Making Your Own Studded Tyres
01-12-11, 10:03 AM
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i just made me one of these. i used the same screws as rob. they are coming out pretty good. i just need to put in the liner and then try them out. we are having a blizzard as i type this. if your in southern NH then you can probally see it to. i will post pictures after.
I'm getting hit with the very same storm and actually have a snow day from work due to the entire town being out of power. Off to hit the roads with my DIY Snow Tires
01-12-11, 08:18 PM
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i did put some in the middle-ish knobs. should i just shorten them or take them out comepetly?(please say just shorten) and i am using a duct tape layer and a popped inertube layer. i havnt found much ice yet except once cus of the powder but its still a heck of alota fun to ride in. i have a half mile long by like a quarter mile wide cemetary 100 feet away from my house that i love to ride in when im alone. it was a fun ride today only found one patch of ice that i turned sharply on with only the rear whell sliding allitle
01-17-11, 07:57 AM
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RESULTS OF MY OWN DIY STUDDED TIRE
First of all, a big thanks to Sixty Fiver for the thread, And also to wpryan for the idea of mounting the hex head screws directly in the outer lug. I did that at first to a pair of WTB Prowlers MX 2.5’s and it worked out good. I liked that at first, because you don’t have to remove the tire or use a tire liner. And then I saw Fred’s idea of mounting the set screws and I thought that that looked real nice. So I added those to the hex head method to give myself what I think is a beefy studded winter tire that should handle just about anything that I ride across. We’ll see how the 2.5’s handle the loose stuff you find after a heavy snowfall.
I used the link provided by Fred to purchase the studs. The studs were 3/16” long.
This project takes a lot more time than the 2 or 3 hours that Fred mentioned. First you have to figure out a pattern to use and how many studs you’ll need. At $20 a box, you don’t want to buy too many. If your short a box it’s no big deal, the tire will still have enough to give you traction on ice. Then you have to take the time to drill out each lug.
When designing the tread pattern I just taped off ¼ of the tire, this way I didn’t have to count the entire tire to see how many studs I had. You just multiply the total by 4. I drew the stud pattern on paper and figured out the best pattern to use. I went in groups of 4 skipping one and then another group of 4, etc. I kept the two center rows studless, I studded the two middle rows and kept the outer row as it was since I had previously installed the hex screws there. I ended up with roughly 224 studs in the tire. The total time to install the studs was roughly 2.5 hours. I split the time up over a 3 day period. Keith’s (65ver) method of drilling the screws in is a lot faster, cheaper and less labor intensive I would imagine. But I liked the look of the set screws and the fact that you don’t need a tire liner to protect the tube, these tires are heavy enough and I didn’t want to add on any weight that I didn’t need.
You want to be careful drilling out the lugs, take your time to get the drill bit centered just right. I missed a few and had to re-drill them as I came upon them. I wanted them just right because once you mount the tire you don’t want to have to remove it if you discover later that you got one or two of them off.
I had gone to the hardware store to get a Allen key to fit the studs. I bought the same screws that Fred had and they used a 1/16” key. I used a 5/64 drill bit. I spent $8 on an Allen key set that folds out rather than a separate Allen key. This will give you more leverage when you push the screw into the hole to start it. I used White Out to mark the holes and also to mark the inside of the tire when I had had enough for that day. As I said, I split the time up over three days, I wasn’t in a hurry to get it done in a day and you’ll discover that these little things are rough on the fingertips after awhile.
Final notes;
1. I wished I had seen those Continental Mountain Kings before I bought the WTB Prowlers. They have a better tread pattern, more like the Nokians. But it was too late. The WTB’s still make for a awesome winter tire.
2. I wish they had a 5/16” screw to give me more length inside the tire. They’re still in there pretty stable. And as Fred mentioned when he skidded on them he didn’t lose any studs. I’m just curious as to how long the points will remain sharp over time. We’ll find out and let you know..
