Studded tires

[MikeMoneymaker]

Is it necessary? I'm to cheap to buy a pair, and to lazy to make one of my own. How many of you ride with or without studs?

[RichZilla]

Last year I found out the hard way, studded tires are definitely worth it if you ride any trails with ice. If you never (or rarely) come across ice when you're riding, you won't need them.

If you decide to get some, save 20 pounds and buy some.

[gopherhockey]

Bought studded have their place, but we have found that when riding hard packed snow/ice trail its better to have more stud than the typical bought. You can really roll with studded tires such as those shown in the wiki.

Last year we hardly brought our the studded tires though. The snow never really got packed down enough to require them. The year before I wouldn't have been caught dead without them. I hope we have another winter like that this year...

[Mario]

I like running one of them on my rear wheel. I think two are overkill and too heavy.

one in the front may work as well, haven't tried this option. any one else running only one in front??

[Tower]

Full Nokian... Mach 2. All winter and you'll never change. The more weight and heft the better.

Snow, ice, dirt, pavement/ concrete, frozen whatever, run them. The only place you'll be down is cornering pure ice or at the Chili Chili race.

Nokians are ready of tonights hot lap at the river.

Who will get the 9 mile creek point, that is the question?

[Crash]

I like running one of them on my rear wheel. I think two are overkill and too heavy.

one in the front may work as well, haven't tried this option. any one else running only one in front??

Run both. On ice there is no way I would go without the front one. You'll be down before you can say "stud me". One to hook up in the back is needed as well.

[bigwheel]

Get or make some studs, unless you like falling a lot.

If you can only afford one studded tire, put it on front.

[gopherhockey]

Run both. On ice there is no way I would go without the front one. You'll be down before you can say "stud me". One to hook up in the back is needed as well.

+1

Come ride Leb with us when its hard packed and icy on top - even with most store bought studded you'll be unable to keep up without slipping out, or sliding off obstacles.

I'm not saying you can't ride without or with store-bought studs and still have fun... you're just not going to be as safe or be able to keep up the speeds you can with the bigger studs (at least under the conditions we've had on that particular trail - its probably different elsewhere) Yea they are heavy, but that doesn't mean as much when we're riding those conditions.

[jag]

If you are not gonna ride with studs, try riding with very low air pressure on the snow.

[heartless]

I mainly use my Monocog for commuting to work and school in the winter, on everything from gravel to grass to train tracks, but mostly on concrete sidewalks or asphalt.

Most of the time, roads and sidewalks are kept clear by city crews, but the times when they aren't, or the time when you run into a patch of clear ice (like when puddles melt in the sun and then freeze in the afternoon), you'll want to have at least one tire with studs on the front wheel. The difference in traction and stability is amazing, and worth every penny of the $60 I invested in my stud tire.

I have just one Kenda Klondike XT on the front, and in the back I have the same tire I run all summer, with a bit less air pressure. That's all I've needed to get through the nasty North Dakota winters so far, but like I said, that's mostly commuting. I don't do a lot of trail riding in the winter, so I can't really say from experience what works and what doesn't for that.

On pavement, the studs make an annoying buzzing noise, and they don't roll as smoothly as rubbers due to the increased weight and friction. So there is a tradeoff with rolling efficiency, but it's not that bad, and it keeps you working i.e. warm.

I do know quite a few folks around here who manage to get by without studs over the winter, and they don't seem to miss them too much.

It's a matter of opinion, but I like the extra confidence that comes with having them.

[RedSquirrel]

Nokians are ready of tonights hot lap at the river.

Who will get the 9 mile creek point, that is the question?

Not sure I want to get to the creek first. But I'll watch before full point loss.

I have the Kenda Klondike XT front and rear all season, but wait, those are 26, and all I own is 29 now.....hmmmm. What to do. How do pugs work on ice and such?????????????/

[bigwheel]

I have the Kenda Klondike XT front and rear all season, but wait, those are 26, and all I own is 29 now.....hmmmm. What to do. How do pugs work on ice and such?????????????/

FYI: You can now get Nokian Extremes in 29er if you got enough cash.

Pug works better than a skinny MTB, but not nearly as well as studs. I studded a pair of Pug tires. Worked excellent on snow & ice mix, but not as good as bare rubber on deep snow or dirt.

I'm planning to try converting my tires to approx 1-inch studs, and see if they'll find ground below the deep snow.

[Poke-em]

I have the Kenda Klondike XT front and rear all season, but wait, those are 26, and all I own is 29 now.....hmmmm. What to do. How do pugs work on ice and such?????????????/

Does anyone know of a 29er studded tire on the market?? This is my first season seriously considering them.. .:embarass:

[GettingFaster]

Does anyone know of a 29er studded tire on the market?? This is my first season seriously considering them.. .:embarass:

These are new this year. They run at least $100 per tire, though.

http://www.gazzatyres.com/ext294.html

[kabbie_cache]

Got the studs on my bike tonight !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I used a couple old tires I had. Forgot to get glue so I duct taped real good. I hope it works for a couple days anyway.

[Eat_More_Dirt]

Does anyone know of a 29er studded tire on the market?? This is my first season seriously considering them.. .:embarass:

This is my first winter commuting on my Monocog 29er with a pair of Nokian Hakkas (700x45). I was on Nokian Mount & Grounds (26") the last couple winters and was pretty happy with them for commuting purposes; didn't get to do much off-road with them. The Hakkas definitely have a different feel, at least to me. If my memory serves correctly, the studs are set a little closer to the center. There seems to be a bit more drag on clear pavement and I need to learn how far I can lean on them in turns. Todays ride was the first real test: they cut through the snow well enough, no experience on ice yet. I think the M&Gs bit a little better when turning through deeper snow, though the M&G has a more open tread as well. The Hakkas suit my needs and I was able to get a pair of them for the cost of one Extreme. I suspect the Extreme would be the better choice for a trail tire, if that's what you're after.

PS - Yes, I know this is a mountain bike forum, but the mean frozen streets of the Cities are rugged enough for me this time of year.