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Studded tyres - riding on icy roads

I've become weary of having to take up running the last few years when the ice inevitably comes... last year I fell off and ripped a jacket, the year before it was a broken thumb (on diesel, but hey - we'll lump it in here), the year before it was weeks of running and time off the bike due to thick ice (or so I remember).

So recently I found a cracking deal on some Schwalbe Snow Stud tyres and pushed the button - seemingly getting the last pair.  They're 120 studs per tyre, my clubmates ride 240 studs per tyre so I'm not sure if that's going to cause a problem on very icy roads.  I've got them to put on my rigid MTB/roughstuff thing (not really sure how to describe it to be honest), so it's not going to be fast, but it will keep me going if the ice comes, and stays. 

Anyone got experience of riding on studded tyres?  Any opinions on 120/240 studs?  I'm interested to see what experience other people have of them.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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14 comments

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MNgraveur | 9 years ago
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I run the Nokian W240's at about 50PSI, which seems a good compromise between comfort, speed and traction. This is chiefly on ice/snow, but there are always paved sections in between. Ride is fine on pavement, if a bit buzzy. I don't think I have lost a single stud on these in 3 years of use- highly recommend them if you can get them. They do reasonably well on up to a couple inches of looser snow, but more than that you want a fat bike or the most massive 29er tires you can fit.

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SamShaw | 9 years ago
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@Initialised - good info on the pressures. I'm not too bothered about going fast with these on, more interested in staying upright so low is the way to go.

@massspike - you're right, Schwalbe seem to have re-thought their tyre design as the Snow Studs are no longer on their website. Unless we get full-on snowfall/thaw/freeze, they should suffice for the majority of what we face in central Scotland during the winter.

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Initialised | 9 years ago
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Having tried various pressures (60, 45, 35 & 25 PSI) on Snow Studs I'd go low and suck up the extra effort for the benefit of traction on wet ice on frozen ground with a layer of slushy mud between the frozen ground and the ice. Too high a pressure and you'll go over as soon as you hit propper ice or packed snow, keep it low and it's twitchy but controllable, like riding road tyres through a shallow mud patch.

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massspike | 9 years ago
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Schwalbe seems to have had a change of heart with respect to stud positioning. They used to offer tires with studs on the outside (snow studs) and tires with inside and outside studs (for ice). I see that now that their offer is inside or both (e.g, the Marathons referred to above). Based on your images, you (like me) have the old setup (and probably why you got a great deal).

There was (is) a listserv dedicated to riding on ice/snow. It started out as a discussion place for hard core cycle commuters in Chicago (given their harsh winter weather) but expanded into trail riding, fat bikes, etc. Every now and again a debate would break out over outer studs (e.g. Schwalbes) vs inner studs (e.g. Nokian Hakkapeliittas) vs both. An accepted advantage of outer was you could run them on bare pavement if you pumped up the tires to the maximum. But you could only increase the traction so much (by lowering tire pressure) versus inner studs. I guess inner has won the day (although Nokian seems to offer all varieties).

If you are interested in more information, this guy was a regular contributor: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

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philtregear | 9 years ago
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i use these on 700c wheels. as per previous comments:
1. they are brilliant
2. they are difficult to get on so i put them on some old wheels
3. i had to mess about with a hacksaw and some zipties to get mudguard clearance

it is great cycling on snow / ice covered roads when there is hardly anyone else out and about.

i fell several times with normal tyres on black ice. now when the temperature drops i swop to the ice tyres and keep using them til the thaw.

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MNgraveur | 9 years ago
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i ride very ice gravel roads all winter on Nokian W240's. They're quite brilliant- you can ride solid ice fast, as fast as you would ride in the summer. and actually the traction on ice going up hills is arguably better than on loose dry gravel. having said that, your brain is your most important safety device, and it's never a bad idea to be cautious riding on ice.

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monty dog | 9 years ago
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I have a 700c pair for my CX bike and used them a few winters ago when we had a good coverage of snow which after a few thaws turned to sheet ice on unsalted roads. Couldn't quite keep up with my mates riding MTBs with Icespyker Pros, but you do get a feel about how much you can give them. In the process of building a fatbike with 45 Nrth Dillinger 5" tyres - praying for some snow this winter!