I ride on a lot of plowed streets that will be bare pavement so we’ll see how these measure up to the Nokian Extreme 294’s that I have on the other bike. The Nokians are going on their third winter season and those studs are still holding good and should last a few more seasons. I’m hoping with the $$ I spent on the set screws that these will last at least three seasons. That would be good if they do. Talking about the labor involved. Like Fred, I didn’t mind sitting down and doing this. I like doing little DIY projects like this. And since they don’t manufacture a big studded tire the gamble was worth it. If it turns out that the set screws only last me one season and turn out to be a bust and I wasted $60, oh well. I’ve wasted money before. Lesson learned. So you can look forward to another review next year or so. But with the front tire completed it makes for one bad-ass winter tire. When I do the rear tire I anticipate the time to be quicker now that I know what I’m doing. Would I do this again? Most definitely, I was wanting a bigger studded tire, the Nokian does good in about 4” of snow. But squirreled out in that big deep loose stuff (ex. mashed potatoes) that you’ll see riding thru an intersection. I’m figuring the 2.5’s will do a better job of that. We’ll see.
Short of going out and buying a Pugsley, I was wanting a fat tire bike. So I went the poor man’s route and bought a Surly 1x1 on eBay for real cheap and converted it into what I think is a pretty nice winter/trail bike. We’ve got some nice MTB trails near home and the bigger tires, to me, ride better on the rough single track we have. Not to mention how they chew up tree roots and spit em’ out.
The finished project. Probably not as good a picture as what Fred had. But his idea worked to a T, and I accomplished my goal of turning the Trail bike into a second heavy-duty winter bike
Mounted to this
First of all, a big thanks to Sixty Fiver for the thread, And also to wpryan for the idea of mounting the hex head screws directly in the outer lug. I did that at first to a pair of WTB Prowlers MX 2.5’s and it worked out good. I liked that at first, because you don’t have to remove the tire or use a tire liner. And then I saw Fred’s idea of mounting the set screws and I thought that that looked real nice. So I added those to the hex head method to give myself what I think is a beefy studded winter tire that should handle just about anything that I ride across. We’ll see how the 2.5’s handle the loose stuff you find after a heavy snowfall.
I used the link provided by Fred to purchase the studs. The studs were 3/16” long.
This project takes a lot more time than the 2 or 3 hours that Fred mentioned. First you have to figure out a pattern to use and how many studs you’ll need. At $20 a box, you don’t want to buy too many. If your short a box it’s no big deal, the tire will still have enough to give you traction on ice. Then you have to take the time to drill out each lug.
When designing the tread pattern I just taped off ¼ of the tire, this way I didn’t have to count the entire tire to see how many studs I had. You just multiply the total by 4. I drew the stud pattern on paper and figured out the best pattern to use. I went in groups of 4 skipping one and then another group of 4, etc. I kept the two center rows studless, I studded the two middle rows and kept the outer row as it was since I had previously installed the hex screws there. I ended up with roughly 224 studs in the tire. The total time to install the studs was roughly 2.5 hours. I split the time up over a 3 day period. Keith’s (65ver) method of drilling the screws in is a lot faster, cheaper and less labor intensive I would imagine. But I liked the look of the set screws and the fact that you don’t need a tire liner to protect the tube, these tires are heavy enough and I didn’t want to add on any weight that I didn’t need.
You want to be careful drilling out the lugs, take your time to get the drill bit centered just right. I missed a few and had to re-drill them as I came upon them. I wanted them just right because once you mount the tire you don’t want to have to remove it if you discover later that you got one or two of them off.
I had gone to the hardware store to get a Allen key to fit the studs. I bought the same screws that Fred had and they used a 1/16” key. I used a 5/64 drill bit. I spent $8 on an Allen key set that folds out rather than a separate Allen key. This will give you more leverage when you push the screw into the hole to start it. I used White Out to mark the holes and also to mark the inside of the tire when I had had enough for that day. As I said, I split the time up over three days, I wasn’t in a hurry to get it done in a day and you’ll discover that these little things are rough on the fingertips after awhile.
Final notes;
1. I wished I had seen those Continental Mountain Kings before I bought the WTB Prowlers. They have a better tread pattern, more like the Nokians. But it was too late. The WTB’s still make for a awesome winter tire.
2. I wish they had a 5/16” screw to give me more length inside the tire. They’re still in there pretty stable. And as Fred mentioned when he skidded on them he didn’t lose any studs. I’m just curious as to how long the points will remain sharp over time. We’ll find out and let you know..
