Product news Spike tires: Winter tires for your bike? As long as it's dry, you don't need them - but if you have to ride on black ice and hard snow, you won't get far with conventional tires. This is where spiked tires show their strengths: They offer a lot of safety even in slippery conditions, which is a good reason for Velomotion to introduce different models.
You can actually ride a bike in any weather and on any surface - with one exception: even the most experienced cyclist has no chance on icy roads. The road grip drops to zero and the bike slips from under the rider in a fraction of a second. It's no wonder that falls on ice can lead to serious injuries: the whole thing happens so quickly that you have no chance to react, and then you land on a surface hard as glass.
If there is ice: studded tires
So what do you do if there is lightning ice or permanent frost? There are only two options: avoid cycling or take precautions and have studded tires fitted in good time. Everyone knows what that is, even if you rarely see them anymore: Winter tires equipped with metal studs have been banned on motor vehicles in Germany for almost 50 years (exception: emergency vehicles), because the spikes, which drill into the ice layer to promote adhesion Damage asphalt. Bicycles or e-bikes can be ridden with spiked tires, but not S-Pedelecs - as we know, they are motorcycles.
Bicycle tires with spikes are available in different versions and for different purposes. First of all, they are of course interesting for everyday drivers who like models like this Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus (from €66,90). This tire is equipped with 240 spikes made of the hard metal tungsten carbide, which the manufacturer certifies will have several thousand kilometers of mileage before they are worn off. Defective spikes can be replaced; When new, the tire must be broken in so that the metal nails adhere firmly to the tire. With the Winter (from €44,90), Schwalbe also has a cheaper model in its range that comes with 120 spikes - the nails in the shoulder area are missing. Both tires are equipped with a not too deep sipe profile, which is intended to improve grip on snow.
Such tires work optimally if you proceed as follows: If the roads are free of ice (or snow), you drive with high air pressure. This means that only the spikes close to the median strip have contact with the ground; the tire rolls easier and, above all, quieter. When winter sets in, the tire pressure is reduced so that the spikes in the shoulder area can also get stuck in the ground.
It has a stronger profile than Schwalbe's winter tires Handle from the provider 45NRTH, which specializes in cycling in freezing cold conditions (from approx. €99,99). This tire has 252 studs and is available in widths starting from 2.1 inches; Given its large volume, it can be driven with low pressure. However, it may not fit through every frame; Use on e-bikes is not recommended by the manufacturer.
It was developed for a similar area of application Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro (from €77,90). This is a wide MTB tire for 27,5 and 29 inch wheel sizes, which has up to 402 spikes depending on the version. Each of the hexagonal profile studs is provided with a steel nail. The profile of the Ice Spiker Pro is deep and open, which means the tire should offer good grip, especially in the snow. Snow-free asphalt is not the domain of this tire; It is most likely to suit drivers who spend a lot of time on natural paths. On such floors the clear rolling noise will be somewhat more subdued.
Wide roller for deep snow tours
With the Vee Tire Snowball (€119,95) you don't even have to think about something like asphalt. The fat bike tire is a whopping four inches, more than ten centimeters wide. The corresponding bikes were created in the course of legendary races such as the Iditabike in Alaska, where the starters of the late 1980s mounted three normal rims next to each other in order to have more contact surface in the snow. Thanks to its extremely large volume, the Snowball can be driven at a pressure of just 0,5 bar; then the open profile offers extremely good traction. The tire is delivered without spikes - the 148 steel nails have to be purchased. Fat bikes are designed to be able to roll over pretty much anything - with the Snowball this works even in the depths of winter...
There is nothing special to consider with spiked tires - they fit on conventional rims (assuming they are the right size) and are used with a tube or tubeless, depending on the version. On dry asphalt, no differences to normal tires are to be expected other than the rolling noise; The spikes do not make the tires more slippery on snow-free surfaces. The question remains whether it is really worth switching to nail tires in winter. If you don't like the effort of converting, you can leave your bike on the few snowy days a year; If you're faced with slippery, white roads for weeks, studded tires might make sense.