Hi everyone,

Winter has finally arrived here in Nova Scotia, Canada. We just had about 40cm of snow in the past 24h.... :eek:
I started commuting in June this year and so far so good. Now, I started having doubts wether or not I should keep commuting during the winter with all the snow and ice on the roads....

I have a Specialized Sirrus 04 with 700cx35 Michelin Transworld Sprint tires...I've never tried them in snow/ice yet and I'm a bit concerned about their efficiency under these conditions... :o NOw, if i get studded tires, I wonder if 700cx35 studded tires will have enough grip compared to 26' studded tires? Any suggestions?

Thanks ! :)

Based on my (limited) experience biking in La Nouvelle Écosse, I would not quit commuting just because of snow & ice. What would quickly put me behind the wheel of a Toyota Sequoia would be the crazy, fast drivers up there ;-) I was driven off the road several times in Cape Breton. But If tires are your only concern, don't give up winter biking!

As an alternative to Nokians (studded tires), you could check out my favorite tire for snow & ice commuting in Boston, Tioga Bloodhounds. I think the 27 x 1-3/8 or 700 x 38c aggressive, knobby Tioga Bloodhound (cyclocross) tires could work well for winter commuting in La Nouvelle Écosse;-)
http://www.bikepro.com/products/tires/tioga_mong_bhound.html

Another tire to check out is the WTB MotoRaptor 29 x 2.1. http://www.biketiresdirect.com/29_mountain_tires.htm

Finally, check out/contact the tire gurus at Harris Cyclery. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/630.html


:roflmao: :roflmao:

Riding/commuting in the snow is a hoot! There are two things I found that make the difference between a good snow ride and a crappy one.

You have 700c tires...go as wide as you can. I put some 26"x1.5" studded snows on this year. They were either too narrow or not aggressive enough. I hit a couple of snow ruts and went down. I also have some 26 x 2.0 studded snows and they worked great. If you can find some 700c tires (studded or not) with an aggressive tread on the side, you may find better control.

Also, be extra careful if you ride in traffic These idiots out here can't drive when the streets are clear, let alone when it snows!

It's really worth the effort. Riding/commuting in the snow is great if you can make it work.

One thing to watch our for: aggressively treaded tyres like the ones Jharte describes are sketchy if you corner deeply on wet tarmac. So by ALL means slap some chunky tyres on and go ride, but take care on clean corners too. (So speaks the bruised arse of experience!)

If you're concerned about width, Nokkian studded tires come in 700x45. Why would you want to go to 26?