Winter Cycling - 700c winter tire recommendations

am planning to convert a 1990 Raleigh Technium to 700c wheels so I can use the bike in the winter. any tire recommendations? I don't think I'll be riding through any snow per se, just in winter road conditions in northern New England so I'll need something that rolls pretty well but can handle ice. Also, are there any winter tires in 27 x 1 1/4?

thanks

I'm not sure about your requirements. There's no such thing as "handles ice, rolls well". Nothing handles ice like studs, but studded tires are known for their high rolling resistance and heavy weight. And there's more to tire size than diameter. I haven't heard of studs narrower than 35mm. On the other side, without studs, no bicycle tire handles ice. In other words, you can't have it both ways.

I ride the Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 (http://www.suomityres.fi/w106.html) tires. Very satisfied for the past two winters on two different bikes. Going into my third season with very little wear showing on either the studs or the rubber. Amazing tires. But, they'll give you a workout--which is nice come spring when the road tires go back on and suddenly, you're the fastest guy in town.

On my dry road bike, I ride Continental Ultra Gatorskins year 'round. That bike isn't ridden below freezing (no studs) and seldom in the wet (no fenders). Even so, I rode it for a hundred miles or so every month through last winter.

I've got some 700c x 45 Ritchey cyclocross tires that have knobby treads, just wondering if those would work pretty well in winter conditions.

I have one or two thoughts: last winter was my first on studs, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106s actually.
On asphalt they did well but were not sufficient when traffic forced me to the right...into icy ruts and the snow that gets pushed to the side. I think that this year I may need to get more tread to handle those conditions. Also, on dry sections, studded tires corner very poorly, they will have a slippery feel...ironic ain't it?

I have one or two thoughts: last winter was my first on studs, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106s actually.
On asphalt they did well but were not sufficient when traffic forced me to the right...into icy ruts and the snow that gets pushed to the side. I think that this year I may need to get more tread to handle those conditions. Also, on dry sections, studded tires corner very poorly, they will have a slippery feel...ironic ain't it?

That's very odd. I've been using 106's for five winters on extremely rutted roads (the side roads here are unplowed and literally turn to sheets of ice, the main roads are salted but not plowed) and have never had a problem with traction, on either snow or ice. In winter sometimes you just need to go slower and tough it out; no tire is going to make up for nasty winter conditions.

I've got some 700c x 45 Ritchey cyclocross tires that have knobby treads, just wondering if those would work pretty well in winter conditions.

CX tires are fine on loose surfaces. I don't like them on wet pavement, but they're okay on dry, if you corner easy. And of course, they're worth ***** on ice.

last winter was my first on studs, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106s actually. On asphalt they did well but were not sufficient when traffic forced me to the right...into icy ruts and the snow that gets pushed to the side.

First, take the lane. Traffic doesn't force you to the right, you yield. Don't.

About the only condition where the W106s don't do a good job is in refrozen ruts. There are no studs on the side to help climb out of them. So it's not tread that you need, it's four rows of studs.

Or asserting your right to the road...

...I haven't heard of studs narrower than 35mm...

fyi - If you take a look at:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

And go down to "700c Nokian A10", they sell a 32mm version -
32mm version, 72 carbide studs, 800 grams: $ 46.00 In Stock.

Just an fyi, not an endorsement or anything on my part.

I'm thinking about getting studded tires mostly for urban riding, but also on bike trails when they are plowed. For me it's a toss-up between the 700c Nokian A10 with 72 studs at 32mm or the 700c Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 35mm with 106 studs.

Does anyone have a preference? Looks like tsl would recommend the W106, but here in Iowa we typically get less than 30 inches of snow, but lots of icy winter weather. So I figure the A10 would ben a little less of a struggle to pedal.... or would I even notice the difference?

I'm thinking about getting studded tires mostly for urban riding, but also on bike trails when they are plowed. For me it's a toss-up between the 700c Nokian A10 with 72 studs at 32mm or the 700c Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 35mm with 106 studs.

Does anyone have a preference? Looks like tsl would recommend the W106, but here in Iowa we typically get less than 30 inches of snow, but lots of icy winter weather. So I figure the A10 would ben a little less of a struggle to pedal.... or would I even notice the difference?

Do you think you'll be going over more rutted and uneven ice or flat black ice?

I have a 27" wheeled bike. Largest tire width I found is a 27 x 1 3/8 cyclo cross , knobby, tire ...no studs. Switch to 700c will give more options. What tire is best depends on your conditions. Spec your routes, then select the lowest rolling resistant tire. The Knokian A10 (700c x 32mm) and Schwalbe Marathon Winters (700c x 35mm) have smoother tread designs with studs and probably would fit your bike. Check your clearances though.

