GASP!!!! A reason for yet another bike**********??

Hey, muddy:
I'm here outside of Boston, riding roads that aren't always well paved. I've decided the Nokian 294s are overkill for me. I've got the mount and grounds for about half the price and they are just right to give me confidence and grip. Mostly the roads are clear with some junk coming in from the sides and some days there's a good patch of black ice here and there. I feel more comfortable on my bike than on my shoes in those places. Having fallen in dry conditions in the summer, I was happy to spend the green not to fall on ice in winter. I'd say go for the studs.

Central Iowa in temps ranging from 11F to a high expected today of 26F with 1-2 inch snow cleared, paved trail. My choice for snow tires this year was the Innova 26X2.1 MTB 268 STUDS 65PSI


Purchased from ebay for a pair price of $76. Studs both front and back, the bike performs on packed glaze road ice as if it were on rails. You start adding in 1 to 2 inches of fresh snow and they perform the best. Going through this layer sounds like boiling water. Start adding brown, slushy snow, you need to start looking to get back to white pack or ice because of the lack of anything to bite into. Our snows here this year seem to have first a layer of ice, 3 to 6 inches of snow and one or two thaws and refreeze. The refreeze places a 1/2 crunch layer on top. The tires do not perform in this snow sandwich because of the tires break thru the top layer and there then is to much rolling resistance to the advancing thread. The normal ride takes me over packed glaze ice, 2 inches of 2 day old snow and thru the plowed end caps. Yesterday it was 32 miles in this mix.
Given this make up of performance, my general overall impression is wow. Its cool to be the first track on the trail and these tires give me opportunity to do just that.

Cheers.

I've ridden as a commuter for several winters. Sometimes the studded tires
are a blessing, other times not needed at all. Though I have two wheelsets
for my Commuter, I leave the studded tires on all season. I use Shwalbe
Winter Marathons, 1.75 X 26 inflated to 70 psi. I'm monitoring closely for
stud wear...about 500 miles on them so far, +70% bare pavement and the
tires still look like new. All maintainance occurs outdoors for me so the
less, the betterwhen it's cold out. Also, working 12.5 hour shifts in the
Great Lakes area, I can ride in to work in pleasant weather and ride home
in a blizzard. Forecasting weather around here is difficult at best, lotsa
suprise weather changes.

I believe any individual should ride whatever tire they like. Heck, back in the early
60's I used to take the old Coaster Brake bike to school every day year 'round on bald
tires, and I always managed to get through. So in my opinion, and it's only
my opinion, ride what you like...it all works and it's always fun.

Happy Trails