I ride on a lot of plowed streets that will be bare pavement so we’ll see how these measure up to the Nokian Extreme 294’s that I have on the other bike. The Nokians are going on their third winter season and those studs are still holding good and should last a few more seasons. I’m hoping with the $$ I spent on the set screws that these will last at least three seasons. That would be good if they do. Talking about the labor involved. Like Fred, I didn’t mind sitting down and doing this. I like doing little DIY projects like this. And since they don’t manufacture a big studded tire the gamble was worth it. If it turns out that the set screws only last me one season and turn out to be a bust and I wasted $60, oh well. I’ve wasted money before. Lesson learned. So you can look forward to another review next year or so. But with the front tire completed it makes for one bad-ass winter tire. When I do the rear tire I anticipate the time to be quicker now that I know what I’m doing. Would I do this again? Most definitely, I was wanting a bigger studded tire, the Nokian does good in about 4” of snow. But squirreled out in that big deep loose stuff (ex. mashed potatoes) that you’ll see riding thru an intersection. I’m figuring the 2.5’s will do a better job of that. We’ll see.
Short of going out and buying a Pugsley, I was wanting a fat tire bike. So I went the poor man’s route and bought a Surly 1x1 on eBay for real cheap and converted it into what I think is a pretty nice winter/trail bike. We’ve got some nice MTB trails near home and the bigger tires, to me, ride better on the rough single track we have. Not to mention how they chew up tree roots and spit em’ out.
The finished project. Probably not as good a picture as what Fred had. But his idea worked to a T, and I accomplished my goal of turning the Trail bike into a second heavy-duty winter bike
Mounted to this
01-27-11, 03:04 PM
#104
Senior Member
Has anyone tried replacing the studs in ready-made studded tires? If so, how did you do it, and how do you like the results? I have a set of inexpensive winter tires (not sure of the brand but possibly Innova?) from last year that still have beautiful tread left, but all of the studs are worn completely flat. They're better than plain knobbies but I don't have the grip I did last winter.
I think I have access to automotive studs (boyfriend is a mechanic and his brother works for a parts company), but I'm not sure what kind of tools I'd need for those, or even if they work the same way as the bike tire studs.
I think I have access to automotive studs (boyfriend is a mechanic and his brother works for a parts company), but I'm not sure what kind of tools I'd need for those, or even if they work the same way as the bike tire studs.
02-04-11, 09:31 AM
#105
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https://www.maxigripstore.com/categor...ke-Tire-Studs/
High quality carbide tiped studs. They are a little expensive. When you add the cost of a tire and the studs, it is better to buy a high quality prestudded tire and get the advantage of a winter rubber compound. That said, they sell studs for diy studding of boots and running shoes.
High quality carbide tiped studs. They are a little expensive. When you add the cost of a tire and the studs, it is better to buy a high quality prestudded tire and get the advantage of a winter rubber compound. That said, they sell studs for diy studding of boots and running shoes.
03-23-11, 04:22 PM
#106
Senior Member
The Kenda Kinetics 26 x 2.35 tires I used for my winter tires were a poor choice. The tires themselves were pretty heavy duty and didn't spread out much when run at lower pressures. Also they were so large I couldn't use fenders, and the back ones rubbed against the frame when fully inflated. I had also positioned the screws too far out and don't think they actually made very good contact with the road. Maybe I'll give it another try next year.
This week I really needed fenders so I put a pair of 26 x 2.1 tires on.
This week I really needed fenders so I put a pair of 26 x 2.1 tires on.
03-23-11, 04:35 PM
#107
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
My self studded Panaracer Fire XC on my winter bike is almost done it's second winter and still looks great, studs still bite with authority, and have been saving my butt... figure that with how much I ride in the winter this tyre has passed the 5000 km mark with no issues.
The double set on my extra bike were made this winter and although this bike has not seen as much use has been awesome every time I have taken it out.
This is the worst season for riding here as we are into that freeze thaw cycle and there is a lot of water that turns to ice when the temps drop... figure the studs will stay on for a while longer.
The double set on my extra bike were made this winter and although this bike has not seen as much use has been awesome every time I have taken it out.
This is the worst season for riding here as we are into that freeze thaw cycle and there is a lot of water that turns to ice when the temps drop... figure the studs will stay on for a while longer.
