Tyres for Winter

sapper

I got some specialised Armadillo tyres during the summer and they really do the job I bought them for - I haven't had a puncture since...

They're pretty bald tyres though, with just a single tread zig-zagging around it. Whenever I cycle over a wet piece of metal (eg luas track) they completely slip and lose their grip.

Am a bit worried about cycling these in frost and ice - (up to now I've used knobbly mountain bike tyres). I keep them pumped up to the max normally.

Are you supposed to deflate tyres to the minimum pressure for frost and ice? Or do I need to get "winter tyres"? I'm guaranteed to wipeout on a patch of frost with my current set-up....

Morgan

You don't need to change your tyres. No tyres will grip on wet metal surfaces, or ice (OK, not counting these) - tread won't make any difference in these situations. Just be careful and keep an eye on the road.

sapper

They're a bit "Mad Max" aren't they?:)

So it wouldn't help any to put more tyre on the road ie. deflate them a little?

Killgore Trout

Agree with morgan, treaded tyres make absolutely no difference on bicycle tyres, I used stupid stock road treaded tyres on a hybrid i own, replaced with slicks - absolutely no difference in slippiness but i got much better performance from the slicks. (Conti sport contact - bit puncture prone i found - where you get the armadillos, btw)

regarding tyre pressure - stick to the recommended pressures, or what works best for you in the dry. dropping pressure will only slow you down.

rubadub

sapper wrote:

They're a bit "Mad Max" aren't they?:)

They will look well with the waterguns and spikes in the handlebars.
Cycle 100m on a cycletrack and you will have the same amount of crap sticking out of your tires!

In the last few years there has been very little ice or snow on the roads. I stick to main routes where cars or other bikes have defrosted the ice, also main routes tend to be straighter. I slow down on corners in the wet or ice, no tyre is foolproof. Make sure you are ready to fall, a few years back there was bad ice/snow, I fell about 3 times on the way to work, but was prepared and was fine.

Chips Lovell

Lowering the pressure on wet days can help too. It means there is a little bit more rubber in contact with the road.

blorg

As others have said, tread will not help you, but I too find Armadillos slippy in the wet/frost.