I have a brand new set of swchwalbe winter studded tyres in the garage, they have been there for 4 years and I’ve always meant to take them for a ride to ‘bed them in’ as per instructions
Obviously I never did get round to this, and I now fancy using them. I’m assuming they’ll still work on main roads that may have a bit of ice on them, I just shouldnt be taking them on hard back snow for 10 miles or so?
They will be fine - I've only ever lost 1 spike on a new tyre, and I replaced it with spares. Just don't go doin' 'skids'
I'm sure I remember reading years ago on some random guy's encyclopaedic spiked tyre homepage that it was totally unnecessary (at least for decent tyres like the Schwalbes)
I wouldn't worry about it. I've used studded tyres a few times without running them in and all the spikes are still in place.
You've encouraged me to fit the Spikers on my old SS and go for a spin later though...
A world of fun awaits.
Be putting mine on tonight. The side roads are lethal.
Been using spikes for years now without bedding in and never had an issue.
As has been said, avoid big skids and you'll be fine.
don't commute regularly anymore, but yeah great fun hopping (safely & considerately!) onto the pavements when everything was properly icy around the totally iced-up side roads & zooming past the cars inching their way along!! 😃A world of fun awaits.
Be putting mine on tonight. The side roads are lethal.
Great news..
Next question… how well do they grip? Is it no different than riding normally or do you need to still be wary of black ice?
You've got to be wary of stopping.
That's when you find out how icy it is. When you put your foot down and it slides away from you...
Oh, when at The Bike Chain, Mark and I left after closing up one winter's night. I had spikes, he didn't. He got wheelslip pulling away from the traffic lights at the top of the road. I was completely unaffected.
yeah exactly! I only have experience with the Ice Spiker Pros which are extremely aggressively spiked, but basically IME you can ride over any ice without special consideration... but if you get off to push/walk for whatever reason & don't realise you're on ice you'll probably get a surprise!That’s when you find out how icy it is. When you put your foot down and it slides away from you…
The pair of 45Nrth Gravdals I got from Charlie TBM were an absolute gamechanger in winter, rock solid grip, but then they have ~240 studs each iirc.
As above, the real personal danger was when putting a foot or two down! Plus what other road users have for grip.
Grip is really good. I've got Snow Studs on the commuter which has 100 ish spikes, and Ice Spiker Pro for mucking about of the Full Sus - over 400 spikes. They work really well, stopping, cornering etc. But, physics still apply (even though they feel like they don't) so don't corner too quick or brake too fast. They are amazing on sheet ice - you'll know when the tyres go quiet. Fairly noisy, although the Ice Spikers are incredibly noisy - people turn to hear what it is.
Never bedded mine in, still alive.
Nothing beats the "riding on cornflakes" noises, or the surprise and fear when people see you riding on compacted ice
Bedding is recommended because sometimes the studs don’t seat properly during installation and might be pulled out easier than properly seated ones. The bedding in period massages the studs in properly.
It is not a big deal as you can buy spare studs and install them when needed.
I bedded mine in and still lost about half after strathpuffer.
To be fair to the studs it was generally the knobble the got torn off aswell as the studs!
nah, I found the dude's website I mentioned earlier. "Bedding in" was just BS invented by Nokian to blame people for their poor quality control 😂Bedding is recommended because sometimes the studs don’t seat properly during installation and might be pulled out easier than properly seated ones. The bedding in period massages the studs in properly.
If the studs aren't installed properly then, as the guy says, riding gently over tarmac isn't going to change that!!
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.php
Do all you people live at the north pole or something? I have always found normal mtb tyres fine in snow
Studs for commute on shared paths - loads of water run off on my route to work. The Ice Spikers were a laugh. TBH it's the side roads that are the problem - i.e. getting out to a trail/track/canal. Our estate isn't gritted and we're on a hill - just ends up icy.
yeah, OP is a bit confusing/confused actually. Studded tyres are [I]not[/I] snow tyres, they're ice tyres.I have always found normal mtb tyres fine in snow
I made some studded tyres a few years ago, two tyres from Decathlon and a big box of small screws. Taped up the inside and they worked really well. But I still get shivers when I remember casting my eye down the tyre as I spun the rear wheel to check centering, nearly ripped my face apart. I just froze thinking "That was stupid - now don't flinch and move up slowly". Not quite WCA level of "should I....? post" but close enough for me.
nah, I found the dude’s website I mentioned earlier. “Bedding in” was just BS invented by Nokian to blame people for their poor quality control 😂
True, inserting studs to tyres one by one by hand tools does not produce consistent results and adding proper quality control was deemed too expensive.
But I disagree on the effect of bedding in, there must be 7 studded tyres in my garage now and the ones with most studs left are those used initially for commuting and then on MTB use, there are WXC300s from early 2000s to this years Piikkisika SLs.
You can get a special tool from Schwalbe that re-seats the studs if it looks like any are going to come out - Which can happen.
The tool looks basically like a hollow tube with a handle for making it easier(less hand hurty) to apply pressure. Comes with replacement studs.
Seems a worthwhile investment given the cost outlay of studded tyres.
Bedding in doesn't make them more effective in snow. It seats the studs in the tyre. So you're ok on anything smooth, just don't hit the rocks and roots before they are bedded in.
I had some 26er ones, rode miles in Finland didn't lose a single stud on snow, gravel, ice and tarmac. I brought them back and did one Welsh ride with icy bits and long rocky descents and lost about a dozen. The rocks had pinged them all out.
I bedded my spoiler pros bitd by doing the commute to work (23km) and it was like cycling using velcro. My legs were fubared by the time I got home and I was 10 mins slower each way.
Might stick them on to go to the pub thinking about it
Is the point of bedding spikes in on the road that it gets them hot and that it may help 'glue' them to the tyre? That's the only reason I can think of doing it if the spikes are already correctly inserted.
There are huge quantities of spikes littering the 'Puffer course after a race, usually on the rocky downhill bits where a bit of braking is called for, or in the places where the rider has to put in a bit of grunt to get over a tough bit.
