Studded Tires?

[KleinCrazy]

Anyone have a suggestion on studded tires? I have a pattern for making my own but I might have clearance issues.

Thanks
James

[gopherhockey]

I just ordered some Extreme 296 tires (Nokian) from Bikeman.com for a pretty good price. Sounds like you are trying to build your own?

I have the tires but haven't used em' yet. I'm not sure it would be a good thing to run them anywhere that there is still bare ground... ? Can't be good for the studs I'd think. I can't wait to try these in a few inches of snow or some ice though...

[Don Youngdahl]

My Nokians work well, and the genuine tungsten carbide in the studs makes them pricey, but they're well worth it. As with X-C ski tips, there are products that the shop sales people say are tungsten carbide, but they aren't, and won't wear near as well as the real thing. There is a huge difference between high carbon steel and tungsten carbide.

I saw some bike tire stud hardness test results a few years ago on the web, and Nokians had by far the highest hardness index.

How do you tell the difference between tungsten carbide and high carbon steel? Tungsten Carbide has a flat, almost grainy looking finish, with no shine at all. If you can scratch or nick it with a file, it's not tungsten carbide.

Don Youngdahl

[Crash]

I have the Nokian 296 Extremes as well. I have used them for the past couple of years and they work great on ice! It is amazing - you can bike places that people have a hard time walking!

I would be concerned about putting a lot of miles on bare pavement with them - but I wouldn't be to concerned about hardpack.

They are a little heavy but well worth it.

[gopherhockey]

I tried them out today and was very pleased. Not a lot of ice, but there was enough hard pack snow to make things at least look slippery. The tires never let go. (they look pretty cool too)

[BrightYellow]

I have the Nokian 296 Extremes also. Excellent tire and you can't beat the price at Bikeman... something like $70 per tire. That's gotta be $40 cheaper per tire than you can buy them locally. I like supporting the local shops, but that's a huge mark up.

Anyway, if you ride in the winter, these tires make all the difference.

[MNbiker]

Originally posted by KleinCrazy
Anyone have a suggestion on studded tires? I have a pattern for making my own but I might have clearance issues.

James,

Get the Nokians! If the EXTREMES are too big to fit on your Klein frames (and they may be, especially if you want some snow clearance), you could always get some HAKKAPELIITTAS, which are considerably narrower/shorter.

Too see all the Nokian models, go here:
http://www.nokiantyres.com/bike/winter/index.html


-Steve

[Burke]

There's a new company out there called Innova that makes studded tires similar to the Nokians but at a lower price point. You might want to check them out. I have a hard time paying a ton for studded tires, as I usually only use them a few times a winter.

[legoshoe]

Is it the same Innova copany that makes discs for disc golf? If so, they aren't new, just expanding to tires I suppose with the economy.

[Burke]

I'm not sure if it's a brand new company, but the tire line is new to me...

[bobbkr]

James,
I made my own out of some inexpensive knobby tires and hardened sheet metal screws.
Prodedure:
1. Drill a hole from the outside where you want a stud. I put a row of studs on each side of center, every other knob. I use the studs not so much for traction, but more to prevent a spill. With not having studs down the center, you have less rolling resistance.
2. Install screws from the inside.
3. Put a glob of RTV on each screw head.
4. Install and inflate tires.
5. Grind down the ends of the screws to about 1/8".
Iv'e ridden these tires for the last couple of winters (only occasionally) and never had a flat.

[MNbiker]

Originally posted by bobbkr
James,
I made my own out of some inexpensive knobby tires and hardened sheet metal screws.
Prodedure:
1. Drill a hole from the outside where you want a stud. I put a row of studs on each side of center, every other knob. I use the studs not so much for traction, but more to prevent a spill. With not having studs down the center, you have less rolling resistance.
2. Install screws from the inside.
3. Put a glob of RTV on each screw head.
4. Install and inflate tires.
5. Grind down the ends of the screws to about 1/8".
Iv'e ridden these tires for the last couple of winters (only occasionally) and never had a flat.

Bob,

You have WAY too much time on your hands!:laugh: :laugh:

Me, I'll stick with my Nokians!:banana: