Originally Posted by
Phamilton
To complicate things further (because that's what I like to do), I'm also thinking that since I have a spare set of wheels I won't ever bother with riding the studs at higher pressure when roads are clear - I'll just ride my street tires on my other set of wheels. So in theory how the studded tire performs when aired down vs. up is irrelevant. If the gravdals will fit, I think that'd be great.
I'm in Minnesota, not Indiana, so it's possible my experience will differ compared to yours. But here roads being "clear" means little snow left and definitely patches of ice. Here - and with my own personal level of comfort with risk - I do not ride without studs at any time when there's any chance of there being ice on the ground.
It's a weird dynamic...when there's both snow and ice on the ground your tires can often still get some sort of traction. It's the sheer ice where the studs really make a huge difference between grip vs no grip whatsoever. And sheer ice typically shows up on "cleared" roads, and in the spring or fall when it snows/melts/refreezes.