Snow tires

I have used the Hakkapelliita W240 and used them a 26" commuter (since gifted to my nephew [the bike]).

They worked well on pavement in up to 3 inches of snow and handled black ice like a dream too.

Draw backs were slow rolling speed (stop pedaling and rapid slowdown - great workout though!) , a bit noisy (dogs would bark at me from inside their houses without being able to even see me), and moderate to poor dry pavement traction.

I'm now looking for a set for my 29er drop bar "monster commuter" and I'm considering:

45N Xerxes

45N Gravdal

Schwalbe Marathon Winter (I need size recommendation on this too)

something else?

My summer tire is the Schwalbe Big Apple 60-622 but winter commuting is more road oriented and width is less of a concern in fact I think narrow is better in cutting through snow. Anyone have any thoughts or recommendations?

BTW: I'd let the old pair of 26x1.5 go for 75$ if anyone's interested (still in great & shape no stud loss).

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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on November 26, 2015 at 1:01pm
The 120s. Do they still make the others?
You're welcome to take mine out for a spin sometime. The bike's nothing special.
Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on November 26, 2015 at 3:37pm

That's a very kind offer but I live in the far west suburbs.

I went to order the Xerxes a couple days ago and saw a rather negative review. It simply said that they are not too good stopping or starting in significant winter conditions but I think I can simply just not ride on days like that and use the Xerxes studs as a bit if insurance against black ice (as previously mentioned). I'm guessing the studs will always contact if the pressure is near to the lower limit ?

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on November 26, 2015 at 8:27am

anything is going to be a compromise

yes, I'm afraid you are right and perhaps to much so for me to even enjoy commuting at all in this time of year. I'd love to just put some monster off road tires on an just hit the trails on the weekends but those are so expensive!

thanks for your input.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on November 27, 2015 at 6:18am

> ... perhaps to much so for me to even enjoy commuting at all in this time of year.

I'd just look elsewhere for commuting enjoyment through the winter. If you have a chunk of trail you can work into your commute (I'm on the Lakefront Trail for about 4.5 miles), you can take your mind off cars and just enjoy the winter beauty for awhile. Take a look at some of Gene Tenner's photos in the "I Rode Today..." thread for some stunning examples.

As for expense, you will amortize that cost over a number of seasons. I'm into my (I think) third season on the Xerxes. If I get five or more winters out of them, the cost/year is low enough in my mind that the initial cost doesn't really matter. I've not yet lost a stud, and the center section still has plenty of tread. I'm pretty sure reaching the five winter mark will be no problem.

Finally, I thought that someone had asked about noise from the studs on the Xerxes, but couldn't find that just now. Take a look at the 45NRTH page for those tires:

http://45nrth.com/products/tires/xerxes

The profile is fairly round, and the center section is devoid of studs. When rolling along on pavement, there is actually very little noise from the studs. They sound more like your normal knobby-ish tire. The studs only really come into play when you turn, or when the tire starts to slide out from under you. And when you're riding on a snow-covered trail as it's snowing, it's almost complete silence. :-)

Permalink Reply by Marc A. Irwin on November 26, 2015 at 5:13am

I use Nokian A10 on my city bike.  Despite their reputation for the least rolling resistance they are much slower than the Nokian W106 I use on my 29er.  I am much happier with the W106 but just wish they made them in 650b.

Marc

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on November 26, 2015 at 8:20am

what width W106 on your 29er? what kind of riding do you do with it in the winter? is it a rigid bike? sorry for all the questions...

Permalink Reply by marcia howell on November 27, 2015 at 7:42am
Studded nokians on the mountain bike, studded 45North Dillingers on the fat bike.
Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on November 29, 2015 at 7:15am

found this rundown and I am finally sold on the Xerxes. I find the technology intriguing and I think it will suit my application the best. I'm hoping that the low rolling weight will counter the increased resistance in overall effort and most days that I'll ride I'll merely be looking for insurance against minor ice hazards.

I did almost go for these 45-622 - 700c Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 because I thought the price was good and I liked the tread pattern but I think is most more suited towards weekend rides where increased time and effort just add to the experience.

I liked the Schwalbe Winter Marathon but the weight was so high even on the narrow widths. The trouble with higher rolling resistance is regaining (as well as maintaining) speed is especially great on a 29er/700c type tire. I think this is due to the added toughness of the tire (Marathon) but for me I think I'll be ok without it.

Someday I'll perhaps try the pure unadulterated winter mountain biking experience of something like an Ice Spiker Pro (but right now that's a pricey option for a twice a winter type thing [for me])

Thanks to all for the input.

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on December 5, 2015 at 4:08pm

Got the new Xerxes mounted and they are strikingly more narrow than my big apples. I pumped them up to 55 (mid range for these 35-75 tires) and took them for a short test ride on dry roads, temp 34F. They are much more plush than I expected and I think a bit more rolling resistance than the big apples but they also feel lighter (because the are half the weight). I only seemed to notice the studs lightly buzzing when I was turning. I will experiment with the pressure. I stopped on a local park's smooth asphalt trail and when I started up again my rear wheel spun/slipped (on dry pavement) I did not expect that. I had to restart and this time I did so less aggressively and it seemed OK. I stopped again in the street which is a rougher grade asphalt and had no trouble with and aggressive start.

One thing that I am a bit displeases with is the massive amount of the rubber "hair" that remains on these from the molding process. I knew it would come that way but I am confused as to why and I'm sure it will reduce traction efficiency until they wear off or I commit a period of a couple of hours to removing it manually.

Hopefully these will work fine for me as I just want some assurance from the studs to reduce potential for a spin out on unseen ice and I'm not looking to ride if conditions are severe.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on December 5, 2015 at 4:16pm
>... massive amount of the rubber "hair" ...

I don't think those are simply molding sprues. I think they are there to grab snow. Mine are still intact at the start of my third winter.
Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on January 15, 2016 at 3:21pm

First ride in the snow yesterday and the tires were fine.  42psi front 47psi rear. I only had some instability where the snow was really thick (drifted) and packed by foot traffic and it would give way and so the tire slides with the snow moving under it due to the thinner tire digging in. Where the snow was fluffy the tire cut right through to the pavement. There were some spots that the snow was stiff and thicker (3"-4") and it did just fine there too. I rode the uncleared bike path and in some cases there was just myself and a couple of fatbikes in the previous couple of days tracks. Most of the way was clear wet road and the somewhat knobby tires put some spray on my biking clothes. I really should have some fenders to go with these tires.

Permalink Reply by mweerd on December 11, 2015 at 5:58am

Wondering if snow tires are a good investment this winter - considering how little snow we're gettting/going to get.

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