Winter Cycling - Anyone have experience - light studded tire on back more aggressive on front?

In another thread we were discussing different studded tire strategies - most of us don't have more than one winter bike, and we'd like to have both the rolling resistance of the lighter, more smoother rolling studded tires (like the Schwalbe Marathon Winters) for 90% of the year when there's light snow and ice, or the streets/paths have been plowed or packed down, but we'd also like to be able to handle storm conditions.

There doesn't seem to be one tire that's good at both - the smoother rolling winter tires are very good at ice and light snow, but have a reputation for being way more squirrely in snow deeper than a few inches.

And apparently for any large amount of snow, nothing short of a far more aggressive tire like the Nokian Extremes or Schwalbe Ice Spiker works very well. But they're also substantially and noticeably slower, and way overkill for 90% of your biking conditions.

Having two different bikes with two different wheelsets is a really uncomfortable option for most of us, for both cost, space, and maintenance reasons. Having 2 completely different wheelsets is costly as well as time consuming.

But changing out just the front wheel seems like it would work - the front wheel is commonly regarded as the more important wheel for studs and traction. The Peter White suggests this as well, but it seems like it would work. You could keep around an extra front wheel with a more aggressive tire for those really bad winter condition days and swap it with your regularly front, less aggressive wheel. Wouldn't take up the extra space of a 2nd bike, wouldn't be as expensive as a 2nd bike, and swapping the front wheel wouldn't cost as much or take nearly as much time as swapping both wheels (plus you wouldn't have to worry about cassette wear issues on the back wheel).

So my question is - has anyone tried riding with an aggressive studded tire like a Nokian Extreme or Schwalbe Ice Spiker in the front, and a less agressive studded tire like a Schwalbe Marathon winter or Nokian 106 in the back in winter storm conditions? How did it work out compared to running a more aggressive tire both front and back?

Would love to hear personal experience. Thanks!

As I mentioned in the other thread, it didn't thrill me. I was denied when attempting to ascend some pretty modest slopes, and had the back of the bike come around on an icy descent, resulting in some unintentional fakie riding.

But I have to put a caveat on that: I'm speaking about conditions typically found on uncleared MUPs. The problem wasn't that the rear tire had less studs than the front tire, the problem was that the rear tire had nowhere near enough studs for the terrain. I don't think I had any spectacular problems on actual roads.

As with regular mountain bike tires, I always run the more aggressive (or less worn) tire in the front. So I guess my answer is; yes, do it.

As I mentioned in the other thread, it didn't thrill me. I was denied when attempting to ascend some pretty modest slopes, and had the back of the bike come around on an icy descent, resulting in some unintentional fakie riding.

But I have to put a caveat on that: I'm speaking about conditions typically found on uncleared MUPs. The problem wasn't that the rear tire had less studs than the front tire, the problem was that the rear tire had nowhere near enough studs for the terrain. I don't think I had any spectacular problems on actual roads.

As with regular mountain bike tires, I always run the more aggressive (or less worn) tire in the front. So I guess my answer is; yes, do it.

I appreciate your feedback, both in the other thread and here, but you said you had a Schwalbe Snow Stud tire in the back, right?

I haven't heard many good things about the Snow Studs...though come to think of it, I just haven't heard much about them at all. I just no that no one seems to sell them any more after the Marathon Winters came out! Haven't heard good things about the Nokian A10's either. Hoping someone has an opinion on a lighter but otherwise well reviewed tire, like the marathon winters or w106's.

Thanks for your feedback, though. :-)

This is what I do regularly every winter. When the weather changes gradually, I try to swap just one tire. The goal is to reach a reasonable compromise between stability and speed. The terrain I ride over changes along the way. An aggressive tire helps where the snow is deeper but slows down where the snow is thin. If one could flip the characteristics of a tire with a switch, I would be doing it for individual portions of my route. Alas, that is not possible, and I try to adapt to the average. I've optimized the tire changing process the max.

I have a more aggressive set of tires (W240s) that I'll have on a second set of wheels which I'll put on when the neighborhood roads start to get bad. Once they go on I probably won't bother to switch them out until a significant thaw.

