rumrunn6

ice is unforgiving. was riding a favorite paved trail a cpl yrs ago with a hybrid & studded tires. it's a plowed trail so I was doing well over the icy patches. caught up to a guy on a mountain bike who was also doing quick well. started thinking maybe I should be using one of those instead. then he approached a road crossing & somehow slipped & fell. as he was getting up we greeted each other & commented briefly about the weather. I could see he had knobby tires but no studs. I've read that a front shock will help with moguls & I agree. but studs rule when there's ice. wide tires have benefits but so do narrow tires. I was commuting in the winter & had a good combo, but thought a tank like bike with bigger, more aggressive tires would be better. but the bike had some drawbacks, heavier, wider tires wandered more rather than digging down & it was slower & harder to pedal. the hybrid w/ 35mm studded tires was the winner. last year I got another MTB & equipped it w/ wide studded tires, but I use that off road. like said if I was commuting again I would go with narrow. you get more pounds per square inch on those studs. so what's a good 26" narrow studded tire? here's my guess

Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus 26" Tire (HS 396) 26 x 1.75

I agree that the cost of studded tires is very annoying. I've bought them used, so that might be an option

but you know your personal conditions better than any of us. try what you have & if you think studs will help, try to find a pair you can afford.

this was my 26" tank. had fun setting it up but ultimately it was a waste of time, effort & money for my 26 mile round trip commute




ultimately this bike was the winner (for my winter commute) cuz it was faster & had narrower tires





oh, the memories