Originally Posted by
Artkansas
I've never gotten studded tires because here I might see 3 days of use per year, all when traffic is snarled anyway. So I usually hike or stay home...
Originally Posted by
gerv
Yes exactly. Rather than having them lying around the house for the other 362 days, I would even consider a taxi if the bus wouldn't work.
If you do decide studded tires might be useful, remember that many just put them on the front...
When I first heard of studded tires, and was considering them not necessary because I infrequently would really need them, this post by
tsl convinced me:
I dunno, maybe it's my age showing. Here in Rochester, at least along my commute, there's always ice that miraculously didn't get salted away.
I figure gunk washes off quickly and easily. Broken bones would keep me off the bike for weeks while they mend.
Now, Rochester, NY is in the Lake Erie snowbelt, and they know how to handle snow and ice.
Just this morning I was riding on well-cleared and salted dry roads, and the only slick, hard-packed (unavoidable) snow I encountered was on a fast downhill run, two such patches across the road, both about 20 feet wide. I crossed them with no trepidation at all.
I leave
both my Marathon Winters on all winter, from December through March and though almost always my tires are in contact with bare pavement, the carbide steel studs are still intact after about eight seasons. IMO for winter riding, studs are not to be skimped on.