Schwalbe Snow Stud Rating: 4.3
| Efficiency | |
| Quality | |
| Weight | |
| Price |
Advantages:
- Good Grip
- Ride with confidence on ice, even while turning
- Can be used when there’s no snow or ice
Disadvantages:
- Weight
Riding in the snow is a challenge. Of course, it’s impossible to do it with slicks. That’s where knobby tires come to the rescue. But what if there’s ice, or little patches of compacted snow on the road every now and then? It’s doable with knobbies, but dangerous. The solution: Studded tires. Schwalbe Snow Stud is perfect for road riding in these conditions. The studs are not in the center, unlike the majority of studded tires. The studs are arranged on the side of the tire, to make riding on the road more comfortable, and for less rolling resistance.
Under normal conditions, all you have to do is inflate your Schwalbe Snow Stud to 65-7o psi. When pressure is so high in the tire, the studs don’t touch the road, unless you turn aggressively. If there’s snow and/or ice on the road, 30-40 psi is optimal. With low pressure, the studs touch the ground and allow for more traction. Ride carefully at first, as your bike will feel different with studded tires.
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Schwalbe’s Snow Stud weigh a little more than other studded tires with the same stud count. That’s 100 studs for the 26″ tire (50-559), which weighs 980g. The 28″ tire (40-622) has 120 studs, and weighs 915g.
Schwalbe Snow Stud Specifications:
- Sizes : 40-622 (700 x 38C) and 50-559 (26 x 1.90)
- Stud count : 120 studs for the 28″, 100 studs for the 26″
- MSRP : $76
- Pressure: 30-70 psi (700C); 30-65 psi (26 inch)
- Weight : 915-980 grams
Schwalbe Snow Stud claims to do 2 things at once: Ride in normal conditions, and on snow/ice. As with every such product, it doesn’t do both things perfectly. In normal conditions, it doesn’t roll on the road as smoothly as slicks or semi-slicks (nor any of the other studded tires) . And it doesn’t provide as strong a grip as other studded tires that have studs in the center of the tread. But what it does perfectly is provide us with the best of both worlds. That’s why Schwalbe’s Snow Stud is perfect for commuters.
The 26″ (50-559) and 28″ (40-622) sizes are both available at Amazon. Also available at ChainReactionCycles.