Here in Omaha, we will have times when the roads have snow and ice. Then, there will be times when the roads are clear. And there will be a mixture of clear roads and snow-covered bike trails.

Can I put studded tires on my bike and (still) ride when the roads are clear?

yup. It will just be noiser, and there will be more rolling resistance (compared to non-studded). Won't hurt the tires any provided they have carbide studs.

I might add, just make sure and break them in properly, no fast braking or acceleration for the 25miles or so, this will allow the studs to bed into the tire

then there should be no problems, just increased rolling resistance and a popcorn sound from the studs riding on bare pavement, just leave them on all winter till spring(as long as they are carbide studs)

on the bright side....when you take them off in spring you when be amazed how much easier and faster you are from building up your
strength during the winter

one last thing, if you haven't purchased yet, I might recommend Schwalbe Marathon Winters

I have ridden Nokian 294 Extremes for the last 5 years and just bought a set of marathons. I rode them yesterday in our first snowstorm and even with the resistance they rode way nicer than the extremes, close to a standard slick when I had the psi up higher

Plus you can adjust the psi higher for almost no resistance and lower psi for more studs in contact and they initially look like they will last many winters

I wouldn't use them off trail, that's what i use the extremes and ice spikers for, but for commuting and city roads these are fantastic

also good studded carbide tip tires are expensive but if broken in properly will last many, many years so the cost is spread out

We have a lot of days like that too. It's cold as hell but the roads are bare. Keep them on. Conditions change rapidly and You never know when you will encounter ice and what not. As others have stated as long as they are carbide they do not wear down and should last you many seasons.

+1 on the Schwalbe Marathon Winters

But I thought the sound was bacon frying.

I purchased the tires listed on the link below. This is my first year of winter cycling, so I don't claim to know what I'm doing.

https://www.modernbike.com/itemgroup.asp?IGPK=2126177347

Thanks for the answers. When I get the tires, I'll mount them immediately. Hey, I'm an old man trying to burn calories. Added resistance doesn't bother me a bit! :-)

It's ok to run studs on pavement... but I still think it's best to have two wheelsets, one with studs and one with regular tires. Every winter is different, no reason to run studs for months at a time...I only use studs when I feel it's neccessary.

^^^
+1
I even advocate two extra wheelsets in extreme climate areas that can vary significantly day-to-day like the Rocky mountains or northern midwest areas. I have one set with Nokian Extremes 294s for seriously bad conditionsor seriously icy conditions, but they will slide around on bare, dry asphalt to the point that they can be dangerous, and they have extremely high rolling resistance,especially when climbing. Another set has Nokian Mount and Ground 160s for less extreme condtions and most road use because they have far less rolling resistance and slide around less on dry asphalt, and if I don't change them on dry days I don't feel like I'm riding into a 25mph headwind when I actually have a 10mph tailwind.

+2 on the Marathon Winter's. Most of my winter riding is on dry roads, but I live in an area with many natural springs which seep onto the road in colder weather. I use them so I'm not surprised by spots of ice. There is more rolling resistance, much like riding on a cinder path, just all the time. Once you get used to it though it is not a big deal. Then again, because the early darkness, I'm usually using a bottle generator as well which adds more resistance. No biggie because I ride for fitness and I just get more of it.....

This is the 4th winter for my Nokians, riding on mostly dry pavement in the winter. Guessing conditions very similar to Omaha.

I tried the two wheelset thingy one season. I guess I'm just too lazy, or bad at planning, because it seemed like I always had the wrong tire mounted.

I've overcome this deficiency with a cunning plan: two bikes! Then I just grab the bike with the right tires...

+1. Except I just change the tires rather than use two wheelsets. It only take 15-20 minutes to change the tires. I probably change them 1-2 times/month during the winter months. I have them on for the second time right now.

Paul

2+ on the Winters.

The best description of the sound for me was "electronic popcorn."

Anyone tried out the 45North studded tires yet? Have a pair waiting for me at the LBS that will be mounted Friday.

