Originally Posted by
chipg5
But as you know the weather around here can be pretty variable. If I knew I'd be commuting on snow and ice all winter I'd have no hesitation. But sometimes we get dry or warmer spells in which there's no ice or snow.
How do studded tires affect performance on dry roads? If I want to go out and do a 20 mile ride, including hills, on dry roads, what effect will studs have?
The Nokians are a little buzzy through the bars, and you'll hear the studs on the pavement, but they're not significantly different in handling or control in the dry. I was pleasantly surprised for discover this. I had expected cornering to be exciting for all the wrong reasons. It's not.
On the other hand, they're much heavier than my road tires--something like 850 grams each. Coupled with the gumwall construction, they take 2-3 MPH off my speeds on dry pavement in good conditions. A 13-mile route where I average 16.7 to 17.3 with the road tires, I did recently at 13.9. It was about the same last year on a completely different bike (weight, geometry, gearing).
Last year I kept an eye on the five-day forecast and switched tires whenever it looked like 3-4 days of good, above freezing weather. I've gone a step further this year and have two wheelsets. This also lets me use a different cassette. I strongly prefer close-ratio cassettes. I run a 12-23 (10-speed) with the road tires, vs. a 16-27 with the snows. That makes a world of difference given that the snows are harder to push. I'm very happy with the lower gearing.
If I didn't have choices, or if I found swapping to be a chore, I'd leave them on all winter. Since I don't mind changing tires and I have choices, I take them.