threefingerjoe
Über Member
- Location
- St. Louis, MO, USA
I've been using the same pair of carbide-studded tyres for, I think, 9 years, now, and I'll tell you everything that I can about them, from my experience.
Yes, it is fine to ride them on dry tarmac, IF you have good ones, like Schwalbe or Nokian, which use CARBIDE studs. I'm told that some cheaper ones use a mild steel stud that wears quickly, but I've never seen any.
Slower? About the same as any knobbly.
I used to have only one bike, so I had these tyres mounted on an old pair of wheels so I could change them quickly if I came out in the morning and found that it had gotten icy overnight. Now, I have a "crappy weather bike" and once I put the studded tyres on, I usually leave them on for the rest of the winter, and only ride that bike when I think I need it.
Studded tyres work GREAT! Of course, you still have to ride sensibly, but when the alternatives are driving a car or falling....well, I'll take the studded tyres. I hate to drive a car, and wish I didn't need to own one!
There are different kinds of studded tyres. Some have only a couple rows of studs, as mine do, and are mainly intended for black ice, and areas with ploughed roads, but work great on thick, glaze ice, as well. Others, have 4 rows of studs, and are intended to climb out of deep ruts in snow. I've never used those kind, as our roads are maintained rather well.
DON'T try to get by with one studded tyre. You will have problems, regardless of which end of the bike it's on, and will be buying another one, SOON!
If you commute daily by cycle, and have any kind of ice in your area, studded tyres are definitely worth the money. (Also, it's actually kind of fun to be able to climb an icy hill with no slippage at all!)
Yes, it is fine to ride them on dry tarmac, IF you have good ones, like Schwalbe or Nokian, which use CARBIDE studs. I'm told that some cheaper ones use a mild steel stud that wears quickly, but I've never seen any.
Slower? About the same as any knobbly.
I used to have only one bike, so I had these tyres mounted on an old pair of wheels so I could change them quickly if I came out in the morning and found that it had gotten icy overnight. Now, I have a "crappy weather bike" and once I put the studded tyres on, I usually leave them on for the rest of the winter, and only ride that bike when I think I need it.
Studded tyres work GREAT! Of course, you still have to ride sensibly, but when the alternatives are driving a car or falling....well, I'll take the studded tyres. I hate to drive a car, and wish I didn't need to own one!
There are different kinds of studded tyres. Some have only a couple rows of studs, as mine do, and are mainly intended for black ice, and areas with ploughed roads, but work great on thick, glaze ice, as well. Others, have 4 rows of studs, and are intended to climb out of deep ruts in snow. I've never used those kind, as our roads are maintained rather well.
DON'T try to get by with one studded tyre. You will have problems, regardless of which end of the bike it's on, and will be buying another one, SOON!
If you commute daily by cycle, and have any kind of ice in your area, studded tyres are definitely worth the money. (Also, it's actually kind of fun to be able to climb an icy hill with no slippage at all!)
