Using studded tyres

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Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Two falls on ice by others in my cycling group earlier today has persuaded me to buy some studded tyres.

My weapons of choice are a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Winters.

The question is what can I expect of them?

I grasp they need to be run in on asphalt, and they give more ice/snow grip at lower pressure.

But presumably I still won't be invincible on the blackest of black ice.

Do I need to adjust my riding style?

All thoughts on using studded tyres welcome.

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/...r-208-spikes-28-x-2,00-wired-67139/wg_id-5113
 
My DIY studded tyres run well on slick, wet ice.
M Winters have a poor reputation for riding through thick, slushy snow, compared to knobblier studded tyres.
 

Origamist

Legendary Member
Ice tyres will generally grip on "black ice", but I'd still approach twisty descents gingerly and scrub off speed as ice tyres do have limits. That said, I've never fallen on ice with ice tyres - but I have had to catch the front wheel when cornering.
 

potsy

Rambler
Location
My Armchair
I find mine rubbish on slushy snowy type conditions, but good for smooth but icy roads/paths.

If I were buying again I would give the Schwalbe Snow Studs a go, probably on the mtb.
 

Erudin

Veteran
Location
Cornwall
I find they work great on black ice, just run them at a low enough pressure so all the studs contact the ice.

As for riding style, avoid hard cornering, heavy braking or acceleration.
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
I find ice to be no problem at all. On loose snow I sometimes need to use a very low gear and spin the rear wheel to clear it as the tread won't really cope. This is on Schwalbe Winters though, which are the 30mm version with not much tread and half the spikes.
 
OP
OP
Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Thanks for the replies, all of which have been instructive in one way or another.

Seems the tyres will perform better on black ice than I was expecting, but will be no great shakes on slushy snow.

Cycling technique appears to be largely a matter of common sense.

@Supersuperleeds point about there being even less grip on drain covers is not something I would have considered.

But if a bloke with 20K miles done this year tells me to be extra careful on metalwork, you can rest assured I will be.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
I have got the Winters and the Ice Spikers both.
Having used them for the last 4 winters, I can confirm all the good advice above.
This morning there was sheet ice on most of my commute, got there no bother. Rear wheel slid a bit once, recovered immediately.
If the forecast hovers around zero degrees I have them near max pressure for an easier ride.
If really icy like today, I have them at around 55 PSI.
Top tip given to me on this forum: check for missing studs after a few rides - Schwalbe UK will send you a handful for free if you email them, or you can buy spares.
Refit on fully inflated tyre by pushing the stud in with the aid of a good dollop of washing up liquid and a pair of pliers.
 
OP
OP
Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I have got the Winters and the Ice Spikers both.
Having used them for the last 4 winters, I can confirm all the good advice above.
This morning there was sheet ice on most of my commute, got there no bother. Rear wheel slid a bit once, recovered immediately.
If the forecast hovers around zero degrees I have them near max pressure for an easier ride.
If really icy like today, I have them at around 55 PSI.
Top tip given to me on this forum: check for missing studs after a few rides - Schwalbe UK will send you a handful for free if you email them, or you can buy spares.
Refit on fully inflated tyre by pushing the stud in with the aid of a good dollop of washing up liquid and a pair of pliers.

Thanks Pat.

One of the reasons I went for 208 stud (calm down) version was I thought it wouldn't matter so much if I lose a few.

Handy to know they can be replaced and how to do it.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I've had no problem on black ice, though I'm probably riding more cautiously than normal but with far more confidence than if I try without studded tyres.

The main problem I've had with mine is clearance to the mudguard it just scraps slightly. I've not fitted them yet as the temps are so much above normal do far this year.

I've had mine 3 years and I've yet to loose a stud, but I probably use them less often than those further north.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
One of the reasons I went for 208 stud (calm down) version was I thought it wouldn't matter so much if I lose a few.
In theory if you do the embedding of the studs properly you should not lose any, in practice you will.
@fossyant never ever lost any, @potsy lost all his ... I'll let him tell you the story :whistle:
@Telemark is also a regular user, maybe she will have tips to add, and so is @Rickshaw Phil, he did 100+ miles on studs :notworthy:
 
OP
OP
Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
The bike has Marathon Supremes on at present which are semi-balloon tyres, so I'm hopeful mudguard clearance will be OK.

The tyres will be going on my Rose ebike, so a bit of extra resistance won't matter too much.

The more I read in the thread of riders' experiences, the more I think this could be sixty quid well spent.
 
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