CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
As a break from my current major work-in-progress, I penned a bit of a ramble about why you really want the Marathon Winter (but here's the rationale).
Just in case anyone's dithering, interested, or even plain bored:
http://mccraw.co.uk/which-studded-tyre/
Whee!
On the strength of this review I've bought a pair of 700x30 118-spike Marathons from the site you recommend, Dave. Including postage works out at £21 each, which is not much more than my usual Gatorskins and less than tyres for the road bike.
Will fit either my tourer or the singlespeed, yet to decide which they will go on.
The photo (/cgi) shows empty holes where the outer rows of studs on a Marathon Winter would go - otherwise peas in a pod.
Since these cheaper tyres also have reflective sidewalls etc, it seems probable that they're literally Marathon Winters with only the centre lines of studs fitted. You still corner on the centre studs unless you're whaling away, so it's 95% of the tyre at half the price.. bit of a winner.
Am trying to decide how many we need.
And now with video...
Incidentally, these are the railings I fixed this morning. I've got great footage of that too.. ;-)
Kaputnik, put them on the tourer so you can fill all four panniers with grit, then prowl the streets at night looking for ice to vanquish.
You will no longer be Kaputnik. Or Andy. And cocteautriplets, not him either. And Magnificent Octupus. You will become a new breed of super hero:
The maNaCl!
What are they like on cobbles?
The maNaCl!
Legendary! :D
What are they like on cobbles?
The same as other tyres of their width, I suppose. Unless the cobbles are icy, in which case the studs will kick in.
I don't think frozen cobbles can have less traction than a frozen pool of water. However, while the studs allow you ride over frozen terrain they don't make it like dry tarmac, so you'd still need to be careful cornering and braking.
I have the ~40mm up front and 35mm at the back so they're naturally quite good at all broken surfaces by virtue of the high volume. I only have to cross straight over cobbles on any of my commute variations.
In the dry I think the studs are more skittery over cobbles and other smooth convex surfaces than purely rubber tyres. Notable example: the Broomhouse rumblestrip.
It's less important than the effect of tyre width, so I prefer the 35mm studlies to 23mm rubber.
I will be honest and say I wish I knew the 700x30s were available - would have saved me a bit of fettling to get the 35s under the guards and in a 'non-guard destruction' place.
Nevertheless, having come in this morning across the frozen blasted wastelands (Broomhouse path) there is no doubt at all that these are brilliant.
I was 'taking it easy' but was still faster than any normally shod cyclists today - they are harder work on dry tarmac, but I am sure the extra exercise wont be a problem.
Given the state of the path, I didnt have to seek out ice sheets - but remarkably they worked very very well.
I thoroughly recommend Daves article above to anyone considering a purchase.
Don't forget, studded tyres also available for 20" wheels :)
"Don't forget, studded tyres also available for 20" wheels :)"
I noticed that too the other day. Surely not too long before they offer 349 (i.e. Brompton). perhaps too much to hope that they'll think of doing a 355...
Dave's review should be compulsory reading, good stuff.
My Continental Ice Claws got their first workout today. The Innocent Path is treated, but in accordance with the Council's online plan it's only the western section as far as Duddingston Road West, so east of that looks like this:
Continental Ice Claws by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Turning onto the path I'd been lulled into a false sense of secutiry by the dry roads, so didn't notice the ice at first, and the front wheel slid out. "These tyres aren't very good," I thought, then realised that on sheet ice the front tyre had slid maybe 6 inches, the rear hadn't slid at all, and I was still upright (having put a precautionary foot down). I carried on my way cautiously and came across no further slippage, while catching up with cyclists ahead (who I think were normally shod).
As with others, I wish I'd seen there were ice tyres in 30s as I'd have had these on the Kaff! The MTB is naturally harder work, but like Nelly I'm wondering if the extra winter training might be a good thing. More strange is being on flat pedals.
