Ok, I have Schwalbe Marathon winter on my winter bike. I've found that -

1. They are the most efficient studded tires I've tried, the Nokian 240's seem to add noticeably more rolling resistance, the Nokian Extreme's feel like riding a tractor.
2. To a certain point you can get more grip by putting less pressure in them, but only to a certain point.
3. As everyone else said, fantastic on ice, and good on certain types of snow like fresh snow where the tire can cut through the snow to pavement. I've found them pretty decent on smooth hard packed snow as well (like on the MUP where it gets packed down into practically ice).
4. I did ride last year on some hardened but rutty and pitted snow on the MUP. It was a real PITA, and a ton of work, but I never fell down or felt like I was going to (though it took a lot of work to stay upright).
5. It did fall down once, though, on the street. The city hadn't really plowed it at all, and it was this weird mix of semi-packed snow, loose snow...it was just a big pile of snow on the street that had sorta been driven over before. It wasn't a big deal for me because it was a side street and there was no other traffic, and the very snow that caused me to fall cushioned my fall - it was like falling over while downhill skiing, no big deal. However, might have been different had their been traffic obviously. But...I'm just saying - I really felt like I would need a *much* gripper tire to stay upright in that situation. I did not try it, but I'm not sure a Nokian w106 would have made any difference at all. Maybe a 240 would have done it, I'm sure a Nokian Extreme would have helped.
6. But basically - any tire wide enough to make a big difference would have also been *significantly* slower the rest of the time. Actually, a lot of people even keep 2 winter bikes, one with the fat studded tire for that 10% of the time that you need it, and one with the skinny tires for the other 90% of the time when you don't want to lose a fourth or a third of your speed to the tires.

Paths like the Lehigh Valley Trail that get a lot of foot traffic are going to be an inconsistent mix of ice, hard snow, and soft snow. The Marathon Winters are not the best choice for that. I would get the W240.

You can be creative and cut the fender at the fork and mount the front and rear parts of the fender separately.

Did anyone mention the Marathon Winter's Kevlar belt and reflective strip yet? Zero flats to date (knock on wood) and the sidewalls really pop under direct light:



The consensus here seems to be equip one bike with the Marathon Winters for plowed roads, a fresh dusting of new snow, and sheer ice. Equip a second bike with wider, more aggressive studded tires for mashed potato snow but give yourself more time to get to your destination. While you're at it, you might as well get a Pugsley with some Endomorph tires for deep powder. Just remember... if there's ice under that snow, and studless tires contact it, you're going down.

If the trail is not plowed and is trafficed fairly frequently and you get a lot of rutted, frozen ice mixed with snow, I would probably have to agree.

I have the Marathon Winters and this is a good summary. Love em for ice and hardpack; not so much for deep snow but for 95% of the time they are awesome.

That specific segment of the trail is paved and mostly kept plowed by RIT.

Given the advice and comments everyone has offered, I think I know what I'm going to do.

I have some 700x40 Kenda Klondikes from last year. They worked reasonable well, so I'll take off my front fender and run those at least to start. I may replace the front fender with mountain bike mud guards. I also may look into getting an even wider tire later on, since the front fender is off anyway.

Edit: Also, has anyone ridden Continental Nordic Spike tires?

I'm going with two winter bikes this year. My Nexus 8 speed 29er commuter will have Nokian Gassa Extreme 294, my 9 speed Sports Tourer will have Kenda Klondikes 35mm. Slow but very safe!

I have the 26" Continental Spike Claw 240

I thought I would use my MTB on the worst days however i only used it twice, once for a 3 hr epic ride on New Year's Eve Day in 17 degree weather.

I called that bike the tank and found it was perfect for some conditions but overkill for my commute. those tires are awesome but not the best choice for 26+ miles. (13 ea. way)

Maybe it's just me, maybe it's my filthy dirty route, but I find that reflective sidewalls aren't very reflective after the first few weeks, even after I scrub them with a brush to get the grime off.

First I'd have to get a 2nd bike. The Pugsley sounds good though. Every winter when the snow gets deep I look at pictures and think "if only I were so rich I could buy a $2000 bike just to avoid driving for 4 or 5 days a year...

The one hitch in that strategy is that bike shops as well as online stores start running out of studded tires in mid-December or so. By mid-January, when you really need them, they can be hard to find and will always be full price.