More to your point, what I'm starting with is a Nokian 106 up front and a Marathon Winter in the back. Last year I wasn't happy with the Winter's performance on snow, but they have a lot of studs which I'm hoping will help get me up icy hills. They also roll pretty good for a studded tire. I don't know yet how well this arrangement will work.

Other than the first guy that responded, does anyone else have experience running an aggressive tire front and a smoother rolling tire in the back?

The best tires I made for Calgary winter roads were as you described. Probably made about 4 pair.
Counter-sink screws were driven sideways through the lugs of old tires. No penetration of the casing.
I concentrated the screws towards the midline of the rear tire.
The front I populated more generously and over a wide track.
Didn't seem to matter if only a couple of rear screws were contacting the ice.
Seemed to work well.

I am doing that very thing this winter, but not by choice. Last year, with my brand new Giant Seek1, the rims and brand new Nokian 240's were true enough to Squuueeeze the N240's between the chain stays. This year, neither the tire nor the rim are quite that perfect, so I needed more clearance in the rear. The Schwalbe Marathon Winter 35 gives me that room.

Nokian 240 on the front, Schwalbe marathon winter 35 on the rear. Just waiting for the snow to try it out. I expect it to work just fine. I also keep a bike with Nokian A10's front and rear for those days when it is just road ice to worry about.

RE: 'Anyone have experience - light studded tire on back more aggressive on front?'

The front tire is the more important one when it comes to controlling the bike.


Last winter I ran two Nokian 240's , 42-622. This winter I changed the front to a Nokian extreme, 54-622, big improvement. Less deflection, more up and over, Anchorage kinda stuff.

I don't have a really extreme tire but today I put a W240 on the front and left my Marathon Winter on the back. We'll see what happens on the way home. It's snowing pretty good right now.

I don't have a really extreme tire but today I put a W240 on the front and left my Marathon Winter on the back. We'll see what happens on the way home. It's snowing pretty good right now.

Ooooooh, I'm curious to hear what you think. :-)

It sure is snowing out there - 100% chance of snow at 4 and 5pm last time I checked!

I don't have a really extreme tire but today I put a W240 on the front and left my Marathon Winter on the back. We'll see what happens on the way home. It's snowing pretty good right now.

Any updates on how well that worked?

Any updates on how well that worked?

It worked well that night but there was at most 1.5 inches of snow on the roads when I went home and they had been clear before that so I don't think it was a great test.

The predictions for the next day were pretty dire so I went ahead and put the second 240 on the back. It's been that way ever since although tonight I'm contemplating going back to my w106/Marathon Winter combo. I like the 240s but they add a bit to my commute.

Switching out the fronts is easy since I have the W106 on a separate wheel. I plan to do the same for the rear but my second rear wheel needs to be converted from 7 to 8 speed which won't happen for a week or two. I guess what I'm saying is that I probably won't get around to trying the 240 front/Marathon Winter rear combo again for awhile but I too am curious.

I'm on my second year using the 26" Nokian Mount and Grounds and they've been great for everything except deep snow (say, 4+ inches, or so). In those conditions, it seems to me at least, I would rather have more something like the Nokian Extreme at the back, not the front. It seems like I spend a ton more time in lower gears searching for rear traction. According to Peter White, the studs do nothing for you in snow, it's all about tread. On ice, just the opposite. I find a very thin layer of slush with pooled water on top to be the most formidable opponent. Too thick for your studs to bite down through to pavement or ice and too thin for your tread blocks to really work. I've had about two falls on this surface. Luckily the bike went down and out from under me and I stayed on my feet both times.

This winter I decided to try something different. I am still running a Nokian Extreme 294 on the rear , but on the front I have a homemade studded tire. It's a very agressive downhill tire , big volume it measures almost 2.4 with about 180 self drilling screws. This DIY tire actually has more grip and better traction on ice then my nokians. It also provides better flotation in deeper snow. But at the same time it's very heavy, with a horrible rolling resistence. This tire has added an extra 10min to my commute.

