Winter Cycling - Continental Top Contact - Winter Tires

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PDA
BA Commuter
08-11-08, 08:15 PM
I'm considering getting new winter tires for my MB. However, around the Philly area, we have days with black ice or just slick plowed roads. It's usually dry, so to help avoid lower rolling resistance, I thought about getting a set of Conti Top Contact winter tires.

Do the Conti's provide enough grip on ice, or should I just get a set of studded Nokian (Mount & Ground 160s) or Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires and crank a little harder when it's dry?

Your thoughts???

http://www.bike-x-perts.com/images/topcontact_winter.jpg

mihlbach
08-13-08, 12:49 PM
I have a pair of top contacts and so far so good after 1500 miles. They roll well and handle gravel, dirt, and sand pretty well. Also, the reflective sidewall is a nice touch. However, no unstudded tire is going to give you good grip on ice in comparison to studded. The winter version of the TC is supposed to contain sharp-edged granules for added grip, but I seriously doubt that it would work nearly as well as studs.

I'd love to buy a pair of studded tires, I just don't have enough snow and ice days per year to justify the cost.