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I share my experiences.
For those of us with no attention span/desire to watch a video, what was your conclusion?
I remember when I got these in 2010 I would ride trails and walkers clinging onto walls would say ”don’t go up there it’s pretty dangerous” 😂
My biggest issue with them is stopping, putting a foot down, and then sprawling over as it slides away at speed.
My biggest issue with them is stopping, putting a foot down, and then sprawling over as it slides away at speed.
Yep.
Also all the spikes going missing.
If I lived in Canada and had frozen lakes to ride across, I get some. Here in the UK by the time you have fitted them, the ice will have melted to mush.
Depends where trimix.
Strathpuffer can be solid ice.
Yep, Foot down fall over np lol
I have had the opportunity to use them exactly once in 10 years. That once was one of the smuggest rides I have ever had and the only reason I keep a 26er.
They are wonderfull.
Fitted studs to my wife's fat bike in Norway this January - everything at the level of the town, which included much of the race route, was sheet ice. They do work but you don't need 200 studs per tyre, you just have to figure out a reasonable pattern.
@Trimix - a lot of frozen lakes in the arctic aren't smooth ice but pretty rough so not absolutely necessary - I've not needed them in Finland for example.
Similar to zippy, except it was a winter.
Started riding to trig points on my own at night with them.
I remember bedding them in ready - like cycling with Velcro and my legs were in ribbons.
Now I just retreat to zwift instead.
Dahlinger? Really Dahling.
I would say they're a good long-term investment if you cycle all-year in places that get regular ice and snow. Even where I used to live in Hampshire/Surrey they'd get used 1-2x a year - funny watching cars slide and bump into things after you'd ridden by drivers obviously thinking; "if it's OK for bikes, must be OK to drive..."
First time I went to the arctic in winter I fitted studded tyres to my fat bike - useful in the town centre where most side roads were pretty well sheet ice, but not really needed out on the frozen lakes, rivers and snowmobile trails. Did hit the deck the next year where I encountered some frozen overflow in the last 10km of 320km - I was so knackered I just flopped onto the ice.
I bought some Snow studs in 2010 for my old MTB (around 100 studs) - they were invaluable for my commute to work. I still usually fit them in november as it allows me to go out without coming off on the un-gritted side roads before I hit the trails.
A couple of years ago I bought Ice Spiker Pro's for the FS - 400 studs. God they make a racket, but I've had some fun with them. Fresh snow is fine with any MTB tyre, but it's when it turns to ice.
Best option is having spare wheels or a bike with them. They last years though.
The snow studs are noisy, but my god, folk literally turn round to see what's making the noise with the ice spikers.
Not worth it for me in Edinburgh
Never lost a stud on the snow studs, and only lost two on the ice spikers. Bought a kit of 50 replacement spikes.
I've commuted on my cross bike for a few winters with semi-spiked schwalbes that just have spikes on shoulder lugs. Perfect on frosty mornings and definitely saved me from many offs. Not up to proper ice though.
Added benefit of saving a ton of weight each spring when the normal tyres go back on and feeling like a riding god for a couple of days.
they are essential for icy trails
Always wanted the need to have pair but living right down south it's not frosty for long enough. Rode a bit on ice on a fixed wheel and that was definitely the bike of choice although you still had to be careful.
I reckon for most of us, it's a lot like night riding. You might not always have a huge amount of choice of where and when you ride, and ice spikes like lights will sometimes mean you can get out and ride with more freedom.
I used to always have a set- there's more days than you'd think where it can make a big difference, even just in/around Edinburgh. It doesn't mean "can/can't go for a ride", it means "can go for a pretty normal ride rather than being careful in case there's death waiting around the next corner"
Especially with things like the fabled Glentress Glacier (which is when all the tyre pressure compresses a couple of inches of snow into a diamond-hard layer of mirror polished ice, which in the right conditions can outlas all the rest of the snow by weeks)
I mean, I'm only talking 2 or 3 gamechanging rides a year maybe on average, but that was enough for me. And tbh I just really like riding on ice, it's a strange and excellent feeling.
(I don't bother any more as the fatbike opens up more snow/ice options, not the same but another route to much the same place)
scotroutes
Full MemberMy biggest issue with them is stopping, putting a foot down, and then sprawling over as it slides away at speed.
Ah now, I've only done that 50 or 60 times, tops.
Bought a pair of 38mm Gravdals from that bike monger bloke a few years ago for £70, they're brilliant for confidence and staying upright in sub 2C conditions with their 240 studs per tyre while commuting on tarmac.
Never lost a stud on the snow studs, and only lost two on the ice spikers. Bought a kit of 50 replacement spikes.
Ah, fair. i'm talking about ice spikers.
And actually to be even fairer its not so much that the metal studs have come loose and disappeared as the whole chuffing rubber knobble rips off taking the spike with it.
I remember when I got these in 2010 I would ride trails and walkers clinging onto walls would say ”don’t go up there it’s pretty dangerous” 😂
Yep. 🤣
Got Ice Spiker Pros years ago for commuting on my Soul in snow and ice - saved me £25 a week over driving, only used 2-3 weeks a year but have paid for themselves in fun and laughs as well. Also got Snow Studs on the gravel bike, so I've been out for a couple of short local rides this week when everyone else has retreated to Zoom.
But it all turns to Bambi on Ice when you have to put a foot down....
You can fit the tyre studs to the sole of boots 😉
I have a set, well worth having up here in the Highlands. Occasional use only, but amazing when needed. I have a stud insert tool and spare studs, but don't lose many studs. Certainly never ripped a whole tread block off.
I have a set of Winter Marathons on my winter knock about bike that have done many miles and still perform. I actually leave these fitted all winter. You can buy studded tyres and make them last a long time, justifying the man maths for expense versus frequency of use.
With schwalbe you can replace the studs too.
joshvegas
Also all the spikes going missing....
They're not missing, I have them now. 🙂
Or at least those lost on the 'Puffer track.
After one got embedded in my dog's paw I started picking them up. I have well over a couple of thousand.
I was going to use them to stud my fatbike tyres for the 'Puffer and also do a set of sandals, but seeing as it's cancelled I can't be bothered.
If anyone local can be bothered, there's still a few thousand littering the track. They show up after rain.
I used them for riding on the local lakes when I was in Canada - fantastic, mega grip when you couldn't even put a foot down.
I've still got them on the bike now... so I might go try them in the South Downs frost
At the start of the beast from the east a few years ago I used an old front tyre and put short self tappers from the inside out through every other knob and then a layer of sticky neoprene to protect the tube just to make sure I could get to work. It worked amazingly well even just on the front and was great fun, sadly we don’t get that much ice this way to warrant using them again atm
Fitted a set to my wife’s bike for the first time yesterday and rode the roads up to local trails. She is converted. Means we can still get out in the next few weeks riding from home.
Think I've used them about three times since I bought them, but them Cambridge isn't exactly an artic wilderness. If the roads are icy I just commute on my normal bike with slicks and take it easy on the icy sections / corners - less faff than changing tyres - you can ride on sheet ice if you're really smooth, fairly nerve racking but there's never more than a few hundreds yards of it along the river on my commute.