Myself and many others in RMDRA ride a lot during the winter. It's a blast - the only additional equipment you should consider are:
1. Heated grips (about $40), and
2. Studded winter tires
Options for tires:
1. Ice screws - least expensive ($200 - $250/set), but they are not that durable, particularly if your wheels wind up seeing anything harder than ice (ie - ROCK - you know how much of that there is)
2. High quality screw-type studs - initially double the cost of option 1, then less expensive than option 1 (about $500/set, then $120/set), but very close in durability and performance to the high end tires.
3. High end purpose built tires - most expensive (Trelleborg - over $1000/set, Michelin - over $900/set). This is the benchmark we use to compare to for performance and durability, and they are the most convenient (requires no work to screw the screws/studs into the tire).
I've got a set of Trelleborgs, I've got a set of Michelins. I think the trellies are worth the additional cost over the Michelins. I've found that I can get 2 - 3 seasons out of a set of trellies (riding fairly aggressively, in the rocky conditions we have around here in the foothills and eastern rockies), riding 1-2 times per month from December to April. By the end of the 3rd season the trellies are pretty trashed - the studs themselves are fine, but the knobs are chunking badly and breaking off.
Riding more sheepishly – particularly by avoiding any rocks/rocky areas they’ll probably last you 5 years or more (requires too much discipline for me – I don’t want to forego a ride because there are gonna be rocky sections).
It used to be the only options were the low end screws, or the high end tires.
For people who are "frugal" like me (or even downright cheap like Red Green) - but still want the performance of the high end tires, there is now the middle choice - Bestgrip studs.
- Bestgrip stud
- BestGrip1.gif (3.01 KiB) Viewed 1959 times
- Studs installed (rear)
- BestGrip2.jpg (48.8 KiB) Viewed 1962 times
- Magnetic Installation Bit
- After 1240 miles (on concrete, pavement and snow/ice)
The studs are very similar in appearance to trelli studs when installed. Because of their screw-anchor design, it is very difficult to tear a stud out, making the tires virtually as durable as trellies. The studs wear as well as the trelli studs – both are tungsten carbide tipped, traction and grip is very close as well. The main difference is these studs can be removed from a tire that is chunking, and installed in a fresh tire.
AND, next year or the following year, and again in a later year, you can have an essentially NEW set of studded tires for only $120. The only cost is for new rubber, because you can spin the studs out of the tire that's falling apart and just screw them into new rubber (these studs are carbide tipped - so they are durable, and RE-USEABLE).
I will be putting in an order on WEDNESDAY, November 12th.
Pricing is $0.69/stud, and $10 for the installation tool. Front tire studs and rear tire studs are NOT the same. Trellies have about 350 studs in the rear, and approx 250 studs in the front. We’ve typically been using about 250 studs for a front, and 300 in the rear.
I'm taking a 50% deposit from each person. Below are the typical costs:
300 rear tire studs ($207)
+ 250 front tire studs ($172.50)
+ 2 installation bits ($10 each)
= $399.50 + gst = $419.48 (Deposit of $210, or you can pay all at once if it's less hassle for ya, which is also easier for me).
In my opinion if someone has lots of money to throw around, buy the trellies - but for the rest of us this is the only way to go - very similar performance, way less cost, way longer useable life.
PM me your order by this WEDNESDAY (the FIRST day after Remembrance Day)!
Derek Radomski CA 403.714.7440
See the following post if you want more info.
