Winter Cycling - Only one studded tire?

45Nrth just released a studded fat bike tire, but at $175/$225.00 a piece, I cant afford a pair. Would one studded, one regular tire be enough to not fall on my a$$ in the ice? If so, should it go on the front or the back? Or should I just wait until I can save up for both?

Two are better, but if you're only going to go with one put it up front. Losing traction on your front wheel will put you on the ground before you even know it's happening. Losing traction on your rear wheel is much easier to recover.

If I'm going to ride in the winter I'd go with one studded tire versus none.

I've got a Pugsley on order and have been pondering 1 vs 2 studded tires as well. I rode a few weeks on an MTB with just front studs and didn't find it too bad, though I definitely prefer having both.

I hope 45Nrth was very very optimistic on their estimate of the market for the tire. I have a suspicion I might be riding with zero studded tires if they sell out fast. I've got to nag my LBS to track them down before the weather turns.

Two are better, but if you're only going to go with one put it up front. Losing traction on your front wheel will put you on the ground before you even know it's happening. Losing traction on your rear wheel is much easier to recover.

If I'm going to ride in the winter I'd go with one studded tire versus none.

+1

A few years back I used one studded tire. on the front I had tons of fun. Just dont get cocky. I bought a $90 studded tire it worked just fine. I rode everyday.

Get one now, put it in the front, save $$$ to buy the other later. Front tyre will wear out significantly slower than rear, so there's no rush (except that two studded tyres are better than just one, but you already knew that).

45Nrth just released a studded fat bike tire, but at $175/$225.00 a piece, I cant afford a pair. Would one studded, one regular tire be enough to not fall on my a$$ in the ice? If so, should it go on the front or the back? Or should I just wait until I can save up for both?

P.S. Also, while I normally would not recommend just one tire if you're anywhere with ice, this is a more reasonable proposition on a fat bike like you're saying. The 4" fat bike tire will let you get a foot down before the bike tips even without studs (something I personally found not true with a 2" mountain bike tire) - with studs on the front it would probably stay upright.

Biggest difficulty without studs on the rear tire would be biking uphill with ice, I would think.

I had studs on the front last winter, and it was awesome. Definitely superior to no studs... I didn't bail once! As others have said, skidding out on the rear is recoverable, but when the front slips you're down.

Calgary's winter is crazy enough that it can jump back and forth between freezing, thawing, snowing, icing, sunny, dry, raining... within 24 hours. I like having the tires that have studs only on the sides; they protect you from slippage, but aren't too bad on dry pavement. I've got these ones (http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cycling/TiresTubesWheels/OffRoadTires/PRD~4018-655/schwalbe-snow-stud-26-x-1.9-wire-tire.jsp) (not for a fat bike though).

I'm planning to get a second studded tire this winter for increased uphill traction, but I would certainly recommend starting with one.

I saw this once. Not sure if it works well:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Pop-Rivet-Ice-Tires-for-Your-Road-Bike/