to stud or not to stud

[guitarsark]

Is it worth dropping $150.00 on a set of studded tires? I do plan to ride all winter.

[hogboy]

absolutely !!!!!!



think of that day coming up when everything is frozen solid, ponds are hard, or there is a crust of snow that will hold up your weight.

the difference between riding, or standing around not riding right there
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Now think about my ride this evening. I rode up and down Acton on and off the sides of the road, and everywhere on the sides of the road was frozen slush and black ice spots. I didn't think anything of it and rode without worry. Now if I did not have studs

I never would have clocked 13 miles, and I would have been worried sick at every turn. I def would have lost the front end, and also would not have been able to climb some of the short hills in Acton Town forest

now you can certainly ride on ice w/o studs, but you can't go anywhere or steer much. in my 13 mile ride tonight, I was on glare ice for a total of maybe 4/10th mile. but spread out in 300 spots...what a headache it would have been to ride with no studs. headache, assache, bellyache from crashing I'll tell ya

headache from trying to feel my way across every curb I couldn't see, every dark corner, every downhill...even snowy roots


seriously, you can tool right along and forget ice exists if you run studs.

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it is also worth it to tape up or cover the vents on the front 2/3 of your helmet it makes a MONSTER difference in how much other crap you have to wear. ESPECIALLY when you are beat and had enough and are just trying to crawl back home on the bike, and you hit the wind. I taped up my vents back when it was 15 degrees in Bedford, and now I keep them covered. Oh boy what a diff. I use a wool head beanie under the helmet, and I do sweat. you gotta expect sweat...so covering the vents keeps it all warm. uncovered I'd freeze my ass every time we get any speed whatsoever from the wind. tape the vents, or use a pisspot urban assault helmet the PuNkZ use (like Couchtiger)

[SloMoJo]

Hi Karen,
HB is right on.
I just got my Nokia stud tires Friday, and what a difference!

Our lunchtime ride starts with a 50ft section of rock. A little snow made that jagged rock scary slippery, but I just roll right over it now with these tires. They really are great.

After getting over the intial pain of shelling out the clams, you will be so happy.

These snowy trails can drop and hurt you so quickly. You don't even see the rocks underneath. These tires let you enjoy the ride.

p.s. HB, the silk\wool sock advice has been great too. Thx
-SMJ

[SloMoJo]

Two cents more....
If you're going to make that kind of investment. Get the Nokia 296's.

I read enough reviews to believe they are the best.

You'll love em on your New Year's day ride. :)

[guitarsark]

thanks for all the responses. I will get the Nokian 296's and be stylin' for the winter

[hogboy]

Not only will you be stylin for winter, you will be stylin for the next 6 winters because these damn tires and studs just do not wear out. the few hundred miles of bare pavement they will see just do not wear the studs out. I have 4 years on my Nokians and the studs have barely any wear, and the knobs are new looking as a result. I think only locked up wheel action on tar will do any wear to these studs. they are carbide steel, which is tougher than rock is...that is why they last so long. in fact Nokian recommends riding 50k on tar before you hit ice so you can roughen them up a bit. watch your studs length and be amazed that year after year they just don't wear much at all.

Nokian does make a kevlar bead tire, the w300, with pointier studs, but the studs are more recessed in the knob. more rubber meets the ground. the tire is lighter but I compare the studs and knob to my 296's and I'd rather have the meatier stud in my 296. though the kevlar 300 is 50% lighter tire.


SMJ, thanks. you'll find wool and silk are freaking warm wet or dry. and they will be wet if you do any hard rides in snow. and they never stink up like artifical fabrics. naturally bacteriostatic (??)

with synthetics...you know you get them smelling like a dead animal after just 1 hard ride after a half-assed rinse...