Winter Cycling - Looking for tyres

Hello,

I decided that this year I'm not giving in to winter. Now I'm looking for some winter tyres. Some info:
* It's a road bike I use to cycle to school, about about 30km back-and-forth.
* The terrain is mostly road, but there's some foresty ground along the way (that's why I exchanged my regular tyres for something more offroad-ish).
* The main problem is the layer of snow on the road, though I've come upon slippery ice once or twice.
* Sometimes the snow melts and gets mixed with sand and there's that really annoying mud on the ground. Something to cope with that would be nice.
* The size is 37-622.

I'd like some particular model suggestions.

You want studded tires? Check out Nokian and Schwalbe studded tires. Get them as fat as your frame can take and run them at lower pressure. You will ride slower but they'll get you through the Winter.

Getting new tires is sometimes a personal choice. I had a conversation with RumRun6 when he bought his studded tires about why (he's outside of Boston and i'm in upstate NY and we have similar climates). I was debating about getting them or making them myself. I decided they weren't necessary for me on my commute, but wouldn't knock anybody for having them if they make the commute safer. I simply ride more cautiously over parts of my commute where I know I will encounter snow.

I know that doesn't answer your question, hopefully just gives you another perspective.

there's really not much choice if the maximum tire size the frame can fit is 622x37

You could try out making some studded tires for cheap out of an old set.

I would strongly suggest getting something more like a mountain bike, with 26" tires. I've found that having gripshift makes things easier.

Thanks all. I also talked with some local commuters and I made up my mind on Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 (35mm). The problem is that I can't find them anywhere outside US. Do you know any places where I can get them where they will ship to Eastern Europe?

they're not an american company, i think they're from finland? here is their list of distributors from their website...

http://www.rollspeed.com/distributors.html

CANADA
NORCO
1465 Kebet Way
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
V3C 6G1 Canada
tel. (604) 552-2930
fax (604) 552-2948
e-mail: feedback@norco.com
http://www.norco.com

DENMARK
SCANBIKE AS
Frichsvej 17
8600 SILKEBORG
Denmark
tel. +45 70250600
fax +45 70250699
e-mail: scan-bike@email.dk
http://www.scan-bike.dk

FINLAND
HELKAMA VELOX OY
FIN-10960 HANKO
tel. +358-19-28061
fax +358-19-2483101
http://www.helkamavelox.fi

RAUL HELLBERG OY
Riihimiehentie 8
FIN-01720 VANTAA
tel. +358-9-41788400
fax +358-9-41788417
http://www.raulhellberg.fi

SHIMANO NORDIC CYCLE OY
Martinkyläntie 53
FIN-01720 VANTAA
tel. +358 20 155 0800
fax +358 20 155 0801
e-mail infofi@shimano-eu.com
http://www.shimano-nordic.com/

TUNTURI OY LTD
P.O.BOX 750
FIN-20361 TURKU
tel. +358-2-51331
fax +358-2-513 3204
http://www.tunturi.fi/

UIMONEN TRADING OY
Kaskimäenkatu 7
FIN-33900 TAMPERE
tel. +358-3-3565 400
fax +358-3-265 6700
http://www.uimonen.fi

GERMANY
T & S VERTRIEBS GmbH
Heerweg 5
72574 Bad Urach
Germany
tel. +49 7125 937676
fax +49 7125 937677
e-mail: info@tunds.com
http://www.tunds.com

GREENLAND
PIKKORI SPORT
Box 205 3900 NUUK
3900 NUUK
GREENLAND
tel. 299321899
e-mail: malik@ansjos.net

ICELAND
Markid Heidrun ehf.
P.O.Box 8333
Armuli 40IS-108
REYKJAVIK
ICELAND
fax. +3545814877
e-mail: runar@markid.is

Örninn LTD
Skeifunni 11IS-108
REYKJAVIK
ICELAND
tel. +3545889892
fax. +3545889894
e-mail: ingir@ornin.is

JAPAN
SHIMANO RINKAI CO. LTD
1-5-15 Chikkou-Shinmachi
Nishi-ku
Osaka 592-8331
Japan
tel. +81-72-243-2106
fax +81-72-243-2830
www.shimano.com

NORWAY
SHIMANO NORDIC CYCLE AS NORWAY
Nesøyveien 4
N-1396 Billingstad
Norway
Tel. 0047-66778010
Fax 0047-66778011
e-mail infono@shimano-eu.com
http://www.shimano-nordic.com/

POLAND
7ANNA
Raciborskiego 123
80-215 Gdansk
Poland
tel: +48 585201804
fax: +48 583404717
e-mail: info@7anna.com.pl
http://www.7anna.com.pl

RUSSIA
CHAINPOWER LTD.
Milutinsky per. 11 office 92
101000 Moscow
Russia
Tel. +7 495 625 0912
Mobile: +7 910 478 20 76
Fax +7 495 502 08 66
e-mail: info@chainpower.ru
http://www.chainpower.ru

SOUTH AFRICA
GL Import & Trading
1 Ravensteyn Rd
Camps Bay
8005 Cape Town
South Africa
tel. 0027 21 4381854
fax. 0027 21 4381854
e-mail: info@glit.co.za
www.glit.co.za

SWEDEN
SHIMANO NORDIC CYCLE AB
Hållnäsgatan 8, Box 2055
750 02 Uppsala
Sweden
Tel. 018-561600
Fax 018-500395
e-mail: infose@shimano-eu.com
http://www.shimano-nordic.com/

SWITZERLAND
AGENTUR FELIX AG
Sonnenhalde 7
9553 Bettwiesen TG
Switzerland
tel. 071-911 66 16
fax 071-911 66 29
e-mail: felix@felix.ch
http://www.felix.ch

USA
QUALITY BICYCLE PRODUCTS
6400 W. 105th Street
Bloomington, MN 55438-2554
USA
Tel. (952) 941-9391
Fax (952) 941-9799
e-mail: whuemmer@qbp.com

DOWNEAST BICYCLE SPECIALISTS
P.O.Box 226
Porter Road
Fryeburg, ME 04037
USA
Tel. (207) 935-4242
Fax (207) 935-4881
e-mail: parts@debike.com
http://www.debike.com

SEATTLE BIKE SUPPLY
7620 South 192nd
Kent, WA 98032
USA
Tel. 1-425-251-1516
Fax 1-425-251-5279
www.seattlebikesupply.com

Thanks all. I also talked with some local commuters and I made up my mind on Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 (35mm). The problem is that I can't find them anywhere outside US. Do you know any places where I can get them where they will ship to Eastern Europe?

German bike shops are your best bet, try starbike.com or bike24.com.

Note that studded tyres are in very short supply at the moment due to the early and severe winter.

You better hurry with your purchase, as the winter tires begin to be in short supply. This pattern repeats itself every winter, not just this one. I have successfully ordered to Eastern Europe from starbike, but they are out of W106s until January, as one example. With winter equipment, like airline tickets, you generally have to plan ahead.