Studded tires in the snow/ice



D

David L. Johnson

Guest
The last two days have seen the first real snowfall here in Eastern PA
since I moved close enough to the office to commute on my bike all the
time.

Anticipating this, I got some studded tires from Sheldon for my mountain
bike/commuter. Put them to the test yesterday and today.

I must say I am impressed. They don't plow very well here, and the roads
quickly get covered with an icy mess. Today, the melt from the midday
managed to freeze up to a nice layer of black ice by my evening commute.
I had no trouble, even on the hills.

Yesterday, after I got home, I had to go out in the car. I was slipping
more in it than on the bike.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | What is objectionable, and what is dangerous about extremists is
_`\(,_ | not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant.
(_)/ (_) | --Robert F. Kennedy
 
David L. Johnson wrote:

> [...] Anticipating this, I got some studded tires from Sheldon for my mountain
> bike/commuter. Put them to the test yesterday and today.
>
> I must say I am impressed. [...[
>
> Yesterday, after I got home, I had to go out in the car. I was slipping
> more in it than on the bike.


Aren't they nice, though! The problem with studded tires is [only] when
you have to put a foot down. I've moved away from serious ice problems,
or I'd think about spiked cycling shoes, too.

Mark Janeba
 
David L. Johnson wrote:
> The last two days have seen the first real snowfall here in Eastern

PA
> since I moved close enough to the office to commute on my bike all

the
> time.
>
> Anticipating this, I got some studded tires from Sheldon for my

mountain
> bike/commuter. Put them to the test yesterday and today.
>
> I must say I am impressed. They don't plow very well here, and the

roads
> quickly get covered with an icy mess. Today, the melt from the

midday
> managed to freeze up to a nice layer of black ice by my evening

commute.
> I had no trouble, even on the hills.
>
> Yesterday, after I got home, I had to go out in the car. I was

slipping
> more in it than on the bike.


Yeah, this gives me a retort to the people why say I'm "crazy for
riding a bike in this weather". I just say I have to, my bike has
studded tires, my car doesn't. Odd thing is that it's true. When the
weather is really snowy/icy, I always ride my bike to the start of the
club ride.

Last Saturday I didn't use my studded bike on a club ride. If I had
thought about it, I would have. There had been weeks of cold followed
by a couple of days of warm rain, followed by an overnight cold snap.
We came around a corner on a downhill section and encountered 40' of
ice-covered road (water came up from manhole, flowed across width of
road). 2 of us were off the front by a minute or 2, by some miracle we
stayed up, and were able to warn all the following riders. It could
have been nasty.
 
"David L. Johnson" wrote:

> The last two days have seen the first real snowfall here in Eastern PA
> since I moved close enough to the office to commute on my bike all the
> time.
>
> Anticipating this, I got some studded tires from Sheldon for my mountain
> bike/commuter. Put them to the test yesterday and today.


Here in Winnipeg, Canada I recently put studded "winter" 225//75R15 tires on
my son's recently inherited 2002 Dodge Dakota. I am impressed! They keep the
truck straight as compared to the 255/65R16 M+S tires the truck was originally
equipped with - those tires go back on the truck at the end of April - by
legislation of our province's government.

In the mean time, the truck stops well, corners well, and switches lanes well.
No fishtailing/sliding/weaving. Life is good with studded tires on snow and
ice!

Mind you, you have to be careful on BARE concrete because it can take longer
to stop as compared to stud-free winter tires. (Something to do with a lower
coefficient of friction between steel/tungsten and dry concrete as compared to
rubber and dry concrete).