Bike Gremlin

After many questions on the subject, for several reasons this year I was in a situation to put the idea to the test.

I live in flat lands. Roads are swept regularly. I have no room for 2 bikes, as well as small budget. I was thinking of buying 2 sets of wheels, but in the end I just decided to put one studded tyre on the front wheel. We get 2 days of snow, then 5 days cold, then it melts... then stays in the plus for a week. So quite mild winters usually.

In this situation, Schwalbe Marathon Winter front works perfectly. Enough to keep me straight and safe on braking, cornering, riding generally, while the rear one is kept without studs. Also, rolling resistance and noise on clear pavement are minimal with just front studded tyre.

So if used cautiously, it can work. Just my 2 cents. If there was any more snow I'd put the rear studed on too.

dh024

Here in Calgary, Canada, we get weather like that about 3 months of every year. During that time, I have done like you -- run just one studded tire up front, which really adds confidence on slick roads, particularly when cornering, yet doesn't impact rolling resistance much.

On my rear wheel, I have been running a Continental studless winter tire, and really love it. It is a soft-rubber tire with lots of siping, so it is pretty grippy on white ice and hard-pack snow -- much better than a slick or commuter tire that one would run in the summer time, but not much different in rolling resistance. Great combo. Two years ago when we didn't have a huge amount of snowfall, I ran pretty much the whole winter with this setup and loved it.

corrado33

I tried doing the single studded tire thing a year ago. I found it didn't give me enough confidence to ride on glare ice or any sort of ice at all. I fell a few times because the back end slid out. I'm an athletic person as well. They weren't bad falls (I caught myself on a few of them), but falls nonetheless. I find it's not worth saving the 40-60 bucks you'd spend on buying yourself a cheaper studded tire for the back (Nokian Mount and Ground for example.)

Motolegs

I have an older MTB with two studded tires set aside for icy conditions. It's a champ on hardpack snow and ice.

Yesterday mornings ride featured much ice yet was fine and comfortable. Studs take away the pucker factor.. and having a rear studded equals excellent traction. The ice we had melted quickly during the day and rode home mostly on dry pavement. The bike was a slow, buzzing stick in the mud ride wise.. but well worth the "trouble" for the safety aspect of the morning trip.

Bike Gremlin

I have found that just front studded tyre gives me the best of both worlds: stability/safety and decent speed/convenience on dry pavement. I do ride a MTB with 50mm tyres, at low pressure, so the rear isn't too slippery even on ice.

bikemig 

+ 1 on the continental winter contact tire. I have 2 commuters. One is set up with schwalbe marathon studded tires; the other with the continental winter contact tires. I pick which bike I want to ride depending on the road and weather conditions.

takenreasy

Nokian Mount and Grounds are the bomb. I'm on my fifth season with mine and they still look brand new with not a stud missing. I ride in D.C. so winters aren't all that bad. My route is along a water way and the path becomes ice a few weeks out of the year. It's not worth saving some money at the risk of busting my a$$. Go with two studded tires regardless of brand.

Motolegs

After today I see that your set up offers another advantage, it takes the guess work out of the equation. As in "Which bike to ride today, studded or non?"

Picked the wrong one this morning! Very light snow falling on clear streets. Figured no problem and headed out with the non studs. (Forecast called for 1/8 inch of snow possibly)

The upshot is I hit a freezing drizzle on the way that laid out wicked streets coated with black ice! Didn't even realize it until nearly biffing it making a left turn a block away from work. Upon getting there, my bike was coated with a layer of ice. It was like a thin shell. All of it! The ride home was terrible because it never warmed up. Even riding very slow almost fell again, but was able to catch myself.

Lesson learned. If in doubt, go with the studs.