On Sep 29, 2010, Harry Read wrote: > FYI: An online seller, Tree Fort Bikes, has a good deal on Nokian Extreme > studded tires 294 26 x 2.1 (66 apiece, free shipping); however, they are > back-ordered until Oct 15. I've ordered a pair, in anticipation of winter.
On Sep 29, Chuck Strawser wrote: > I have a pair of Nokian Extremes, and I can't really recommend them for > commuting on mostly streets and paths that are mostly plowed. They have too > many studs too far out from the centerline (contact patch) of the tire, so > leaning the bike over even a bit on pavement that is dry (or even dusted with > a bit of snow) actually gives you considerably LESS traction, since even > carbide studs don't bite into concrete or asphalt much. Trust me on this. I > ruined the sleeve/shoulder of a Carhart jacket testing this, and I was lucky > that's all I ruined. > > They're really designed for racing on ice and/or packed snow. > [...] > > For commuting, the models you want are the Mount and Ground (160 stud) for > bikes that fit 26x1.75" tires and bigger, and the Hakkapelliitta (106 stud) > tires for bikes that fit 700x38 (they're marked 700x35, but they're actually > bigger). I agree with Chuck on this one that the Extremes have too many studs for street use. I own a set of similar tires, the Nokian Freddie's Revenz Lite. While they are great for snowmobile trails and icy single track, I must also say that pushing all that metal down anything resembling dry pavement gets old really fast. The Mount and Ground tire has a lot fewer studs in contact with the road surface at any one time and is a lot easier to ride longer distances on plowed surfaces. I've used these and the 700c Hakkas for several years and have been quite satisfied with the quality and durability. If your commute is only a couple of miles each way, either will work. (Although YMMV) Tree Fort also has these at about $48 each, and they appear to be in stock. Not sure what pricing is like locally, but it might be worth a phone call or two. Cheers, Michael _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
