Just popped into the local diy store and brought a load of 6 x 5/8's screws. However have screwed a few in place and they're looking a tad on the thick side...Anyone else used 6 or should I be better going for 3.5's???
Bike Forum
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Studded snow tyres (home made)
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Posted 2 years ago #
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No punctures today. Painfully slow to make but confidence inspiring on compacted snow, ice and wet roots.
Loads of tiny studs off centre made tarmac roads no problem and lesson danger of real damage to flesh. I had one brown trouser moment as I realised I was whizzing 80 yet to be filed down screws very close to my face whilst adjusting SS alignment last night - Wally.
200 3.5x12Posted 2 years ago # -
Managed another two hours on mine today. Fine on everything except deep, loose, powder snow. The 'off-centre' studs make road-work not too noisy, but it does compromise the grip on ice a bit.
Posted 2 years ago # -
That might be it for this year, as it's raining outside and 2 degrees
Posted 2 years ago # -
JohnClimber - Member
That might be it for this year, as it's raining outside and 2 degreesjohn, winter does not end the second week in january......
most of the snow we get in the uk is in feb/march.
Posted 2 years ago # -
OOh, now where did I put those old tyres ?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Right, I'm going to spike some Conti Twisters for the Pompino. I'll cut the bead off some slick things lying in the tyre pile for a liner. Should be a laugh, and it might get an outing at Puffer.
Cheers, al.
Posted 2 years ago # -
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ton - Member
JohnClimber - Member
That might be it for this year, as it's raining outside and 2 degreesjohn, winter does not end the second week in january......
most of the snow we get in the uk is in feb/march.Ton,
John & I live in the Merseyside area. This was the worst they had seen in 30 years, it usually misses us.Posted 2 years ago # -
will try and post a piccie after I'm done mine - 2x conti vert pro with 200 12mm screws! Wife going out shopping so perfect opportunity!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Tried mine out on Sunday Night (puffer training) and worked a treat, No,6 1/2" wood screws on the outer knobs of an old conti vert,used an old inner tube glued to the inside as a liner.
Superb grip on ice, puffer should be intresting with these jolly jobbers
Posted 2 years ago # -
Made mine on Friday night, ready for Sat AM ride:
Pair of old 2.1 Panaracer Trailblasters, 200x15mm + 75x12mm screws, and way too much spare time
I lined them with about four layers of gaffer tape, but after about four hours of riding, one pinch-flatted. On inspection, almost every central screw-head had 'burst' through the tape and marked/pinched the tube to some extent. One obviously pinched it all the way through. Reckon some additional DPM, an old (extra) inner tube, or a strip of non-descript, tough, flexible plastic would make them perfect.They were alarmingly effective, and dealt especially well with compacted snow on steep tarmac climbs. Also good at picking up leaf-litter
Posted 2 years ago # -
Puffer's going to be deadly with all these James Bond knives-on-my-wheels set ups!
They make my Snow Studs look like children's toys...
Cheers, al.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Well, after a ride this morning where the farm roads are sheet ice, I found the limit of the Snow Studs - there's no centre studs and even with the pressure right down there wasn't much grip. So, I've put together some minimal DIY jobs anticipating the same at Puffer. Conti Gravity 2.3 tyres.
I marked the knobs with red marker pre-fitting, so they're easy to spot in the pictures below! I taped a screw to the drill and bore through from the outside-in onto a block of wood first, then from the inside-out through the holes. Clipped right down with Park wire cutters. Lined with Slime tyre liners.
I'll have a ride later but they seem good. I've no intention of going fast on these, so I'm not bothered about the lack of side-spikes. Only 22 per tyre, I'll probably double that if my test ride's encouraging.
Cheers, al.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Had a blast again on my jolly jobbers tonight, again outstanding grip on the ice, looking forward to the puffer with hopefully minimum falls and the smug smile that my ice tyres only cost me two boxes of No 6 1/2" screws
Posted 2 years ago # -
You know , I dont really come on here very often . But get this .
I also remembered a mag article from , I reckon 20 yrs ago , about ice riding on frozen lakes . It was Joe breeze . Anyway , i forget the details , but they had panhead sheetmetal screws through the studs, I do remember that much .
So ,after 20 yrs of praying daily for suitable conditions here in the frozen north , on saturday I also screwed some self tappers into an old set of tyres . To keep it real and true as I could to the article I dug out my flourescent legwarmers , and not only used a 20 yr old pair of tyres , but also a 2o odd yr old old bike . The screws were new . Sue me .
If you was to redirect your internet browser device to youtube, a popular video hosting site , and search for 'spikeybike1' , 2 , 3 ,4 5 ... etc . You could view the result of my endeavors .
I should point out that it took me in the region of 4 hrs to stud my tyres . And I'm a construction worker .
thankyou .Posted 2 years ago # -
it took about 2.5 hours to put a total of 96 screws into each of mine and cut them to the desired length with a dremmel.
Now I've doubled the number of screws they do grip rather well.
Posted 2 years ago # -
muddyfox courier
.........I should point out that it took me in the region of 4 hrs to stud my tyres . And I'm a construction worker .
that's where the problem lies
how many cups of tea did you have in that 4 hours!Posted 2 years ago # -
I was out tonite again just for a final fettle with the bike before the puffer and still amazed with the grip,
5hrs work, 2 old tyres, 2 old inner tubes as liners, 2 boxes of screws and gaffer tape.
