Winter commuting - studded tires

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Another option to throw out there: DIY studs in my existing tires. Anyone do this?

We did it years ago with Specialized ground control ATB ties and rode them at 10 degrees on the dunes. Worked okay on the hard pack snow ice but not really on the road. I feel like we just screwed sheet metal screws and lined the tires with duct tape.

I think the best way for studded tires is a dedicated winter bike vs swapping them. Too much work and the streets here get cleared pretty damn quick.

[David in Maine]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

For me when riding daily outside in the winter I found the peace of mind with constantly using studded tires well worth it. You just never know when you're going to hit ice in my experience. Plus, just consider any penalty of running them to be a training bonus.

I agree. A few years ago I rode to work on a sunny cold morning with only a few ice patches here and there. No problem to avoid them so I skipped the studded tire bike. On the way home with a light dusting of fresh snow--a different story. Went down hard and instantly--no chance to use my mountain bike skills

David

[JAGI410]

I'll take studded fat tires (4"+) over skinny tires any day. Sure they cost a heck of a lot more, but I find you get much more control and don't fall into ruts nearly as much. That whole "skinny tire cuts through to the pavement" stuff doesn't work for me. Then again it's insanely cold here and I don't deal with the mashed potato snow often.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by JAGI410

I'll take studded fat tires (4"+) over skinny tires any day. Sure they cost a heck of a lot more, but I find you get much more control and don't fall into ruts nearly as much. That whole "skinny tire cuts through to the pavement" stuff doesn't work for me. Then again it's insanely cold here and I don't deal with the mashed potato snow often.

This makes intuitive sense to me as well.

Add to that it would expand my fatbiking range to include some of the higher altitude areas where we get serious freeze/thaw - places I either got dumped or had a sketchy hike-a-bike last year. For contrast, a 700c studded tire is only gonna be used on my commute. Currently thinking something like Dillinger 4s or Cake Eaters, or grip studs on my MinionFBF/FBRs

[JAGI410]

I've been using the Terrene Wazia 26x4 studded, I imagine the cake eater is a fine tire as well. I'd choose that over the 45North.

[NHAero]

Lotta freeze-thaw on Martha’s Vineyard and the dirt roads can be solid ice, and crowned as well. The Big Dummy gets studded Nokians, I think they are the W240 model. I have another set of wheels with the no longer available Nokian Freddy's Revenz - 336 studs and serious knobs. Will go on the drop bar Litespeed 26er for snow over ice conditions.

[smontanaro]

I no longer have them, but used 45NRTH Xerxes studded tires for a few years commuting in Chicago. Liked them just fine. The center section was studless, so they rolled pretty well in ice-free conditions. Also, they were just 30mm wide, so sunk into snow, giving purchase on the pavement underneath.

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by benb

...
And both sets make the bike feel like a tank. We are talking serious serious extra weight and slow acceleration. I haven't even put them on in a few years it's such a buzzkill to ride with them.

On the flipside if you get a set they last a long time.

I have a set of Nokian Hakkapeliittas and can confirm that they are slow and heavy. I also haven't put them on in a few years.

I agree with most of what has been said in this thread. If it's cold and dry, I avoid studded tires. If it's snowy and icy, they are necessary, particularly for black ice areas.

[efixler]

Studded tires are like magic when you are riding on top of frozen stuff. I don't think you need to go super wide for commuting, the studs are sufficiently effective in moderate widths. Also, some tires are available with multiple stud densities; for commuting, unless you're on permafrost always, I'd go for the lower density options. Better rolling on the pavement and sufficient grip for the ice.

I used them for a couple of years when I lived in [the suburbs of] Stockholm. In the city, where the paths were cleared, you didn't really need them too much; in the suburbs, where they would put sand on top of the layers of frozen stuff, they were pretty essential.

The Top Contact Winter is a good choice for slushy and wet, although my own commuting experience suggests that, when it's winter and you're nut using studded tires, raw rubber width has more effect that tread type.

