Winter studded tires
#26
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I have experienced the wear-through issue. The rear tire has a shorter lifespan, in my experience, but never less than 2 winter seasons. I have successfully extended the life of my SMWs (heh) by using Mr. Tuffy tire liners.
This SMW is past its useful life span.
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I like their aggressive tread in addition to the studs
trying the be more mindful when the tread gets compacted, rendering the tread & studs nullified
trying the be more mindful when the tread gets compacted, rendering the tread & studs nullified
Last edited by rumrunn6; 01-22-22 at 04:42 PM.
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Yeah, I wouldn't commute with that one even with a tire liner!
Here are a couple other stages of wear:
The wear here is probably acceptable with a tire liner, and especially on the front wheel where wear occurs more slowly.
Wear is just becoming apparent here. The tire liner is being installed for peace of mind. This tire is good for at least one more winter... probably two, especially on the front. I tend to change the tire sooner on the rear because of the PITA factor.
Here are a couple other stages of wear:
The wear here is probably acceptable with a tire liner, and especially on the front wheel where wear occurs more slowly.
Wear is just becoming apparent here. The tire liner is being installed for peace of mind. This tire is good for at least one more winter... probably two, especially on the front. I tend to change the tire sooner on the rear because of the PITA factor.
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I have 2 sets. 1 set is already on the MTB. this is what the hybrid's set looks like. just some traces of powder. bought these new & only use them a few rides per year. probably don't need 2 bikes w/ studded tires but I usually find several rides for each, each winter. more so, on the MTB
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When people started posting about this for the Schwalbe Marathon Winters, I checked mine. They've only been through one season and they look fine.
Conditions here right now are definitely requiring studs, but I was liking riding the 43 mm gravel tires (no studs) at low pressure before the serious ice came through. That was working pretty great.
A bunch of my winter riding pals compromise and ride studs only on the front. I was thinking about maybe getting myself a single 45North Gravdal (38 mm) for intermediate conditions. Maybe.....
Conditions here right now are definitely requiring studs, but I was liking riding the 43 mm gravel tires (no studs) at low pressure before the serious ice came through. That was working pretty great.
A bunch of my winter riding pals compromise and ride studs only on the front. I was thinking about maybe getting myself a single 45North Gravdal (38 mm) for intermediate conditions. Maybe.....
#32
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Another sign that the studs are wearing the tire is when the studs are getting "cock-eyed" in the tire. Here's an example:
This Marathon Winter has seen two winters on salted Chicago streets. Missing, corroded and cock-eyed studs are signs that the inside of the tire should be inspected. This tire was on the rear wheel, which carries more weight and (of course!) has to transmit the rider's enormous power. LoL!
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I believe the wear is due to abrasive corrosion products (rust) formed from the steel "hats" that hold the carbide studs in the tire. Corrosion is accelerated by salt used to melt snow, so if your riding is more on un-salted trails than streets, your tires may last a much longer time.
Another sign that the studs are wearing the tire is when the studs are getting "cock-eyed" in the tire. Here's an example:
This Marathon Winter has seen two winters on salted Chicago streets. Missing, corroded and cock-eyed studs are signs that the inside of the tire should be inspected. This tire was on the rear wheel, which carries more weight and (of course!) has to transmit the rider's enormous power. LoL!
Another sign that the studs are wearing the tire is when the studs are getting "cock-eyed" in the tire. Here's an example:
This Marathon Winter has seen two winters on salted Chicago streets. Missing, corroded and cock-eyed studs are signs that the inside of the tire should be inspected. This tire was on the rear wheel, which carries more weight and (of course!) has to transmit the rider's enormous power. LoL!
I've been riding studded tires of different sorts for more than a decade (more Nokians than Schwalbes) and studs punching or wearing through the tread has never been a problem.
Something to keep an eye on, that's all.
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#34
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I have a set of Nokians ("Extreme 294") that I've had for about 10 years, and there's no sign of stud loss, corrosion or damage. Of course, I only ride on trails and frozen lakes with these tires and, to be fair, I have not used them every year.
#35
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I would not buy those Schwalbe Winters again. Even though I rode with Tuffys, the pan head of the stud still caused chaffe flats. After the 3rd inconvenient flat, I pliered out all the studs and rode them for the rest of the season (thankfully only 1.5 months or so). After that, the tires went into the trash... fast. I wrote a lengthy post on these tires someplace on BF.
The lugs on the Schwalbe Winter tires just aren't deep enough, and the studs re-orient themselves in their seats, to keep them from wearing through the tire casing. This is a fundamental design flaw in my opinion. I now ride Nokian and Continental studs with no stud chaffing whatsoever and without liners.
Compare the lug thickness on the Ice Spiker to the Marathon types. I doubt Ice Spiker users are experiencing chaffe flats.
The lugs on the Schwalbe Winter tires just aren't deep enough, and the studs re-orient themselves in their seats, to keep them from wearing through the tire casing. This is a fundamental design flaw in my opinion. I now ride Nokian and Continental studs with no stud chaffing whatsoever and without liners.
Compare the lug thickness on the Ice Spiker to the Marathon types. I doubt Ice Spiker users are experiencing chaffe flats.
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The lugs on the Schwalbe Winter tires just aren't deep enough, and the studs re-orient themselves in their seats, to keep them from wearing through the tire casing. This is a fundamental design flaw in my opinion. I now ride Nokian and Continental studs with no stud chaffing whatsoever and without liners.
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Mine still look fine and its pretty much all salted road riding. I hose off at work usually but dont really clean anything. From my past experience it seems like the studs are fine until you hang them up then they rust.
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I ride Marathon Winters in 16" and 20" size for several winters now, this because Schwalbe is the only winter tire manufacturer in these sizes. I have not had a problem with the studs, maybe because of the tighter tire curvature that makes the studs sit better or because I have not used the tires enough, using the studded tires only when I absolutely have to.
#42
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I ride Marathon Winters in 16" and 20" size for several winters now, this because Schwalbe is the only winter tire manufacturer in these sizes. I have not had a problem with the studs, maybe because of the tighter tire curvature that makes the studs sit better or because I have not used the tires enough, using the studded tires only when I absolutely have to.
I don’t know what happened to those studs in those photos, but I’ve been using studs for a long time and I’ve never seen anything like that.