Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

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gaz
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by gaz »

I don't really enjoy puctures in the summer. Needing to remove and re-fit 30+ cable ties in ice cold conditions, no thanks.
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SA_SA_SA
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by SA_SA_SA »

My rear tyre is a Marathon plus.
Plus I don't see whats particularly, difficult about zip ties, other than everything is harder in the cold.
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horizon
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by horizon »

I seem to remember trying zip ties at some point but that have been on my feet. Whichever it was I think they broke very quickly. Having said that, a few in an emergency might get you safely home - it's not a terrible idea.
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SA_SA_SA
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by SA_SA_SA »

Any other info on snow sock/snow chains/snow sprays?
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Scunnered
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by Scunnered »

[XAP]Bob wrote:You still want to avoid the ice, but you get warning of black ice (it all goes quiet) and you will tend to lose the back, which is often rather less dramatic than losing the front end.

I have fallen twice on black ice this winter. Both times the back went first. That may be less dramatic, but was still bl@@dy painful.
millimole
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by millimole »

I've just got back from a holiday to Norway. Lots of ice and packed snow for roads. I talked to a couple of bike riders near Trondheim University and asked them about tyres. Neither of them thought spiked tyres were worth using - one said 'too much trouble' the other cited cost.
I don't think black ice is a problem as we see it in Norway - just grip on snow and ice.

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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by Vorpal »

millimole wrote:I've just got back from a holiday to Norway. Lots of ice and packed snow for roads. I talked to a couple of bike riders near Trondheim University and asked them about tyres. Neither of them thought spiked tyres were worth using - one said 'too much trouble' the other cited cost.
I don't think black ice is a problem as we see it in Norway - just grip on snow and ice.

That depends on where in Norway people live. I don't know the road conditions in Trondheim well, but in my area (south of Oslo), studded tyres are necessary sometimes. Many side streets become very icy. I would say it's possible to get around without studded tyres for cyclists who only cycle in towns (and don't mind occasionally walking / cycling on shear ice in residential areas). Anyone who cycles longer distances, between towns, or on rural cycle paths needs studded tyres for at least part of the winter.

Where I work is on top of a hill that is snowy/icy more of the year than some surrounding areas. Everyone I know who cycles to work uses studded tyres for a few months. We do get some black ice, but it is mainly in late autumn and late winter, when the seasons are changing, and the temeprature can hover around zero for weeks at a time.

edited to add: Here's a post from a few years ago with pictures... viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70034&hilit=winter+norway&start=60#p614087
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Scunnered wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:You still want to avoid the ice, but you get warning of black ice (it all goes quiet) and you will tend to lose the back, which is often rather less dramatic than losing the front end.

I have fallen twice on black ice this winter. Both times the back went first. That may be less dramatic, but was still bl@@dy painful.

Yes, the question isn’t one of rear end loss being pain free, but front end wipeouts tend to be faster and harder falls... it’s a balancing act
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gaz
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by gaz »

SA_SA_SA wrote:Any other info on snow sock/snow chains/snow sprays?

Zip on studded over tyres: https://www.florismoo.nl/retyre-ritsbare-winterband/
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mjr
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by mjr »

gaz wrote:I don't really enjoy puctures in the summer. Needing to remove and re-fit 30+ cable ties in ice cold conditions, no thanks.

You'd probably only need remove 5 or 6 to get at the bit of the tube needing repair. The painful bit in the cold is warming the glue - even self-adhesive patches seem to need a hand or handwarmer pushed against them for a minute.

Alternatively, carry a sealant can and it'll fix most things.

But you're less likely to puncture on snow or ice because most of the sharp bits get frozen under the smooth ice or push down into the snow which is softer than your tyre.
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Si
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Re: Do people using spiked tyres leave them on all winter no matter what the conditions?

Post by Si »

Almost took my studded tyres off this week then saw the forecsat for saturday! Looking at facebbok i see id managed to get the shorts on at least once by this time last year.
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