Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 12,286
Likes: 317
From: Lake Geneva, WI
Bikes: Ridley Helium SLX, Canyon Endurance SL, De Rosa Professional, Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra, Schwinn Paramount (1 painted, 1 chrome), Peugeot PX10, Serotta Nova X, Simoncini Cyclocross Special, Raleigh Roker, Pedal Force CG2 and CX2
I am very pleased with Top Contact Winter. They are the ticket when the snow might fall or it might ice up. If it really does, I usually still keep them on testing where the weather go. If it gets more serious, more than e.g. above, I switch to more serious tires. They are active even on pure ice, i.e. will not eliminate slipping and potential fall but will slow down the slipping process enough to let you react - not something you want to live with but enough to get you home if you get caught by surprise.
Good to know, I like the concept of a faster tire for cold weather that can handle easier ice & snow. Most winter days in Chicago are mild and damp with very little snow or ice to deal with. Studded tires are needed less often than some alternative winter tire.
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
Last edited by Barrettscv; 01-19-12 at 11:02 AM.