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Initialised | 9 years ago
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Just a quick word of warning, I fractured my arm at the shoulder in a patch of diesel while riding a bike with snow studs they are good at what they do but can't work miracles. Save them for the coldest and snowiest days, keep the pressure low, like 25 psi in 1.9s and don't lean the bike when cornering. I tend to use them to keep ungritted off-road paths open as an alternative to weaving through traffic that's ground to a halt in an inch of snow.

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SamShaw | 9 years ago
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Thanks for the replies.

massspike - I'd seen that Schwalbe recommend to lower the pressure on the tyres when riding on ice - I'll have a look and see what the best contact patch/BAR gives me. As you say, thick sheet ice isn't common, it's more for times when I'm unsure whether I can get from my house (down a small narrow ungritted road) to the main road.

cqexbesd - Good advice. I'm not planning on using them on days when I can ride my normal road bike, they're really just for emergencies when I'm dubious about how safe it is to ride.

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massspike replied to SamShaw | 9 years ago
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I was running mine at the minimum when I went down. Needless to say I am not as confident with them on icy pavement as I was for the first couple of years.

These are "German" tires so they are a pain to mount/dismount especially if they are cold. Ideally you would have spare wheels. I now have the luxury of extra bikes so I don't even bother -- they are a permanent feature.

Also I am assuming you have the wire bead version. I had an issue with one of the original MTB tires you might want to worry about if you are changing them frequently -- the bead broke and a few inches of it worked its way out from between the rim and tire. It made for an interesting ride back at -20C.

That said these are very popular tires in Ottawa (both the snow and ice versions). They have been the only studded tire carried by MEC for years now and generally get good reviews so you should enjoy them.

Not sure if Schwalbe recommends this but MEC does: To break in your tires and ensure the spikes are permanently affixed, run the tires for about 40km on asphalt, while avoiding any fast acceleration or heavy braking

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cqexbesd replied to massspike | 9 years ago
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massspike wrote:

Not sure if Schwalbe recommends this but MEC does: To break in your tires and ensure the spikes are permanently affixed, run the tires for about 40km on asphalt, while avoiding any fast acceleration or heavy braking

Yep, I got that advice with my Schwalbes as well.

Its -1 outside now and its not expected to get above 0 till next Thursday so I am off to dig my tyres out and make sure I am ready in case of precipitation.

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cqexbesd | 9 years ago
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I have Schwalbe Marathon Winters. I don't know how many studs they have but 120 sounds more likely than 240. I have used them now in both the southern UK and northern Germany. They are very very good and I would highly recommend them.

My first properly icy winter in the UK I came off about 4 times on ice. I never did myself a terrible injury though I was a bit bruised quite a lot. My main fear was being unable to avoid cars. I then bought the tyres and haven't come off on ice since.

It's not like you don't still have to be careful - particularly when changing speed or direction - but it goes from being terrifying to just a bit tricky.

Don't leave them on when the ice has gone though. It's easy to loose studs with hard breaking on ice free surfaces (though you can replace them) but also its just hard work compared to road tyres.

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cqexbesd replied to cqexbesd | 9 years ago
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cqexbesd wrote:

I have Schwalbe Marathon Winters. I don't know how many studs they have but 120 sounds more likely than 240.

Apparently its 240 (I still haven't counted - just read it in marketing material).

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massspike | 9 years ago
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I have the same tires (120 stud) on my winter road bike. I actually have sets of the 26" and 700 cm snow studs but don't bother with the MTB version any more since I ride that bike on snowmobile trails and they are too narrow.

They work well on snow covered and slippery roads but they are not guaranteed to keep you upright on glare ice. For example I was riding on a path that was literally a skating rink (we'd had a warm spell, rain and then very cold weather): I made it 10km without a problem (and enjoying myself) and then bang the bike went out from me with no warning. Having the studs on the outer tread will give you some grip if you start to slide which is the most likely scenario. The extra studs on the inner tread of the 240s will prevent the slide from starting (why they are branded as Ice tires).

I see you live in Scotland so I am not sure how often you would need to ride on hard/thick ice covered pavement. If you are riding every now and again on thinly covered roads, then the 120s should work fine.

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