I wholeheartedly recommend Schwalbe Marathon Winters. More studs then the Nokians, making it a more versatile with varying road conditions without being too slow.

Continental Twisters are pretty good. I rode them all winter last year, they have good tread on them, but are still narrow enough to be fast and cut through the snow. Around my way, we get a some dumps of snow and a lot of slush and ice and I never had a problem whatsoever. I've put around 2000-2500km on my set with no flats and a reasonable amount of wear. Plus I was able to get them for a decent price from MEC.

I am a bit fortunate because I've been able to pick shifts to work that let me beat the
traffic in or take a bike path on the days when I can't. Not being crowded by traffic
might make the biggest difference, but I don't use any different tires in the winter than
I do in the summer. I do thump into the pavement about once a winter when there is
ice under snow and I don't see it, but this has always been at low speeds in difficult
conditions anyway and has always been preferable to me to the hassle of more tires.

My little sig site article is about winter bicycling in Calgary over quite a lot of winters
and it covers a bit more detail.

I've got some 700c x 45 Ritchey cyclocross tires that have knobby treads, just wondering if those would work pretty well in winter conditions.

if they're mud specific tyres, they'll do ok in snow.
if they have a soft compound, even better.

but they are no good on ice.

I stumbled across this idea on the internet, of course, and actually implemented it.
Run some sheet metal screws from the inside out of you tire. Run them through the meaty, knobbed areas. After you have spun in a pound or two of screws go ahead and run some duct tape around the inside of the tire to protect the tube from the screw heads.
This actually did work for a month or two. Why do I no longer use home made studded tires?
One of the screws backed out, turned and ripped a gaping hole in the tube. I was flat before I braked to a stop.
I think it could be perfected with a little research and development.
Cold storage temperatures and screaming winds put an end to my experiment that year. I felt that crashing a couple of times a month was easier than changing out a tube in artic conditions.
If anybody runs with this idea, let me know how it went, or didn't.

I stumbled across this idea on the internet, of course, and actually implemented it.
Run some sheet metal screws from the inside out of you tire. Run them through the meaty, knobbed areas. After you have spun in a pound or two of screws go ahead and run some duct tape around the inside of the tire to protect the tube from the screw heads.
This actually did work for a month or two. Why do I no longer use home made studded tires?
One of the screws backed out, turned and ripped a gaping hole in the tube. I was flat before I braked to a stop.
I think it could be perfected with a little research and development.
Cold storage temperatures and screaming winds put an end to my experiment that year. I felt that crashing a couple of times a month was easier than changing out a tube in artic conditions.
If anybody runs with this idea, let me know how it went, or didn't.

This may work for some off road racing applications, but I just don't see how this would work well for street use. I've had tires with steel studs (Innova). The Innova frankly they caused me to crash, while the carbite studded tire gripped just fine. Steel studs wear down quickly and are pretty much worthless after a few weeks of riding. For $100 I have the best tires money can buy and they will last me for many Winters. Once visit to the ER will easily cost more than the good tires. If you live in a climate where you gets icy roads, buying premium tires is not a luxury, but a neccessity. I see $33 per year for good traction as being pretty cheap. What does a tank of gas run you?

Happy riding,
André

Do you think you'll be going over more rutted and uneven ice or flat black ice?
I was thinking of avoiding heavily rutted ice, which is why I tended towards the lower stud count tires. The A10 looks like it would be the most comfortable with possibility of a higher air pressure, but it also sounds like the W106 is just a little heavier and might be a tad more versatile. Who knows? I might decide to become Rut King. :lol:

I was thinking of avoiding heavily rutted ice, which is why I tended towards the lower stud count tires. The A10 looks like it would be the most comfortable with possibility of a higher air pressure, but it also sounds like the W106 is just a little heavier and might be a tad more versatile. Who knows? I might decide to become Rut King. :lol:

I've found the 106 to be good on the back roads which I ride that are unplowed and are literally sheets of lightly rutted ice; I wouldn't need any more studs for these conditions. For plowed streets I could go with less studs.

I have the Schwalbe Snow Stud in 700x38C. It rolls pretty well, but the tire pressure needs to be kept over 40 psi or it turn into a real pig.

I used Specialized Armadillo tires last winter, and they held up really well.

I've found the 106 to be good on the back roads which I ride that are unplowed and are literally sheets of lightly rutted ice; I wouldn't need any more studs for these conditions. For plowed streets I could go with less studs.

I just got my LBS to order 2 Nokian W240s in 40mm widths. The Peter White site claims they are great for both heavily rutted ice and also for street riding. We do get a lot of ice here in the winter, particularly on bike trails. Anyway, I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks for your help.