Last edited by Sixty Fiver; 10-12-11 at 02:07 PM.
09-12-11, 08:24 PM
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sorry to reopen an old thread but winter is coming again and i think this persuaded me to get a new set of knobbies and sacrifice my old ones and stud them for the winter instead of chains and zipties like last year...i definetely need a better solution for sure though but ill definitely keep you guys posted!
09-12-11, 09:53 PM
#111
Senior Member
For this winter I ordered a set of 26" Nokian W240s from Peter White Cycles. After shipping they were $150 less than what the two LBS' here are selling them for. I can't really put the blame on the LBS' as the MSRP in their supplier's catalog is $149.95 each. Someone further up the supply chain is making a tidy profit.
09-16-11, 05:34 PM
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I have aerobars on both of my bikes. I find them to be very practical when riding into the wind. It also gives me another comfortable position to ride in.
10-12-11, 02:06 PM
#115
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
sorry to reopen an old thread but winter is coming again and i think this persuaded me to get a new set of knobbies and sacrifice my old ones and stud them for the winter instead of chains and zipties like last year...i definetely need a better solution for sure though but ill definitely keep you guys posted!
10-24-11, 03:27 PM
#116
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Hi everyone! There are some neat homemade studded tires in here, I enjoyed looking at pictures.
I'm from Florida, recently transplanted to Klamath Falls, OR. I'm really nervous about the coming winter, but equally wishing to prove every person who keeps telling me I can't keep ride my bike in winter wrong. I'm definitely going to need different tires, though, mine are sort of flat with no real tread. The bike shop said I'd want cyclocross tires to get the knobbies.
A search for cyclocross gave me Kenda161 tires for $11.99 (or normally $14.99). Price is super important at the moment as we're pretty broke. Would these be good tires to use for winter alone? And if needed, could I stud these- are those knobs big enough? It's hard to tell with a picture, but it looks like the tallest tread is in the middle.
If not, I'd be happy to take suggestions or advice. Thanks
I'm from Florida, recently transplanted to Klamath Falls, OR. I'm really nervous about the coming winter, but equally wishing to prove every person who keeps telling me I can't keep ride my bike in winter wrong. I'm definitely going to need different tires, though, mine are sort of flat with no real tread. The bike shop said I'd want cyclocross tires to get the knobbies.
A search for cyclocross gave me Kenda161 tires for $11.99 (or normally $14.99). Price is super important at the moment as we're pretty broke. Would these be good tires to use for winter alone? And if needed, could I stud these- are those knobs big enough? It's hard to tell with a picture, but it looks like the tallest tread is in the middle.
If not, I'd be happy to take suggestions or advice. Thanks
10-24-11, 04:08 PM
#117
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
Hi everyone! There are some neat homemade studded tires in here, I enjoyed looking at pictures.
I'm from Florida, recently transplanted to Klamath Falls, OR. I'm really nervous about the coming winter, but equally wishing to prove every person who keeps telling me I can't keep ride my bike in winter wrong. I'm definitely going to need different tires, though, mine are sort of flat with no real tread. The bike shop said I'd want cyclocross tires to get the knobbies.
A search for cyclocross gave me Kenda161 tires for $11.99 (or normally $14.99). Price is super important at the moment as we're pretty broke. Would these be good tires to use for winter alone? And if needed, could I stud these- are those knobs big enough? It's hard to tell with a picture, but it looks like the tallest tread is in the middle.
If not, I'd be happy to take suggestions or advice. Thanks
I'm from Florida, recently transplanted to Klamath Falls, OR. I'm really nervous about the coming winter, but equally wishing to prove every person who keeps telling me I can't keep ride my bike in winter wrong. I'm definitely going to need different tires, though, mine are sort of flat with no real tread. The bike shop said I'd want cyclocross tires to get the knobbies.
A search for cyclocross gave me Kenda161 tires for $11.99 (or normally $14.99). Price is super important at the moment as we're pretty broke. Would these be good tires to use for winter alone? And if needed, could I stud these- are those knobs big enough? It's hard to tell with a picture, but it looks like the tallest tread is in the middle.
If not, I'd be happy to take suggestions or advice. Thanks
They roll fast on pavement, wear very well, have good puncture protection, and could be used year round... I have also used them in snow and on ice and for a non studded tyre they work extremely well.
