/happy customer" card...(which sure contrasts with the reply i got...) lets say i'm a little less impressed now:(

thanks anyway for the info!

and yes, studded tires are legal here (for cars/trucks), but only between certain dates (dates that i do not know) maybe google knows...

I just got a reply from Nokian saying the same thing as above. They don't have replacement tools or studs available. But I read on the Peter White site that He will have replacement studs available in the near future, or by fall '07, whichever comes first...:)

seems like TJ got the close of the great Customer Service. Sorry to hear for you other folks :( There is always that Innova tool.

Studded Car tires are still legal in Saskatchewan, however I'm told by a family member that works for Kal Tire that they are not really big sellers, and everyone just buys the Ice radials like the Haks and the Blizzaks...

I told him I would like a set of studs for the X-Trail for it would be unstoppable, and he told me to save my money for they do have problems on clear pavement as well.

Still for the curling rink ice we get, with 4 wheel drive, traction control and Vehicle Dynamic Control, the Truck would be nearly unstoppable with a set of studs :lol:

I'm not real thrilled to hear this from Nokian. A planned purchase will now be defered.

I'm not real thrilled to hear this from Nokian. A planned purchase will now be defered.

You know the Nokian studs don't get any shorter right?

The studs don't come out of the tire unless you do some skiding on a hard surface. I have never lost one stud in four years, five this winter if I ever get some ice. I bought replacement Nokian studs to add to a IRC blizzard that had steel studs that wore out. Eventually the tire casing wears and allows the studs to back into the casing too far. At that point you just get a new tire. And restuding a tire is more work than you can imagine untill you try it. If you lose a couple don't worry about it. keep riding.

Don't worry about it if you are not riding on dirt or rocks.

Indeed, three winters on WXC300s and not a stud missing.

But can't they can at least offer to SELL something to repair missing studs? I'd buy it if I lost more than a few. No one's looking for freebies here.

I'm going for a woods ride sunday. There is no snow or ice anywhere, and I have the Nokians on it. Should I take them off, or can I ride all conditions with them?

I'm going for a woods ride sunday. There is no snow or ice anywhere, and I have the Nokians on it. Should I take them off, or can I ride all conditions with them?

Yes they will wear more in these conditions than on snow and ice but you'll be fine. Consider the fact that cars get thousands of miles on studs. You may want to wait for some snow and ice to put em on though. The stud wear may be negligible but the noise and extra rolling resistance would be reason enough. Then again, if you're anticipating snow soon, leave em.

Yes they will wear more in these conditions than on snow and ice but you'll be fine. Consider the fact that cars get thousands of miles on studs. You may want to wait for some snow and ice to put em on though. The stud wear may be negligible but the noise and extra rolling resistance would be reason enough. Then again, if you're anticipating snow soon, leave em.


Also, if you have the 294 extremes, I have found they grab hard packed dirt trails better than any tire I have tried.
If you are going over a lot of rocks and rock ledge take it easy, they don't grab pavement or rock well, but don't worry about dirt.

Cool, that's what I wanted to hear. I don't feel like wrestling the tires off the rims just for a couple rides. I am going to build up another set of wheels with the 9 speed hub, so I can just leave the N's mounted, but not this month...:)

Cool, that's what I wanted to hear. I don't feel like wrestling the tires off the rims just for a couple rides. I am going to build up another set of wheels with the 9 speed hub, so I can just leave the N's mounted, but not this month...:)

Please let me know if you loose any studs.

I've lost 35+ studs evenly off both front and back tires on 3 mountian biking trips. I'm afraid to take my Extremes off road this year as I have only 12 more replacement studs left.