KC10Chief

I just moved from Oklahoma City, OK to Anchorage, AK. When I lived in Oklahoma, there were maybe 3 or 4 days out of the year where there would be snow or ice on the ground and I couldn't ride my bike. They usually called off work on those days anyways. Here in Alaska, that's not the case. I got here at the end of February and didn't do any bicycle commuting until the snow melted off about a month ago. They are really good about getting snow plowed off of the roads, but there is always a layer of ice on the road all winter. Anybody else commute in similar situations? For me, it's 7 miles each way to work. I'm in the Air Force and I fly for a living. Some days, I have to carry about 50 pounds of gear and pubs with me on a Bob trailer. It's spring time now and the weather is fantastic. But winter weather is going to be back in September or October. Do they make studded bicycle tires? It's a whole different world up here and I need to get my bicycle ready for it. Part of my commute is a couple of miles of paved trail through the woods. A few days ago, I came across a mama bear and three cubs. Not a good situation. So, I have some bear spray now. I just have to mount it to my bike! HA! Also, my current bike is an older Trek 8000. I bought it in 2002 I believe. I'm looking to get a new bike. I like the Trek Valencia, but I'm not sure how it would do in the winter. I was also thinking about getting a Specialized Rockhopper 29er. I like to ride MTB trails too. Here in Alaska, it's dark for a lot of the winter. I'd like to commute on my bike. A lot of people don't get any exercise in the winter time here. The sun comes up around 11am and goes down around 3pm so I hear. It's currently almost 11pm here, and the sun is still up. Crazy. If you guys have any advice for a winter commute, I'd appreciate it!

daven1986

They do make studded bike tyres, but I have never used them. Earlier this year though it snowed quite heavily in the UK and I did cycle in some slush and I didn't like it! My back wheel kept sliding out and was pretty dicey, however once I got onto main roads the salt had cleared all the ice.

I'd definately try studded tyres. And being in the airforce you should have good enough reactions to get out of skids!

Good luck

KC10Chief

Yeah, it's rarely slushy around here. It's frozen solid most of the winter and there is always something on the road. Usually hard packed ice from the vehicles that pack the snow down. I've been to a couple of local bike shops. I didn't see any studded tires, but they might be out since it's spring time.

pe2er

I Did last winter. Fell from my bike three times, broke my hand once. So I do not recommend doing it

Juha

Welcome to the Forums, KC10Chief.

Studded tyres make all the difference, especially in the conditions you described (ice, hard packed snow). For studded tyres in USA & Canada, an often mentioned source is Peter White. He has a good selection and also articles on studded tyres.

For me, Nokian studded tyres are locally easily available and relatively cheap. For a while they were also the only studded tyres with durable carbide studs, but now at least Schwalbe is following the suit. Durability is important in daily use, and also in the sense that you can ride over clear patches of pavement without worrying for your tyres. I have a pair of Hakkapeliitta W106s permanently mounted on my winter bike for commuting on road. For winter offroad you'd need something with more studs and more aggressive thread. For the entire Nokian product range, see here.

As you noticed, you'll need good lights too. There's a lot of discussion on various different types, power sources etc. in our Electronics, Lights and Gadgets -subforum. And of course, there's the wholeWinter Cycling subforum, although it's somewhat quiet right now. But just wait until autumn...

Winter biking is an entirely different sport - there's a lot of rolling resistance from snow, studs and lower PSI. You may have to invest some money in winter clothing. Exercising in cold air might be new to you and require a bit of getting used to. But it's great fun!

--J

kshapero

I once dropped an ice cube on the ground near a Palm tree. I tried to ride over it but it melted before I had a chance. So my answer is no.

plodderslusk

I commute year round. My advice is to keep the Trek as a dedicated winter bike and put on some wide (and expensive) studded tires. Either Conti Icespiker Pro or Nokian Freddie lite's. They are a bit slower than the less wide ones but will take you through almost all kinds of ice and snow. My lighting system is a Silva LX strapped around my helmet with the battery in a Camelbak.

