The new Nokian Hakkapeliitta A10 studded tires (700 X 35) arrived on Monday. Got them mounted last night (without tools, I might add) and gave them their first test runs last night and on this morning's commute. Given we had 24 inches of snow over the weekend, it was a good test.

The 72 carbide studs really do a nice job on hard packed snow and ice. Not once did I feel that I didn't have adequate control of the bike, even climbing the short 17% grade back to the house last night. Of course you can't hot dog on them and ride carelessly, but if one is moderately attentive and careful, they really make riding much better. Took the bike through an unplowed parking lot (unfortunately the store for which the lot was built went out of business), and they weren't great in 20+ inches of snow, but that's not how I'll be using them.

I also wasn't sure how I was going to like the ride given their weight, sidewall stiffness, and tread depth. There is no doubt that you're not on a typical road tire, and you do take longer to accelerate. However, the ride feel is more comfortable than I thought. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that the recommended tire pressure is only 58 psi. Finally, I was thrilled that there was more than enough clearance under my SKS ESGE mudguards. All in all these are going to make the commute for the rest of this winter much more enjoyable.