I wimped out riding to work back in Dec, after our first serious snowfall.

Now, I've got a brand new Disc Trucker, got both fenders and racks installed and ready to go and I can't wait any longer to get it out on the road. But, I'm worried about the very smooth tires that come with it.

Given the bumpy, hard ice out there, what do folks suggest for new rubber (preferably available locally) that will allow me to take my new baby out and keep it mostly vertical?

Edit: Occurred to me, this might be important. 26"x{whatever a trucker frame will take}. (I'm a tiny little man on a 46cm frame).

I'd prefer to avoid the expense of studded, but if that's what it takes, so be it.

Thanks

Thats what it takes.

My Schwalbe Marathon Winters are in their second full season. Probably have 2000 miles on them. Even with them, you have to be careful on ice, and there is a lot of ice this winter. As a commuter on streets and city paths, I can not imagine riding without studs of some type.

Don't know why anyone would ride without studded tires here in MN winter months. Studded tires aren't that expensive considering how long they'll last. Be smart and do yourself a favor and get a set of studded tires if you plan doing some winter riding.

I didn't use studded tires for 5 out of 6 winters because of stubborness. I got them this year (Marathon Winters) and I think they have already paid for themselves. I don't have to worry so much about altering my route and I have been less worried about path and road conditions (i.e. I can visit friends in St. Paul without fear of death).

I have been pushing the limits on the tires and the only thing that really presents a problem are ice knobs. They have really great side grip which helps in a slip.

+4 on studs. Marathon Winters are the bomb. Nokian Mount & Grounds are also supposed to be good.

Here is everything you want to know about studded tires: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

I have the Nokian Mount and Ground studded tires and absolutely love them. You can take my bike for a ride and see for yourself how much better studded tires are for winger riding.

I am still loving my Nokian A-10's, little skinny 700x32 tires with about 72 studs that I can ride up Marshall hill while all the 4 wheel drives are stuck on glaze ice. Any studded tire will do for street use, they are slower, but try them, they are soooo much better on roads like what's out there now than even the pugsleys.

Stud up. I ride the Nokian Mount and Grounds because I got them for a steal. They're pretty aggressive for day to day street riding, but are great if you might venture onto light single-track. The Winter Marathons I got to ride briefly are faster on pavement.

Because studded tires are heavy and slow, and when the pavement is clear, which lately has been more often than not, they have the opposite effect. When the streets have snow, ice, or slush, studded tires are great, but when you're riding on clean pavement they totally suck. I use them, but for me there are only a handful of days out of the winter I feel that they're a necessity. And,

I rather be safe than sorry and being slower is fine because getting to work and home safely is more important than being fast during this time of the season.

I hear ya. I guess it's worth mentioning that I ride more than one bike during the winter months. If the road conditions are nasty I ride the bike with the studs, if conditions are good I'm happy to ride the bike without studs.

To the OP: if putting studs on your Trucker will get you out on your bike more, then you should pick up a set. Now's the time to get them.

I'm selling a pair of 26x1.75" Marathon Winters for $50.

^^^^ Do it!
I rock a 700x40c 240 carbide stud Nokian Hakkapelita front and a 35c Conti cross tire rear. I had bought the pair of studs, but only use one 90% of the time bc of the above mentioned slowness. I have only bailed once this year, and it was due to hubris and a snow covered ice patch on the entrance to the greenway at 11th ave.
If you have reasonable reaction time and balance, a front tire is all you really need, IMHO. That said, I have really fast reactions and great balance from years of karate as a kid, video gameing, bicycle polo and mtb riding. YMMV.

PM'ed

I'm confused by this. Maybe it's just me, and the fact that I'm already carrying just under 300 pounds on my bike (me at 280-290 plus a pannier with my work clothes) but when I switched to studded tires, I didn't notice any speed difference on dry pavement.

I'm not trying to sprint - I'm just trying to commute at a decent pace. But this fall I was averaging about 10.5mph on my 11 mile rides to and from work. When I switched to the studded tires, just before the snow started, I was averaging just about 10.5mph. Last week, on the roads that we kind of crappy, I averaged 10.5mph.

I switched from the stock WTB city tires that came with my bike to the Schwalbe Winter Marathons. No difference in speed, no difference in ride quality. A definite increase in noise on dry pavement. And a huge plus in confidence riding on the crappy winter roads.