While the studs did engender some confidence, I think I need to let a little air out the front, given it's less loaded than the rear; and I'm pondernig some replacement studs so that I can put some into the holes for the centre tread (I went for the outer tread-studded version as that's what TBC had in stock - 120 studs instead of 240) just for some added security - the replacement studs from Dave's German retailer look like they should fit...
"Don't forget, studded tyres also available for 20" wheels :)"
"
Update: Schwalbe warrantied it and are sending a new one.
"
500-600 miles over two winters? That guy must be wheel spinning or skidding lots as I have over a 1000km on my Schwabe Snow tyres and I can still see the grated tread cut in the nobbles as shown on new tires. His look to be rounded down to near the base level!
I'm putting on >= 50 miles a week, so I must be somewhere between 500-750 miles now (should keep better records) and mine look almost brand new.
Wonder if he ran them at very low pressure or something?
These are what I have: Schwalbe Snow Stud Tyres from TBC. The Studs are spread wider than those which Dave has linked to in his review. The documentation with the tyres said to ride in the wet above zero on inflated tyres and then reduce the pressure to around half when in sub zero temps so the tyres soften to allow the studs to contact the surface all the time.
WC - if you ask schwalbe nicely they give you spare studs, I got some yesterday after uberuce mentioned this ;-)
@WC, are there holes in your tures where studs could go but are not to help reduce the price of the tyres, line for instance only 2 out of 4 rows studded? I think Dave etal got around 1/2 a dozen free for the odd few which they loose rather then an unlimited free supply?
Dave C
Edit, looking closely at your pic, I think I'd prefer the studs to be in the centre rather than the outer edge as you need to deflate your tyre if you meet an extended stretch of ice?
But if you turn or do slide then you'd have no studs to catch it on the side.
Yep, holes are there.
Another vote for the Schwalbe Marathon winter tyres this time from David Hembrow.
"
Judy a hundred metres from our home. The cycle-path is clear of ice and snow
We had four cm of snow last night, the first real snow of the winter. It looks wonderful, but snow can be dangerous for cyclists especially if it is not removed from the cycle-paths and if it becomes compacted.
"
Hembrow only studs Judy's front tyre?
Dave, never a fan of schwalbe marathon plus loves their studded sisters?
I was scared on Braid Hills Road on Wednesday morn, roads need Lothian Buses to make the gritting work properly
Funny that gembo, colleague said same about broomhouse - was gritted, but edges had black ice - once buses went over and spread it was fine - persuaded him to go studded so he could use path ;-)
Forgive the ignorance... but would the 700x30 studded tyre fit on a standard road bike wheel which currently has a 700x25 tyre on it? I'm guessing it would, but there might be some obvious reason it wouldn't. I don't have mudguards so I'm hoping that would be a good thing in terms of not preventing me fitting them?
@mkns it will fit on the wheel for sure. However, as you allude to clearance / not haviong a mudguard you would be as well to check your clearance
Depends on what brakes you have. Although the body of the tyre is 30 the nobbles and studs stick out more. Best thing to do would be to meet someone who has the size you want and stick the wheels on yours to see if the clearance is good.
@gembo - another ignorant question... but when you say "clearance", what bits do I need to check? Or should I follow @DaveC's advice and find someone with such a tyre / wheel, as that'll achieve the goal?
I suspect I'm overthinking this. "Clearance" is really just "will it fit, or will it rub against the fork" or something like that, right?
If you look at your existing tyres and they aren't closer than 5mm to the frame at any point, adding 2.5mm on each side should be fine.
I'll bring in a spare wheel with 32mm slick tyre attached, you can take it home and try fitting it.
I should have my bike with me tomorrow unless it's spectacularly frozen again in the morning, so if you can bring a wheel in, that'd be cool. Or we could just look at my bike and take a guess.
'spectacularly frozen' sums it up around here.
You must log in to post.
Cycling in Edinburgh Flickr group
Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin
posts