My wife and I have ridden through some nasty weather in Portland when it has snowed and managed well on Schwalbe Marathons when cars and buses were at a standstill.
10-24-11, 07:23 PM
#118
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These?
If the winters aren't that bad, why is everyone giving me such a hard time about thinking I can just keep riding my bike?
You made me feel much better about it, anyhow, and those tires seem great, thanks. I know next to nothing about tires yet, and your description was very helpful.
If the winters aren't that bad, why is everyone giving me such a hard time about thinking I can just keep riding my bike?
You made me feel much better about it, anyhow, and those tires seem great, thanks. I know next to nothing about tires yet, and your description was very helpful.
10-25-11, 06:41 AM
#119
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65, Oregon has quite a variety of conditions. Can`t say for sure about K.F., but it`s got to get at least occasional snow and ice. Froggy, don`t worry too much- whatever winter you get dished up has got to be better than Florida summers
And what size tires are on your bike? The little pic in your signature makes me suspect they`re mtb wheels, in which case CX tires would pretty hard to come by. Plenty of other options, though.
EDIT: Looks like 73cm avg annually
https://www.currentresults.com/Weathe...l-snowfall.php
Go get `em, TreeFrog!
And what size tires are on your bike? The little pic in your signature makes me suspect they`re mtb wheels, in which case CX tires would pretty hard to come by. Plenty of other options, though.
EDIT: Looks like 73cm avg annually
https://www.currentresults.com/Weathe...l-snowfall.php
Go get `em, TreeFrog!
Last edited by rodar y rodar; 10-25-11 at 06:49 AM.
10-25-11, 11:02 AM
#120
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Whoohoo, I have my first cheerleader! I have loved the weather here so far- not only has it gotten up to mid-90sF without my husband dying of heat, but I've even been not cold down to low 60sF, which is unheard of. I used to get cold at 72F! So I loved the entire Oregon summer.
My tires claim (28x1 3/8) (37-622) 700x35c.
Tube says (35/44-622/630) 27x1 1/4 - 700x35/43c.
Would tire chains be a less expensive. but just as effective, option? It would be easy for me to make them even with rim brakes, if so. I'm just worried because I'd like to use them with my current tires, and I've only seen people add them to knobby mountain bike tires.
10-25-11, 08:30 PM
#121
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Very glad you`re enjoying the dry climate in your new digs, treeFrog! I bet it`s tough packing up to move across a continent, and nice to have that spoonfull of sugar to make the transition a little more pleasant.
Well....
If you decide to try chains, you can do that just as easilly (probably more easilly) on not-so-bumpy tires, like the ones you have there. This is quite a long thread- mostly about studs, but there are a few posts regarding chains. BadMother`s original one, which gives a pretty good run through of how to go about it, but no pictures, was post number 13. Then she put up pictures of another chain project on number 29, then pictures of my version on post 53. Note that none of those pictures have knobby tires. The biggest problem that I had with my chains was that they wore out post haste and I never got around to making a fortified version. BadMother used much stouter chain material, which undoubtedly lasts a lot longer. The other thing that concerned me about the chains was that, since they`re kind of cumbersome to use all winter unless you actually need them every day, the process of installing and unistalling frequently will probaly get old in a hurry. Unless you have an extra set of wheels to swap back and forth, anyway. I didn`t have a very long run with mine, but they did seem to work very well on ice and packed snow, not so much in slush, and much better than expected on dry pavement. If you make chains, just be sure they have plenty of clearence from brakes and fenders. The tight spot for me was the fender "stays", the wire supports that hold the fenders in place.
Before I got around to my second attempt at chains, I ran into a great buy on a pair of commercially made studded tires, and couldn`t pass up the opportunity. As I see it, the biggest advantage they have over the chains is convenience- not a huge difference in the traction they provided but I can run them on dry days during the winter rather than going back and forth as the weather dictates. They`re still slow rolling tires, but they`ll last years with three or four months of light use (in the winter I don`t ride as much as when the weather is nicer).