I just got my LBS to order 2 Nokian W240s in 40mm widths. The Peter White site claims they are great for both heavily rutted ice and also for street riding. We do get a lot of ice here in the winter, particularly on bike trails. Anyway, I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks for your help.

Wow, that sounds like massive overkill. Please do report back.

I also bought the 240's. Talk about supreme confidence in all conditions I have faced this winter! They are very capable winter tires. I just ordered some A10's since the roads have been pretty clear for the last few weeks. But with warmer temps going to start melting some of the snow, I am not ready to go stud-less yet, fearing morning ice. ITs a tough call, A10's, 106's, or schwalb marathons. I will try the A10's on one bike, and keep the 240's on another. Then I will have a good example of the range of studded tire spectrum.

Yeah, the 240's? Wow - those are like "I live in Minnesota, we get snow dumped on us all the time and I bike to work no matter how bad it gets outside".

I run the 700x35c Schwalbe Marathon Winters, and I was going to highly recommend them. And I live in Minnesota! :-)

The Nokian A10's are the only studded tire I know of that's lighter, smaller and/or likely a little faster rolling, but I've heard nothing really good about them from this forum or from local shops. They sound like a "I'm heading out in April where there might be some ice somewhere and want to be safe" tire. They don't seem to handle even light snow very well. For example, see this thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=498040

The Nokian 106's are another popular tire. Compared to the Schwalbe's they're reputed to do a little better in snow, but roll a little slower. And they don't have the studs on the sides, so they're not quite as good on ice (I'm sure they're fine, lots of people ride them). And they're much cheaper - $50 for a Nokian 106 vs. $75 for a Schwalbe.

But the Schwalbe sounded like the "fastest but still safe" tire so I got them. Having used them, I highly recommend them. And one thing is for sure - they're definitely going to be faster than those Nokian w240's.

I also bought the 240's. Talk about supreme confidence in all conditions I have faced this winter! They are very capable winter tires. I just ordered some A10's since the roads have been pretty clear for the last few weeks. But with warmer temps going to start melting some of the snow, I am not ready to go stud-less yet, fearing morning ice. ITs a tough call, A10's, 106's, or schwalb marathons. I will try the A10's on one bike, and keep the 240's on another. Then I will have a good example of the range of studded tire spectrum.

As I mentioned, I haven't heard good things about the A10's in general, but I think this is a fantastic idea if you have 2 bikes and the one thing the A10's are very good for - clear roads that probably don't have ice, but might. Since you still have the 240's for any actual bad weather days, that sounds ideal.

Another thought is to run a decent but speedy tire on the back (like a Schwalbe Marathon Winter or a Nokian 106). Then have two wheels that fit the front of the bike and switch them depending on weather. While I would NEVER recommend running a non-studded tire on the back (I know 3 people who have tried this, then had a big crash because of it and immediately bought a 2nd rear tire), I think it's very different having a faster studded tire in the back and a more grippy one in the front. For one thing, the Peter White site claims that the only reason for side studs is to deal with icy ruts - they don't help with cornering traction anyways. So the front tire plows through the rut and the rear tire still has enough traction to push you forward. So you could have a marathon winter on the front and back for better conditions, then swap just the front wheel to one with a Nokian w240 when you get a blizzard.

I have the Schwalbe marathon winters on my cyclocross bike, which I use primarily for my long training rides. They've handled pretty much everything, except for deep frozen sludge and ruts. But because I pick the time/place for my training rides, this has been a non-issue.
For everyday commuting, I still prefer my singlespeed mtb, with the Schwalbe Ice Spikers. I've gone through everything with these, not a slip. I find that when roads get really icy/slushy, nasty potholes and cracks get hidden, and the wider mountainbike wheels can just roll over without problems.

As I mentioned, I haven't heard good things about the A10's in general, but I think this is a fantastic idea if you have 2 bikes and the one thing the A10's are very good for - clear roads that probably don't have ice, but might. Since you still have the 240's for any actual bad weather days, that sounds ideal.




I have to try something. I took the long way home the other day, and half the route had a nasty, wicked, strong headwind with even worse gusts. And there I was on my flat bar winter bike with Nokian 240's ! Not trying to be a whiner, but I was killing myself for not a lot of forward progress. And the only ice I had to deal with was a few hundred feet on a bike path between two neighborhoods, all the roads were clean from recent sunshine and warmer temps. Now if I just stuck to my shortest possible route, I wouldn't care. But it is so hard to NOT want a longer ride on the way home when it gets warmer, and there is ice in the morning from the previous day's snow melt.