Snowy weather makes streets and surfaces more volatile and slippery, reducing traction and grip. This makes riding during the winter more challenging. Though fat bikes already have wide tyres to improve ground contact, adding studs to the tyres can amplify this benefit. So- do you really need studded fat bike tires?
As a general rule, if the road is consistently slippery and snowy during winters- a studded tire will is recommended. In this article, we’ll discuss the drawbacks as well as the advantages of using them.
Types Of Studded Bike Tyres
In a studded tire there are various metal studs which are imbedded into the knobs of the tire. The studs protrude approximately 1mm above the surface of the tire, providing greater grip as well as traction since they dig into the snowy and icey surfaces while you ride.
These helps to prevent your bike from slipping and losing control and provide greater stability while you brake, turn or accelerate your bike. They generally run on lower air pressure than normal tyres, allowing them to deform and provide better ground contact for grip and traction. While some have a special tread pattern that pushes slush and ice out of the way, allowing the studs to dig more, others are made of a softer rubber compound than usual for better traction.
3 Types Of Studded Tyres
- Knobby studded tyres: They have around 200–400 studs spaced evenly across the tread and come in various sizes ranging from 1.9 to 4-5 mm. They are good for off-road or mountain biking since the knobs allow traction on gravel, dirt, or other such surfaces, while the studs allow you to ride in snow and ice.
- Slick studded tyres: They have the least number of studs, placed at the centre of the contact patch of the tyre. The narrowest are 32 mm wide and can also be mounted on road bikes. They are meant for milder conditions, such as ploughed roads with little ice and snow.
- Mixed-use studded tyres: These are the most commonly used studded tyres available in a variety of widths ranging from around 35 to 55 mm or wider. As the name suggests, mixed use studded tyres fall somewhere in middle of both the knobby studded tires as well as the slick studded tires. They have studs in the middle of the tread as well as on both sides of the tire. They can handle on-road as well as light off-road riding, including rides on gravel, as well as roads which are poorly maintained and have deep snow and ruts.
How Effective Are Studded Bike Tyres?
The location and the weather determine if you need studded bike tyres. If you live in a place that has ice most of the winter, then having a pair of studded bike tyres is a good idea. But if you live in an area where there is just an ice season, consider purchasing ice tyres for added safety and security instead. Moreover, if you live in temperate climates with fewer prolonged icy spells, invest in a winter road or mountain bike tyre instead since studded bike tyres will prove to be more expensive.
Since studded tyres are an optional accessory, let us consider some of the advantages and drawbacks before investing in them.
Pros Of Studded Bike Tyres
- Increased traction and speed
Winter tyres provide better grip and traction on hard-packed snowy surfaces and in slick icy conditions.
Moreover, they run at lower pressure, further increasing ground contact and grip. Since the tyres are softer, they deform at the patch, allowing more studs and tread to make contact with the ground, improving traction.
Some people say riding a summer tyre on winter roads adds speed. This is because summer tyres don’t grip the cold/icy winter roads well, which reduce the rolling resistance on the ground, causing an increase in speed.
However, net-net winter tyres are equally fast (if not faster). This is because winter tyres grip the roads better than summer tyres, so even though they usually have higher rolling resistance, the are pretty fast due to the traction they offer.
- More secure
They allow you to navigate icy obstacles such as very deep snow and ice as well as ruts more easily, where regular tyres usually get stuck. You can corner harder and accelerate better using these without being worried about losing control off your bike.
Since the conditions become more slippery and volatile, you might need to stop very quickly in emergency situations to avoid accidents. This is facilitated by studded tyres, since they reduce braking distance during such situations, allowing you to stop more quickly without slipping or sliding off when compared to non-studded tyres .
It inspires confidence, especially in beginners, and allows you to ride more safely and securely. However, ride slowly even if you have studded tyres for better protection in such conditions.
- Durable
Tungsten carbide, which is commonly used to make studs, is a hard material, so it doesn’t wear out very easily, even when it rubs against hard pavement. Very often, the tread might outlast the studs.
Moreover, since ice is considerably softer than pavement, the rubber wears down very slowly, as studded tyres are generally used only on these surfaces.
Also, since it’s used for generally short ice seasons of about 4-5 months per year, a pair of studded tyres generally lasts a long time for most riders.
Cons Of Studded Bike Tyres
- Can Be Ineffective in fresh snow
Since studs provide better grip and traction while digging into ice and snow, they are more useful and effective on hard-packed, compact, snowy surfaces.
If you have to ride on fresh, deep, or powdered snowy surfaces, consider using wider tyres rather than studs since they are more effective on those surfaces.
- Bulkier Than Summer Tyres
Winter tyres are a bit thicker and have studs which adds about 30-60 g of weight when compared to summer tyres. This means you need to pedal a wee bit harder.
Because studded bike tyres run at lower pressures and deform at the ground patch to improve traction, they increase rolling resistance and friction, rendering them inefficient.
Because they weigh more, it takes more energy to spin them up and keep them going. Furthermore, because they are wider, more wind resistance is created, necessitating more energy to overcome.
