Originally Posted by
prairiepedaler
I ride 26"ers for the winter. In the past I would use a Schwalbe Winter tire (not recommended for the rear - I've reviewed this tire on another thread), the Continental Spike Claw in full and half studded configuration front & rear and last year rode with Nokians in full and half studded configuration. I would like to try the Michelin Star Grips in a 26". Rumour has it they made or make them, not an easy find here in Canada though. The Top Contact is an option in 26", but for beaucoup bucks. The Nokian Rollspeed looks like another option too, if findable here.
As winter riders know, studs are SLOW. Studs are your own personal speedbumps. They provide much surer grip on ice but even then I've still wiped out a few times, this is while being a careful rider. I'm always looking for a good 26" non-studded winter tire that rolls well and can be used in 80% of the road conditions most encountered up here.
I would swallow the price of Top Contact Winter and do it now. If you wait till it gets too close to winter, there will be shortages and prices will go up. in the US, at least, they are reasonably priced now. All winter tires are expensive, even in Europe where the market for those is significantly bigger. You tend to get low prices only in spring, but you must be in luck to get the model and size combination you want. Yes, I got Schwalbe Marathon Winter for Brompton at 21 euro apiece
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