AMusingFool

Haven't been on in a couple days, so haven't posted about it, but did my first riding in snow/ice a couple days ago. Especially with it being pre-dawn riding (my normal), it was incredibly peaceful and quite for much of the ride. Lots of fun (at least until the cold fingers set in, and even that wasn't terrible).

No particular point, just thought I'd share. Well, and say thanks for the odd bits of preparatory information I've quietly gleaned here (the most important being the pointers I've seen to info about studded tires).

erig007

Studded tire aren't necessary when you know what you're doing. Behavior matter more than what you put on your tires.

Torker

I also did my first snow and ice rides this week, very fun! Except for the iced over foot prints and loose snow. Hard packed snow and untouched powder was nice.

1nterceptor

I would ride over fresh snow. But after a few days where
the snow has gone into thawing and freezing cycle(s); I avoid it.

My Snowmobile by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

chandltp

When I'm riding on a sheet of ice, I'm glad I have studs.

noglider 

I almost rode my bike to work today. It was snowing, and we had about an inch or so of fresh snow. I decided against it, not because I was scared of falling but because it would have made me late even if nothing went wrong. Next time it snows, I better hustle to get out of the door sooner.

rumrunn6

re: "pre-dawn riding, it was incredibly peaceful and quite"

thanks for sharing

takenreasy

Studded tires aren't necessary if you ride on ice and like broken collar bones and elbows.

erig007

I've ridden on ice without studs without falling once during the last 10 years. I've fallen twice with studs on. (I live in Canada so it's not like there is no ice during winter)

wolfchild

It's a lot safer to ride with studded tires.

erig007

It's a lot safer to ride carefully.

takenreasy

Yeah but that's Canadian ice!

kingston 

I have seen a comment like this one before, and I absolutely believe that you can get through a winter without studded tires, but you and I must experience completely different riding conditions. Some of the paths I ride are rutted out sheets of ice and would be impossible to ride without studded tires. Not difficult or challenging... Impossible. I tried it many times unsuccessfully before I knew there was such a thing as studded tires.

wolfchild

Hey, Canadian ice is more slippery then American ice.

plodderslusk

"Studded tire aren't necessary when you know what you're doing. Behavior matter more than what you put on your tires."

Going uphill on ice, riding on roads with frozen slush where cars have made lots of grooves when it still was soft, and the weird mix you get where the salt isn,t enough to remove all ice but leaves lots of "molehills" to slide around on. Of course you could move around in these conditions without studs but why ? Both your front and rear wheel need some traction for cycling to be fun and safe.

john4789

Because people who use studs only ride dangerously? Are you not allowed to use studs and ride carefully in Canada?

plodderslusk

You need studs for this:

You don't need studs for this:

wolfchild

Some areas are impossible to ride through without studs, it doesn't matter how careful you are or how good your riding skills are.

wolfchild

Studded tires are legal for bicycles and it's ok to use them... In my area where I live only cars are not allowed to use studded tires, they can only use winter specific tires without studs.

john4789

...not asking if legal, asking if it is 'allowed' to ride carefully and have studded tires. Erig007 is acting like it is one thing of the other - which is completely stupid. You've missed the point to, which is fine. Jeez, with all these Canadians in this thread you'd think someone would know something about winter riding .

bluegoatwoods

It doesn't have to be a battle of wills, folks.

I think that anyone who claims that studs are not a good idea is simply wrong. Or being too picky. Maybe they're not strictly necessary. But they are of huge help in a terribly important matter.

But we don't have to force him to concede. Let him think what he wants. And let him say it.

The OP, and others, can lean toward whoever makes sense to him.

yankeefan

Shouldn't it be the other way around? No studs for the 1st pic and studs for the second?

yankeefan

IME studs are crucial for riding on freshly (and unevenly) accumulated snow. However after it's been ploughed, salted, melts and then hardens one can get away with riding a wide tire (your typical 32mm+ urban/trekking tires) at a low PSI (50-60).

2manybikes

There is almost infinite different types of ice. Some can be ridden on easily with no studs, some is impossible to ride without studs. And it can change quickly. I did not understand this before I started riding motorcycles on ice in about 1968. I didn't know about studded tires for bicycles until about 1995 or so. I can't remember when I did not ride on ice in winter. I have enough photos of ice that can not be ridden on without studs and also that can be to kill this server. I posted some recently somewhere. By now some of the long time forum members must be sick of me posting them.

One can live in a place and ride for years and only be exposed to one type of ice and not others. I live in New England, there have been many different kinds of ice over the last 47 years or so.

2manybikes

No, the first photo is glare ice, not pavement.

Studs don't help in soft snow, they need something hard to stick into and push against. There can be snow that is soft and has hard packed snow or ice under it that will help the studs grab. One might not know that is why the studs seem to work in soft snow sometimes, and not other times. I have not ridden on ice since last night.