It ain't over by a long shot...

xc62701

Well-Known Member
It's on b*tches... Let is snow...
 

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pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
did you ride your bike through a construction site, you've got a bunch of nails in your tire:rolleyes:
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Yea I don't know they just magically appeared... They work a lot better on ice than regular tires fo sho...
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
It's on b*tches... Let is snow...

What's up with those little studs. C'Mon...be a man...Go Long!!!

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I no longer have these tires but they were fun when the conditions were right. I didn't get enough use out of the cross tires so I sold em. I sold those 26" tires when I purged myself of small wheels. ;)
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
I was tempted to pick up a set of cross studded tires. But he has said many time he never got the use out of them. It would be nice to have them just in case tho. :hmmm:
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
I found too good of a deal on my tires so I just picked em up. That's way too much effort. If I was going to be screwing for that many hours I wouldn't be playing with tires... :D;)
 
R

Roger De Vlaeminck (RDV)

Guest
Where

I found too good of a deal on my tires so I just picked em up. That's way too much effort. If I was going to be screwing for that many hours I wouldn't be playing with tires... :D;)

Heuy, where did you find those? I think they could be very helpful here in the Great White North of Syracuse, NY.

Training start 1/1/09 and I will be commuting. We can ride on most weekends with fenders and lots of clothing and the studs will make it that much better.

Enjoy the ride.
 

Maurice

New Member
Nice! I've got a whole bunch of wood screws that I might put on a couple old tires one of these days. Which might never happen. I do like the randomness of riding on ice unaided, it's great for balance, but the problem is that ice tends to be real hard when falling on it.

Your knee better Ryan? Hope the insurance isn't too harsh with you.
 

THATmanMANNY

Well-Known Member
screws in tires

Would putting screws in tires really work? Wouldn't it be more prone to punctures unless you put something over them on the inside of tire...

That would be neat to have a homemade metal studded tire :hmmm:
 

Maurice

New Member
Would putting screws in tires really work? Wouldn't it be more prone to punctures unless you put something over them on the inside of tire...

That would be neat to have a homemade metal studded tire :hmmm:

Silicone and duct tape. And lots of time. If I ever do it I'll try and report.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Would putting screws in tires really work? Wouldn't it be more prone to punctures unless you put something over them on the inside of tire...

That would be neat to have a homemade metal studded tire :hmmm:

The MTB tires in my pictures are home made by me! That is actually the second pair that I have made. The first time I was sloppy. These were the shiznit. The front tire had 300 screws and the rear had about 220.

3/8" Hex head sheet metal screws are the studs of choice. Find a magnetic hex bit for your drill. You hold the drill with one hand and the tire and screw with the other. The hex head is the key. The screw tends to stay straight in the bit and makes it much easier to screw into the tire. Sheet metal screws are self-tapping so they dig into the tire and go through easier than other types of screws. 3/8" was the shortest I could find. They stick out a bit too much for ice but they were awesome for hardpack snow or loose granular that you would see on a ski slope. On ice, the tire felt squirmy but they still worked fine.

I used MR Tuffy tire liners to cover the screw heads. I never got a flat. Each tire took about 2-3 hours to do.

It is a really cool project. My only beef is that studded tires have a very limited application. The commercial stuff in only good for ice and really packed snow. The short studs aren't able to bite into any soft stuff. A longer screw has better bite. OTOH, the long screw isn't ideal for thin cover or sheets of ice. It gets squirmy on ice and pavement and may pick up leaves on the trail.

Basically I was lucky if I got just a couple rides per winter with the tire. That's why I haven't bothered to make a new set now that I'm on 29rs.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
pretty much describes how i feel about my nokians...although had i not given norm my other wheelset those would be mounted and probably on my bike right now. :(
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
for people in central, studden tires seem like a waste, like Ben said, you might get a few rides out of them each year, making them not worth it unless you want a project. I made a pair maybe 10 years ago and used them a few times. With the low pressure you can run with tubeless, you can do alright and almost anything but ice.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
pretty much describes how i feel about my nokians.

The best rides with studs were the one on the neighborhood streets in the PM just after the plows go by. My studs were awesome in that hardpack snow left behind by the plows. Roads would be empty except for me and the plows. :D

Out in the trails it was always hit or miss. Once the snow was deeper than 4-5 inches, you just couldn't keep the speed up to get through it. The studs were doing their job but the legs just can't keep the bike moving forward.

I do recall a ride at Ringwood after a bunch of snowmobilers had packed down all the fire roads. It was like riding on pavement. The screws just punctured the snow surface and I was hauling butt. Very cool.
 
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Maurice

New Member
Ah, there you go. Nice job, Ben, and right on the money on the need for those. Big tires usually have enough grip for me, too much snow and anything's useless.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Nice! I've got a whole bunch of wood screws that I might put on a couple old tires one of these days. Which might never happen. I do like the randomness of riding on ice unaided, it's great for balance, but the problem is that ice tends to be real hard when falling on it.

Your knee better Ryan? Hope the insurance isn't too harsh with you.

I'd like to make a set too but how dow you keep the screw heads from puncturing the tube. Do you usually tape over the heads?

The knees are getting much better. Still a little pain here and there but overall just trying to get the strength back. I'm still dealing with the insurance headache. It's been two weeks and 3 days and still have yet to talk to an agent from Allstate regarding the accident. And I've called 11 times...
 

tommyjay

Not-So-Venerable Asshat
Those are super-intimidating looking bike sneakers you made, Ben!! Nice looking bit of work, too.

Shame they are limited use.

Do you think running short studs would be of more season-long value? I imagine that a stud just taller than the knobby would stink in harpack, but might be good for getting some bite on ice, thin cover snow, and rock-solid frozen trail? The rocky face/stream crossing on the red trail in CR that ALWAYS ices over comes to mind.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
i don't think studs are necessary here in NJ, and keeping them on year-long, i think they would hinder you not help (especially with weight). i've ridden through a few winters now, encountering straight up water-ice (not like snow-ish/crusty ice, if you know what i mean) on just knobby tires for a few winters now (including rides at chimney rock) and i have never really had a problem.

if you've ever ridden the sourlands in the winter, the boardwalk sections can become a nightmare - as in totally sometimes covered in 1/2" of ice for the entire length of the boardwalks. i have yet to totally blow it when the boardwalks are in that condition with just normal knobbies, you just have to ride extra careful, but you can clear most anything. if you are on a climb and you hit some ice, that is a different story, but i don't any areas in NJ where the trail becomes an icefall completely for over a 20/30 feet at most. just dismount and walk up... part of the deal of winter riding.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
I'd like to make a set too but how dow you keep the screw heads from puncturing the tube. Do you usually tape over the heads?
I used MR Tuffy tire liners to cover the screw heads. I never got a flat. Each tire took about 2-3 hours to do.

Google Mr Tuffy. They are some seriously thick liners. The screw heads would leave an impression in the liner but that was it. A little care is required to get them in the center of the tire when mounting.

I've seen others use tape with mixed results. Any sharp edges of the screw heads will eventually work through duct tape.
 
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