Mine arrived today

Winter | Schwalbe North America

I heard from a Norwegian friend that they were out, a few months back , over there.

How good are those things? I was all over the place in my regular marathon supremes. Is it really worth the investment?

Once I got studded tires I don't know how I survived for the years that I rode without them. Now, I wouldn't ride without studded tires. Last year was the first year I didn't fall in the winter because of ice and we had lots of ice. These were the 622 version so I can't speak for the 349 version but I suspect they are very similar. The studs sit on the edge of the tire so that when pedaling straight you get less rolling resistance. When cornering the studs dig into the ice or when you slip sideways the studs grab the ice and you stay upright.

It all depends on the type of winter you get. We get snow and lots of ice from snow melting and then refreezing at night. If I start riding my Brompton in the winter, then I will definitely get a pair.

I ran winter marathons on my 26" commuter a few years ago.
They were simply amazing on ice.
The most difficult part of my journey was trying to walk without slipping from the bike shed to the office door.

They don't do much more deep snow, but are great for ice.

The part-time epistemologist: Schwalbe Winter Tires
The part-time epistemologist: Schwalbe Winter Tire follow-up

And I have a pair now! So excited, although I'm not putting them on quite yet. They are rather tight to get on -- the shop warned me and said if I couldn't get them on to bring the bike in, but I was able to get one on barehanded, albeit with a few little paper-cut type cuts from the studs. (And then took it back off, in the hopes that ice will stay away a bit longer.)

What PSI are you running? They go up to 115 per the sidewall, as opposed to the Brompton standard tires, which claim max of 100, and they're a little narrower. I run my Brompton standard tires around 80 most of the time and haven't had any pinchflats; I'd like to go as low as possible with winter tires, but I absolutely don't want to be changing these tires on the roadside with cold hands.

I finally found a place where I can hopefully buy them. I am curious, on one site, they warn that the studs can scratch the underside of the frame and they recommend taping the frame to protect it. Have you encountered any difficulties?

FWIW, Smallest Clearance is inside the rear drive side Chainstay , where the factory Presses in a Dent. . NDS is a Bigger Gap

M3L Mk-4 frame Regular Schwalbe Marathon K tires ( I have an old MTB wearing the Studded Tires, at the ready)

A Measure your Tires for width or Height would be useful , (if worrying while they are Enroute.. then you will know after you fit them)



IDK if the casing is the Smaller Kojack 32 that they then mold the lugs onto, for enough rubber to hold the studs .

Logically that would seem Appropriate, rather than the wider 37 casing ..

Bike Friday's Tikit has Greater Clearances around the Wheel.