Gresp15C

I've got to get another pair of studded tires to equip the entire family. Has anybody had experience with Schwalbe studded tires? How about the size? Do they go onto a 700c rim, tight or loose?

A friend of mine just had a bad experience with a Schwalbe tire that was so loose it blew off his rim, and it might have been a one-time manufacturing issue, but I'd like to know if this is something I actually need to worry about.

52telecaster

studded snow tires are very stiff. you wont blow them off the rim unless you grossly over inflate them.

HardyWeinberg

I use their 35mm marathon winters, love'em.

Viich

+1

Gresp15C

Thanks for the advice. Also, @52telecaster, do you play one?

52telecaster

i have a 52 reissue that i play a lot. in this clip i am playing a 63 esquire....

gregf83 

I used the Schwalbe Marathon studded tires last season. They have horrible rolling resistance and an awful ride but they keep you from slipping on the ice. Hopefully, our winter will be back to normal this year and I won’t need them, but I wouldn’t hesitate if it’s icy.

No problem mounting them on 700c rims.

mcours2006

+1
Hate them...but love them.

HardyWeinberg

I tried Nokian A10s and they were awful start to finish, actually slipped on wet road stripes with those. Schwalbes grab onto that even without studs, at least if not overpressurized (the bike with the marathon winters I use marathon extremes if outside of ice season, same tire, no studs).

fietsbob

All depends on how accurately your purchases fit on to each other with the spot on accuracy of manufacturing a million things and having no variation at all ...

Buy, save the receipt return it if not satisfactory...








Suomi Nokian Mount and Ground W 26 x 1.9 bought in 1990 are still fine, but here on the NW coast Ice is an occasion, not a season..









.....

joeyduck

I have had no issues with the 700x35 Marathon winters. They were easy to switch on and off. I would do this regularly since the Vancouver weather wasn't always requiring them. They were fitted onto Mavic A719 rims (I think) and they were great and felt secure on the icy roads.

They mounted easily if that is what you mean by tight and loose. They weren't a beast to put on and the bead seated without issue. So I would say they were neither tight or loose.

ItsJustMe

I have owned Marathon Winters in the past.

IMO they are good for ice. OK on snow if your roads are fairly flat (side to side) and you take corners slowly.

My problem with them was that they have traction blocks that go straight from side to side and do not provide any effective traction that keeps the tire from sliding sideways. My route includes about 4 miles of gravel road which is highly crowned (center probably 18 inches or so higher than the sides) and is often not plowed for up to a day after a heavy snowfall, so I wind up riding on 3 or 4 inches of wet stuff, every time I push the pedal down the rear tire slips to the right a foot.

And also if you take a corner quickly in wet snow, they tend to slip.

On ice the studs grip fine.

Personally I went back to Nokians, this time opting for the W240s because I wind up in frozen icy ruts sometimes and the ones with just the center studs (W106? Can't remember)

I think the Marathon Winters roll a little easier than the Nokians, but still all studded tires roll hard.

rumrunn6

just remembered my new ones are 40mm & they are wide. if you have fenders be prepared to move them. always used 35s but switched to 40s last winter cuz I was exploring off road. if I was staying on roads I would stay with the 35s. they'd do a better job digging down to the pavement







either size is quite excellent on plowed but slippery paved surfaces

Bikewolf

As 52telecaster says, you’ll be fine.

This will be the 1st winter were I’ll have spikes at my disposal (Marathon Winter @ 42 mm).
I’ve been told to lower pressure a little for better grip performance.

Really hope I won’t be needing them much though because I prefer ice cream :-)

chas58

That is odd, most of the time I see that happening, it is an installation issue. I like to pump mine up to 50%, ensure the bead is seated (meaning there is no gap, and that it actually pops onto the rim and properly seat), deflate and then reinflate to the proper pressure.

Gresp15C

Thanks for the reassuring comments. The tires should be on their way.

I decided on the "Marathon Winter" with 2 rows of studs. The winters around here have been pretty mild in terms of snow, and they scrape both the streets and the bike paths. My main issue is ice on otherwise clear roads.

@52telecaster, nice video. I liked your chord voicings, and the band is nice and tight without sounding fussy. I play upright bass in a big jazz band.

52telecaster

its my son on bass and a good friend playing drums at an open stage a few years ago. we do jazz standards as well as the blues. the tires will be a real game changer for you. mine are the 30's, and its the difference between getting to work and not. i commute year round and i dont have to worry about slick. i have 3 sets of wheels, one for touring, one for quick and one for snow. its the apartment dwellers solution to multiple bikes.

Gresp15C

We haven't had a lot of snow and ice over the past few years, but just enough for the studs to make a difference. Of course we could have a normal winter again. I'd be happy about that, because I like snow. I've been juggling bikes and studs because we now have 4 people in the house who want to ride during the winter. My son will get my old winter bike, and I will be pressing one of my other bikes into winter service.

Robert C

I run them in the winter. They are extremely hard to mount. Other than that, and the rolling resistance, I like them particularly the ice performance.

rumrunn6

only time I had trouble mounting a set of Schwalbe Marathon Winter Studded 700x35, was last winter. I had bought an old used set from a guy on craigslist, who used them commuting for several years. they still had some life left in them even tho the studs were worn down & inside the tires was moldy. got a cpl rides out of them but then one day had 2 flats. 1st flat didn't think anything of it & didn't see anything out of the ordinary. so much for my checking skills ... 2 miles later got another flat. turned out to be a broken wire bead which poked the tubes. I had no way to snip the protruding end so I used a band aide & electrical tape to cover the end. it was very loose & hard to mount. didn't want to stay seated in the rim. I eventually got it but since it was getting dark & cold in that state forest, I hitched a ride back to my car. how the bead broke I don't know. was it me using levers to mount the tire? maybe the lever was right at where the ends get fused together? anyway, the new tires mounted up fine & I tossed the old ones. if I had any advice, be careful mounting them so as not to break the wire bead

srestrepo

can you tell me what 32's you used? i have 32s on my commmuter now and i think that the most i can fit is 32's with fenders or 35's without but i dont want to chance it.
i have size 32 Continental GP 4 seasons and with fenders, its a tight squeeze.

rumrunn6

so sorry they were Schwalbe Marathon Winter Studded 700 Tires 35mm not 32mm. when those broke their wire bead I bought the next size up, 40mm

this is what happens when I try to remember stuff. I have too many bikes & swap too many tires.

I just did some poking around & didn't find any of those in 32mm

BTW you can always hack your current fenders or buy new wider ones & hack those

fenders for wide tires - Bike Forums

carlos danger

I rant the schwalbe marathon winter 35mm 200 stud ones for 2 years. they are good.
But nokian w240 is better. Better grip and they just feel safer when cornering.

Abe_Froman

I actually have the same tires on order in 26”. I was wondering whether I should have gotten the 4 stud row variety... but realistically I don’t think I need anything so extreme. Most of my riding will be on paved and plowed streets with patchy sections of ice.

Archwhorides 

Last winter I rode the Winter studded 30mm in Boston - they suck in a good way and get the job done well. PITA to mount though!