xtrajack

I commuted last winter in western Maine. Studded tires-- yes,they make all the difference in the world. As noted earlier: https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp
is a good place to start, to educate yourself about studded tires. Also https://www.icebike.org/
Good info answers to many questions and advice.
I drank the xtracycle koolaid.(https://www.xtracycle.com/ )I use my xtracycle to commute with, it will carry almost anything I care to put on it.
I don't believe that it would even notice 50+pounds of gear and pubs.
I commuted with my X all winter (I don't ride if it is actually snowing,or below zero temps) My commute is about six miles each way.
I found that the biggest thing for me was/is keeping the fingers and toes warm.
Also, I think someone mentioned the increased resistance w/studdedd tires,snow,ect.
Peace and Blessings

Mad Scientist

The Minneapolis Park Board usually plows and sands the trails I commute on within 24 hours of snow fall. As such, I have not needed special tires for my winter commute.

For me, the most important part of the winter commute is keeping my fingers and toes warm. I found that wool socks and neoprene shoe covers were sufficient for me feet (down to -4 F). The Pearl Izumi lobster-claw-looking gloves with thin liners were enough to keep my fingers warm.

Try not to set an arbitrary limit on what conditions you'll ride in. If you have gear which is up to the challenge, just ride. I discovered that I love commuting while it is snowing. The falling flakes are beautiful and the sound of the tires on the fresh snow is enchanting.

apricissimus 

I've found that snow isn't nearly as much of a problem as ice is. When riding on thick, clumpy snow, your tires may squirm around a little bit. Take it slow and you'll be able to stay upright without too much difficulty. If you slip on ice however, you'll be on the ground before you even know what happened.

KLW2

Check the Winter Cycling forum towards the bottom...lots of good tips and advice!

Hot Potato

Oh yeah. I do snowy, icey, winter rides. I started with a beater bike that I could get Nokian 240 studded tires on. I found I liked winter rides. However, rim brakes don't work too well in many winter situations. Since I had confirmed that I could and would ride the great white, I bought a Giant Seek1. Alfine Internal gear hub, and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. Combined with the Nokian 240's, I logged quite a few miles over the winter on the Seek1. Not nearly as many miles as spring through fall, but enough to be a happy cyclist.

The studded tires really do work well, especially on snow and ice packed pavement. On trails, un-trod snow is OK too, but definitely different.

ItsJustMe

Yes, I ride all year round in Michigan. That means about 3 or 4 months of snow/ice conditions, from late November until March, and a bit of snow in April though not enough to bother mounting studs for. My ride is mostly rural so those roads don't get plowed for a while, and 40% of it is on gravel roads, which get plowed but NEVER salted (it would turn them into a swamp) so they're always covered with snow packed down to near ice.

I use Nokian W106 studs. I currently have Marathon Winters but I've found they perform great on ice but poorly in snow; they sideslip badly if the snow is wet. I'm going back to Nokians in the future.

I enjoy riding in all weather. I like summer best of all of course, simply because I don't have to wear all that extra clothes and I can go faster, but winter is fun too.

Pig_Chaser

This winter was my first winter. I started pretty late in February. That said i think i earned my winter commuting badge as i encountered every condition possible. Temperatures of -28C, pure sheets of ice, loose snow and loose snow on ice. Studded tires rock. You can ride very confidently on ice, however, you can't make any sudden moves. Riding in snow makes you feel like a kid again.

ghettocruiser

The winter forum is dominated by winter commuters... but May, of course, isn't the busiest time in there.

sauerwald

Another Mainer here, and I ride pretty much year round. I don't ride on days when the road is covered in ice, but I find that it is only 3 or 4 days a year like that, since they are pretty good at clearing the snow from the roads. Snow and slush is fine, it makes for more of a workout, and you want decent fender clearance.

I don't use studded tires, I just roll on Schwalbe Marathon Plus year round.

tjspiel

Check out the winter cycling forum as somebody else suggested. Also, it would be great if you can find somebody local who rides the same areas you'd be riding. You could try asking at a local bike shop.

-10 F is -10 F is the same no matter where you go so clothing recommendations can be helpful regardless of where people live. Winter road conditions are pretty local though and it's best, though not always possible, to talk to winter cyclists in your area.

