[veganheart]

I was at a local bike shop and was considering some shwab studded tires. the guy behind the counter told me not to bother as they are useless in slush and that there really isnt anything efficient for slush. I have read a few threads here and it seems that bike forum members think studded tires work well on slush, ice and snow. oh yeah, the clerk also said riding on studded tires on clear pavement was like riding on marbles. I think he was giving me his honest opinion (he certainly didnt get a sale) but maybe his opinion is just plain wrong.

thanks for your replies

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[Mtn Mike]

Studed tires are good for one thing, frozen ICE. For me, it seems that regular mountain bike tires work okay for slush, but not great.

[Juha]

Depends on where you ride. I ride on sealed roads and use Nokian W106 studded tyres on both wheels. Their advantages compared to a normal tyre are greatest on plain ice or hard packed, frozen snow, but they do help in slush and soft snow as well. If the stuff is soft enough, tyre will cut straight through - no problem. If snow is packed hard enough, you will be able to ride on it, again no problem with studs. If it is in between, you will have problems with steering and staying upright, not so much with traction.

I have not tried riding on marbles, but I still think that that comment is pure BS. Studded tyres are heavier and noisier and have more rolling resistance on clear pavement than pretty much any other tyre I have seen. The studs also wear out fast, although that is much less a problem with Nokian quality studs. For those reasons I would not want to ride on clear pavement for longer periods. But I have not experienced any problems with grip or stability there.

--J

[nathank]

i agree with Juha.

studded tires are MUCH better for snow/ice, but also slightly better for slush:
1) tires are narrow and designed to cut through
2) knobs are more sparse than those for dirt/mud/sand so less snow/slush "rolls with you"

and studded tires work fine on pavement - they're just loud and slow -- you have slightly less traction as the metal from the studs is not as grippy as rubber, but no biggie.

there are in general 2 types of studs:
1) agressive with studs all over -- maximum grip in snow/ice, but not so good for pavement
2) less agressive with studs on the outer edges of the tire, so with normal 35-50psi on pavement only the center patch contacts so like normal tires. in snow/ice you reduce the pressure and the studs grip (or in snow or corners where you need them most they grip with normal pressure)

i have the 2nd variant on my commuter from Nov-April as we only have snow on the ground maybe 1/4 or less of the time.

just last month i also bought the 1st variant for real off-road mountain biking (although only for the front as they are expensive)

[Michel Gagnon]

Veganhart's bike shop is right in the strictest sense: in pure slush (or brown mousse, I have hare read it elsewhere), a knobby tire is the best, because knobs tend to help dig through the stuff or give you some control. Not that much, mind you, and one of the benefits of knobs is that sometimes there is some contact with asphalt underneath. Big knobs or sculptures that look like a tractor tire would be the best.

But things are never that simple in life. Usually (i.e. 95% of the cases) when there is slush, there is some ice underneath, and then studs definitely help, as the two posters above me said quite eloquently.