Icy winter conditions are almost here…

[hozn]

The last couple years studded tires were completely unnecessary here. There was one morning last year when I wished I had put them on; that would have saved me 45 minutes probably. They do feel much slower, though probably 20% (slower) is a realistic expectation. They definitely feel slower on asphalt than in snow.

These will be useful if is both snowy and cold this year — e.g. if it sticks around for a week frozen to the trail. They don’t help in deep snow, of course, but do add confidence to riding over the hardpacked ice that forms after trampled trails melt and refreeze. I have a set of the 32mm Nokian tires (they actually say “Nokia” on them; I haven’t figured that one out). They were 40% off (from Peter White), since I bought them in the spring.

[Amalitza]

@JorgeGortex 64778 wrote:

Don’t shoot the messenger people

@JorgeGortex 64778 wrote:

Icy winter conditions are almost here…

Try delivering better messages.:p

[cyclingfool]

@acl 64809 wrote:

Try delivering better messages.:p

To some that is a better message. I’d probably rather get that message than “Oppressive summer heat right around the corner.”

Actually, though, in this area, I wish it were just constantly late October/early November. That’s my sweet spot.

[PotomacCyclist]

@acl 64809 wrote:

Try delivering better messages.:p

By my reckoning, icy winter conditions aren’t scheduled to arrive for at least 10 months. Or maybe that’s just what I’m hoping for.

[vvill]

@OneEighth 64774 wrote:

That’s what I do. Easy. Fast.

Same. I have a set for my beater/MTB.

I don’t know that studded tires have been completely unnecessary over the last couple winters. Last year I crashed once on regular 700c tires on black ice about 1 mile into a morning commute, picked myself up, and went back and got the studded tire bike. It only takes a small patch of ice to dump you on your ass.

I definitely lose a few mph on my 35lb MTB with studded tires. If conditions require studded tires I’m not going to be accelerating and cornering like crazy anyway. I have Nokians 240 front and 160 rear. Carbide studs, zero complaints.

[hozn]

@vvill 64824 wrote:

I don’t know that studded tires have been completely unnecessary over the last couple winters. Last year I crashed once on regular 700c tires on black ice about 1 mile into a morning commute, picked myself up, and went back and got the studded tire bike. It only takes a small patch of ice to dump you on your ass.

Yeah, that is true/fair. It would probably be truer to say I have just been lucky these past couple years. I also felt like I would lose less time walking over the w&od ice patches than using studded tires for the full commute. But that obviously assumes I know where they are.

[vvill]

@hozn 64825 wrote:

Yeah, that is true/fair. It would probably be truer to say I have just been lucky these past couple years. I also felt like I would lose less time walking over the w&od ice patches than using studded tires for the full commute. But that obviously assumes I know where they are.

I think I’d be just as scared walking over ice patches (esp in bike shoes)! But yeah there certainly hasn’t been a wholesale need for studded tires. I’d like to think I’d rather err on the side of caution though (when I can persuade myself to).

Just for reference for anyone considering studded tires, I paid $42 for a Nokian Mount & Ground W160 26 x 1.9 and $60 for a Nokian Hakkapelitta 26 x 1.95 W240 Studded Tire, a couple years ago. So they paid for themselves in less than 10 winter commutes (but more like 20 if you include the wheelset + tubes I bought too). I did go out on an icy Saturday morning on them too though, couldn’t resist!

[ShawnoftheDread]

I used my studded tires a few times last year, after falling hard in ice the day before I mounted them. Paid $40 on CL, so they basically paid for themselves if I would have been spooked onto metro in the iffy days.

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