For DIY studs, it sounds like knobby tires would be much more suitable than smooth ones because the knobs give extra "meat" for the screws to hold in. Somebody way back in the thread suggested that smooth tires can be studded, but that the studs tend to rip out eventually. That sounds very plausible to me, though I`ve never played with any homebrew studs. The the Kenda tires that you linked to look (to my completely untrained eye) to be slightly better in that respect than the tires in your picture, probably better overall for snow (see disclaimer below about "better" for winter conditions) than the tires on your bike now.
Here`s the terrbible truth about perfect winter tires: no matter how much money you throw at the problem, there IS NO perfect solution. I don`t know if you`ve ever dealt with snow and ice before, but you`ll see very soon that it changes constantly, and your perfect tires would also have to change constantly to stay on top of things. Some times a skinny tire can cut through soft snow and get a bite of the hard surface below, sometimes a fat tire lets you "float" over the top, often the bumpy ruts from other traffic cause more problems than slipping on slick ice, some days will have you sinking in deep yucky slush that soaks your clothes and fills your bike with salty corrosive grit, once in a while the snow provides incredible traction that`s even BETTER than the traction when the same place was dry, and you`ll probably be astounded some day to find such lovely smooth snow that you feel like you`re riding on a velvet ribbon (I live for those rides)! The flip side of not having perfection is that no choice is totally wrong either. You just have to take your best guess and roll the dice- whatever way you decide to go about it, you groove when you hit it right and adapt when your choice is less than ideal. It all works out in the end
Hey, nice looking bike! For some reason, when I clicked the little picture last night, it just made that one picture a little bigger. Today, on a different computer, I get the whole colection. I like the streamers! I had a bike of similar style for a few years, and my niece gave me one of those air freshener thingies that people hang from their rearview mirrors. I hung it from my handlebar and your streamers brought back memories of that cardboard pine tree fluttering around! Oh, and the tire sizes you mentioned are indeed the same size as most "cross" tires, not mtb size like I thought yesterday.
Well....
If you decide to try chains, you can do that just as easilly (probably more easilly) on not-so-bumpy tires, like the ones you have there. This is quite a long thread- mostly about studs, but there are a few posts regarding chains. BadMother`s original one, which gives a pretty good run through of how to go about it, but no pictures, was post number 13. Then she put up pictures of another chain project on number 29, then pictures of my version on post 53. Note that none of those pictures have knobby tires. The biggest problem that I had with my chains was that they wore out post haste and I never got around to making a fortified version. BadMother used much stouter chain material, which undoubtedly lasts a lot longer. The other thing that concerned me about the chains was that, since they`re kind of cumbersome to use all winter unless you actually need them every day, the process of installing and unistalling frequently will probaly get old in a hurry. Unless you have an extra set of wheels to swap back and forth, anyway. I didn`t have a very long run with mine, but they did seem to work very well on ice and packed snow, not so much in slush, and much better than expected on dry pavement. If you make chains, just be sure they have plenty of clearence from brakes and fenders. The tight spot for me was the fender "stays", the wire supports that hold the fenders in place.
Before I got around to my second attempt at chains, I ran into a great buy on a pair of commercially made studded tires, and couldn`t pass up the opportunity. As I see it, the biggest advantage they have over the chains is convenience- not a huge difference in the traction they provided but I can run them on dry days during the winter rather than going back and forth as the weather dictates. They`re still slow rolling tires, but they`ll last years with three or four months of light use (in the winter I don`t ride as much as when the weather is nicer).
For DIY studs, it sounds like knobby tires would be much more suitable than smooth ones because the knobs give extra "meat" for the screws to hold in. Somebody way back in the thread suggested that smooth tires can be studded, but that the studs tend to rip out eventually. That sounds very plausible to me, though I`ve never played with any homebrew studs. The the Kenda tires that you linked to look (to my completely untrained eye) to be slightly better in that respect than the tires in your picture, probably better overall for snow (see disclaimer below about "better" for winter conditions) than the tires on your bike now.