[benb]

Well the other variable not getting mentioned is road salt... if you're going where roads are well salted that's a big difference.

My area tends to be really well salted. Snow removal is handled very well. Snow on the road with a little slush & ice but lots of salt is not real bad on non-studded tires.

I rarely have "Must ride X route in snow/ice". I can afford to adjust my route so that I stay on well salted/plowed areas. If I stay on those types of roads the # of times the studs are going to be the difference between crashing & not crashing are small.

If you live way out west in "big country" and they can't really salt stuff then things are going to be really different.

I do feel like the mountain bike is a lot better when things get really bad. I have rode across frozen lakes and such with my Nokians on my MTB, I would probably not try that on my gravel bike with the 45NRTH tires. Not that there is any real fitness benefit to riding across sheer ice. You're just doing it for the thrill of it, you can't put down any power.

[mt2u77]

Originally Posted by benb

Not that there is any real fitness benefit to riding across sheer ice. You're just doing it for the thrill of it, you can't put down any power.

Agree on the thrills, disagree on the fitness.

Some of the best winter fitness riding is blasting across a frozen lake on a studded fat bike. I can go as hard as I possibly can for steady state stuff on bare ice as long as I don’t turn or stop too fast, and who needs to when you’ve got miles of barren lake. I occasionally crash, but it hardly matters on ice— just a hip/shoulder impact with no abrasion. Add a little adhered transformed snow cover, and you can put down sprint power.

[CNY rider]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

It's snow and ice in Denver today - almost went rubber side up 3 times on my commute this morning. I'm interested in experiences and recommendations for studded tire options for a shortish (6 to 12 miles, depending on time available) commute. Based on bikes and wheels currently in house I could do anything from 27.5x4.5", 29x2.6 or less, 27.5x3 or less, or 700c x 35-45. Is wider better just to put more studs on the ground, or is there value in a narrower tire that will cut through the slush to the firmer ice below? A studded tire would add to my fat bikes capabilities, but i'm also not keen on pushing that huge wheel on pavement or spending $200+ per tire.

How do you get to work? Bike path or roads?
I try to bike commute year round, but it's on winding narrow country roads.
Often times the limiting factor isn't my ability to ride in the conditions, it's my sense of how safe the cars around me will be.
Today is a perfect example. We had some freezing rain overnight followed by an inch of snow. I have winter tires on my bike (Michelin something or another, have also had the Contis in the past) and I think I would have been fine.....but I have no confidence in the cars around me being able to navigate those conditions in a way that keeps me safe.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by CNY rider

How do you get to work? Bike path or roads?
I try to bike commute year round, but it's on winding narrow country roads.
Often times the limiting factor isn't my ability to ride in the conditions, it's my sense of how safe the cars around me will be.
Today is a perfect example. We had some freezing rain overnight followed by an inch of snow. I have winter tires on my bike (Michelin something or another, have also had the Contis in the past) and I think I would have been fine.....but I have no confidence in the cars around me being able to navigate those conditions in a way that keeps me safe.

It's a mix of quiet residential streets with wide bike lanes, MUP, and about 1000 ft of singletrack. When I have time and the weather allows, I add an additional 3-6 miles of singletrack.

I also wouldn't ride in places that presented significant exposure to fast moving cars in slippery conditions - don't blame you there.

[CNY rider]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

It's a mix of quiet residential streets with wide bike lanes, MUP, and about 1000 ft of singletrack. When I have time and the weather allows, I add an additional 3-6 miles of singletrack.

I also wouldn't ride in places that presented significant exposure to fast moving cars in slippery conditions - don't blame you there.

Nice! I envy your commuting route.

[JStonebarger]

Originally Posted by muz

Nokian studded tires are amazing... I could even ride on frozen lakes, in places I could not walk without slipping...

+1. Amazing on ice.