Originally Posted by PaulH
I put mine on in mid December and keep them on until March. Anything else would be far too much hassle for me. The Nokian studs wear at about the same rate as the rubber. After two seasons and 1,200 miles, mine still look like new.
Slicks don't work too badly in snow. Unless the snow is deep, a bike on slicks is oftenbetter than a car. I doubt whether you would need a ride home if caught by a surprise snow at work.
Paul
Ok, you are almost as far north as me so you probably get very similar weather. I think my major hang up about running studs all winter is that my commute is hilly and extra weight and rolling resistance are quite noticeable. Also, I've gone down on black ice running slicks and it didn't feel good. I've never tried slicks on just snow though. My only experience with snow riding was on a BMX with knobbies during college (and it was fun).
Do you have a second set of wheels or are you dismounting your normal tires to mount the studded ones? (just curious about your hassle factor)