The Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro is a tyre designed for very specific conditions, but for those who live in areas where ice is common, they will allow you to continue riding on trails where you may not be able to stand up. In other areas, they may be more of a novelty, but when the circumstances are right, they are unrivalled. These small metal spikes make them a pricey buy, probably more than most riders are willing to spend.
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Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro – Technical details & installation
The Ice Spiker Pro is a mountain bike tyre designed to keep you rolling even in the worst winter conditions. The 29″ versions have 402 tungsten carbide studs throughout the tyre, with one stud on each knob, to give traction on icy ground.
The tyre is available in a variety of sizes and casings, including 2.25″ (57-622) and 2.5″ (65-622) in diameters 27.5″ and 29″, and in the Double Defence casing. There is also a Raceguard casing, measuring 26 x 2.1″ (55-559). The 29 x 2.25″ variant we tested has a folding bead and weighs 1060g each.
Fitting was simple, which is fortunate because the spikes can get in the way, and I found it easiest to use an old towel or cloth for the final section. The tyres are tubeless-ready, but I chose to use inner tubes, and they needed to be inflated to a high pressure for the entire part of the bead to pop in place, but this could be related to the rim rather than the tyre.
Before using on snow and ice, it is recommended to bed in for 40 kilometres on general riding surfaces. This ensures a longer lifespan and maximum performance, keeping more studs in the tread for a longer period.
Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro – Performance
They offer excellent traction on icy trails, tracks, and roads. Often, you won’t realise how slippery the surface under you is until you try to stand up.
I was initially wary and did not entirely trust the grip that might be available, and I am sure others will be as well. Anyone who has slipped and fallen on ice with a regular tyre will understand how quickly things can go wrong and how powerless you feel. With time, I gained confidence, and after initially avoiding icy sections, as time on the tyres progressed, I found myself searching for more and more difficult sections to see how capable they were. On sheet ice, I could climb sections as usual, with only a slight bit of slip under high power, or out of the saddle with the rear wheel unweighted.
While they work well on fresh uncompacted snow, they have no advantage over a standard mountain bike tyre; as the name implies, they are intended to function on ice. In deeper, fresh snow, tyre width is more important than metal spikes or tread depth, and fat bikes are the greatest tool for the job. They perform well on compacted snow, particularly in spots where there has been some snow melt and re-freeze overnight, and they give confidence in conditions when you are unsure about the amount of ice beneath the surface.
The most difficult conditions I decided to ride on were snow-covered roads that had previously been used by 4×4 vehicles, and there was also some thaw/freeze, which left an uneven surface and multiple spots where traction was put to the test. On every occasion, the tyre worked well and maintained control, with a few drifts at times, but even on sections with no defined path, they always held on. They don’t retain snow in freezing temperatures, and the open design allows them to clear easily in slush or a mix of snow and mud.
Braking traction requires more caution as the tyres can lock up under strong braking, so you must modulate the power and brake effectively with both brakes, and this is true for straight-line braking, or through corners.
If you have to ride on any surfaced roads, they are noisy and sound like you’re riding through a crisp layer of fresh snow. The tyres have what Schwalbe refers to as a winter rubber compound, which is softer and works better in colder temperatures. The mix of soft tread and studs needs caution on non-icy roads. If you ride on surfaced roads frequently, the softer compound may wear faster than standard off-road bike tyres. With approximately 150-200km of use on a mix of surfaced lanes, as well as icy stretches of off-road trails and snow, I only lost a few studs, which had no effect on grip or feel, and all except one were on the front tyre. Schwalbe sells replacement studs in both aluminium and steel, and both come with a stud-driver tool for pushing them into the tyre tread.
Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro – Value & Verdict
Schwalbe is one of just a few companies that manufacture studded tyres for off-road bikes, with 45NRTH and Kenda being the main alternatives. 45NRTH offers the Wrathchild 2.6″ tyre and a variety of fat bike options, as well as the Kahva 2.25″, which is aimed primarily at commuters. Kenda sells the Klondike Wide in two widths: 2.1″ and 2.35″, as well as 27.5″ and 29″ wheel sizes.
The Ice Spiker faces little competition as a pure XC mountain bike studded tyre, and at £99, the price will be difficult for many to justify. If you live in an area prone to cold and icy weather, they will keep you moving through conditions and on surfaces that might otherwise keep you indoors. They may only appear a few times a year in locations with less frequent cold weather, but the enjoyment they bring when the conditions are perfect makes for some memorable riding.
There may be a novelty part for locations that do not experience regular sub-zero winter conditions, but for those who do wish to continue riding in all weathers, the stares you are going to get from onlookers riding up roads or paths where you can barely walk or drive, even with non-studded winter tyres, is great. You may have them stored for 364 days of the year, but when that day arrives, it can make it worthwhile.
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