Big smiles if this works for the puffer
Posted 2 years ago # -
OK , well , I'm booking 4 hrs to the job .
It didnt actually take[i] 4 hrs .
We'll call it a day .
Saturday's time and half. So that's 12 hrs then.
In fact I didnt actually stud the tyres at all , what I did was use a special contractors only grip snow compound on the treads .
it's only available to the trade . You've gotta be qualified an all that .
Yea .
And then there was the scaffolding .
It's all special order stuff .
Have you got yer PASMA ? CSCS ?
I can't let you on site.
Rules is rules .
I'm not making this up as I go along .
I'll see if I can squeeze you in around April , May .
This is not gonna be easy .
I can see a few problems .
I'll need a payment up front for the materials.
Did you use an RSJ up there,Mr fawlty ?
2X4 eh ? ....
Hmm ,( rubs chin) ,punctuation around those last two words. That'll cost yer .No ,
I drink coffeePosted 2 years ago # -
You may poke fun at my construction workers moral code.
However.
Reading a number of posts it seems one or two have been predrilling their knobs before screwing with less than perfect results.
Oh dear oh dear.
A construction worker ( such as myself ) ,would not bother with any knob pre-drill japes and would simply use a self drill screw and ram it sraight through using a professional quality , hi torque , battery drill from the likes of Hilti.
Or maybe De walt .
All the best deals are on Hilti at the minute though, it seems .
It' all Black and Decker inside the casing . I digress.His screws ( he would be male ), would not therefore push back into the tyre as the thread would bite strong into his knob ,and would find their own thread as he forced them manfully ,wilfully ,ramming them homo.
I am also ,as a construction worker of many years experience , deeply saddened at the total lack of double entendres in this thread.
I'm thinking words such
as 'stud ' , 'screw ' , 'screwing', 'knob', 'knobs','drilling ' ,and of course 'fisting ' could have been used to much comedic effect.
Yours etc etc
Arthur Wellesley ,Duke of Wellington Construction CoPosted 2 years ago # -
I've just finished one and half way through the second. 60 odd in each tyre. with a old inner tube halfed and a good inner tube placed inside it to stop pinch flats. It;s nearly done but I wouldn't do it again. I dont have the patience!!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Just me or do none of you lot actually enjoy getting sideways?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Wish I had opened this sooner.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Just me or do none of you lot actually enjoy getting sideways?
Welcome back GW, we've missed you.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I don't mind a bit of sideways action, but there's a difference between 'a bit' and not being able to make any progress on a ride.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I opted for the chains route as I run tubeless and couldn't be faffed with a major tyre change-over. Has worked fine so far...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Chains: Any good on ice? I reckon no good at all, but it would be good to be wrong on that.
al.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Just re read this and I am off to the garage......................
Posted 1 year ago # -
Funny you should say that...
Posted 1 year ago # -
I dont get alot of black ice here on the coast but do get ice as in puddles white in colour and frozen thaw thats ridged on the roads and i get by on the Surly pugsley fine with its 4" tyres...but thats cause the footprint is about 10" by 5" at 5 psi...
if you pedal smoothly it just cruises over...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/5223145029/in/set-72157625354108987/
if we got alot of ice esp black ice then full Nokian Spikes would be ordered up for the 29er...
Riders in Alaska get several winters out them so £50 each for them isnt too bad, problem is conditions change here so quick
Posted 1 year ago # -
I ride chains especially for especially for ice, a chain every other spoke bed on my 29er. The chains are in good nick after 100 miles on unsalted cycle paths.
Posted 1 year ago # -
muddyfox courier wrote:
"Reading a number of posts it seems one or two have been predrilling their knobs before screwing with less than perfect results.
Oh dear oh dear.
A construction worker ( such as myself ) ,would not bother with any knob pre-drill japes and would simply use a self drill screw and ram it sraight through using a professional quality , hi torque , battery drill from the likes of Hilti."The point of the pilot hole is that it means you're guaranteed to get the screw in the right place- you can drill from the outside through the knob, easy. Makes no difference to the end results other than getting all the screws in the right place.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I've done 2, one more succesful than the other. One with pop rivets- which has the plus side of not threatening the inner tube, and looking good, and not lacerating your hands, but has the downside of not being all that good. And the other just with the simple screws approach which works very well indeed. I went out of my way to find some horrible ice to ride over on my commute today
Very pleased. Took me at most 2 hours, cost me £2, plus sacrificing some old tyres.I might redo it with mud tyres though, just for better snow and snowmelt manners.
Posted 1 year ago # -
As this thread has been resurrected I thought I'd comment that the tyres I made last winter are getting more successful use still with no punctures.
I have an opinion to express though. I disagree with pre-drilling holes, because the drill will cut lots of threads in the tyre carcass. I put the screw through from the outside first, remove and then screw from the inside, using the (barely perceptible) hole left from the first stage as a guide. That way the tyre structure is less harmed, as the sharp point of the screw pushes through between threads. You also get the screw were you want it.Even if it takes ages, I think that is best.
N
Posted 1 year ago # -
put the screw through from the outside first, remove and then screw from the inside, using the (barely perceptible) hole left from the first stage as a guide.
That's what I did.
12mm screws, dremmeled to points down and lined it with an old inner tube. Had a cycle up and down the snow covered street loads of grip, its all ready for tomorrows am ride.
Posted 1 year ago #
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