In general studded tires work well on hard packed snow and icy surfaces. If the surface is uneven (ruts and stuff) you'll want more studs. Loose snow on the other hand, is entirely different. I find that fresh snow that has been churned up by traffic can be very difficult to ride on, especially if that snow is on top of an icy surface.

Fresh virgin snow can be a lot of fun but more than a few inches is too much work for me on my bike.

Aside from the tires, you won't be sorry for spending money on really good lights. If you're thinking about a new bike, something with an internally geared hub and disk brakes would make your life easier.
Regardless, you'll want fenders with a long mud flap to minimize the icy junk getting tossed into your components.

Jim from Boston

I'm starting to miss the Winter Forum. This was my first winter riding after discovering BF, and I became completely sold on studded tires; just took them off two weeks ago. I really liked my Schwalbe Marathons, but I travel well-plowed paths and I only used them once in heavy snow, but I got up hills that had cars stuck.

Mr. Underbridge

Don't let the fair-weather folks scare you off, it's very doable. The first important thing is realizing you need studded tires; the next most important (but toughest) is choosing which kind.

First, you want Tungsten Carbide studs. Stainless studs wear too fast, so pass on the cheap-o studded tires.

Next, you need to figure out what kind of riding you'll be doing - glare/black ice, rutted ice, untreated snow, or "cookie dough" snow? Or a combination?

*Glare/black ice on mainly treated roads can be handled with a tire that has a less aggressive tread block, and all the studs closer to the middle. Note that you don't want an aggressive tread block if you don't need it, as it will slow you down on clear patches.
*Rutted ice needs a higher stud count with more studs at the sides of the tire for climbing out of ruts.
*Fresh snow won't benefit from studs at all - mountain bike tires are best, unless you can go with extremely wide, low-pressure slicks that stay on top of the snow (we're talking 3-4" tires).
*Refrozen "cookie dough" would benefit from a tire with studs to grab in the icy parts and tread blocks to plow through the snowy parts.

My commute involves some rutted ice and re-frozen stuff, but nothing extremely deep, usually. For that reason, I went with the Nokian Mount and Grounds, which have a moderate tread block for operating in snow, a decent stud count, and stud placement at the edges for ruts. The Schwalbe Marathon Winter is reputed as a great tire for operating on cleared roads, where your enemy is black ice or glare ice, but it's supposedly pretty bad in snow.

Check Peter White's page on studded tires, he explains it very well. Don't know what stock is like in summer - you'll either get a great deal or won't find anything. Plan early next year - studded tires sell quickly, although that probably won't matter because your winter will start before the rest of us. Stock still might be tough, as sometimes stock doesn't hit until November.

Good luck!

If you'll be living in Anchorage, I'd strongly recommed an extra wheelset or two with terrain-appropriate tires mounted.

Pista Largo

Nokian makes a variety of studded tires with studs in a variety of configurations. The ones with lots of studs work pretty well, but they have enough rolling resistance that you will notice the difference.

Hot Potato

Oh, and summer or early fall is exactly the time to think about acquiring some studded tires. If you wait till the late fall or winter, sometimes they can get hard to find.

mikewille

Rode all winter on home-made studded tires. spend a few hours with a drill press , a hand drill, and a few boxes of machine screws and you'll be capable of performing any maneuver that you could on dry pavement. (This can lead to a weird phenomenon where you forget that you are on ice until you stop, put your foot down, and fall on your ass)

KitN

I rode this whole winter with snow and ice on the ground. I didn't have any special wheels although I am sure it would have been even better.

Just reduce your speed, take your time and don't try any sharp turns or other crazy maneuvers or you could wipe out.

Sixty Fiver

There have been a lot of questions about winter cycling of late and this really is the time to start planing for it as before you know it winter will be upon us and summer can make you forget that.

There is a wealth of information in the winter forum and even though it may be a little quiet now, it provides a great archive of collected wisdom.

I love riding in the winter despite the fact we probably get harsher weather than Anchorage due to our geography.

It can be a very wonderful experience if you are prepared for it.

vtjim

See my avatar. That's from a commute earlier this year. Studded tires are great on ice. I have Nokian W-106 tires but frankly for the kind of riding I do (a lot of unplowed terrain), they're not what I should be using. I'm going to get a set of Freddie's Revenz I think.