Make a snow tire for a bicycle. How to put spikes on bicycle tires yourself and ride a bike in winter

In this article we will talk about studded tires and self-studded bicycle tires at home. Let's compare the effectiveness of different studding methods with factory tires designed for winter driving.

Introduction

With the onset of winter, most cyclists stop their trips and the bike can only wait for spring warming. And if the obstacle in the form of cold can be solved with warm cycling or everyday clothes, then when snow and ice begin, riding becomes almost impossible. We will discuss this "almost" with you.

Not for the first year I have been thinking that it would be nice to ride snow-covered paths, admire winter landscapes, breathe clean frosty air. And the problem has always been the fear of a slippery road, representing a considerable danger. Thinking about winter tires. But their cost has always stopped - to invest from 700 to 1000 and more UAH. for multiple trips highly impractical for our modest income.

On the Internet and on the forum, links and pictures of independent spikes often flashed, but sometimes they didn’t reach their hands, sometimes they didn’t have an extra pair of toothy tires at hand. Finally, the desire to ride on ice and snow exceeded all "buts" and I decided to deal with the issue of self-studded bicycle tires right up close.

With the search for new information on the net, the analysis of the attempts of the bike brothers to make studded tires, I gradually formed the image of the perfect studded shoe at home.

The most common mistake, in my opinion, is long spikes:

It seemed to me that it was easy to damage the tire and the chamber with the head of a cracked screw. I decided that the spikes still need to be bitten off or grinded off. Both of these options seemed extremely labor-intensive to me. Perhaps for this reason, the process was constantly delayed.

But the forum offered another option - instead of furniture screws (with a press washer), like these

use "flies" - the smallest self-tapping screws with a drill: 3.5 x 9.5. (bottom in the photo) The experience of others showed that they are in no hurry to tear the rubber, and they weigh less.

Choice

The screws were selected and, as a result of a short search, were found in the "Epicenter" at a price of 60 UAH. for 1000 pieces. 500 was enough for me and the purchased screws were divided into two.

Now we choose tires. The main factor in the studding project was the minimum amount of cash investment, so that, in case of failure, not to regret the lost funds.

After asking the members of the forum for unnecessary tires and places where you can buy them cheaply new, I turned up a very attractive option: a pair of not badly killed (and the front is almost new) Tioga Factory DH tires. The owner, with joy and in the name of new research, parted with them for a symbolic price of 40 UAH per piece. What makes the tires interesting: The tread width is 2.3", large thick lugs ideally placed for studding and probably effective in snow.

Process

Studding was made in the following way:

First, we drill holes in the spikes with a screwdriver from the outside to the inside. The drill diameter remained unknown, because it was bought on the market from my grandfather "by eye" - something about 1 mm.
From the inside on the tire you can see the holes through which the drill came out. We tighten the screws through these holes from the inside. As it turned out, they are not afraid that they once again turn in rubber.
We cut the old camera lengthwise from the inside, cut out the nipple
We put a slightly inflated chamber into a cut one and put it all into the tire and install it on the rim. Pumping up.

At first things went badly. At first, there was no drill and it was necessary to drill with the self-tapping screw from the outside, which rubbed the fingers, the self-tapping screw constantly fell out of the non-magnetic head of the cross bit. Screws often climbed out of the center of the spike, because of which they had to be twisted. But from the first attempts, two rows were screwed into the rear tire: 104 screws, 52 for each row. It was decided, in view of the high labor costs, to leave two rows behind.

The front wheel was studded already with a drill and some skills. It took a little over an hour to make 208 screws (4 rows of 52 pieces). To celebrate, I decided to add the missing 2 rows to the rear tire as well. The result met all my expectations and confirmed the correctness of the choice of components - the spikes protruded from the rubber about as much as in expensive factory tires.

All close-up photos were taken after the test drive.

As I already wrote, another old camera was inserted inside between the screw heads and the camera, cut along the inner circumference. Here's what the screw heads left on it after the test drive.

Similar prints on the camera. The chamber is covered with talc, which was full in the cut tire.

If you pump it up, the prints are still visible. And although it’s too early to say that it’s easy to wipe even through the second chamber, I would advise you to seal the hats with something more dense and not stretchy. Unfortunately, I did not find such materials and will continue to test the available ones.

