BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Huh, interesting. They seem to be a bit less expensive than good studs. I wonder how well the rubber will hold up without snow on the ground--it's likely a softer compound. I'm going winter #3 on the Schwable studs.

Review here.

If its nasty enough that I woul consider studs I just ride my ss mountain bike with kenda small block 8s.

The small blocks won't save you from ice though.

I drive in the winter on studless ice tires and they really do work, the difference is pretty dramatic. They also wear quite quickly though. If I rode in the snow, I'd really consider these.

I have ridden though snow and ice on my RIBMOs on my commuters (I believe theyre both 28s) and also my mtb without falling over. I don't think i have ever encountered large enough areas of ice that it was an issue. I could use the mtb on small patches of ice,but if the roads and trails are so bad that there is ice, there is usually snow to ride through instead. Tires thicker than 23s and good bike handling skills (and confidence) get you through anything. Now I have felt myself slide around a bit, even on snow, but I have never gone down, especially on the mtb. I don't think studded tires are necessary. I thought about them last year, but I got around ok on what I have. Mr marv, have you thought of investing in a bad weather commuter? That way you don't beat up your regular bike with salt and crap from the winter and you could maybe put thick, mtb tires on it if you wish.

@ stefb I do want to get a winter only bike eventually. hopefully I single speed road bike with disc breaks, I just haven't found one like that yet.

I'm really considering the stud-less snow tires.

The only place I've ever had an issue with ice in nearly 20 years of riding in this city are the trails in frick after a winter rain to ice storm. People in this city are such babies about our quite mild winters.

I have a set of these tires in from Continental... clearly I've not used them on ice or snow yet, or even mounted them up. Time will tell.

@ cburch I agree we can be extremely wimpy in the winter in Pittsburgh.

@ BradQ you get all the cool stuff to try out, so jealous.

Over the years I've had a couple of harrowing glare ice experiences.

Worst was coming down a very slight hill to a stop sign at a busy road.

Brakes on - Nothing.

Both feet down and both brakes on - nothing.

Lie down on my side on the road - a little slowing, but nothing that indicated a stop in the near future.

Luckily there were no cars coming along the moment I slid out there into Negley at the corner of Elmer. (As I said, very slight slope.) If there were cars, their brakes probably wouldn't have worked all that well either - and I was really "taking the whole lane".

A couple of times I've put on my brakes and fallen to the pavement - scary fast. Good thing I was dressed like the pillsbury dough boy.

Glare ice generally happens in transitional weather, not the super cold days. Some caution is necessary.

On the other hand, I sure don't think riding in Pittsburgh weather makes anyone a bad ass.

Mick's downhill experience is the main reason I consider special tires. My commute often involves lots of hills, often I am nervous about loosing it on a hill.

The only credit of bad ass in the winter is when the temperature really drops. Riding in -15 is a challenge no matter who you are. It can be done I've done it but its not easy.

I fell on my ass a couple times last year. Coming up (and down) Overlook drive on my normal commute home. They didn't really salt it very well after normal commuting hours, and combined with the late hours I worked (and the accompanying drop in temp), there was plenty of ice. Much of it I didn't see very well, since it was also very dark.

I invested in a set of marathon winters last year. Slow, yes, but I didn't fall again the entire winter. Even biking home during the few days where we had freezing rain/glare ice I was able to get home just fine. One night my street (Lydia - in Greenfield) had a pileup of cars stacked at the bottom, thanks to the freezing rain. Cops had it shut down, but I asked to go up anyway and it was like riding up the hill on dry pavement. Amazing.

There's a spot on the Ohio River trail (near the garage a bit downriver of Peggy's Harbor) where water often forms a thin sheet of ice on the trail. I fell there twice last year on knobby tires, even aware of the problem and riding cautiously...not once on the studs.

Honestly, I find that the studded tires are not necessary during the vast majority of my winter riding; but they are _occasionally_ very nice to have.

Studded tires do work. I really like them, but I'm looking for something to use during winter when studs are not necessary.

I met mrs. Marv considers mr. Marv a stud.

@cburch- 20 years? Old.

It's true I do think mr marvelous is a stud.

And you never tire of him, either.