Another Winter Tire Thread.......
Another Winter Tire Thread.......
Author
Discussion

Lord Pikey

Original Poster:

3,258 posts

244 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
ha ha, fooled ya.

This isnt G&G so i am assuming there isnt going to be a massive debate over some studded rubber for those long lonely winter evenings.

Anyway, as the first snowfall of winter is a few weeks overdue i have (after 3 winters out here) finally purcahsed some winter rubber for my bikes as they need 40km of bedding in before using on the slippery stuff.

I may now have to eat my words as i have been calling my mate a pussy for using them the last few years as i claimed riding on sheet ice was much more interesting on nearly bald rubber smile


Marathon Winters (for daily home>bus bike) and Ice Spikers for my Orange

Close-up of the Marathon Winters


I rode on the daily bike today, very strange and noisy on tarmac.. Hopefully ill get 40k under them before the snow comes and stays for 4 months. Ill post them fitted to the beasts later not using crappy phone camera


smack

9,773 posts

220 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
I planned on getting some 2 winters ago for the mountain bike, just about to order around xmas, but got sidetracked and didn't finish the checkout on the website. Next evening it snowed, and we didn't get courier deliveries for 2 weeks....

Are they easy to pick up in shops in Germany? The GF wants to go to the xmas markets this year, so thinking of going to Köln.

scrwright

3,164 posts

219 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
you'll need to add an "S" to your name. How do they ride on tar & how heavy are they?

Lord Pikey

Original Poster:

3,258 posts

244 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all


Smack --In the center of Munich they are rediculously expensive (80€ a tyre) and i have not found them in the out-of-town shops yet. But as with most things here i expect them to be full RRP. I got mine online (ebay and a german online bike shop) for around €40

scrwright -- They are about 900g each (mtb, not weighed the city ones) They seem to handle ok on tarmac but i am being really careful with them untill the spikes are bedded in. On clean tarmac it sounds as if you are riding on lots of small stones.



Edited by Lord on Tuesday 22 November 12:50

matt-ITR

892 posts

218 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
Great tyres. I use Snow Studs on the MTB, but they are not the best on sheet ice, so I am hoping to get some Ice Spiker pro's at some point soon.
The grip on icy surfaces is pretty amazing on studs and they are fine on tarmac too, just a bit noisy thats all.

Mr Gear

9,416 posts

219 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/StartPageProdu...

This place sells them in the UK ^

I can't find them on the website, but they have some in stock in the Kingston Upon Thames store. About £10 a tyre! Bargain!

matt-ITR

892 posts

218 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
Wiggle also sell the full range of Schwalbe spiked tyres.

Edited by matt-ITR on Tuesday 22 November 15:00

smack

9,773 posts

220 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
Mr Gear said:
I can't find them on the website, but they have some in stock in the Kingston Upon Thames store. About £10 a tyre! Bargain!
Which tyre do they have stock of?

Mr Gear

9,416 posts

219 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
smack said:
Mr Gear said:
I can't find them on the website, but they have some in stock in the Kingston Upon Thames store. About £10 a tyre! Bargain!
Which tyre do they have stock of?
Unbranded tyres that look almost identical to the Schwalbe Marathon Winters above. A clear rubber strip down the middle with spikes either side. Description says that you run a low pressure on ice to put the spikes down, and high pressure on tarmac.

It's a Swedish company, similar to Argos, so it's no surprise they stock them.

Pablo16v

2,906 posts

226 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
These guys might have them too, and if not re-stocking is usually pretty quick http://www.nextdaytyres.com/

smack

9,773 posts

220 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
Pablo16v said:
These guys might have them too, and if not re-stocking is usually pretty quick http://www.nextdaytyres.com/
I found a few sellers online with them (much more than 2 years ago!), and the above site does them for delivered as good as I have found (42 quid delivered)

BOR

5,144 posts

284 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
I've used the Ice Spiker Pros pictured above, for a couple of winters now.

They are heavier,slower and noisy on tarmac. Grip on ice is excellent. Grip on snow is also v.good, as they appear to use a rubber compound suitable for low temps like car winter tyres.

I generally only use them when there is snow or ice on the ground, and switch to another set of wheels/tyres when the tarmac is dry.

The metal studs eventually get ripped out of the tyre with use, so their lifespan is somewhat limited, but once you try them, you never go back to normal tyres on ice.

Beyond Rational

3,544 posts

244 months

Tuesday 22nd November 2011
quotequote all
Based on how the real winter tyre thread goes, I either have 2 wheel drive/live in central London/have 42a Supertackies 'summer tyres'/have super road master skills and therefore the entire notion of a tyre designed for winter seems universally worthless.

smack

9,773 posts

220 months

Wednesday 23rd November 2011
quotequote all
I found this page some time ago, and covers it all about ice tires really.

My worry is the lane I live on ices up over winter, and never sees the light of a gritter. Fine once I get onto the trails, or before the snow gets compacted to ice (which is when I stop taking the bike out), but I really don't want to hit the deck on the tarmac the last few hundred metres from home.
And I just left hospital with a plate in my collarbone...

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp


poo at Paul's

14,607 posts

204 months

Thursday 24th November 2011
quotequote all
Guessing the OP is abroad, but serious question, are these legal to use in UK? Studded car tyres are not I dont think.
Presume there is no legal e marking of bike tyres like their is for car tyres, but still, if plod saw you running about on studded tyres, coould they do anything about it?

Lord Pikey

Original Poster:

3,258 posts

244 months

Monday 28th November 2011
quotequote all
Just an update showing them fitted and being run in for a couple of weeks before the snow hits.







click to enlarge

In answer to thier legal use in the UK. I have no idea but they are sold in UK shops and on Schwarbles UK site so i assume they are ok. I cant see them doing any damage to tarmac given the relativly low weight on them compared to a car

Gizmo!

18,150 posts

238 months

Monday 28th November 2011
quotequote all
But the bike is RWD and has no traction control! hehe

Watchman

6,391 posts

274 months

Monday 28th November 2011
quotequote all
There are few legalities around using a bike in the UK - mostly to do with not riding on pavements (which is being overturned slowly as many give way to cycle paths), not riding on motorways and some higher speed highways, and using lights at night. I'm not even sure what law would get you for RLJ - not sure whether it's the jaywalking one, or one specific to the use of the roads.

Point is, cycling is largely unregulated (and long may it continue). If you wanted to ride around on the rims without tyres, there's nothing to stop you. Those tyres wouldn't even raise an eyebrow.

jshell

12,056 posts

234 months

Monday 28th November 2011
quotequote all
Just bought these for the winter commute:



Nokian Extreme 58A compound, 294 carbide studs, great workout dragging them around...

smack

9,773 posts

220 months

Monday 28th November 2011
quotequote all
jshell said:
Just bought these for the winter commute:



Nokian Extreme 58A compound, 294 carbide studs, great workout dragging them around...
How much did those set you back (and where from) if I don't mind me asking?