Great job [MENTION=151366]BobbyG[/MENTION]!
Originally Posted by
Squeeze
Recently while riding into a parking lot at what I'd call "medium speed", on street tires on a rigid 26" vintage mountain bike, I was leaned over and pedaling though a corner that I regularly ride. It was dark, and though I was running two very bright headlights, I didn't see the sheet of ice on the north side of the building, which blocks the low sun this time of year, until it was too late.
While leaned over, the bike just came out from under me and down I went. The sheet of ice was actually a blessing, since while I hit hard and it hurt, I slid along the ice, which didn't tear my clothes or give me any road rash.
I did this exact same thing last early spring on a day when I rode my hybrid bike which doesn't have studded tires. I went down hard and fast, but slid smoothly to a stop with no injuries other than some bruises. I was especially grateful that I didn't scuff up my brand new jacket I was wearing.
Originally Posted by
Squeeze
So, finally, here's my question: do studded tires help when banking over into a corner, or do you need to make sure you ride perpendicular to the pavement, as we do when going in a straight line, to keep the maximum amount of tread and studs on the pavement?
My studs help when banking into a corner. They don't give exactly the same grip as regular tires on dry pavement, but are a vast improvement over non-studded tires on ice. I ride on ice using about the same aggressiveness that I would when riding on gravel. That is, I don't have to be extremely careful, but at the same time I don't try to set peloton-esque speed records around corners.