chipcom
01-23-07, 07:41 PM
The new 7.2FX on Kenda Klondikes got her first ride to & from work today. Observations:
The studded Klondikes roll suprisingly well on dry pavement, are plenty grippy on wet pavement, with a light covering of snow, and in a couple of inches of snow & crud accumulated on the shoulders. One the way home I did a few miles on the towpath trail and they performed well there too, both when the snow was loose and when it was packed and rutted with footprints. All in all I the 700x35 Klondikes rolled better and gave me just as much traction as the 26" Nokians I had on my old MTB on dry pavement, wet pavement, pavement with a dusting of snow and on 2" or so of snow & crud built up on the shoulders. In deeper snow on the softer path, I'd still prefer wider tires with lower pressure.
The flat bars on the Trek defintely made me feel more stable than the drops on the SS it replaced, and having gear choices made climbing much safer. Climbing out of the saddle, as I had to do on the SS, on snowy/icy roads, just plain isn't fun. I never budged from the 38t chainring and the 11-32 cassette gave me all the gear choices I needed, with my butt planted on my B17. I might just scrap the FD and use a single chainring on the front, since the vast majority of my winter commuting is on pavement. But then again, I might come to like that 28t granny ring in deep snow. ;)
Bottom line - I think I like this hybrid better than either my old MTB or the SS for my commutes on snowy days. The flat bars and gear choices make it better for the climbs and deeper snow than the SS, while it's lighter than the old MTB and the thinner 700c tires roll better in all but deep snow/soft ground.
http://www.chipcom.net/bikes/trek.jpg
The studded Klondikes roll suprisingly well on dry pavement, are plenty grippy on wet pavement, with a light covering of snow, and in a couple of inches of snow & crud accumulated on the shoulders. One the way home I did a few miles on the towpath trail and they performed well there too, both when the snow was loose and when it was packed and rutted with footprints. All in all I the 700x35 Klondikes rolled better and gave me just as much traction as the 26" Nokians I had on my old MTB on dry pavement, wet pavement, pavement with a dusting of snow and on 2" or so of snow & crud built up on the shoulders. In deeper snow on the softer path, I'd still prefer wider tires with lower pressure.
The flat bars on the Trek defintely made me feel more stable than the drops on the SS it replaced, and having gear choices made climbing much safer. Climbing out of the saddle, as I had to do on the SS, on snowy/icy roads, just plain isn't fun. I never budged from the 38t chainring and the 11-32 cassette gave me all the gear choices I needed, with my butt planted on my B17. I might just scrap the FD and use a single chainring on the front, since the vast majority of my winter commuting is on pavement. But then again, I might come to like that 28t granny ring in deep snow. ;)
Bottom line - I think I like this hybrid better than either my old MTB or the SS for my commutes on snowy days. The flat bars and gear choices make it better for the climbs and deeper snow than the SS, while it's lighter than the old MTB and the thinner 700c tires roll better in all but deep snow/soft ground.
http://www.chipcom.net/bikes/trek.jpg