[meaculpa]

Hey guys, I know this topic has been knocked back & forth on this particular forum but I'm still waffling. Last winter I ran Allterrainasaurus 700cx32s and had some squirrely rides plus 2 falls. Right now I will be running the Transworld Citys until the conditions get worse.

For a (mostly) paved roads commute, I see the Marathon Winter tires or the Nokian W106 are Peter White's recommendations. His opinion is that the Marathons grab better in ruts & offer lower rolling resistance. That seems to make the Marathons better than the W106s.

BTW There are some off-road trails on the way that I ride every now & then. I wonder how these two models would do on reasonably easy trail-riding?

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[daredevil]

I'm debating what kind of tire to get as well. Some of the side roads I ride can be a mess but the main road where the majority of my miles are is plowed regularly and isn't a problem.

I think I better get the tire for the worse conditions that I'll see which means it won't be the 106's. Better to have too many studs than not enough I guess.

[Portis]

I think I better get the tire for the worse conditions that I'll see which means it won't be the 106's. Better to have too many studs than not enough I guess.

Not always. A very aggressively studded mountain bike tire for example, ridden on mainly roads would result in much more rolling resistance and likely not make you any more secure on the ice.

[Ziemas]

I'm debating what kind of tire to get as well. Some of the side roads I ride can be a mess but the main road where the majority of my miles are is plowed regularly and isn't a problem.

I think I better get the tire for the worse conditions that I'll see which means it won't be the 106's. Better to have too many studs than not enough I guess.

Oh! We get to talk about studded tires again! :) J/K

Anyway, the problem with too many studs is that you slide on them when you brake, which could be very dangerous. I ride on unplowed roads which are a solid sheet of ice for part of y commute, Nokian 106 are just fine for them, and when I hit the plowed asphalt I certainly wouldn't want more studs for fear of not being able to stop properly.

[meaculpa]

Yeah, I know, I know, you guys have talked this topic to death. But this point of too many vs too few studs is news to me so thanks for the (ad nauseum) discussion. So if the 106s have less studs then I'm figuring that might be the better choice for our hit & miss roads. Also, PWhite seems to think the 106s handle potholes better, a big plus for my commute.

[Portis]

Oh! We get to talk about studded tires again! :) J/K

Anyway, the problem with too many studs is that you slide on them when you brake, which could be very dangerous. I ride on unplowed roads which are a solid sheet of ice for part of y commute, Nokian 106 are just fine for them, and when I hit the plowed asphalt I certainly wouldn't want more studs for fear of not being able to stop properly.

I've never heard of this argument. I've also never slid on studs of any kind while braking. Maybe this is more of an issue with the 250-300 count studded tires. Don't know cuz i've never used that many.

[GGDub]

Too many studs can definetly be a problem as was brought to my attention last year by the guy who slid out in front of me in our parking garage (with studs on dry concrete). However, figuring out how many is too many (and the opposite how little is too little) is completely up to you.

[meaculpa]

GGDub - but were his tires crazy-studded? I think the question is for me what is the optimum number...as you said its up to me. I guess I can try one of these two models and see how it goes. But at a hundred plus bucks, I just want to get the right kind for my commute.

[CastIron]

How many folks here have reported getting studded tires and regretted it? They have drawbacks, sure, but it's incredibly rare to find someone who made the switch for a winter and got rid of them.

I run 296's on my MTB. Those things will skid easier on polished concrete, but on most road surfaces I've had no incidents with them. Then again, if I'm riding studded tires in traffic perhaps a more conservative approach is called for.

[GGDub]

To be honest, I don't remember. I was preoccupied with the car behind me and making sure it stopped. It had to be a lot though, because like has been said, its pretty hard to slide out on them.

I wouldn't say I switched completely back to non-studded, I keep an old mtb with a front one, but I rarely use it. I just never liked the speed for stability trade off. That being said, its all about your comfort zone and of course, how busy your route is.

If you're really nervous about biting on your commute get the best ones you can afford (with the most studs). IMO the peace of mind is worth it. If you've only had minor problems then get ones with less.

[Ziemas]

Please read post #4 again; I never said not to use studs, just not to go overboard and use to many. I personally still use Nokian 106, but would never use any of the higher stud tires for city use.

[meaculpa]

Thanks guys. I will be posting my tire order to P.White in the morning. My street right now is a sheet of glass!