Frost - will changing tyres make me less likely to end up on the deck (again)?

[Gingerbreadman]

On my ride this morning I turned a corner on a frosty path and ended up on the deck. I use 23c slicks (which have never punctured). As I see it, whatever route I take when riding in the winter, particularly early morning, this is always going to be a risk. Is there anything I can do to reduce the chances of me hitting the deck other than running the tyres at a low pressure (as I am doing) and being careful?

I am skeptical that tread or another tyre compound is really going to make a difference but I would like to know the experiences and views of others...

 

[fossyant]

No, unless you have a spare bike you can fit 'studded' tyres to. No chance on a road bike with 23mm.

I did use my MTB with Schwalbe Snow Studs on icy days - just didn't fancy the risk of coming off. The tyres are slow and draggy, but that's winter training for you.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Yes, to an extent. A good soft compound wide(ish) tyre will make the bike less likely to go down with no warning. It's more important to change your riding style. Slow down, don't lean so much, avoid drain covers etc. Much as I hate the lack of puncture resistance, the Conti 4000SII's in a 25mm width, are superb for giving grip, in slippery conditions. That's me speaking from a point of relative experience ( 23mm harder tyres = and. 25 mm grippy = less and no (thus far).

 

[Yellow Saddle]

No, a different compounds won't make a difference. All compounds are softer than ice and if there is no grip, there is no grip. The co-efficient of friction of ice and the different types of rubber usable on bike tyres does not vary enough to give grip.

 

[Globalti]

I reckon a set of Veloflex Open Corsas will work well in frost and snow. Like winter tyres for cars, they have a very soft grabby compound and a fine "file" textured tread. They are amazingly grippy on wet tarmac so I reckon they stand a good chance of being good in icy conditions. They are also superbly comfortable.

£52 a pair from Ribble: http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/ro...ck-deals-veloflex-corsa-twinpack2/velxtyrf351

I will never use another tyre again after having these.

Edit: And no, nothing will save you on ice except proper studded tyres.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

No, unless you have a spare bike you can fit 'studded' tyres to. No chance on a road bike with 23mm.

I did use my MTB with Schwalbe Snow Studs on icy days - just didn't fancy the risk of coming off. The tyres are slow and draggy, but that's winter training for you.

I've never ridden with studded tyres - my climate never demanded it - but now that I live with ice, I am curious. What is it like to ride with studs on asphalt when the ice has melted? What does it sound like?

 

[fossyant]

I've never ridden with studded tyres - my climate never demanded it - but now that I live with ice, I am curious. What is it like to ride with studs on asphalt when the ice has melted? What does it sound like?

Sounds like Rice Crispies with the added roar of MTB tyres if you are running the MTB version. They work fantastically, great on icy tarmac, and I have been known to ride directly over and through frozen puddles, just because you can. At the end of the day, you can't defy physics, so if you go blasting into an icy corner at 20 mph then that's your fault.

 

[John the Monkey]

Some advice on studded tyres;
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

How effective are the studs?
To describe the stud's effectiveness, I'll use an analogy. Think about walking with rubber soled shoes on three surfaces; dry clean asphalt, glare ice, and glare ice that's been sprinkled with sand. On the dry asphalt you can run and make sharp turns without any concern about your shoes skidding. On the ice, you can only walk carefully, changing direction and speed slowly, lest you Fall Down Go Boom (that's FDGB for those of you, "in the know" so to speak). On ice that someone has nicely sprinkled some sand over, you can walk easily and perhaps even run. But if you do run you won't be making any sharp turns or trying to stop quickly, as you would on dry asphalt, since you know full well that those little grains of sand aren't glued onto the ice, and can roll if pushed hard enough.
Riding on ice with studded tires is like walking on ice that's been lightly covered with sand. It's pretty safe. You're not likely to fall unless you do something stupid. You're not going to have the same traction you would have on dry pavement. But you're going to have far more than you would with regular tires on ice. Keep in mind that there's ice down there and you'll be fine. Try to be a hero, and you'll probably pay a price.

Jobst Brandt on Riding on Ice: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/ice.html

For what my opinion is worth, I reckon it's a pretty good way to break an elbow, personally, so I leave the bike at home.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Some advice on studded tyres;
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp



Jobst Brandt on Riding on Ice: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/ice.html

For what my opinion is worth, I reckon it's a pretty good way to break an elbow, personally, so I leave the bike at home.

Yup, you can't get better reading on the topic than that. I still remember Jobst's Big Freeze article, also hyperlinked there. I like the story about supersonic cracks in the ice.

 

[fossyant]

With using a separate bike, I also had the best of both worlds. If I was in a rush, I'd take the shortest route on the MTB, which was a mix of road and tracks. If I had time, it would be tracks. I even could get into Manchester without little road use (although the bit I have to ride anyway is where my back was broken in November - so called quiet residential street).

Also with an MTB, they cope amazingly with anything that gets thrown at them. Attacking these frozen puddles, especially on tracks, then quite often you can break right through the ice for a 6inch drop to the base of a puddle - no problem on an MTB, but imagine doing that on a hybrid ?

 

[Racing roadkill]

I reckon a set of Veloflex Open Corsas will work well in frost and snow. Like winter tyres for cars, they have a very soft grabby compound and a fine "file" textured tread. They are amazingly grippy on wet tarmac so I reckon they stand a good chance of being good in icy conditions. They are also superbly comfortable.

£52 a pair from Ribble: http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/ro...ck-deals-veloflex-corsa-twinpack2/velxtyrf351

I will never use another tyre again after having these.

Edit: And no, nothing will save you on ice except proper studded tyres.

These are superb, right up until you hit ice ( as you quite rightly said ). There are a type of tyre called Nordic stud less, these are difficult to get hold of, but they work as well as studded tyres on ice, but don't destroy themselves, if you have ice / snowless bits of Tarmac.

 

[Tim Hall]

What the manufacturers of the various studded tyres fail to mention is the ENORMOUS GRIN that spreads across your face as you tackle a previously impassable snow packed road with impunity.

 

[fossyant]

These are superb, right up until you hit ice ( as you quite rightly said ). There are a type of tyre called Nordic stud less, these are difficult to get hold of, but they work as well as studded tyres on ice, but don't destroy themselves, if you have ice / snowless bits of Tarmac.

Studded tyres don't destroy themselves on tarmac. Been using mine for 5 winters and the tyre is more likely to wear out than the studs.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Studded tyres don't destroy themselves on tarmac. Been using mine for 5 winters and the tyre is more likely to wear out than the studs.

Depends on the tyres, and the speed you ride. I've shredded a pair of 700c 25 studded tyres in about a mile of ice less / snow less Tarmac.

 

[gavroche]

The safest way is to leave the bike at home and take the car. In bad weather, 4 wheels are always less risky than 2. ( It is also much warmer ).