Does anyone have any experience using the continental top contact winter II tires? https://www.conti-online.com/www/bicy...Winter_en.html Are these a worthy alternative to studded tires? https://velonews.competitor.com/2011/...i-tires_197231

The answer may depend on where you ride. Where I ride, it will snow but the snow may or may not last through winter. There will be times when I will not want studded tires even in the winter. I was thinking that these tires might work well for this kind of environment

Interesting. I'd never heard of these. They might be a good tire for somewhere that gets Chinook winds in the winter.

Those are certainly interesting tires, but personally I question what would be the point? A world where there is snow and NO ICE, is not a world I live in. If it snows there is likely ice somewhere. I don't see the reason to not just run a studded snow tire all the time there is snow on the ground. The extra insurance is by far worth more than any perceived sacrifice.

I run studded tires all winter on 2 bikes, here North of Boston, MA, ice happens Dec- March. If you do not have ice, they might be OK.

Non-studded winter tyres for cars have been around for decades, so there's been plenty of time for development. Continental makes those as well so they probably know a thing or two, even if all of that knowledge were not directly applicable to bike tyres.

On snow, best non-studded winter car tyres are as good or better than studded tyres. On ice, nothing beats a studded tyre.

--J

There are some customer reviews for the tire at this link.....

https://www.mec.ca/product/5028-161/c...10+50002+50182

Click reviews obviously...

I actually have a pair in the mail from BTD. A little history. I try to ride year round for fitness. My area has several natural springs that seep out on the road when the ground is frozen and can't absorb it. This freezes when at appropriate temperature, but only covers part of the road. I had a 26" wheeled bike that had a NEXUS 8 speed IGH and shod front / rear with Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires. These were good for my ride and the spikes were comforting. I'd buy Marathon Winters again in a minute. I sold the 26" bike (still have the wheel and tires - for sale btw) and so was looking for a replacement.

I researched the Top Contact Winter II's and Nokian W240's really just for a change from the Schwalbe's. I bought a set of Nokian W240's last week from REI. After getting home I read the reviews again and decided that the Top Contact Winters really would suit my needs so I ordered a set last night from Bike Tires Direct and will return the unused W240's when they arrive. What changed my mind is I tend to be a little bit of a worry wort and so apply the "belt and suspenders" concept a bit too much. The Top Contact Winter II's are due in next Friday - I'll write a review once I get a few miles on them.

My wife and I just bought new bikes for winter commuting and errands; these tires were highly recommended by the LBS, so we bought two sets. They certainly roll faster than the studded tires I used previous winters (Schwalbe Ice Spiker and Nokian W106). I haven't had a lot of chance to test them on snow or ice yet, but I did intentionally ride over some frozen puddles while braking or turning gently, and didn't feel any sign of skidding.

Because of their wide functionality, they are presumably the best winter tire investment I made. Studded tires and those with more aggressive thread beat them under tough winter conditions, but they work well with light snow and occasional ice patches, while not slowing you down on pavement. I ride them from mid November until late March. When there is a lot of snow and ice I switch to 240 stud tires, but do not bother using anything in-between.

Studs are not necessary if you only get hardpacked snow (e.g. really cold zones like northern canada and northern scandinavia)
If you frequently get ice from freeze thaw cycle i'd say get studs. I don't use em because i don't need to bu were I to live a bit further south I would certainly consider them.
Wide MTB knobbies for the win

+1 to elcruxio. The question is whether you have to ride on ice. If it is hard packed snow or even icy conditions with snow over the ice then a knobby soft rubber tire is fine but if you're riding on pure ice as I often have to, then it's studs without any question.

They look nice and may work, but personally I am not giving up my carbide studded tires.
You never know when there will be ice.
I was riding last week 6 inches snow, 50+ degrees with no ice in sight but I did hit a few patches of ice and glad I had the studded tires.

If cars could fall over, I'd be more interested in bike tires that mimic car snow tires. As it is, I ride studs in the winter.

A shop owner I ride with and a good friend of mine both ride these and swear by them. I have not test road either of their bikes with these mounted but would like to try a wheel swap with one of them this year and see what the full is. I can see how much easier a commute could be if say it has not snowed in a few days and the roads are just bone dry. A few other guys I ride with stud the outside of a Endomorph and this is enough for the whole winter, smooth center line and enough grip if you hit some ice.

One thing I have never understand in winter studded tires is such aggressive tread. Snow in any case I have been in is like sand, there really is not additional grip I have found with an aggressive tire.

Ah yes but you see in -5 fahrenheit (-20C°) there really isn't any ice. But 50 fahrenheit is very much in the zone where ice might occur. Snowmelt in daylight hours and freezing in the night.

A point to remeber. What makes ice dangerous is water. When ice is substantially under water freezing temperature it's suprisingly grippy. A bike can easily handle that in a straight line. Turns are interesting.
But even the tiniest amount of moisture on ice can render it dangerous even on studs and completely unrideable without.

For me studs are a no go atm because they are simply too heavy.

Nope to OP"s question. Where do you ride besides middle earth? One crash on ice and you will see for yourself.

These sound SCRATCHY when they roll on a normal floor.If that is enough grip to keep you upright fine.Something like the schwalbe snow tye only lets the studs really bite when you reduce the tyre pressure.The studs also only make a noise when you are not on ice;they go quiet when you are on the slippery stuff,which is fine unless you are in traffic.They will work,but it depends of the depth of your winter.

You mean something like this: https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/u...TBgMgodB1cAqQ? This might be a good choice then. The tires are a lot cheaper from Chain Reaction even after paying shipping to the US than they are in the US.

Yes,or look on the winter cycling forum if you could consider making your own.

I have a beater MTB with studded tires and drum brake hubs , most times its just sitting there..
but when it freezes , it is better than walking..

in the process of putting Albatross bars on , as im liking sitting up more..

alternatives to studded tires? the Bus?, work from Home? XC Skis?

I was not aware of them. So no, but it is interesting design. The soft compound makes sense but it also makes me wonder how fast they wear down. Even in the frozen hellscape that is Minneapolis a great deal of the time in the winter you are riding on black top so wear could be considerable on those even in one season.

I need the studs for that 600 feet of sheer ice sprinkled liberally around my otherwise dry route.

I was reading this article while trying to decide on "All Season" tires to buy for the Chicago Winter. I tend to ride on Bike trails that are mostly cleared, but there are usually big ice patches just as modernjess is experiencing. So I was wondering if anyone has tried the Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour tires for similar situations as we are discussing about the Continental TopContact Winter II tires?

Thanks for any input, I'm currently looking at those 2 options and trying to figure out if I need to consider a different route, since I do bike around 3 miles to and from work, 3-4 times a week throughout all 4 seasons of the year. (Blizzards and snow storms included)


Also, for one "small" edit, I wanted to ask if the "soft" rubber, would be harshly effected by 100+ degree weather, since it is designed to not horribly fail in even -30 degree weather.