Commuting - Studded Tires when the Route is Mostly Ice-Free

I’m thinking about buying studded tires (probably for next winter), so I’m looking for thoughts on whether they are practical and, if so, what kind to buy.

Most days, I don’t have to contend with snow and ice. But for a couple dozen days scattered throughout the winter, ice is a serious problem on my commute. It forces me to avoid the bike path and ride on heavily-trafficked, salt-treated streets. (A few days, the streets are also too icy, so I have to take the bus).

Generally, ice doesn’t cover most of my route, but it covers enough to make the path impassable.

Are studded tires practical when most of the route is ice-free most of the time? If so, what would work best? I ride a Surly Cross-Check with 700 x32C tires. If I take the streets, my route is 4-5 miles. The bike path is 7-8 miles.

Thanks.

First, do they plow the bike path? You'll get in situations where the bike path is plowed but there is a layer of hardpack snow and slush that makes it tough, studs or no studs. Check out he Nokian 700c studded tires, they're basically the standard, Nashbar also makes some 700c studded tires that are cheaper but supposed doesn't last as long as the Nokians due to the hardness of the studs. I have a set of Mound and Ground 26" that I use and a spare set of rims and cassette. That sounds like what you would use because I take them off usually 1 or 2 days after the storm because by then, the roads are generally down to blacktop around here (northern NJ). I would try NOT to ride the studded tires all winter though. Riding on studs on paved road is fine, you might feel a little more bumpiness but it's not a big deal. My commute is like yours, mixed. I've got 10 miles each way and I can take the road or the trail (a underground water line) so depending on conditions, I can avoid the trail if it hasn't been broken (snow) but that usually means the hardpack snow and slush on the streets.

Jay

I ride to work all year, I live in central Mass. I ride Nokian W-160 studded tires, they go on the day after thanksgiving and off mid March. often the roads are ice free but I keep the tires on. They wear well and need to be replaced every 3 or 4 years. They don't help much in deep snow but on ice they stick like glue. I wouldn't ride on the road in winter without them, I feel they are life savers.

I have a set of Nokian 700s and they are great, they are 35s, so they ought to work fine with the cross check. But I'll swap them in and out depending on the day and conditions. Nothing like pushing a big tyre, trying to make time on a commute, especially a 35er with studs and knobs. So, keeping them on all year is upto you.
As for preformance? Man, they rock. Although on straight ice, like a lake? There aren't enough studs for a good purchase, at least not for me, I slid with the bike about 5 feet, got up and saw the gouges the studs left, not real deep. I have also riden where I'd slipped the other day, on another tyre, and felt the bike loose some traction only to get it back because of the studs. They really are a great investment, especially if you are riding in the winter months. My first year I didn't know about them, learned about them, now they are regular gear. I also have Ionians (steel) they aren't as good as the Nokians, but I've still used them.

I have a set of Nokian W106 700x35 studded tires. They're the ones with the fewest studs (106 per tire) of all the Nokian models. The tires aren't really any slower than a winter knobby. The studs are tungsten carbide, and I've been told that even when driven on dry pavement a good part of the time, they'll outlast the tread and/or the integrity of the rubber. They also make a 240-stud 700 tire, but I've had no problem, even on some pretty slick ice, with my 106's. And I would think the 240 would be slower on dry pavement.

They're heavy, but hey, so are goggles, long johns, etc.

Oh, and contact whoever maintains your bike paths, and tell them to plow/sand them like they do the roads, since, like the roads, they're used by commuters.

Thanks. The city plows the path, but sometimes that makes matters worse. Instead of a thin layer of ice over snow, I get a thin layer of ice on the pavement. Plowing doesn't do any good for the bridges, which have been ice-covered for weeks, now. I don't even try to ride across them. Unfortunately, I have to take side streets to get to the paths, and the city doesn't plow side streets until several days after the snow starts.

The city does a decent job at maintaining the bike paths (better than the side streets). They are quickly cleared after major storms and vegetation is regularly cut back. I don't want the city to treat the paths like the road. Here, salt, not sand, is the rule. My bike gets enough salt from the streets.