Here`s the terrbible truth about perfect winter tires: no matter how much money you throw at the problem, there IS NO perfect solution. I don`t know if you`ve ever dealt with snow and ice before, but you`ll see very soon that it changes constantly, and your perfect tires would also have to change constantly to stay on top of things. Some times a skinny tire can cut through soft snow and get a bite of the hard surface below, sometimes a fat tire lets you "float" over the top, often the bumpy ruts from other traffic cause more problems than slipping on slick ice, some days will have you sinking in deep yucky slush that soaks your clothes and fills your bike with salty corrosive grit, once in a while the snow provides incredible traction that`s even BETTER than the traction when the same place was dry, and you`ll probably be astounded some day to find such lovely smooth snow that you feel like you`re riding on a velvet ribbon (I live for those rides)! The flip side of not having perfection is that no choice is totally wrong either. You just have to take your best guess and roll the dice- whatever way you decide to go about it, you groove when you hit it right and adapt when your choice is less than ideal. It all works out in the end
Hey, nice looking bike! For some reason, when I clicked the little picture last night, it just made that one picture a little bigger. Today, on a different computer, I get the whole colection. I like the streamers! I had a bike of similar style for a few years, and my niece gave me one of those air freshener thingies that people hang from their rearview mirrors. I hung it from my handlebar and your streamers brought back memories of that cardboard pine tree fluttering around! Oh, and the tire sizes you mentioned are indeed the same size as most "cross" tires, not mtb size like I thought yesterday.
10-25-11, 09:56 PM
#122
Mrs. Hop-along
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I admit, after I realized that someone actually might be interested in my bike besides me, I changed the link and added a bike section to my photobucket account. It's not just you.
I love my streamers! I made them after my dad said my green crate was cute, but I needed something up front to balance things out. I have fabric that I'll make a handlebar bag out of, but for now I'm just proud of my ribbons.
Thanks for the post numbers! I knew I had seen someone here make the chains, but for some reason I didn't think it had been in the studded thread, and I couldn't find them again. I have trouble with the search function- I suck at it. So thanks!
As long as the chains don't make for a horribly bumpy ride (I'm assuming "better than expected on dry pavement" means an acceptable level of comfort, maybe like riding over a gravely road?) and don't wear out the tire, I think I'll go with them. I'm sure I could find some kind of screw-sort clasp to make them easy-on easy-off. That way I could just carry them in my crate and throw them on when needed, take them off when not. I like the idea of the versatility.
I can't wait to hear that question: "You didn't ride your bike today, did you?"
I love my streamers! I made them after my dad said my green crate was cute, but I needed something up front to balance things out. I have fabric that I'll make a handlebar bag out of, but for now I'm just proud of my ribbons.
Thanks for the post numbers! I knew I had seen someone here make the chains, but for some reason I didn't think it had been in the studded thread, and I couldn't find them again. I have trouble with the search function- I suck at it. So thanks!
As long as the chains don't make for a horribly bumpy ride (I'm assuming "better than expected on dry pavement" means an acceptable level of comfort, maybe like riding over a gravely road?) and don't wear out the tire, I think I'll go with them. I'm sure I could find some kind of screw-sort clasp to make them easy-on easy-off. That way I could just carry them in my crate and throw them on when needed, take them off when not. I like the idea of the versatility.
I can't wait to hear that question: "You didn't ride your bike today, did you?"
10-26-11, 04:13 AM
#123
weirdo
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"I have trouble with the search function- I suck at it."
The search function sucks. Everybody has trouble with it.
"I'm sure I could find some kind of screw-sort clasp to make them easy-on easy-off. That way I could just carry them in my crate and throw them on when needed, take them off when not."
If you manage a clip of some sort, it probably will make them easier to install and remove, but I can`t think of any home brewable method to get them tight enough without letting the air out, then reinflating after you get the chains on. Maybe you`ll come up with something, but be sure it gets them tight. They won`t be as heavy as automotive chains, but if you did somehow "throw" one, it wouldn`t be pretty.
I forgot to mention speed yesterday. I don`t remember for sure, but I doubt I got up to more than 10 MPH or so with the chains on. Whatever I made it to felt safe, but I imagine they`d have started to get squirly at a certain speed. 15, maybe?
I can't wait to hear that question: "You didn't ride your bike today, did you?"
I bet you`re looking forward to that! After a while, you`ll be able to answer "I`m here, aren`t I?" Chains, studs, knobbies, slicks, or whatever, you ought to be able to get most days, but don`t be afraid to throw in the towel if conditions are really bad. That way you`ll still be around to improve your record next year.
