best snow tire combo

[VanDbtRiver]

There are probably tons of threads on this topic somewhere but I just want to "keep it fresh" with a new one. For me, I have been on f & r ignitors, toro rear ignitor front,... annnd toro/mtn king combo (best so far). What's been workin' fer y'all? I have a panaracer rampage 29 that I want to run in the snow, any thoughts?

 

[mattybfat]

Mike those rampages are a good bet, also IRD x/c fire pro...

 

[jShort]

Id say the wider the better. And the ability to run as little air pressure as possible is key. I dont think tread pattern would have a huge impact in the snow. And I dont think studs are necessary most of the time.

 

[mwlikesbikes]

WTB Velociraptors are a good bet for snow.

 

[VanDbtRiver]

Mike those rampages are a good bet, also IRD x/c fire pro...

word... maybe a little rampage rear and mtn king front for the remainder of winter.

 

[shrpshtr325]

iv been using my ignitors in the snow, but i have a set of velociraptors hanging in my basement for next season

 

[J-7]

I think riding in the snow is more about fun and making the effort to get out there rather than maximizing performance. For what it's worth, I had a nice ride last weekend on small block eights. Just run what you have.

 

[alex_k]

Mtn king 2.4 are great for snow. I cannot agree with the wider the better. I just switched from Rubber Queen 2.4 (they are really big) and the current setup is so much better. Mtn king 2.4 is actually 2.1 tire with tall knobs. Probably mud tires should be the best for deep snow but i did not try yet.

 

[kush]

Mtn Kings 2.4!!

Tubeless.

 

[The Kalmyk]

I wish I had a Mountain King on the front of my bike in combo with the Toro that is on the rear now... Then I would have what I consider the IDEAL snow combo... I had a really tough time with my front tire (Kenda Karma) the last time I rode it in the snow... The treads are to low imo and I had the pressure to high at 20 psi

 

[gmb3]

It really depends on snow conditions. If it's an inch or 2 of light powder then high PSI and thin tires work great. If it's hardpacked snow then any tire with good knobs should be ok. If it's hard ice, you need studs. If it's deep or wet snow it really doesnt matter what you run, it's gonna suck.

 

[BiknBen]

I honestly think the tread pattern has very little to do with the handling of a bike in snow. As others have said, go wide and drop the pressure. Drive your bike like you drive your car in the snow. Steady with no abrupt changes in speed and direction. When that doesn't work, it is time for studs or another winter sport.

I just don't think any improvement is worth experimenting with countless tires.

 

[alex_k]

about wide tires (not exactly about bike tires):

Myth: Wide tires provide better traction under all weather conditions. In fact, putting oversize snow tires on a car delivers better snow traction.
Fact: The opposite is actually true. Wide tires tend to "float" on deep snow, and the tread lugs never have a chance to "dig" through to the road surface to gain traction. Narrow tires are a better option in deep snow. The tire acts similarly to a knife cutting through butter; the blade works best when using the narrow edge to push through the butter rather than the wide flat side of the blade.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/womt/112_9903_tire_myths_and_reality/index.html#ixzz0fHojNKjt

 

[VanDbtRiver]

I honestly think the tread pattern has very little to do with the handling of a bike in snow. As others have said, go wide and drop the pressure. Drive your bike like you drive your car in the snow. Steady with no abrupt changes in speed and direction. When that doesn't work, it is time for studs or another winter sport.

I just don't think any improvement is worth experimenting with countless tires.

:hmmm: yes yes. I have a boat load of tires in the basement and need to figure out which to use to replace my spent ignitors... my stans is dried up as well so it's a good time to change, you saw my flat at the snow ride the other night!

 

[MTBTyler]

My opinion: Fat tires when its icey and packed down. Skinny tires for fresh powder.

 

[BiknBen]

about wide tires (not exactly about bike tires):

Myth: Wide tires provide better traction under all weather conditions. In fact, putting oversize snow tires on a car delivers better snow traction.
Fact: The opposite is actually true. Wide tires tend to "float" on deep snow, and the tread lugs never have a chance to "dig" through to the road surface to gain traction. Narrow tires are a better option in deep snow. The tire acts similarly to a knife cutting through butter; the blade works best when using the narrow edge to push through the butter rather than the wide flat side of the blade.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/womt/112_9903_tire_myths_and_reality/index.html#ixzz0fHojNKjt

Car tires have the weight to cut through the snow and sink down to pavement. We don't have the weight to sink down. Even if we did, we would only reach mud. Wide tires to float on top is the way to go.

Would you prefer to walk in snow with sneakers or snowshoes? :hmmm:

This link involves bikes.
http://www.icebike.org/Equipment/CustomEquipment.htm

 

[alex_k]

Car tires have the weight to cut through the snow and sink down to pavement. We don't have the weight to sink down. Even if we did, we would only reach mud. Wide tires to float on top is the way to go.

Would you prefer to walk in snow with sneakers or snowshoes? :hmmm:

This link involves bikes.
http://www.icebike.org/Equipment/CustomEquipment.htm

that is comparable in terms of pounds per square inch

i agree with wide tires if they wide enough but that will be fat bike tires

so what is better pair of sneakers or undersized snowshoes that are not capable to keep you on the top of snow?

 

[Steve Vai]

so what is better pair of sneakers or undersized snowshoes that are not capable to keep you on the top of snow?

I prefer to use undersized sneakers while walking in the snow, I find they cut it much better and I can really get the traction advantage I'm looking for...

When I ride my bike in the snow I use a similar tactic. I find taking the tires off all together and running only a rim strip with thumb tacks pointing outwards is by far the best solution...

-Jim.

 

[grumner80]

If it's an inch or 2 of light powder then high PSI and thin tires work great. If it's hardpacked snow then any tire with good knobs should be ok. If it's hard ice, you need studs. If it's deep or wet snow it really doesnt matter what you run, it's gonna suck.

just dont forget that if it's ice; the the lower psi the better! no questions about it! but if it's deep/thick snow, that may not be the best case; lower psi will give you more traction, but at the same time that extra traction will help hold you back in thick snow, and you'd want to try to keep up as much momentum as you can to try to keep rolling; so if you're trying to get real specific with your settup, find a balance that's lower but not too low. the tire type will probably alter the ammount of psi you need, but so will one day to the next.

as for me, i just rough it and pick one type of tire, set the pressure to w/e feels good, and just ride!!

 

[smufguy]

After my initial snow riding technique, thread. I been doing a little research on tires that work in snow.

Snow tires, like sand tires, need to have widely spaced knobs, that can have isolated pressure points as opposed to a regular mountain tire for hardpack. Well you guys are educated folks, so let me give you my idea of snow tire setups.


My Set up.

I currently run Specialized Eskar Armadillo Tires front and rear following the rotational pattern. I believe if I were to switch the rotation on the rear, I would get more into the snow, but still not enough with 20psi cause the tire is a little stiff (due to anti-puncture layer) and does not create optimum pressure points for bite.

I used to run Specialized Captain tire front and back, due to their fast rolling characteristic and numerous knobs, it sucked in snow.

What set up I would like to test.

Front: Panaracer CINDER (26X1.95) REAR: Panaracer CINDER (26X2.25)

Front: Panaracer Cinder (26X1.95) Rear: Panaracer Rampage (26X2.35) Opposed direction

Front: Panaracer Cinder (26X1.95) REAR: WTB VelociRaptor (26X2.1)-supplied Rear Tire

Forgot to add these

Wide rims and studded tires in this tutorial would help >>> http://www.icebike.org/Equipment/rims.htm
Studded tires >>> http://www.biketiresdirect.com/suzz/studded_tires/products.htm