Chained Up
 

Tired of staring out the window at the snow and ice,waiting for a thaw so I can try out my new flatbar Domane conversion,so I chained up my other bike,the Marin Four Corners.It’s a fine bike that doesn’t get much love since I got the SL7 Domane.The chains are somewhat of a novelty but function fine to get me out of the house to ride around town.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2249e92c8.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6fdffb941.jpeg

I like the handlebar bag.

Why not use studded tires and save the rims from scuffs?

I highly doubt those soft straps going around the rims will do much in the way of scuffing.

"those soft straps" are nylon... it even causes wear marks on bare steel.
anodized aluminum or paint is an easy target for nylon.
powder coat might need a bit of polishing.

narrower tires at higher pressure would help gain traction on ice.

jute or cotton rope works as "chains". ;)
if the bike is V-brake, or side pull, studs are the only choice.

I'm aware of what the straps are made of. They will not damage the aluminum, now will they scuff it. The wear you refer to is not a scuff, though it can mar the finish...possibly. I'm not saying I would use those chains, but the dire warning of scuffs is ridiculous. You can also use zip ties as "chains." I used to commute in the winter and rode on a lot of ice, I never used higher pressure to gain traction. A narrower tire will sink through snow to get to a place where they can gain traction, but running a higher pressure actually works against traction, reducing the contact patch. A wider tire will float on top of snow, which can work well too given good tread for the conditions.

scuffs equals wear.
and i said ice, not snow... they are two very different surfaces.
locally, we get solid ice (Freezing rain, or frozen moisture/black ice), or snow, or sometimes both, in a short time span. there are also different types of "snow". it's the toughest to deal with as it melts.
there was crunchy snow on the ground this morning... it partially thawed, then re-froze overnight, plus a light dusting of new.
the roads were a skating rink this morning. Patches of re-freeze snow plus Black Ice, in patches.
:D
my trice broken left hip said that i shouldn't go riding today.

Managed 2.5 miles on the snow and ice rutted streets this morning. It wasn’t that much fun.Crashed once,skinned my knee a bit and beelined back home.I’m an old man with COPD and it was apparent today.I think I’ll wait for better conditions to get back out there. I’ll consider studs for the Domane though. I appreciate everyones thoughts.

While the concept of using chains on a bicycle is an interesting one I doubt they can be made to work particularly well, unless one grinds the links to have lots of sharp corners. The way I understand motor vehicle chains to work is, that the harder than ice steel chain breaks the ice beneath via sheer mass of the vehicle. The chains have tiny surface area against the road compared to the weight of the vehicle. Mass is one of the reasons why studded tires for larger vehicles like semis or busses are a rarity. They don't necessarily need them because the pressure against the road exerted by the tires is so huge, which cracks ice and gains traction for the tires.

I don't think a bicycle has enough mass for chains to break the ice surface enough to aid with traction.

Anyways studs are a simple and easy way to deal with ice on the roads. But they're not bulletproof either. You can't corner normally on ice even with the studdiest tires on the market. I have Schwalbe Al Mighties and have washed out a few times with them.
Better to focus on riding straight and level. When an icy corner comes along, slow down properly and maybe even put a foot down for support.

Tire pressure is something I've been pondering. More tire pressure means less studs contacting the road. I'm not sure however, whether more pressure increases the "pressure" a stud pushes against the road, since the studs are elevated. My gut feel and experience tells me lower pressure is better on ice simply due to having more tire surface area and studs available for traction.

I understand you said ice, and raising the pressure is not the key. That actually makes it worse. It goes against every advice found regarding driving on ice given for cars, etc. I have plenty of time on the ice with cars, bicycles, and motorcycles.

Yes, studs will work better on ice. What you have will work well with now and packed snow.

take a good look at a rally car set up to run on ICE some time... you'll be better educated afterward.
higher pressures, narrow tires... it boils down to contact patch PSI forces.on the ice surface.
siping works by the edges of the sipes slightly digging into the ice surface.... decreasing contact PSI reduces the ability of the edges to penetrate the ice surface.
going TOO high with tire pressures causes troubles too.
your mind jumped to an extreme instead of looking at a reality. ;)
when the contact PSI gets too high, surface MELT begins during tire contact at speed... hydroplaning on top of ice is not a good thing.
tire Compounds also play into the equation...

I say you get some points for trying. I hope you recover quickly.

You are looking at an extreme, and I am familiar with rally racing, but I am looking at the reality of bicycle tire sizes and tread design. You are trying to equate a tire with a flat tread design, one with siping, to that if a round profile tire with no sipes. An increase in pressure is not needed and is counterproductive. Do what works for you.

look into what "sipes" are.
they are additional edges. those additional edges can be found in more ways than cuts in tread blocks.

and you're now assuming what i was referring to.
rather than try to explain the entire science of tires on ice, i'll now bow out of this side thread.

i've had two articles on tire pressures, tread, and tire compounds published.

bye.

major points for trying. :thumb:

I do know what sipes are. You are correct though, we don't need to hash out tire pressure. :lol: I do appreciate the discussion though, it makes me think and look into more info. I appreciate your knowledge.