Studded tires smaller than 700x35?
 

So, I thought I was being smart by buying studded tires because of the added safety and traction they would get me if it gets really iced up or snowy on my 15 mile (each way) commute, but I bought 700x35 tires and they rub on my frame when I installed them. I'm riding an Alpha Mercury, single speed, so I guess it's not very surprising in hind sight. It was kind of a rushed decision.

Obviously I'm going to return the tires, but I'd still really like some new ones. The only problem is I'm not sure what will fit. It looks like Nokian makes a 700x32, so I'm thinking about trying that out, but I don't want to waste my time and money buying and returning tires.

I was also thinking about getting a cylocross fork, but then I still wouldn't be able to fit the rear on. I'd even consider buying a new single speed frameset if it would be reasonable enough. The Alpha is heavy as ****.

What do you guys think? Am I SOL?

Do you guys have any suggestions? I'd really appreciate the help.

700x32 tires will give you--in theory--1.5mm more clearance above and on each side of the tire. Do YOU think that'll be enough?

I'm not really sure. My overconfidence says maybe.

The 35's almost fit. It was mostly the studs that stopped the wheel from turning. Does anyone have the 700x32 nokians? Does anyone know how high they come off the rim? I can't seem to find the measurements anywhere.

If it's that close, should I just give up and save for a bike that can handle bigger tires?

According to http://peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

"The 32mm A10 Measures 29mm high (from the outer edge of the rim) and 30.5mm wide inflated on a Velocity Dyad, a 24mm wide rim."

The nokian A10 has minimal studs, not that "studly". If the clearance is that close, you're going to want some extra room for snow, slush and fenders.

The A10 is fairly narrow. It's listed as a 32 but as idc points out it's actually narrower than that. I had a pair installed on an 80's road bike. From a clearance standpoint they were fine but I would temper your expectations of them as far as added traction in snow or ice goes. They just weren't that great.

There's a hill not far from where I work that often ends up ice covered because of the water running down it when it's warm enough to melt some ice or snow. When this happened I frequently had trouble getting my bike up that hill with the A10s. I've never had any trouble with any other studded tire I've used, and I've tried about 5 different types including the A10. I might get a little slippage from the rear wheel but that's about it.

Yeah the A10s should work they just might not work great. And they won't work great in between snow/ice events either, I found them surprisingly slippery on thermoplastic street markings for instance.

Ok, thanks a lot for all your input, and that site with the measurements. I think I might just save my money up for a cyclocross frame. I'm trying to work up to commuting through pretty much any conditions, so I might as well save my money for the right tool instead of compromising.

I really appreciate you guys helping me out. I was feeling pretty panicked after I spend all that money on the tires and they wouldn't turn.

Or get a 29er frame .. OOdles of clearance then..

I went in the 26" camp, and an old 80's stumpjumper frame..
cost: repaired a broken dropout , then bought fork etc
but I dont need to go but a few miles when the roads Ice up.

Alternatively think about a Smaller like in 406 20" wheel. schwalbe sells that size studded.

the wheel weight goes down significantly.. Using My Bike Friday pocket Llama.
a lot. get one with drum brake hubs and an IGH , id' say.. not grabby braking


above zero C this year . so the studded stumpie is not used yet..
don't have to change tires just jump on a different bike..

.. Yet, [update] day 3 with snow on the ground, but I still went out..

I'm worried about losing efficiency if I use a setup like that. My commute time is already pretty long, and I don't want to make it much longer. Plus, I'm hoping I can save money by only replacing my frame. There's also no way I'm getting another bike because I already have 4 bikes in a one bedroom apartment. My girlfriend won't let me get anything else unless I get rid of something I already have.

Yeah, I was faced w/t same dilema at one point in my life. I found a new gf w/her own apartment. She liked bikes. We're married now. YMMV

Btw, I believe Schwalbe makes a 700x28mm studded tire, but don't quote me.

Nope :[

You might want to rethink this. Studs in quantities sufficient to handle solid ice are going to slow you down. And cold weather is going to slow you down too. At least, that's my experience.

Mine add roughly 10 minutes to a commute that would otherwise take about an hour.

I'm alright if I can stay below a 1.5 hour commute each way. In the summer it took me about 50 minutes on my road bike. That's gone up to about 1:00 to 1:10 on the single speed. I'm pretty confident I can get those numbers down though. I keep getting "in the zone" and missing turns...

My bad, Kj. They were 700x38mm not 28mm. :o The smallest I could find anywhere on the 'net were the Nokia A10s @ 700x32mm. http://www.biketiresdirect.com for 60.00US. My only concern in looking at them is the stud count. 72 per tire is a little light when compared to some of the other brands. However you do need 32mm to fit your rig, so they beat no studs at all by a long shot. :thumb:

There are a few options as I see it. You didn't really say (unless I missed it) how much snow and/or ice you regularly encounter. There are people in snowy climates who ride year round without studs at all and there are some tread patterns that work better in snow that others.

