- Location
- Glasgow
This is a review for Schwalbe Ice Spiker (304 Spikes) bike tyres.
I bought them here back in November at a slightly higher price, Euros 37.95 each.
When I bought the Spikers, I did already own the Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tyres: while great on ice, I found those very unstable on slushy snow, also prone to loose their studs.
I had been using the Spikers at about 40 psi all winter, with no snow on my commute, only the occasional icy patches. Recommended pressure is: min 30 max 65 psi.
They had performed very well on ice, rain, uneven ground (massive potholes plus loose gravel), over drain covers, road markings, cornering, no sliding at all.
No studs lost either during use while there was no snow on the ground.
Rolling resistance: lots
It's a knobbly mountain bike style tyre after all!
Today I finally managed to try them in the environment the spikers were designed for: snow.
First, I let out a wee bit of air: guess to just over 30 psi.
I rode an untreated cycling path (beaten earth) and an untreated shared path (pavement) for about 15 miles. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the surfaces:
As you can see, I rode (on purpose) some downhill stretches, to see if braking was an option - the second picture is actually a quite steep descent that ends abruptly in a tight bent: was ready to jump off the bike there!
Well, the Spikers were excellent: it was like riding on the road, I could brake no problem, even downhill.
There was a point when the path joined an industrial estate, so there was snow piled up by heavy plant mixed with gravel, starting to ice up.
Still I had no problem, never lost contact with the road. I need to add that sleety snow was falling for the whole of my ride, I did not get any of the nice new compact snow.
Stopping and starting the bike was no problem, footwear was not up to the tyres though: I could feel my boots slipping when having to dismount to cross gates
Speeds: was mostly riding at just over 10 mph, max speed was 14 mph. You surely could go faster than this without losing grip, it's just me I'm a slow coach
During the 14 miles I rode on that cycling path I had only one iffy moment, when the back wheel did slide a bit under me. That was really my mistake, as I was too confident over a pavement bit with a raised drain cover. Nothing scary, really, just a slight slide I could have avoided paying more attention to the conditions of the surface I was on.
The ride was a bit bumpy at times, as of course I could not see obstacles like tree roots under the (about 3 inch) slush but on inspection at home I did not lose one stud.
Verdict: the Ice Spikers are money well spent if you need to get places by bike in all weather.
I would be confident to ride on them in more snow than the couple of inches we had today, also I would not hesitate to ride on them the next day if it has iced up.
Warning: they don't make you an invincible snow cyclist, you still need to be cautious!
Hope this review was useful to you!
Here is Gonzales, who is now resting dry and clean, chain on top of the radiator
I bought them here back in November at a slightly higher price, Euros 37.95 each.
When I bought the Spikers, I did already own the Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tyres: while great on ice, I found those very unstable on slushy snow, also prone to loose their studs.
I had been using the Spikers at about 40 psi all winter, with no snow on my commute, only the occasional icy patches. Recommended pressure is: min 30 max 65 psi.
They had performed very well on ice, rain, uneven ground (massive potholes plus loose gravel), over drain covers, road markings, cornering, no sliding at all.
No studs lost either during use while there was no snow on the ground.
Rolling resistance: lots
It's a knobbly mountain bike style tyre after all!Today I finally managed to try them in the environment the spikers were designed for: snow.
First, I let out a wee bit of air: guess to just over 30 psi.
I rode an untreated cycling path (beaten earth) and an untreated shared path (pavement) for about 15 miles. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the surfaces:
As you can see, I rode (on purpose) some downhill stretches, to see if braking was an option - the second picture is actually a quite steep descent that ends abruptly in a tight bent: was ready to jump off the bike there!
Well, the Spikers were excellent: it was like riding on the road, I could brake no problem, even downhill.
There was a point when the path joined an industrial estate, so there was snow piled up by heavy plant mixed with gravel, starting to ice up.
Still I had no problem, never lost contact with the road. I need to add that sleety snow was falling for the whole of my ride, I did not get any of the nice new compact snow.
Stopping and starting the bike was no problem, footwear was not up to the tyres though: I could feel my boots slipping when having to dismount to cross gates
Speeds: was mostly riding at just over 10 mph, max speed was 14 mph. You surely could go faster than this without losing grip, it's just me I'm a slow coach
During the 14 miles I rode on that cycling path I had only one iffy moment, when the back wheel did slide a bit under me. That was really my mistake, as I was too confident over a pavement bit with a raised drain cover. Nothing scary, really, just a slight slide I could have avoided paying more attention to the conditions of the surface I was on.
The ride was a bit bumpy at times, as of course I could not see obstacles like tree roots under the (about 3 inch) slush but on inspection at home I did not lose one stud.
Verdict: the Ice Spikers are money well spent if you need to get places by bike in all weather.
I would be confident to ride on them in more snow than the couple of inches we had today, also I would not hesitate to ride on them the next day if it has iced up.
Warning: they don't make you an invincible snow cyclist, you still need to be cautious!
Hope this review was useful to you!
Here is Gonzales, who is now resting dry and clean, chain on top of the radiator