Originally Posted by
Abe_Froman
Done and done. I've got a set of the 2 row Schwalbe Winter studded tires, a set of Kool Stop dual compound brake pads, and a new chain in the mail from amazon for my beater mountain bike to use on snow days. I should probably get a set of fenders for this bike as well...but honestly I'll probably be wearing snow pants anyway when I'm on this bike. I've got a mild case of buyers remorse over getting the 2 row instead of 4 row studs....but they were $35 each and I really don't anticipate any wild and aggressive cornering in 20 degree weather with snow/ice regardless of what kind of tires I've got. Once November/December hits...my goals change from getting faster on the bike/improving handling to just getting on it everyday and getting miles in.
And yeah regarding cost. I figure if studded tires get me on the bike even 10 or 15 days I would have driven to work...I've paid for them in gas money alone.
My last set of studded tires were Nokian Hakkapeliitta W240s. No qualms at all with their performance on ice, but the resistance on dry pavement was extremely noticeable, to the point where I disliked it so much would sometimes gamble on days I shouldn't have and ride a bike without studs. Had a couple of crashes because of that.
This time around I decided to go with a less aggressive tread and bought the Nokian W160s. We'll see how these work out. Hopefully less rolling resistance but enough grip on ice for a nice, happy medium.