Originally Posted by
tjspiel
For your situation I think the Marathon Winters were a better choice than the Nokians. It sounds like you don't see much snow in a typical winter and the Marathon Winters are plenty good on ice. They're also good on bare pavement, - for a studded tire.
I like my Marathon Winter tires - from December until March. I still carry a tire repair kit, but I don't have to use it anymore. I can ride fast at night, if I don't spot some ice I'll just ride on it, no problem. As for the weight (nearly 1kg per tire...), I'll integrate it as additional training. If I can follow the slowest of the weight weenies at the end of March on a fully loaded commuting bike, I'll know I'm fit.