Peter White studded tires
 

I want to continue commuting on my mtb all through the winter....
can anyone recommend what they use for paved roads/commuting in ice and snow?

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

if this has already been done here, pls kindly point me to thread(s)

thanks!:)

I have two wheelsets for when I anticipate bad weather. Look around for a cheap second set of rims. Nokians won't get ruined by riding on dry pavement. It actually helps the studs get seated. Google around for cheaper prices. Peter White isn't the only one who sells them.

nokian W106 for paved roads.
least aggressive tread and least amount of studs going straight.

Although, mind you, I always wish for M&G or W240 for days when there's a ton of powder snow on unplowed trails and side streets.

I use ice spikers and WXC300s on public roadways in direct contradiction to advice given on his website.

I guess the reasoning is if I'm gonna add the resistance of studs for ice traction, I might was well add a bit more and get knobs underneath them for snow traction.

Once there's enough snow that my tires are no longer in contact with the road, what relevance is it whether or not there is pavement or a trail underneath?

Studded Tires
 

I read Peter's informative article. Based on the information therein, I choose the Schwalbe Marathon Winters (700c x 35c). They are perfect for the conditions that I ride on. I ride only on concrete or asphalt and 80%-90% of the time they are wet and plowed. The other 10%-20%, I will encounter ice or light snow. These tires are Kevlar constructed. At first, I was concerned about rolling resistance and noise and I can tell you that is not a concern. Rolling resistance is almost unnoticeable; they sound like I'm riding on a thin layer of Rice Krispies.

There were a couple of times that a build up of snow on the tread made the studs ineffective. These tires are best for ice and light snow and they are not the most desirable for heavy snow. You are not going to find a tire that is perfect for all conditions. I ride strictly for fitness so I can wait for the plows to clean up the roads. If you commute, you won’t have that luxury and a heavier tread for snow maybe be best for you.

thanks guys!

Wish I had some today...going home should be interesting:twitchy:

I have two wheelsets for my commuter so I figured I'll set the 13-23 cassette wheels up with teh studs and leave the 1" slicks on on the 12-21 cassette.

I've posted about a half dozen times today in various places about my first ride with Mount and Ground's.

On a plowed, paved road, hard packed with snow and ice, they were fantastic. I could even stand on hills.

On the unplowed side roads though, I had to walk at times. Luckily that's only a couple blocks for me.

Anyway, I love my choice and think they were worth every penny.

+1 on the Schwalbe Marathon Winters from Peter White!!!

I have ~250 miles on mine and so far they have performed flawlessly. Unfortunately, most of my riding has been without snow, but there have been frequent ice patches. The studs have handled them as studs should and the little bit of snow we've had (2-4 inches twice this year) the tires have gotten me through just fine. Had I gotten a more aggressive tread, I doubt that I would have left them on during the non snow days. The Schwalbes have allowed me to only run one set during the winter...couldn't ask for a better winter tire!

-Barry-

here's a dumb question regarding studded tires (I have never used them)

I normally bring the bike into our apartment (Polished tongue in groove floors) and into the office (wheel it down a tiled hallway and a smooth carpet in our room)


will the studs rip or damage the floors or their wax/polish, etc? I'm talking about rolling the bike in (walking it, not riding) but it is a mountain bike, probably weighs about 28 pounds, plus another 10-15# if I add panniers and a heavy lock. So maybe 45 pounds max rolling weight.


I just don't wanna get grief from the maintenance guys at work or my wife:innocent:

Well, I've scratched up the concrete on the floor of my garage, so I think you might see some damage on polished wood :)

I'm not particularly careful, though - but I have found that rolling is not what causes the problem, it's if the bike slips to the side that causes the trouble.

Thanks - that's bad enough.:(

home is no problem - I can keep the bike in the basement ...but at work its either scratch up the floors or lock up on the street...rather not do that....and the bike is too heavy to carry through the building to my office.:cry:

Just carry it on your shoulder.

i roll my carbide studded tyres on the tile floor to my commercially carpeted office without any damage to either surface. just rolled it lightly and i don't think you'll ever have any problems about surface scratches. my only problem is the puddle that dribbles from the melted snow on the bike and the tyres tread onto the carpet.

just don't grab the brake levers and let the tyre slide. just rolling them is no problem.