I finally got to test the Nokian 240 front / Schwalbe marathon winter 32mm rear combo. It worked great. I tested in a nasty fresh snow, old snow and ice, poorly cleared suburban street scenario. The rear wheel was stable, the front was "squishy" in the softer, deeper snow, but always stayed on track. As long as you buy the tires individually (not in pairs), and since I have two Nokian 240's already, I like the beefier treads and studs on the front tire. It will be quite a few years before I wear out the two Nokian 240's and need to think about something else.

I went down with Nokian 294s. Uphill, on car-rummmaged "Cola Cola Slurpee" snow. Flats fine, pure ice really great

I tested the Nokian 240 front, schwalbe marathon winter stud rear on a trampled down MUP. You could walk on this thick stuff without sinking, but the 32 mm schalbe marathon winter in the rear really dug in and sank, and was definitely inferior to having a nokian 240 back there. But I can't say that this really matters much. Trampled down MUP's are just horrible to ride on even with the 240's, bad enough that I avoid those routes anyway, and stick to the street. Bottom line, I have now tested the heavier front / less agressive rear combo on nearly all the conditions I would run into. It works fine, and is a good solution if you have less clearance in the rear.

Hey Hot Potato, thanks for all the feedback. :-) I think I'll give it a shot.

Yes a 294 on the front and a 160 and a Nashbar/Kenda (old School) on the back. Sometimes I feel that a more aggressive tire like the 294 would be better but most of those times are on thin snow with ice. What is freaky the time I got caught out in 7" of snow with the Kenda 2.1 MTB semi-slicks I was amazed at how well they did in the deeper snow.

7" and slicks! hahaha :D

No experience here, but one thing I've noticed is that less aggressive rear tires in general seem to be more inclined to spin and fishtail on soft-packed snow.

The best tires I made for Calgary winter roads were as you described. Probably made about 4 pair.
Counter-sink screws were driven sideways through the lugs of old tires. No penetration of the casing.
I concentrated the screws towards the midline of the rear tire.
The front I populated more generously and over a wide track.
Didn't seem to matter if only a couple of rear screws were contacting the ice.
Seemed to work well.

Driven through the sides of the knobs eh? Then what part of the screws contacts the ground/ice? The points or the sides (threads)?

I can imagine the points might contact, but at an angle pointing toward the center of the tire...?

I've got some old Farmer Johns I may sacrifice to try this.

Nokia A10's front and back. These are the only studded tires that would fit on my Paddy Wagon. Another bike has Innova Studded tires. The Innovas are wider and more aggressive. My first choice it the single speed with the A10's. The slimmer tires get to the ground better and the stud count is plenty to keep me comfortable. Average speed on my rides is 23-25 KPH the only time I worry is thick slushy sections. I am worrying for no reason, as when I push myself to ride fast through the slush the tires get to the bottom and hang on.

Now if I was riding a mountain bike with wide tires the flotation would rate very high on the pucker chart.
The Nokia's are great training tires as one tire weighs almost as much as a set of wheels and tires on my road bike. (Not quite but you get the idea)
The nokias can also be easily controlled by air pressure. Just add a little extra air an you can ride on the centre rib and cut down on a lot of tire drag. Need a little more traction? Just drop the pressure a little and the blocks are back on the ground giving that extra little bite.

Other than the first guy that responded, does anyone else have experience running an aggressive tire front and a smoother rolling tire in the back? That's my standard winter set-up. By and large, though, I don't have to deal with that much ice on my riding (just an occasional patch, perhaps) - it's mostly snow in various forms (and this year, very little of even that). So I don't run studded tires. However, I have a fairly aggressive knobby front tire and a slick rear tire. It's faster than having two knobby tires. There is somewhat less control in bad conditions, e.g., fishtailing and rear wheel slippage are more likely, but I find it a reasonable compromise, given the conditions I usually ride in.

I run my 3 winter bikes with all the same tires. Off road, nokian extremes. Winter beater road bike, nokian 106's , for ice and less snow. For my most used winter bike, I run nokian mount and grounds 160's on the rockhopper mountain bike. The mount and grounds can handle anything thown at them. Traction is my main concern, not rolling resistance.