I know that on a persons 50th birthday it is a traditional gag to give black gifts. Well, it was not intended as a gag, but none the less, for my 50th, Janis bought me a set of studded snow tires (black, of course) for my Stumpjumper. So far this winter we have been receiving snow on a regular basis and there have been a few days that riding to work was quite treacherous so I have been wanting to get some of these for some time.
Yesterday when I mounted them on my rims there was no snow on the streets but I had to take them for a test ride anyway. On that ride we found a small frozen pond to try them on and I have to say that I was very impressed with their ability to handle smooth ice. As long as I made no sudden turns I had no problems whatsoever. The braking ability was phenomenal! Even in a skid the bike stayed upright and tracked straight. As far as riding on dry roads go, the studs in these tires make quite a lot of noise which takes some getting used to. The added weight of the 246 studs in each tire certainly adds to the rolling resistance so I ended up riding in one gear lower than usual, so my commute to work will take slightly longer. But I needed slick conditions to really test these tires!
I could not wait to get some snow and low and behold….. the very next morning (today) there was 2″ of it to ride to work in. It was 11 degrees and the snow very light. I was excited for this ride! Wow, these tires are fantastic! I did not experience any real slipping or sliding on the way to work this morning, even in places where the road was rutted. I got great traction. I have to say that if a person is going to ride in all weather conditions, I can see that these tires are a necessary part of your safety equipment. It is still dark when I’m riding to work so of course good lights are a must also. Mine are strobes on both front and back and I do not worry too much about being seen, but it is still the other drivers that scare me, especially the diesels as they pass. I go by a cheese plant on my way to the fire station so there are several milk trucks with trailers that pass me and as a rule they don’t seem to give me the room that other motorists do and I’m quite nervous when I see one coming up in the rear view mirror, especially when the roads are slick. It is a little unnerving to say the least, to have those big tires rolling by so close you can reach out and touch them! WHITE KNUCKLE TIME!
- Two of my favorite modes of transportation.
As you can see, I do not have a helmet which I admit is just plain stupidity on my part. I am currently looking for one that will fit my big head. I promised Janis I would get one soon! I’m just not a very trendy kind of guy and most of those bicycle helmets just plain look foolish to me! I did however find one the other day that would be great if I can order it in an extra large.
Well, I suspect these tires will enable me to ride much more this winter. Now if they just made big bubbles to go around you for when it all turns to slush and those big trucks cover you with a thick layer of it….
Allen