This has been my experience on hardwood floors. Sooner or later, one pulls it the wrong way and the wheels leave behind a series of ragged parallel scratches.

Thanks guys! I am ordering the Nokian Extreme 294s from Bens in Milwaukee

I'll be careful on the office floors and it will have to live in the basement at home....

The Nokian A10 is less aggressive than the W106. It has 72 or 74 studs (as opposed to 106), depending on the model. I got my 32mm's before they went out of stock. They do just fine on dry pavement, and I haven't crashed on the few icy patches I have hit. They seem less sluggish than the 106's I used to ride on.

before i pull the trigger on the nokian 294s - Bens website is picky and I have to call it in this morning - am I making a serious mistake getting the big knobbies for a paved commute?

It seems like overkill but bear in mind, I ma only doing a 7 mile commute, and it's all heavily trafficked roads where I am constantly forced onto drifts and ruts at the side of the road. The MUP bridge path i'll climb and descend will never be plowed. So I was leaning towards hell-for-stout tires, not a compromise for fast riding....I have 1" slicks for the rest of the year and simply want to keep riding through the next three months.

has anyone used 300 studs on pavement and absolutely hated it?

Here's my 2 cents from my limited experience. chipcom could probably give you the best answers.

If you are going off the plowed pavement frequently, I say go ahead and get the 294's. I don't think speed is your goal anyway right? And think of the great shape you'll be in by spring! :)

If you are going to be slogging through the muck and the snow on the shoulders and on a MUP, you'll appreciate knobbies. If you were strictly on the roads, which are clear more often that not even around here, the Marathon Winters, Nokian A10s or Kenda Klondikes like I use would be a better choice. Studs are for ice or icy packed snow. For snow/slush/muck, knobbies are your huckleberry.

Thanks so much Chip

I rode home through the icy rain/snowfall on Friday afternoon with about three-five inches of snow on the ground; this was with my mtb knobbies, 1.95"...they got me through the slushy snow stuff fine (better on the soft stuff than the packed snow, tho I git through that too with some difficulty)....

so I was mostly worried about the buildup of ice on the side of the road - like the little ruts and islands you see after cars have been dug out of their snowed-in parking spots...they leave behind this hump alongside the edge of what the snow plow leaves at the right side of the road, and around here, motorists often force bikes off the plowed areas onto the snow/ice shoulders... That was the only part that made me stop and hop off last Friday.

Obviously I'd like any studs for the black ice and patches of ice but was thinking the studded knobbies - whilst intended for off-road - would help me handle those frequent occasions I'd be forced onto the ice floes described.

Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like an either-or proposition. Studded knobbies sound like they would be best suited for your riding conditions.

gotcha - that's what I figured you meant, I just wanted to make my local riding conditions clear in case my explanation was too vague....

I am trying to remember what it was like out in the suburbs...It seems I recall you could ride along the paved/plowed/cleared edge of the road and cars coming up behind had enough room to veer left a bit and avoid you.

That just doesn't happen here....I got buzzed on my left a few times Friday - which is kinda par for the course here, but not when I am ice surfing on a lip of slushy muck:twitchy: That was special...:lol: It takes a lot to scare me while commuting but that did it!

I know the studs have their limits but i reckon if they work half as well as most reviews say they do It'll make the difference between riding and not riding for me. I have two wheel sets so even if the 294s are plodding beasts I can swap them out quickly when the weather gives us a break.

Thanks again all!:thumb:

Yes, they are absolutely awful on pavement - think of riding a tank. My solution is to keep different types of tires: touring/100 studs/300 studs, and swap them as conditions and my riding strategy (path/road) change. I often combine one more aggressive tire in the front and a more tame one in the back.

I gotta say, the last thing I want to do after working 8-10 hours on a cold winter day is to come home, attempt to assess the validity of the weather forecast and swap tires based on that assessment.

If there is a chance of snow or that the roads will be snowy/slushy/icy/wet, I ride the snow bike with the studded tires...if the roads have strong odds of being dry and there is little chance of precipitation, I ride one of my other bikes. Life is much simpler that way. ;)