Studded tire solutions for early phases of winter?
11-25-18, 08:21 PM
#1
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Studded tire solutions for early phases of winter?
Hi,
My wife and I have been commuting here in Wisconsin the past four years and winter commuting is a blast with studded tires.
However, in Wisconsin, especially at the start and tail end of winter, there are a lot of days of clear pavement mixed in with the occasional day of icy roads. I hate wasting away our studs on clear pavement.
We ride internally geared bolt-on hubs so taking the wheel on/off every other day to switch out the tire (or even wheel) isn't ideal.
Does anyone have any solutions they use for these in-between seasons? I see chains, zip-on studs and other options out there on the market; I'm curious if there are any success stories. I'm open to the idea of building up a second wheelset (for use in, say November/December and March, leaving the studded wheelset for January and February) with non-studded tires plus some traction solution; I just don't want to be changing wheels/tires on a daily basis.
Thanks!
My wife and I have been commuting here in Wisconsin the past four years and winter commuting is a blast with studded tires.
However, in Wisconsin, especially at the start and tail end of winter, there are a lot of days of clear pavement mixed in with the occasional day of icy roads. I hate wasting away our studs on clear pavement.
We ride internally geared bolt-on hubs so taking the wheel on/off every other day to switch out the tire (or even wheel) isn't ideal.
Does anyone have any solutions they use for these in-between seasons? I see chains, zip-on studs and other options out there on the market; I'm curious if there are any success stories. I'm open to the idea of building up a second wheelset (for use in, say November/December and March, leaving the studded wheelset for January and February) with non-studded tires plus some traction solution; I just don't want to be changing wheels/tires on a daily basis.
Thanks!
11-25-18, 08:46 PM
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There are a couple of non-studded winter tires that might be worth a look. I've one set each from Continental and Michelin. They work surprisingly well so long as you don't actually need studs.
You could also run a low stud count tire like the Suomi A10 and, in my case, the Suomi Stud 62.
What tires are you running currently?
You could also run a low stud count tire like the Suomi A10 and, in my case, the Suomi Stud 62.
What tires are you running currently?
11-25-18, 09:20 PM
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Save yourself a lot of work, have one bike ready to go with studs, and one without.
For each of you.
For each of you.
Last edited by 2manybikes; 11-25-18 at 09:28 PM.
11-26-18, 04:09 AM
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I use two different bikes during winter. One is set up with studded tires the other with regular touring tires.
11-26-18, 06:45 AM
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Studded tire solutions for early phases of winter?
I recently posted to different threads about studded tires:
Hi,
My wife and I have been commuting here in Wisconsin the past four years and winter commuting is a blast with studded tires.
However, in Wisconsin, especially at the start and tail end of winter, there are a lot of days of clear pavement mixed in with the occasional day of icy roads. I hate wasting away our studs on clear pavement.
We ride internally geared bolt-on hubs so taking the wheel on/off every other day to switch out the tire (or even wheel) isn't ideal.
Does anyone have any solutions they use for these in-between seasons? I see chains, zip-on studs and other options out there on the market; I'm curious if there are any success stories.
I'm open to the idea of building up a second wheelset (for use in, say November/December and March, leaving the studded wheelset for January and February) with non-studded tires plus some traction solution; I just don't want to be changing wheels/tires on a daily basis.
Thanks
My wife and I have been commuting here in Wisconsin the past four years and winter commuting is a blast with studded tires.
However, in Wisconsin, especially at the start and tail end of winter, there are a lot of days of clear pavement mixed in with the occasional day of icy roads. I hate wasting away our studs on clear pavement.
We ride internally geared bolt-on hubs so taking the wheel on/off every other day to switch out the tire (or even wheel) isn't ideal.
Does anyone have any solutions they use for these in-between seasons? I see chains, zip-on studs and other options out there on the market; I'm curious if there are any success stories.
I'm open to the idea of building up a second wheelset (for use in, say November/December and March, leaving the studded wheelset for January and February) with non-studded tires plus some traction solution; I just don't want to be changing wheels/tires on a daily basis.
Thanks
I had taken out my winter studded beast this morning. I thought I'd take it out and ride it for a couple of hours to iron out any issues and to get saddle time. That lasted all of five minutes when I remembered how much I hated riding on studs.
But it's ready when I need it.
But it's ready when I need it.
