When temperatures start getting around 36 degrees or colder, studded tires become necessary for our group rides out of Ride Studio Cafe and our Sherborn, MA location, Ride Headquarters.
How do I know it's time for studded tires? We keep everyone informed about when it's studded tire time through our social media:
You can also go to Ride Studio Cafe or Ride Headquarters website to see these updates. As always, the full listing and calendar of ride is on the Ride Shortlist website.
When do we require studs? Our decisions are partly based on air temperature and partly based on ground temperature. In deep winter the air could be 36 degrees but because the ground is frozen there will be ice on the roads. Don't trust air temperature. Here are our general guidelines for when we require studded tires:
Anytime the ground is frozen and there is a chance of ice on the road or trails.
Anytime there is snow on the ground and the ground is frozen.
Anytime it is raining or just rained and the ground is frozen.
The only exception to this rule is if the ground is frozen but there's no ice anywhere and there's been no precipitation for a while. It's very unlikely there will be ice on the road.
When to install your studded tires? We recommend that you put your studs on when the ground is frozen for the season, regardless of whether there's snow on the ground, and keep them on all winter. Even better, get a second set of wheels and have one dedicated to studs and one set for dry, clear, iceless days.
Riding studs on dry pavement: People often think that studded tires are dangerous to ride on dry pavement. While studded tires feel different than a high performance road tire, ride them at slightly lower pressure and you'll have good traction. Install them and ride them all winter. Studs do ride slower than light road tires but this extra effort will help you stay warm.
Don’t know where to start with choosing studded tires? Start with a solid pair of studded tires from 45NRTH. We recommend the following:
Xerxes 30mm tires for bikes that need a narrow studded tire. Works on most cross bikes and all Seven RedSky road bikes and Honey MidDurance bikes
Gravdal 38mm tires: work on some cross bikes, most gravel bikes. Work on almost all Honey Allroads bikes and Seven Evergreen bikes
Wrathchild 3” and 4.6” tires for plus mountain bikes and fat bikes, respectively. These tires feature XL studs and the best aggressive riding and grip. These are the best winter tires on the market. Wrathchild. They come in both fat and plus tires sizes with an aggressive stud pattern to assure grip in the slipperiest conditions!
We are one of 45NRTH's top dealers in the country, so ask us any questions. We can install the tires same day!