Making Ice tyres – what donor tyre?

What are the best tyres to use as donors for home made ice tyres?

Whatever you’ve got kicking around in the shed?
I’m about to convert some Panaracer Cinders. I figure the big square knobs will be good for screwing through. And they’re pretty good in gloopy conditions. And more importantly, I have some.

Don’t make the mistake of using old baldy ones though – OK on ice (with your DIY studs, obviously), but rubbish in snow.

Use something knobbly.

I used about 200 No8 12mm screws driven through from inside, with the outside ends chopped off using snips. 3 layers of gaffa tape inside the tyre, and you’re good to go.

Oh, two more notes;

a) After spinning the cranks, don’t try stopping the rear wheel by grabbing the tyre. Ouch.

b) Take care about how far you get back of the saddle on descents. You’ll have several new orifaces otherwise. Ouch. Ouch.

Lol

expected to be 9 degrees next saturday

Bonty acx or trailrakers look a good choice

I used some old(ish) Bonty ACX (because I had some) – great grip on ice (from spikes), ok in snow (knobs). Slidey fun when there’s enough snow to keep the spikes from gripping but not enough for the knobs to dig in to.

Only built them over the weekend, but holding up so far. More details in Flickr DIY Ice Tyres[/url]

Andy

I’m using a pair of Tioga Factory XCs, after noticing that they’re absolutely appalling at everything apart from snow. Also they were in the garage already and I’d never use them again otherwise so.

i used trailrakers 🙂

use soemthing with strong sidewalls so you can run at low pressures too.

I used conti vert pros! Not idea as it happens.

If I were making another pair I find a narrow tyre, with big tread blocks and a soft compound that would work well sub zero. Trailraker sounds like a good shout. But really the answer is to use what you have lying about.

Mine are lined with an old pair of lightweight conti slicks with the bead cut off, and are well tested – into their second winter.

I did one with a Bonty MudX last winter & it worked very well

anything you’ve got lying around with chunky knobs for the screws to bite into would work, as people mention more knobs are better for snow. i’ve got a panaracer fire xc with 150ish studs on the front and some geax creation with 80ish studs on the rear. the rear tyre doesn’t have loads of grip on snow so i’ve been running a chain on the it for snow rides – provides a lot of traction but its really draggy on the road/sounds like a tank!

Can’t get these to fit 🙁