I have seen those tires, good price, but please make sure they are not regular steel studded....

right after the announcement by 45North that they were going to offer the Husker Du and snowstudded tire they said the studs were steel, but I was looking several weeks ago online and online shop listed the studs stainless steel

carbide will last for many, many years, stainless I assume should last years.........regular steel studs will wear down after a season if you ride on pavement..I know, my first pair were cheapie innova knockoffs and the lasted less than the winter season..the next year I bought a set of Nokians 294's and after 5-6 they still have many years left on them

otherwise a very nice looking winter tire

This was posted in the sticky about making your own studded tires a few years ago. You can leave the studs off the middle of the tires and just have them at the edges. Then you can ride on dry pavement without the studs coming into contact with it. If you do need the studs, just let a little air out of the tires.

I don't use studs myself, but thought that's the way I'm going to try first if I do want to use them.

So...what is the recommended MTB tire? Nokian 294? Don't know if I want to go the steel route when carbide will last me longer.

In my experience, the studded tire are slower on a clear pavement than they are on a surface with light mixture of snow and ice. Thus, riding them on the clear pavement is a drag. When the situation is uncertain, a good compromise might be to put the studded tire only on the front. A further option for a compromise could involve Continental TopContact Winter. They have no studs but protect better against slipping on ice than regular tires.

Depends on how much snow/ice you encounter. The Extreme 294s are great for really severe conditions such as glare ice after the snow has melted and re-frozen on road or off or if the snow/ice is really rutted, but there is a serious price paid in rolling resistance. You could however ride across a moist hockey rink or frozen lake with little difficulty. I only pull them out when most car drivers can't even navigate the roads or when I am riding frozen trails/downhills that are slippery even in non-frozen conditions.

The Mount and Grounds have much less rolling resistance and if the roads are really icy, but not so bad that it keeps car off the road I just drop the pressure down to 40-45psi and go on my way. Its nice to have a choice, but if I had to pick just one set I'd probably take the Mount and Grounds because under normal winter conditions they work fine. The Extremes are really not necessary until conditions are so severe that most people won't even consider going outside, but I want the adventure.

My experience with Schwalbe Marathon Winters is about the same as the Mount and Grounds, but I wouldn't even consider any of the other brands (i.e., Innovas and many of the cheaper brands carried by REI et al) because they either use steel rather than carbide studs or they just don't have proper distribution of the studs.

These seem to be on overkill for someone who just starts riding in winter. Let me explain. Extreme 294 are meant for really tough conditions. There are plenty of milder conditions when you already need studded tires. You put on tires such as Extremes when everything is stacked against you. Someone experienced in winter riding will eventually need the Extremes, but before your skin thickens this much you need to get an experience riding under conditions calling for milder tires. If money is not a factor, sure, but some milder tires should be a higher priority.

lol, that depends on where you live and what the weather is like. Here in Minnesota I see no point to having a wheelset with studs and one without for winter riding - if I had 2 wheelsets I would have "faster rolling" and "for deeper snow". I'm actually considering getting a Pugsley for the 2nd one. :-D

I guarantee you, where I am there is *definitely* reason to run studs for months at a time.

Everything (bike-related) that I own is overkill. Do I need a Karate Monkey just to ride the roads in winter? Do I need Mavic Ksyrium SLs and Conti GP4ks on my road bike? Do I need X-9 shifters and derailleurs?

Hey, I just saw the tires on sale and bought them. They were the cheapest studded tires I found on the Internet.

The more rolling resistance, the better. I'm just looking to maintain a level of fitness until the warm weather returns. In the summer, my typical road ride is 75 miles. With the cold, I don't want to be out for that period of time. If I can get a fitness benefit out of my 20-mile winter rides, then great!

I hope this sounds positive like I mean it, but with those tires and wanting rolling resistance - you'll definitely get it. :-)

Maybe these would be better?

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...w-stud-26-inch

Less studs but have carbide (as mentioned to be the best). I keep to the paths that are, eventually, shoveled, and have no plans to go deep into inches of snow.

Snow studs are the old Schwalbe studded tyres. Marathon Winter are the new replacement for them - many-more studs and I believe the Snow studs are steel rather than carbide.