….We had an early snowfall, then rain on Friday (11-16). I’m considering putting on my studded tires today, weeks earlier than usual, but I don’t think I have the time to do so today.
Not to dispute your preferences, but I have posted:
I looked at the upcoming forecast for this week:rain on Monday and Tuesday, with low tmperatures, 20-24° F (-7 to -4° C) on Tuesday and Wednesday. Since this weekend is my only chance before then to mount the studded tires, I will try to do so.
I only have one beater bike.
Not to dispute your preferences, but I have posted:
...I have 30 C Schwalbe Marathon studded tires, the narrowest I know of. I've not had a significant snow challenge with them since I ride well-plowed roads, but the previous (?) 35 C tires were good up to about 3 inches of new snow.
I really like the Schwalbe tires because I don't seem to feel the increased rolling resistance many claim for more aggressively treaded studded tires.
I really like the Schwalbe tires because I don't seem to feel the increased rolling resistance many claim for more aggressively treaded studded tires.
Carbide studs are reputed to last a long time. I ride studded tires all winter from December to March, nearly entirely on bare, wet, and/or salted pavement.
My first pair lasted several seasons, and may be still useable.
My first pair lasted several seasons, and may be still useable.
…. Here in Rochester, at least along my commute, there's always ice that miraculously didn't get salted…Broken bones would keep me off the bike for weeks while they mend]
I only have one beater bike.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 11-26-18 at 07:09 AM.
11-26-18, 07:44 AM
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High-quality studded tires like Schwalbe and Suomityres use studs with a tungsten core. The worst you can do to these is to blunt the ends a little. The carcass will fail before there's significant wear on the studs even if all you ride is clear roads.
11-26-18, 08:02 AM
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There is also significant stud loss on one side of the tire.
So looks like time for a new set.
11-26-18, 08:47 AM
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I have 2 winter bikes, ready to go with and w/o studs. Old mountain bikes are cheap and make great winter beaters. FWIW: I’ve ridden a set of Suomi Mount & Grounds for at least 8 years and they show no signs of giving up so I wouldn’t worry about wear. The last couple years I’ve ridden them less as I have W240’s on my 29er too. Crashes suck so if there’s any chance of ice, I ride studs.
11-26-18, 08:48 AM
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A friend of mine had the same. He cut up an old thin tire to function as a tire liner between SMW and tube.
11-26-18, 08:56 AM
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11-26-18, 09:11 AM
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It depends. If the dish is exactly the same, so the bakes don't need to be centered, and if the limit screws on the RD don't need to be adjusted. Could be fine. If you have the space and the budget for another bike, you can decide, last minute in the morning. YMMV.
11-26-18, 09:58 AM
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11-26-18, 11:17 AM
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Living in Minnesota, I really don't like to ride in the winter without studs at all. Studs protect you on sheer ice. In my experience most sheer ice happens in the spring and fall when it snows, then melts partway, then refreezes.
I've been using schwalbe marathon winters. If you run them at low pressure you get 4 rows of studs on the ground. If you run then at high pressure only 2 rows of studs stay in regular contact with the ground. 2 rows is enough for short patches of ice.
All quality studded tires use steel carbide studs which even ridden on blacktop should last longer than the tire does.
I've been using schwalbe marathon winters. If you run them at low pressure you get 4 rows of studs on the ground. If you run then at high pressure only 2 rows of studs stay in regular contact with the ground. 2 rows is enough for short patches of ice.
All quality studded tires use steel carbide studs which even ridden on blacktop should last longer than the tire does.
11-26-18, 11:35 AM
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You can put a Mr Tuffy in there and get a little more life out of it.
Never a bad excuse for new bike parts.
Never a bad excuse for new bike parts.
thought about it. Although this time it was just a single stud wearing through I can see that others are going to fail soon too
There are just too many to worry about, and too big a chance to take that I don't get a flat. Getting a flat with a studded tires means that you're changing under really poor weather conditions.
There are just too many to worry about, and too big a chance to take that I don't get a flat. Getting a flat with a studded tires means that you're changing under really poor weather conditions.
A phone to call someone to help...but I suppose that's a given.
If it's a flat, you try to fix it, but using your bare hands when temperature is so extreme is not easy, or even possible, in which case a phone to call someone for help is crucial. Anywhere along my route is no more than a ten minutes walk from some kind of indoor business into which I can probably beg/plead for help, or at least a warm place to change my tire.
