It's a Vapour Disc, has 35s as standard and looked like it would just about squeeze mudguards in, so the 35 winters should be ok I think.
Winter tyres and ice?
- Thread starter sazzaa
- Start date
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It's a Vapour Disc, has 35s as standard and looked like it would just about squeeze mudguards in, so the 35 winters should be ok I think.
potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
Like fossy I've had the studded tyres on the CX bike waiting for the big freeze, only been used once so far this winter.
Edit- sazzaa for some reason Schwalbe's 35's are actually 37c so it might be a tight fit if you go for them, I had to adjust the guards a little but the frame clearance on the tricross is fine.
Edit- sazzaa for some reason Schwalbe's 35's are actually 37c so it might be a tight fit if you go for them, I had to adjust the guards a little but the frame clearance on the tricross is fine.
mrmacmusic
Veteran
- Location
- Tillicoultry
The 35C Marathon Winters are tight for clearance on my Boardman hybrid with guards too, but they saved my bacon on a number of occasions last year. Schwalbe do make the Winter in a 700x30c though – http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/spikes/winter/ – which I'm tempted to invest in for next winter, as by that time I will hopefully have got my N+1 disc-equipped drop-bar foul weather commuter sorted....
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
It's usually the tyre's height and width that are an issue with fitting. Depends upon your guard to tyre clearance !
mrmacmusic
Veteran
- Location
- Tillicoultry
The CX frame is probably different to my Boardman Hybrid, but I've got 45mm Longboards on and the 700x35C Marathon Winters are really tight for clearance...
My Genesis came with Conti Cyclocross Race 35s and I was a little worried the M Winters would not fit but they did, just a little better than the Conti's.
Origamist
Legendary Member
The 35C Marathon Winters are tight for clearance on my Boardman hybrid with guards too, but they saved my bacon on a number of occasions last year. Schwalbe do make the Winter in a 700x30c though – http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/spikes/winter/ – which I'm tempted to invest in for next winter, as by that time I will hopefully have got my N+1 disc-equipped drop-bar foul weather commuter sorted....
I run the Schwalbe Winter, which is nominally 30c (although I have not put them on my new Genesis yet as I'll have to remove the guards). If clearance is very tight running the tyres at a much lower psi reduces the longitudinal profile.
kevin_cambs_uk
Guru
- Location
- Near Cambridge
I have a pair of these. 240 spike option
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti SpikeClaw.shtml
When its going to be icy I swap them over and then leave them on until the weather changes back to normal.
They are the nuts and brilliant in snow. Hard work on tarmac but I have yet to come off.
I remember going home one evening and after about 500 yards thought there was a lot of shiny standing water... but it was all ice, I never noticed until I was in the middle of it and just kept going.
They are very good in snow too.
The only problem is every winter I keep meaning to get a spare set of wheels and have them ready but I am such a tight arse Yorkshire man I have never got round to that, but they are only on for about 2 weeks a year and are hung in the garage still looking like new.
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti SpikeClaw.shtml
When its going to be icy I swap them over and then leave them on until the weather changes back to normal.
They are the nuts and brilliant in snow. Hard work on tarmac but I have yet to come off.
I remember going home one evening and after about 500 yards thought there was a lot of shiny standing water... but it was all ice, I never noticed until I was in the middle of it and just kept going.
They are very good in snow too.
The only problem is every winter I keep meaning to get a spare set of wheels and have them ready but I am such a tight arse Yorkshire man I have never got round to that, but they are only on for about 2 weeks a year and are hung in the garage still looking like new.
uclown2002
Guru
- Location
- Harrogate
Very interesting thread!
I bought a CX bike to ride through the winter and swapped the sammy slicks for the Top Contact Winters. I do an extended commute doing a couple of laps of a 11.3 mile loop, which is normally well treated so hope to avoid buying any further tyres. Not used the new bike yet as been ok on 23mm road bike so far.
It's clear from this thread that Top Contacts are no good on ice so hopefully I can avoid it!!
I bought a CX bike to ride through the winter and swapped the sammy slicks for the Top Contact Winters. I do an extended commute doing a couple of laps of a 11.3 mile loop, which is normally well treated so hope to avoid buying any further tyres. Not used the new bike yet as been ok on 23mm road bike so far.
It's clear from this thread that Top Contacts are no good on ice so hopefully I can avoid it!!
I had a look on the way home and there is plenty of room for 40's - on the back you could get 45's or even 50's i reckon.
I'd say the Ice Spikers are better because the studs are tungsten carbide unlike the Conti's which are hardened steel.
Tungsten carbide is harder wearing than hardened steel, I know to drill hardened steel you use a tungsten carbide bit.
The 35C Marathon Winters are tight for clearance on my Boardman hybrid with guards too, but they saved my bacon on a number of occasions last year. Schwalbe do make the Winter in a 700x30c though – http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/spikes/winter/ – which I'm tempted to invest in for next winter, as by that time I will hopefully have got my N+1 disc-equipped drop-bar foul weather commuter sorted....
I just bought these, as a compromise, as there wasn't enough clearance for 35c or thicker (summer 35c tyres fit fine) ... would have preferred the Ice Spikers or Snow Studs, as they seem to be better for combinations of snow/ice/slush, but the available sizes that I found have the wrong wheelsize/thickness combinations for my bikes. I put them on my hybrid yesterday evening and took them out on the commute for bedding in
. 30km of careful cycling later (following the instructions), I can say they are are definitely quite noisy, I didn't really notice them being extra hard work on the uphill in the morning, but maybe I wasn't fully awake yet 
. On the downhill and a flat diversion this evening, there seemed to be substantial rolling resistance, compared with normal Schwalbe marathons. There was only a tiny bit of black ice near work (200m a.s.l.), so they haven't been tested properly yet, but I'd rather get them bedded in before using them in earnest anyway. Metal drain covers definitely feel more slippy, but I'm not exactly flying along on the dark commutes each way. So far so good 
. Will come back on here when there is some ice/snow testing to report...Thanks again for all the advice on other threads!
T
Downside of running studded tyres is that their sound on Tarmac is reminiscent of frying bacon & as such, makes me hungry during the commute. Rode past two accidents & resultant traffic queues this morning but had to stop at the bakery for a breakfast roll. Damn you, Marathon Winters! *shakes fist*
Just don't cycle when its icy and save a lot of grief if you can?
