I generally wait as long as I can before putting the studs on, but a few wipe outs cured me of thinking I could negotiate black ice with any consistency. I went with the Nokian Hakkapelitta A10s. They are 700 x 32, only 72 studs, but enough for occasional ice patches negotiated at a moderate pace. They are still beastly heavy, and can certainly suck some of the fun out of riding, but better than the alternative....I just need to drastically lower my mph expectations, otherwise, I find it somewhat frustrating ride. This one set will probably last me until retirement.