What size tires on a Randonee?
10-29-08, 10:04 AM
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What size tires on a Randonee?
I want to get studded tires put on my Randonee, which currently has 700c 32s. The smallest tire I can find in studs (from nokian or schwalbe) is a 35 but nokian makes a W240 that comes in a 40 and I was wondering if I could fit that. By the way, I also have fenders.
-Barry-
-Barry-
10-29-08, 11:42 AM
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I want to get studded tires put on my Randonee, which currently has 700c 32s. The smallest tire I can find in studs (from nokian or schwalbe) is a 35 but nokian makes a W240 that comes in a 40 and I was wondering if I could fit that. By the way, I also have fenders.
-Barry-
-Barry-
The Nokia W106's can be had in 700C*35 or 45
The Nokia W240's comes in 700C*40
The Schwalbe Marathon Winters can be had in 700C*35 or 42
I have only used the W106 in the 35mm width and have done fine in a snowy Buffalo winter. Peter White states that the 45mm tires need a LOT of clearance so there is a hight likelyhood that you'd have problems with that fitment.
The A10's are supposed to have significantly lower rolling resistance and also come in a narrower 32mm size. The down side is that these will not be anywhere near as good in "real" snow. These would be great for areas where you get just a little snow, but enough that riding on slicks might be suicidal on a regular basis.
The W240's look like a slightly more aggressive version of the W106. These should roll with more resistance than the W106's.
The Schwalbes are a relatively new tire and from what I've read get good reviews. They have a little less tread depth and therefore are probably not quite as good as good as the W106's in deep snow. On the other hand this tire has twice the studs and therefore should be even better in icy conditions and also is supposed to have a little less rolling resistance than the W106's. Since the Schwalbes cost almost $25 more each than the Nokia W106's I did not even consider them. I am sure they are a very nice tire, but when I compare $148 vs. $104 for a set of tires, I went with the cheaper tires, expecially since they offer the best compromize for the occasional deeper snow I encounter.
The W106 in 35mm is an excellent all around Winter tire and will fit many bikes. The price at $52 is also reasonable. The Schwalbe is certainly not a bad tire and has some nice features such as the reflective tire stip, but its additional cost was not worth it to me. You can't go wrong with either of these two tires. If the weather is so bad you can't ride with either of these tires, then you probably should not be outside riding on two wheels.
Happy riding,
André