I looked at those when I was looking to buy studded tires for my mountain bike (mainly for weekend riding, but possibly for those few commuting days when the roads are really bad). Nice tires, and inexpensive too. In the end, I got Ice Spiker Pros because I'm a bit of a weight weenie when it comes to tires. However, the Continentals would make an excellent choice for those who don't want to spend a lot and still want a good (though heavy) snow tire.

I wonder if they actually use Carbide studs though? Last time I checked I couldn't find anything definitive on the topic.

I know I wouldn't use a tire with less-hard studs - don't like the idea of my studs wearing down and suddenly stop working one day.

I just checked BTD, and you can pick up a pair of 26x1.75 Marathon Winters for about $100 and free shipping.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...-tire-26-x-175

MSRP $1550!

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/pugsley_complete/

Not that big an issue. Like I said, the Klondikes worked reasonably well last year.

I need 700x35, not 26".

www.bike-components.de has them in that size for 31.95 euros (about $44 each). Don't know about the shipping costs, though.

Edit: fixed URL

IME foaming tire cleaner works well.

I can relate; I've often wished the same thing. Plus it would be a blast to ride down the local MUPs after a fresh snowfall and scare the bejesus out of the x-country skiers with my AirZound.

I heartily agree; carbide studs are the only way to go. If cost is an issue, there's a good "DIY studded tires" thread in the Winter Cycling forum: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-Studded-Tyres

And worth every penny I'm sure! Personally, if I could afford such a frivolity, I'd build one with an IGH to avoid the constant cleaning of the drivetrain parts (which, from experience, I hate doing). Cleaning just a chain I can handle.

lol, I don't think anyone really wants to clean their tires after each ride if they don't have to - and in the winter, you'd have to.

It would totally be fun to be out there riding around after a major snowfall. :-) Still think the lack of studs in pugsley tires would be a problem though. (And yes, I have actually ridden a pugsley on a lake partially covered in snow and partially in ice - it doesn't stay upright on pure, slick ice, though it does give you a chance to put your foot down before falling over).

If I was buying an IGH bike nowadays, I'd probably get a belt drive and avoid the chain altogether. Personally, I see little point in cleaning my winter bike though. In the summer, you clean the chain and it stays clean for a while. In the winter, your chain is dirty again 50 feet down the road from your driveway. I'm not sure there's much, if any, benefit to cleaning it when it will get covered in grime almost immediately once you start riding.

I found that cleaning my tires half a dozen times through the winter sufficed to keep the reflective strip reflective.

My latest bike is equipped with belt drive and IGH, and also has disc brakes. I am looking forward to a low-maintenance winter season (while keeping my fingers crossed, of course).

Have you tried the nokian mount and ground 160's? 26x1.95. Good for all kinds of winter slop. I run 45 psi for dryer conditions. At 30 psi the studs have more contact with the ground for snow/ice.

That's definitely half a dozen times to many for me.

Nice! :-) Sounds like you have my dream winter bike...sadly, I bought my bike before belt drives were available... :-(

Keep us updated on how it goes with the belt drive. I really don't like all the chain maintenance that winter entails, or more precisely, I'd rather not have to feel guilty about the chain maintenance I should be doing and am not.

I'd love a drop bar belt-drive bike with clearance for 40mm tires and fenders but haven't seen one yet. Of course it's just as well since I couldn't afford one right now anyway.

I will make sure to report back here often (and in the Winter Cycling forum) regarding my new ride's ability to handle what winter can throw at it. We get a lot of Great Lake effect weather here, an ice storm or three every winter, and the City Fathers use a lot of salt on the roads. I'll be dropping the bottom bracket and headset for some rustproofing in November and putting some oil in the cable housings. I'll then add my studded tires and platform pedals and my bike will be winter-ready. My biggest concern is that the IGH will stop functioning if it gets too cold; I don't know if Shimano recommends a cold-weather lubricant for its Alfine hub. I will find out before I winterize the bike.

@ tjspiel: Fellow BF member canyoneagle owns the sister of my bike, a 2010 Norco Vesta. It's a single-speed, belt-driven, drop bar commuter. He converted his to the Alfine IGH and it looks great! I doubt it has clearance for 40mm tires but there is ample clearance for 35s (ala Schwalbe Marathon Winters). You can read about his build here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...got-a-new-ride

One caveat: The Vesta is a one-off model for 2010 so it may be hard to find. Norco's replacement for 2011 is a more track-style bike called the Diamond:

https://www.norco.com/bikes/urban/suit/diamond/

Alternatively there's the Civia Bryant. but I have no idea about its tire clearance (it comes with 32s):

https://civiacycles.com/bikes/bryant/