DIY Ice Tyres

[Trumpettom001]

Is this at all feasable? - I have a pair of these tyres - that I don't really much care for anymore. Anyway, if I were to stick 100 or so thumb-tacks into them (100 per tyre) - points outwards, would it offer any form of ice grip? Does anyone else have any experience in this matter?

I really can't justify a new set of tyres that will only be used a few times, when I already have a couple sets kicking about.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Tacks wouldn't be big enough to grip - you need some screws. Some interesting DIY thoughts here.

 

[Ticktockmy]

Doubt if anything is much good on ice, as pretty hard stuff, the tyres as the are should be ok on fresh snow, but some form of DIY spike might be ok on compacted snow

 

[Tynan]

you really do need a lot of frozen to justify this sort of thing surely because anything good for ice will be minging on tarmac

 

[Trumpettom001]

That seems to be the general consensus Tynan! I didn't read all of the linked forum, but I know, and hate the feeling of a knobbly mtb tyre compared to the usual 23c road slicks....

Having said that - these would be going on my mtb, and I'd just not touch the roadie when it's wintery..... although hydraulic discs might be a bit lethal when it's slippery....

 

[longers]

I didn't read all of the linked forum,

It'd be worth it as it's by people who did it, rode them and know their onions and might answer any questions you hadn't thought of yet.

 

[rualexander]

Doubt if anything is much good on ice, as pretty hard stuff, the tyres as the are should be ok on fresh snow, but some form of DIY spike might be ok on compacted snow

Studded tyres work very well on ice, you can even ride across sheet ice easily, you still need to be reasonable careful but they are a real boon to keeping cycling through the winter.

Some interesting stuff on this site

 

[jimboalee]

Its been done.

When I ice skated, a friend put 1/4"countersunk wood screws though a 26 x 1 3/8 tyre ( from inside outwards ) . On the inside, he ran at least three layers of gaffer tape.

It worked and he rode round Solihull Ice rink after a Solihull Barons training session. ( He played Hockey for Solihull Barons ).