Tougher Tyres, Perhaps Ice Tyres

[Naemeth]

Hi all, I'm looking into getting myself a new set of tyres, as my current ones don't really provide all that much grip (standard slick tyres I believe), here are the specs of my bike:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/saracen/urban-esc-2013-hybrid-bike-ec043454#features

Fast City 700×35c tyres (both front and rear).

What should I be looking for? It'd be nice to be able to be out cycling whatever the weather, including the middle of a winters night (I'm also an amateur astronomer, and the bike provides a good way to transport all the gear ).

 

[fossyant]

Problem with studded tyres is they are hard work. You can get them for your hybrid, but you are looking at around £40 per tyre.

I'm fortunate my studded tyres go on my MTB in the winter, and they are an off road studded tyre, so doesn't compromise the bike handling when off road in mud and stuff.

 

[andrew_s]

The choices are
a) A normal tyre that is on record as having good grip (I use 28mm GP 4 Seasons on the bike that won't take a fat tyre). It's surprising what you can ride on if you are careful, but if you fail to pay close attention and there's ice you'll be off. "Careful" takes maybe 25% longer than normal, slowing down to walking pace on dodgy bits, or even getting off the bike.
b) Conti Top Contact Winter. This is in a special low temperature rubber (-25 to + 7), the same as winter tyres for cars. It grips reasonably well, but not as well as studs on ice (I span out at 8-10% going straight uphill), and rides like any other fairly good tyre of the same size. Expensive.
c) Studded tyres. The studs bite well in ice and will allow good progress. You still have to be careful not to be too dynamic as if the wheel starts sliding and there's only one or two studs in contact with the ice, the studs will just score the ice and keep moving. Reducing the tyre pressure puts more studs on the ice, especially if it's a tyre with only 2 rows (eg Schwalbe Winter-not-marathon). Schwalbe and Nokian use carbide studs that stand up well to riding on dry tarmac, Conti use hardened steel studs that don't (reportedly). Studded tyres are noisy (like riding on rice crispies), and fairly slow. The noise stops if you get onto ice, which is a handy warning.

If you've got snow rather than ice, you really need tyres with big open nobbles, There are tyres with nobbles and studs, but they are slow, expensive and too fat for most hybrids. However they do the best job of gripping on everything.
Snow is less of a problem than ice. You may be very slow and have your feet down a lot, but it's fairly unlikely that you'll come off unexpectedly

Winter tyres are often cheaper in Germany (eg Rose, Starbike, Bike24, Bike-discount), but check the postage.

 

[captainhastings]

I bought a pair of Schwalbe Winter Stud Road Bike from chainreaction for 24 quid each

they had there first trip to work today 8 mile each way. Mixture of dual carrageway verge and cycle path plus few minor roads. I was expecting a right old slog but to be honest they rolled along quite nice at 70 psi and I can let them down to when things get bad

 

[Naemeth]

Thanks all, will have a think about it, but may get a set of studded tyres for when I'm in the middle of nowhere and it's icy.

 

[fossyant]

Right, the Winter stud is not the old Snow stud seeing that tread pattern. The web site shows the snow stud.

Looks fine though !

 

[fossyant]

Ah that reminds me. Will check out conti as the reason I bought Schwalbe was because of the Tungsten carbide studs which don't wear at all ( on my 4th winter now). Conti weren't tungsten.

 

[Naemeth]

[QUOTE 2796512, member: 259"]You will be better off riding them in first on decent tarmac (for a few hours riding of 100 or so miles).

This makes sure the metal studs med in, which is especially important for the cheaper tyres like the Schwalbe ones.[/quote]

Thanks for the tip , it would take me quite a while to do 100 miles, but I can try

 

[fossyant]

Not lost a single stud on my Schwalbe Snow studs. Most likely due to the studs sat in more rubber on an MTB