FWIW, the Schwalbe Marathon Winter is a 35mm tire that's not quite as tall as the Nokian. Depending on where on the frame the tire was rubbing, you might be able to squeak by with the Marathon.

You could also go with an idea that you yourself had. Get a cyclocross fork and use a studded tire only on the front. It's not ideal but the front is the most important place to have one.

And yes, there are the A10s. They might be OK for your situation. They weren't for mine, but it might not be so bad if you had a more aggressive studded tire on the front and the A10 on the back.

Practical Concerns: Given the distance you're riding you may find the A10 and/or a single studded tire the better way to go anyway. Studded tires take a bit more work to turn. The snow itself can also be a bear. The consistency of snow varies quite a bit but unless it's really dry and powdery or totally undisturbed, I find it's not very practical for cycling any distance (for me anyway) once you get 4 inches of more of the fresh stuff. Much more than that I can walk quicker than I can ride.

The winter marathons are actually what I have, so sadly that's not gonna work.

I live outside of Boston, so the conditions are variable. Most of the time I can probably get by just fine without them, but there are definitely times when they'd be a huge asset. I'm also worried about ice forming because of the melt/freeze cycle that happens a lot around here. I'm hoping to have 2 wheelsets I can swap out based on the conditions.

My friend has an old cyclocross bike that he's looking to get rid of. I'm gonna take a look at it on Monday. It even comes with two sets of wheels!

FWIW:

This has been the easiest winter ever in the Boston area, this is NOT typical, I've witnessed months of studs needed riding on my commute in the past several years, it's not an option for my route and I'm a risk taker by nature. I ride 15 miles each way to work year round ( as fast as I can between Bradford and Newburyport ) and have a cross bike with SKS 45 fenders for winter and wet duty and yes i've got disk brakes on there too which are also highly recommended. When there is a chance of ice, the Nokian W106 tires go on there and stay on there until the thaw/freeze thing has gotten rid of those hazards which can take a long time. I haven't had a need yet this year, as of this morning though it looks like the studs are going on for a while as the morning temps are below zero and we've had enough precip to go through the thaw and freeze cycle for a while, the lows for the next 7 days are all below freezing.

I think your choice of a single speed for a 15 mile ride is bad choice but that's just me, plus I've got a lot of elevation change and coastal winds. I would also surmise that running single speed in slippery conditions negatively effect traction in slippery conditions.

In summary, I would highly recommend getting that cross bike and putting some studs on there if you want to have an all conditions bike that you can depend on, anything else is going to leave you seriously wanting. If you are serious about that commute and don't want to make excuses for yourself actually doing it day in and out, get what you need and amortize those expenses out over time. Barr-mitts and winter shoes are also critical IMO.

until you get another bike frame with adequate clearance, and
double the time you have to get there..

+ You need to stop, Drum brakes are un grabby, and work in all weather

may I recommend an IGH, with a drum, or if you must , a Disc Brake.

Snow and Ice clogs up cassettes.

In winter conditions, riding on ice?

I bought the bike! I got a really good deal on it, and it came with fenders, rack, panniers, extra wheel, extra tires, and pedals.

I grew up around Boston, so I know this is an usually warm and snowless winter. That's partially why I picked this winter to extend my commute into the winter months.

I can understand your concern about using a fixed speed, but it's been working really well for me so far. I like how simple it is, and I figure all the winter sand, salt and debris must be bad for the derailers, tensioner, and rear cassette. I've been waiting for some snow so I can ride test out riding the single speed in the snow to see how it'll handle, but there hasn't been any snow left after work since that Halloween snowstorm.

Do they make any cheap, or at least reasonably priced, winter clipless shoes? There's no way my booties are gonna cut it, and I haven't seen any that seems up to the job. All the purpose built shoes I've seen are insanely expensive. I'm thinking about just drilling cleats into some old gore-tex hiking boots.

How do you replace the pads on those drum brakes? Do you know about how much it costs to get one of those internal geared hubs installed? I've never replaced a hub before, and it doesn't look easy. Would they work with my current handlebar shifters?

Thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it.

Yes. I've ridden them with little ice and fairly substantial ice, all this winter, and the result is basically the same.

I have Schwalbe Marathon Winters, and they roll pretty well. I used homemade studded tires before, and they were horribly ineffficient, but they did keep me from slipping on ice.

I like the.nokian.a10 a lot. Here's what I have on the 700/32.I liked 'em enough to get some 650b this year.

Marc