Good luck finding them this time of year. I have been trying to get a set of mount & ground 160s (26”) for two weeks. The guy at Phat Tire finally got tired of me calling and sold me a set of Freddie’s Revenz for nearly the price of the 160s. Kind of worried about 336 studs and 1240 grams, but I have 2 wheel sets an plan on swapping them out on ice free days.

The guy at Phat Tire did say he was about to experiment with another brand (Schwalbe) and offered to get me a set, but I decided to stay with the Nokians based on recommendations from folks that have them.

I’m in the same situation with paths here, been on the road all week. They don’t do any winter maintenance, no sand/salt/plow. I have heard they want to keep them ‘natural’ for the cross country skiers. It doesn’t work, they just turn to ice. Besides I’ve not seen a CC skier the three winters I have been doing this.

I have a set of Nokian W106 700x35 studded tires also. Currently, I have only the front one mounted. In this configuration, I notice no drag increase over the 700X40 semi-slicks that I have been using. The studs make a frying sound, which is kind of cool. The drawback is that they feel a little squirrely when riding over metal grates.

They have one dry pavement advantage -- It's hard to imagine these things ever flatting. Once I get my front dynohub installed, I'll mount the rear Nokian and keep them both on all winter.

Paul

I have a set of Nokian W106 700x35 studded tires also. Currently, I have only the front one mounted. In this configuration, I notice no drag increase over the 700X40 semi-slicks that I have been using. The studs make a frying sound, which is kind of cool. The drawback is that they feel a little squirrely when riding over metal grates.

They have one dry pavement advantage -- It's hard to imagine these things ever flatting. Once I get my front dynohub installed, I'll mount the rear Nokian and keep them both on all winter.

Paul

No nokians? Fall down, go boom. Nokians? zoomie zoom zoom. QED. I've had them on for two winters now, work like a charm.

(they're on my winter bike here:)

Thanks for your input. I decided to get two Nokian W106 700x35. My LBS's supplier says I will have them Tuesday.

Of course, this means there will be no more snow and ice in Columbus after Tuesday. At least I'll be ready for November.

Thanks again.

Couldn’t resist: Got my Nokians Friday. This is what all 10 miles of the bike path looks like at the moment. That is about 1 inch of ice. I can ride on it pretty well, but it is slow because I’m gutless. [IMG]

I placed the order for Nokians early on Friday. LBS owner confirmed his supplier had them in stock and said I would have them Tuesday. I called LBS on Tuesday. "Oh, I just got around to ordering them this morning. You should have them Thursday."

On Wednesday, the bike paths had patchy ice, frequently forcing me to dismount, cursing the name of the LBS owner each time. This morning, I had to take the road in to avoid the path. Looking out my window, I can see the freezing rain turn even the roads into ice rinks. Thanks to LBS sitting on the order, I will have to take the bus home tonight and into the office tomorrow.

Hopefully, I'll be able to sqeeze a small freebie or a discount out of him for the delay. Given that he is charging me MSRP, I hope so.

The Nokian Hakkapeliitta's came in on Friday. They work great. I did a fifteen mile ride on Sunday along a bike path that was 95% snow and ice covered. I didn't fall once, even on snow packed down to ice, or on hockey-rink icing conditions. I could see marks where joggers had slipped, but my tires just ran on by.

The only think the Hakkapeliittas couldn't handle was slick, bumpy ice covered with an inch of loose powder. I also felt a little unstable on ice with bumps and ruts, but I did OK if I slowed down.

On the downside, the tires are heavy and sluggish. My average speed over the snow and ice was only 10 mph. But if I only had my normal tires, I never could have left the house. I'm also sure that my speed will increase as I learn how to use the tires on ice.

The tires did fine on this morning's commute. Still, a little sluggish, but I could take the icy paths half way into work. And on the roads, I no longer have to fear small icy patches.

All and all, they are worth it. Thanks for the advice.