The search function sucks. Everybody has trouble with it.
"I'm sure I could find some kind of screw-sort clasp to make them easy-on easy-off. That way I could just carry them in my crate and throw them on when needed, take them off when not."
If you manage a clip of some sort, it probably will make them easier to install and remove, but I can`t think of any home brewable method to get them tight enough without letting the air out, then reinflating after you get the chains on. Maybe you`ll come up with something, but be sure it gets them tight. They won`t be as heavy as automotive chains, but if you did somehow "throw" one, it wouldn`t be pretty.
I forgot to mention speed yesterday. I don`t remember for sure, but I doubt I got up to more than 10 MPH or so with the chains on. Whatever I made it to felt safe, but I imagine they`d have started to get squirly at a certain speed. 15, maybe?
I can't wait to hear that question: "You didn't ride your bike today, did you?"
I bet you`re looking forward to that! After a while, you`ll be able to answer "I`m here, aren`t I?" Chains, studs, knobbies, slicks, or whatever, you ought to be able to get most days, but don`t be afraid to throw in the towel if conditions are really bad. That way you`ll still be around to improve your record next year.
11-04-11, 03:01 PM
#124
Mrs. Hop-along
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So...
My attempt at snow chains was a total flop. If anyone else tries to make your own, I don't care how many times you measure, don't use the numbers. Make the chains on the tire and you might have success where I have given up. I'm conceding defeat, however, only because my husband told me to just buy tires and stud them Which is sort of what I wanted in the first place, hehe.
I had "jack chain" to work with, which is a non-soldered link chain where the links are like Ss twisted at 90 degrees to each other. Originally I tried an all-chain version, but discovered the links can stretch- so one side was bigger than the other and the chains sat lopsided.
Then I tried to use some wire that a mechanic had left over- I think he called it picture frame wire, really. It was a metal twisted rope inside of a flexible plasticy coating. I planned for the wire to be the sides of the chain with the "rungs" being the jack chain instead. This might have worked, but I measured (wrongly, obviously) and the things did not fit around my tire. By a whole lot, they did not fit. Also, the wire twisted in different curliques and I think would have made installation a major pain. In order to keep the chain rungs from sliding around, I had straightened S links on either side. Because of the curliques, these did not lay nicely against the tire sidewall like I had planned, and I think the bumps might not have fit under the rear fender.
So no chains.
It snowed yesterday for the first time this year, but I was lucky in that it did not stick to the roads, only made them wet. It was absolutely awesome to ride to work in the flurries.
My attempt at snow chains was a total flop. If anyone else tries to make your own, I don't care how many times you measure, don't use the numbers. Make the chains on the tire and you might have success where I have given up. I'm conceding defeat, however, only because my husband told me to just buy tires and stud them
Which is sort of what I wanted in the first place, hehe.I had "jack chain" to work with, which is a non-soldered link chain where the links are like Ss twisted at 90 degrees to each other. Originally I tried an all-chain version, but discovered the links can stretch- so one side was bigger than the other and the chains sat lopsided.
Then I tried to use some wire that a mechanic had left over- I think he called it picture frame wire, really. It was a metal twisted rope inside of a flexible plasticy coating. I planned for the wire to be the sides of the chain with the "rungs" being the jack chain instead. This might have worked, but I measured (wrongly, obviously) and the things did not fit around my tire. By a whole lot, they did not fit. Also, the wire twisted in different curliques and I think would have made installation a major pain. In order to keep the chain rungs from sliding around, I had straightened S links on either side. Because of the curliques, these did not lay nicely against the tire sidewall like I had planned, and I think the bumps might not have fit under the rear fender.
So no chains.
It snowed yesterday for the first time this year, but I was lucky in that it did not stick to the roads, only made them wet. It was absolutely awesome to ride to work in the flurries.
11-13-11, 12:32 AM
#125
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
Having a spare front wheel with a studded tyre that you can swap in and out as needed makes sense and if you go with an off camber studding pattern you can ride a tyre like this all winter without undue wear to the studs.
It was 32F here today and our average winter temperature in January is 10 F and we can easily see days where it is -40F... and when people ask me if I rode my bike I will probably say, yes... yes I did.
I find Portland winters to be milder temperature wise but more chilling due to the increased humidity.