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Yep I know, another what tyre thread. Last year I had a couple of months of snow and ice here and although I could still ride, I met some blokes with "proper" winter tyres on their bikes and it seems like the way forward.
Any recommendations?
Only had one ride on my ice spikers. I was riding sheet ice like a big Jessie with no incidents. It was only when I saw dogs skating and putting my foot down that I realised how slippy it really was.
More rides will no doubt increase confidence.
Don't waste your money on the ones with spikes only on the outside- they drift like a bad 'un and by the time the spikes grip the slide is too fast and you may as well have normal tyres and keep your wits about you. One on the back with a full spiker front as a minimum I reckon, but you'll still have very limited drive up icy slopes.
Ice spikers are good.
You need spikey tyres for grip in snow and steel/carbide studs for ice without exception.
Schwalbe do excellent snow/ice tyres at a price.
I have one and 3 home-made studded tyres.
Nokian do studded Hakkapellita (sp?) on the continent.
Friends use these in the Pyrenees for winter triathlons.
Continental also do studded models, but I have no opinion.
Also consider doing the screw-shoes thing to ensure you can walk about.
PaulD
i have a set of shwalbe spiked ice tyres for sale. ill stick them in classifides in a bit. brand new. i *think* they are marathons. but i'll check
EDIT: yes shwalbe spiked marathons.
For ice and snow, I'd say the Schwalbe Ice Spikers are spot on - did the job for me last winter:
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For deep snow I've just used mud tyres in the past, gets interesting on ice but then any normal tyre would.
Another thumbs-up for the Ice Spikers. Standard ones are pretty cheap at Bike Discount at the moment: [url= http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a709/ice-spiker-304-spikes-21-draht.html?lg=en&country=226&cr=GBP# ]link[/url]
You need 2.35 Ice Spiker Pros for proper, full-on, all mountain, freeride lite, all-conditions winter riding. And a second mortgage to pay for them... Standard 2.1 Ice Spikers work really well though.
[url=http:// http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp ]read this[/url]
Everything you need to know.