Originally Posted by
Tundra_Man
I've got studded tires on my other winter bike. They work pretty well for smoother ice, but when it gets really rutted like this I don't notice much difference between them and the 5" wide fat tires running low pressure. The fat tires will bend and conform to the ruts, whereas my studs will slide off the sides of the ruts to find the low spots. Either way, I have to ride slow and careful through spots like this.
I had the same experience with my first set of studs, Nokian 160's. Someone told me to try Schwalbe Marathon Winters (NOT Schwalbe Winter, Marathon Winter) and the skies opened and the angels sang! The Marathons have studs closer to the sidewall - night and day difference for me.