- Expensive
Studded tyres are more expensive than regular tyres. Expect to shell out roughly $150-200 for a pair. While there are cheaper variants, I would not recommend them as winter tyres are so crucial for safety.
A decent pair will last you at least 5 years, by the way. I will recommend you go for this one on Amazon. The description says MTBs/Ebikes- but it will be compatible with Fat Bikes too in most cases (check your tyre width before ordering it).
- Noisy and can’t ride them on some surfaces
When riding on ice and snow, studded tyres make no more noise than regular tyres.
However, when it is ridden on pavement/road, as the wheel rolls, the metal studs hit the pavement, making louder noises compared to normal tyres.
Also, pavement or gravel will tend to damage your studded tyres, so you’ll have to be very careful to only ride the bike on roads, dirt or snow.
Studding Fat Bike Tyres
Now, this isn’t generally recommended for beginners, and I’d suggest getting tyres that are pre-studded, but if you feel confident enough- you can stud a fat bike tyre by:
- Hand (using a studding tool).
- By using a studding gun.
You should be able to stud a tyre in less than an hour with a studding gun, although it requires some practise. With a manual studding tool, it might take several hours.
Regardless of the method you use, be thorough and take your time because improperly fitted studs can damage the tyres and wheel.
Here’s how to stud a fat bike tyre:
- Step 1: Gather your tools.
Be ready with the following before starting: a stud gun or a manual studding tool; Steel or carbide metal studs; gloves and goggles for safety; and a hammer (in case you are manually studding).
- Step 2: Prepare the tyre
Ensure that the tread surface is wiped down before starting, since debris or imperfections on the surface can make the installation difficult and reduce performance..
- Step 3: Put in the studs.
In case of a stud gun: Firstly, set up the gun, then, load the studs into it, align the gun with your tyre in which the studs have to be installed, and then finally squeeze the trigger to fire the studs into the tyre. Ensure that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions throughout the entire process to put the studs into the tyre.
In case of manual studding, you’ll literally have to tap each stud with a hammer to the tyre.
Remember to keep in mind the manufacturer’s guidelines for stud placement, which is going to be usually correct. In case you don’t have those details, generally ensure that you follow an even pattern while placing the studs across the tyre, with the studs being placed at a slight right angle to the direction of the travel of the tyre.
- Step 4: Do a test run with the studded tyre.
Test if the studs are properly installed and that the tyre is performing as expected by testing the tyres on icy, snowy, and slippery rocks and surfaces.
You might have to add or remove the studs or adjust their placement for desired traction and grip.
Note: Because of the slow wear of the tread and the shorter ride time during the winter, studded tyres typically last 3-6 years, or 2000–3000 miles. Avoid riding on pavement as much as possible because accelerating, turning, and stopping can rip and wear down the studs. Rusting may occur as studs age, but minor rusting is acceptable. Because they are designed to prevent stud punctures, you can use standard inner tubes with them. However, after 5–6 years, the fabric casing inside can wear out, resulting in flat heads cutting through the casing. Inspect them for cuts or damage before installing them, and replace them if necessary.
FAQs
Can any tyre be studded?
Studs are mostly found on tyres having treads, since they are supposed to dig into the icy and snowy surfaces to provide grip and traction. You can pretty much study any type of mountain bike or fat bike tyre.
Can you use studded tyres on asphalt?
Most studded tyres can handle varied surfaces and can be used on icy asphalt, although they are noisy. However, bikes that are registered as motorised vehicles, including E-bikes (that are not limited to 25km/h), are generally not allowed to use studded tyres on public roads since they can cause damage to the road surfaces.
Can you run a single studded bike tyre?
Yes, but it isn’t recommended. If you can only afford one studded tyre, put it on the front since it improves steering, prevents hard falls, and improves traction for turning corners and climbing ruts. However, running only one tyre has drawbacks , like difficulty climbing slick hills, accelerating, and climbing icy ruts. If you are on a budget, you can have a less expensive tyre with less studs on the rear end and a more costly well-studded tyre in the front to balance it out.
Do studded tires lose grip or slide on pavement?
The stud has very little effect on the ground contact or the pressure that the tyre will have. You will have proper grip and traction even on dry pavement, as the weight of the rider as well as the bike push the studs inside, having the tread to make the ground contact instead of the studs.
Should I switch back from studded tires to regular tires when there is no ice?
Studded tyres can be inefficient and too noisy on regular surfaces during warmer seasons. However, you should only switch to regular tyres when snow melts during the spring, since during winters, snow can melt and freeze unexpectedly and can also have black icy patches.
As a quick note-Carbide stud tyres last as long as the tread, ensuring durability during the winter season, while Steel studs may wear out if you ride too much on pavement.
Can I run studded tyres tubeless?
Depends on the tyre. While some tyres, like the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro, can run tubeless, most tyres require them to be tubed.
Can you get your worn out or lost studs replaced?
Studs can be lost or worn out, yes. Most tyres come with spare studs for this reason.