I hope it snows, it snows and snows this winter ........

[Hawk]

Okey Dokey: so what can I do to avoid loosing more studs? Am I right to have let some air out?

The rest will be bedded in more nicely so you'll stop losing them in the next 30 miles.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

The rest will be bedded in more nicely so you'll stop losing them in the next 30 miles.

Thank you Hawk, a sensible answer from you, not like Potsy's!

 

[Norm]

Pump the tyres up to maximum pressure and stick to tarmac for the bedding in period, to minimise the movement in the rubber and the chance to ping out studs. And keep the pressures up whenever you are on tarmac, but drop them a bit when the ice appears. Once bedded in, they are considerably quieter and the studs should be more secure.

I have commuted on mine for the past couple of weeks and lost only 2 studs at the front and, as far as I could see, none at the back. They proved quite grippy on tarmac, I slowly built up confidence but there is still a significantly vague feeling to the initial steering input.

I took them off this evening, though, I'll be running on City Jets again for a bit.

 

[potsy]

You went off roading on you first ride? Did you not read the instructions on the tyre label?

Man, instructions?

 

[Matthew_T]

Is there anything such as a 23c studded tyre? I have seen 35's but they wont fit on my bike. So can you have 23's or 25's?

 

[potsy]

Is there anything such as a 23c studded tyre? I have seen 35's but they wont fit on my bike. So can you have 23's or 25's?

32's seem to be the smallest Matthew.

 

[Matthew_T]

32's seem to be the smallest Matthew.

So whats the alternative in snow and ice?
I have use Conti Cityrides for ages and they seem to cope in the wet and muddy. They are 28c I beleive.

 

[Norm]

You went off roading on you first ride? Did you not read the instructions on the tyre label?

Point of order, Pat, we ripped Potsy to pieces last year when he first confessed to his buffoonery, probably best to take it easy on him now.

Actually, what the heck am I thinking, let him have it, both barrels.

So whats the alternative in snow and ice?

Get another bike which can take wider tyres is about the best. As the tyres are £40 each, getting a second hand rigid MTB to stick them on isn't that that silly.

 

[Matthew_T]

Get another bike which can take wider tyres is about the best. As the tyres are £40 each, getting a second hand rigid MTB to stick them on isn't that that silly.

I already have a MTB but I doubt I would be able to do my commute in the same time as when on my racer. Using the MTB just isnt convenient.
TBH as I only commute two days a week, its just worth getting the bus for that odd day when it does rain. Doesnt cause any bother.

 

[Norm]

Well of course it won't be as fast as your road bike... but there are things more important than time.

 

[Matthew_T]

Well of course it won't be as fast as your road bike... but there are things more important than time.

True. If the snow is so thick that the bus isnt running or wouldnt get there on time (I can beat the bus on my commute by 15 mins normally) then I would probably take the MTB. I would just have to remember to fit the pannier rack the night before.

 

[Norm]

Unfortunately, and this might be a local thing to the south east, but one time that you can be sure local transport (buses & trains) won't be running is when there's snow around... which is one time that you want them there as a back stop.

Another issue, and again it might be different up there, is that we usually only have a couple of days snow but there can be many weeks, or months, of ice on bike paths. The tyres I chose are for ice.

 

[mcshroom]

I think Matthew is going to college so I'd bet they would shut for snow as well.

Ice is the longer term risk. It can be icy all the way through from late October to early March round here, and i like to know that I'm likely to arrive at work the same way up as I started.

With snow, at least until the cars compact it and make it slippery, you may as well use the mtb.

 

[Norm]

I think Matthew is going to college so I'd bet they would shut for snow as well.

Good point.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Pump the tyres up to maximum pressure and stick to tarmac for the bedding in period, to minimise the movement in the rubber and the chance to ping out studs. And keep the pressures up whenever you are on tarmac, but drop them a bit when the ice appears. Once bedded in, they are considerably quieter and the studs should be more secure.

I have commuted on mine for the past couple of weeks and lost only 2 studs at the front and, as far as I could see, none at the back. They proved quite grippy on tarmac, I slowly built up confidence but there is still a significantly vague feeling to the initial steering input.

I took them off this evening, though, I'll be running on City Jets again for a bit.

Thanks for that, Norm: I will follow your advice, need another 30 miles (3 commutes) for the bedding in milage, will be done by Thursday.
I found them a bit slippy at first, but by the time I got home last night I was fine on them.
A bit heavy on the legs, eh?