Quote:
Originally Posted by emathias
although I never put on studded tires as I didn't think they made sense with my fixed-geae track bike, so didn't ride if it was icy or too snowy.
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many serious winter bike commuters swear by fixed gear bikes combined with studded tires for the ultimate level of control on icy/snowy surfaces.
of course, skid stopping on studded tires can rip the studs right out of the tire, so you'd want some means of mechanical braking, which your track bike may not have.
my feeble, middle-aged knees enjoy multiple gears way too much to go SS/fixed gear for my own commuting desires, but it's a perfectly sensible solution for some winter riders.
good studded tires are amazing for ice riding. i have schwalbe marathon winter tires on my winter rig. with 256 tungsten-carbide studs per tire, i can literally do figure-8's on an ice rink.
though they do slow me down quite a bit. that's why i like having multiple commuting bikes, so i can ride the appropriate rig for the conditions of any given day. there are lots of winter days in chicago when studs are not needed.