Riding in the snow
Perhaps you live in an area where winter is real. It’s snowy, cold, icy, from somewhere around November all the way to May or June. Now, it may be that the roads and forests aren’t always covered with ice and snow. Maybe it’s just a lot of the time.
Can you ride with snow and ice on the road or trails? If you have the right tires on your mountain bike, you can. Your road bike needs to live in the garage during the snow and ice times. If you can remember that you are riding on slippery stuff, it’s even better. Studded snow tires for mountain bikes come in several different types. Most likely you’ll have to order them. Your local shops may not normally stock these types of tires, but ask, and most will order them for you.
If you live where it snows and things get icy, your only option for riding most of the winter is studded snow tires for your bike. The studded tire for your bike requires some study before you buy. The depth of the lugs, and the placement of the studs, is important. Just riding in these conditions requires you to change your normal riding behavior. More caution and taking it easy on the curves all come to mind.
Peter White Cycles is located in New Hampshire, a place where winter tires for a bike are probably a necessity. His shop carries winter bike tires, and he has some very good information about them on his site. While our weather isn’t on par with the snow, ice, and cold in New Hampshire, Tahoe has snow covered trails, and icy roads during the winter. The differences in bicycle snow tires is significant.
If you are riding on snow covered trails, you’ll want a relatively deep tread, with medium studs. If you are going to be riding in frozen, rutted areas, you will want tires with studs that are on the side lugs as well as the middle ones. White makes the point that getting out of a rut requires the studs on the side. Perhaps you commute on your bike on paved paths or streets. The tire you need has shorter studs and lugs. Read Whites article on studded tires for more complete information about these tires.
Putting a set of studded tires on your wheels could extend your mountain bike season by quite a bit. You do have to keep in mind that riding on snow or ice is far different than normal conditions. While most of us won’t be riding in the snow, those of us who do know that the season is extended, and there is a special beauty in riding in the cold, with snow all around. Put simply, it’s beautiful out there.
Take a look at the link below to see some riders in the snow.