Most people are decent enough to help out like that. So other than the usual tool kit necessities I don't carry much else.
If it's a flat, you try to fix it, but using your bare hands when temperature is so extreme is not easy, or even possible, in which case a phone to call someone for help is crucial. Anywhere along my route is no more than a ten minutes walk from some kind of indoor business into which I can probably beg/plead for help, or at least a warm place to change my tire.
Most people are decent enough to help out like that. So other than the usual tool kit necessities I don't carry much else.
I too ride on urban / suburban routes with similar measures, but early, before 6 AM. I envision going to an indoor ATM machine to fix a flat, so I carry a bank card too.
I routinely bring enough clothing in a pannier to accommodate any wet / cold weather, with enough space to doff items, from about 50° F to zero. I don’t carry a lock and wouldn’t want to abandon my bike, with hassle of picking up later.
I have only about three times called a taxi on my decades of commuting, all in temperate weather. I haven’t used Uber yet, so I don’t know how long wait (and inactive) times would be, especially in the early AM,so I would prefer to keep moving in the cold.
Since I have excellent Commuter Rail as an alternative commute, even on which to take my bike, I have frankly disdained busses, which are more accesible and frequent on my routes. Last week I did take a bus with my bike, and was pleased with the service, and carrying capacity, so now that looks like a primary emergency measure.
PS: I also use Kevlar tire liners year round, even on my fair weather carbon fiber road bike, to hopefully forestall flats.
I routinely bring enough clothing in a pannier to accommodate any wet / cold weather, with enough space to doff items, from about 50° F to zero. I don’t carry a lock and wouldn’t want to abandon my bike, with hassle of picking up later.
I have only about three times called a taxi on my decades of commuting, all in temperate weather. I haven’t used Uber yet, so I don’t know how long wait (and inactive) times would be, especially in the early AM,so I would prefer to keep moving in the cold.
Since I have excellent Commuter Rail as an alternative commute, even on which to take my bike, I have frankly disdained busses, which are more accesible and frequent on my routes. Last week I did take a bus with my bike, and was pleased with the service, and carrying capacity, so now that looks like a primary emergency measure.
PS: I also use Kevlar tire liners year round, even on my fair weather carbon fiber road bike, to hopefully forestall flats.
11-26-18, 11:42 AM
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I may be the only one, but I find your nested quote posts to be impossible to decipher with any reasonable amount of effort.
11-26-18, 12:24 PM
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Jim from somewhere between New Jersey and Vermont gave us a post which is more than one foot long---about short posts..
The rest of you just need to surrender and bow down.
The rest of you just need to surrender and bow down.
11-26-18, 12:31 PM
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11-26-18, 12:57 PM
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”Fixing” a SMW with studs rubbing holes in the tube by adding liners is a so-so thing.
I’ve done it to get through the last of the season, or until replacements arrive.
But it shouldn’t be seen as a ”good as new” kind of fix unless it’s only affecting occasional studs. With the hole at the base of the stud, the stud will create less force against the ride surface and generally wiggle about more. It won’t bite into the ice as well anymore.
I’ve done it to get through the last of the season, or until replacements arrive.
But it shouldn’t be seen as a ”good as new” kind of fix unless it’s only affecting occasional studs. With the hole at the base of the stud, the stud will create less force against the ride surface and generally wiggle about more. It won’t bite into the ice as well anymore.
11-26-18, 01:18 PM
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11-26-18, 02:46 PM
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been pondering the same question/issue myself. just mounted up some studs & as my schedule opens up for night rides I'm wondering what will be in the woods. we had 14 degrees after snow, so there was plenty of ice. now it's 40 & raining. this afternoon it occurred to me this is a lot like spring. for example, on one spring ride last year, the roads were clear so I road a bike w non-studded tires down to the nature preserve where I was met with ice & so I rode home to get another bike that still had studs on. on another ride later in the spring, I rode my studded bike over crunchy crusty ice just thawing out so it wasn't slippery & didn't really need the studs & the aggressive winter tires were really slow. the single winter I bike commuted, I put the studs on when the invisible ice showed up & kept them on until the roads were reliably clear. at least my thighs weren't skinny that spring. took my car's snow tires off last February due to a lot of warm days including up to 78F degrees. then in April we had 4 nor'easters with tons of snow & blizzard winds. it's nice to have a variety of places to ride & a variety of bikes & tires to choose from. 1/2 glad I don't bike commute anymore