MNTC

So we all know that a studded front tire does more for you than a studded rear tire.
My fork does not have clearance for even the smallest studded tires, whereas my frame does for the rear wheel.
Would putting a studded tire in the rear only help me in any way? I could imagine the front would washout well before a studded rear tire, so there may be no real benefit to the added traction.
I haven't had problems with non-studded tires in winters past where I ride, but I am curious to see if there would be any benefit to trying a studded rear tire. Whether or not I try would depend on others' experience - if any, search didn't find any similar topics to this.

ThermionicScott 

N+1 time.

PaulH

I live on a hill and find studs very useful in getting up the hill when it is icy.

fietsbob

the studs help the steering actually work, on ice, solution, buy 2 tires ..

modernjess

IME It's not always the front that goes out from under you, it's only about 99% of the time.

Sorry I can't really help. I use a full studded set up and I need them in my winter world. But since you stated that you haven't had any real problems with non studded where you are, my question to you is why bother at all I guess.

ItsJustMe

If I couldn't mount 2 studded tires in the winter, I'd drive.

unterhausen

I was out riding last winter when I came upon a policeman investigating a single car accident on ice. I decided to walk around, since the cop had parked in the middle of the road. Bad idea, I could barely walk, whereas riding wasn't really a problem even though it was uphill. Don't think the bike would work uphill without studs under those conditions. I am not sure what my limit is, but I wouldn't be happy without a front studded tire. The front is the tire that keeps you from going down really fast. Generally, if the rear slides out you are ok.

Bike Gremlin

Rear tyre keeps you moving, front one keeps you upright. If you put just the rear studded, you'd go faster a lot easier, but with a slick front - you'll fall down a lot easier on ice.

downtube42

On glare ice or black ice, rear tire without studs goes ZING and you're like Wile E Coyote hanging in the air with no bike beneath.

I fall pretty well, having a bit of experience. But when ice simply removes the bike, there is no graceful impact-absorbing tuck and roll technique. BOOM you're on the ground and it hurts.

krobinson103

Done that. One minute riding next sliding along next to the bike studs or no. There is a point where riding (or walking/standing) becomes impossible and you WILL go down.

droy45

Truthfully, you need the studs on the front more than the back but the balance of having them on both is by far the best solution. I have been using studded tires for years and have learned a lot in the process but nobody explains it better than Peter White Cycles in New Hampshire. Here is the link. https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp This will enlighten you on all there is to know about winter riding.

Leebo

MN? You should have a dedicated winter commuter or three. Get a used mt bike, 100-300? dollars. Put on some fenders and 2 studded tires, like the Nokian mount and ground 1.95 x26" If you have ice, you'll need studded tires to stay upright. What frame are you using? Maybe a new fork would suffice.

alan s 

If you're riding in conditions that actually require studded tires to keep you upright, then you need studded tires on both wheels. This is different than riding where having studded tires is optional, but is safer than riding without. I rode for years without studs on lingering ice and refreeze, and did not fall. This meant riding very carefully over icy patches, and walking if necessary. If conditions were iffy, I would drive instead.

Now with studded tires (Marathon WInters) I'll ride unless there is substantial snow on the ground. Ice is no longer a concern. Making a regular habit of riding in icy conditions calls for studded tires.

fietsbob

Still using , when needed, the same Nokian tires I got direct from Finland . Long ago..

2

jrickards

What would you recommend for a tire width for winter conditions? A wider (eg 700x54) or narrower tire (eg 700x35)?

A wider tire would put more tread in contact with the surface but might tend to float on thicker snow whereas a narrower tire might cut through the snow better but with less tread in contact with the surface, might be more skittish. I don't know, this is what I think but I might be wrong.

ItsJustMe

I just bought a Giant Seek 0 2014 for winter commuting. It was the first bike I'd found already built for a reasonable price that had what I wanted - ability to mount wide tires and fenders, internally geared hub and disc brakes.

It'll be fun this winter not having to stop occasionally and kick ice out of the derailleurs, and having the rear brakes actually work (I switched the front on my old hybrid to disc but there were no tabs on the frame on the back).

MNTC

I guess this answers my question. I haven't needed studded tires in the past, so trying one, especially the rear only, would be pointless. The roads in my area are plowed promptly after snowfalls and salted so the days it is truly too icy or snowy to ride on 28c tires are very few in number (<5 per year last couple of years). Hopefully this year is not snowier than the last two.

scoatw

I have a second wheelset with the studs mounted to them. It takes me less than 10 minutes to switch wheels. Once the roads are plowed and salted and dry again then I go back to the road tires. I've been doing it like that for the past six winters. It works out good for me. I use Nokian Extreme 294's. Those handle glare ice and anything up to about 6 to 8 inches of snow.
And I'll second the idea of you getting a frame that can handle 2 inch tires. Check out ebay. you never know what you might find. I've bought three bikes from ebay. One is a Surly 1x1 that I fit 2.5 inch tires with homemade studs on them. Snow is no problem for that bike. I take that one on the trails in winter. It tears the trail up.

xuwol7

A front studded tire is more important than the rear, but spend the $ and get both as it makes a huge difference.
Spend the $ and buy carbide studded tires, trust me on this...

Riding in the winter is a total skill of balance, heavy feet with light hands while keeping your center of balance/gravity over the bottom bracket.

The hardest thing about riding in the winter is when the tires of cars cause ridges which are hard to navigate.( ice turns to water then back to ice).
Always pave you own way through fresh snow.
Watch out for wooden bridges and wet leaves, black ice etc.
Winter cycling is a true art and can be intimidating at times.

It is also so much fun when you navigate roads that cars struggle with..

dynaryder

If your fork won't clear a studded tire,you could always go with a different fork. If you're talking about a road bike,there should be many cross forks that will fit and not screw up your geometry.

slcbob

+1 to that, or time for N+1 as others stated.

It's nice to see that a few people actually read your post and note your front tire restriction and your awareness of the importance of the front tire.

I tend to think that, if you've been fine without studs, carry on without studs, but if you add studs to only the back it might just get you into trouble that you otherwise would have spun out before you reached. This is not based on any great personal experimentation with a single studded tire, just an extrapolation from a few hard thuds on ice from having no studs at all. Best to avoid those. Sure, the back studs may help a little in a few places, but in the net, I think you're better off not being in those places if you don't have front studs.