This is what the screw heads look like inside the tire.

Despite the fact that the screws sit tightly in the rubber and the tire does not plan to tear, I carry a spare tube and tire with me, Kenda Small Black 8, which can roll up into a small ball.

The spikes on the rear tire are different from the front ones. In this model, let me remind you: Tioga Factory DH, this was conceived by the manufacturer (see photo of tires above). The rear tire I got is a little worn out and the inner row of spikes sticks out 1-2 mm more. Not perfect, but I think it's better than without them.

The pressure in the cells was below normal. Tested with fingers. Feels like about 1.5 ATM.

Test Drive

3 more people volunteered to check the quality of the work done with me in combat conditions. We gathered in Leporsky Park on a Sunday morning - to ride along its snowy paths, along the track of the summer eliminator.

Each of us four had studded tires. The following took part in the tests:

Tioga Factory DH with front sights 9.5 x 3.5

Schwalbe Ice Spiker

Innova 2.35 with thick furniture screws with sawn points and additional front sights. Rides studded for the 3rd year. Back without spikes.

Kenda Klondike

We waited a little more for new participants, waited for no one and the test began!!!

But first, I’ll tell you how I got to the park at the gathering place, located one and a half kilometers from home.

He rolled the bike up the stairs. It clattered loudly with iron spikes on the concrete. Carefully, trying not to catch the walls, I lowered the bike from the 3rd floor. I immediately noted that the tires do not rest against concrete at all, but slide over it. The bike is difficult to lean against the wall - it can fall.

The outside. Frost of 10-12 degrees, half-melted recent snow, which turned into mush in places where people walk and cars drive and froze in this state. Small bumps inspire serious concern. If there were no spikes, it would be very difficult to ride on them. But let's check the spikes... Lower the saddle a couple of centimeters and go!

first meters. Scary. I'm trying to check the tenacity of the tires. They don't seem to slip. Braking - they stop well, they slip a little, but ... Like on asphalt crushed with sand. Front braking is great! It is quite effective, but the probability of blocking with subsequent skidding has increased. In general, gradually went to full strength. Yes, you have to ride on sidewalks. It is dangerous to meddle on the road due to the fact that cars are much more stable than my bike :)

I drive through frozen curbs, cross transverse deep snow and ice ruts. Everything is fine. The bike habitually holds the cover. Those. here is quite good. I try to ride standing in the buildup - no problem! I quickly get to the park, where they are already waiting for me.

Go! Lots of rides in the park. The bike is not only stable on the descent, it climbs the hills without the slightest slip on the trodden snow. Children sledding and not without difficulty climbing slides along slippery paths look with surprise as we drive up these slides. And even standing, even swinging.

The photo shows how Lyokha enters the turn. With a twist, as usual. The studding allows you to control the bike perfectly in such conditions.

Having rolled around the park, we meet another participant in today's trip. He has no spikes in his tires and feels much less confident. And only the experience of several trips before that helps him not to fall every 10 meters.

We decide to test the braking. We find an area with a smooth smooth ice crust.

See the video for the results.

What happened: braking with only the rear wheel is inefficient and the braking distance is quite long. It is almost impossible to slow down without spikes (0:45). Braking with both wheels is very effective (0:33), but if you pinch in front, the rear wheel can lock up and slip (1:13), which is very likely to end in a fall.

After the park we went down to the sea. A steep descent along the steps opposite the boulevard 50 years of October gave a good thrill. Loose melted snow does not hold tires as confidently as ice.

Two more were waiting for us downstairs. Both are without spikes. On my suggestion to definitely go on the ice, one of them noticed that he had already registered 4 times :) Ie. fell.

And indeed, the guys were very bad at riding against a strong east wind. They drove slowly, fell, they were blown away by the wind.

The photo shows a strip of my spikes. Yes, it was scary to drive on very smooth ice, but braking has not gone anywhere, you can still ride standing up.

Tellingly, it is very difficult to stand on this ice and even in the wind, but riding a bicycle is incomparably easier. Tires hold ice just amazing. Yes, I was embarrassed to allow myself to make lean turns and tried to drive as smoothly as possible without sudden movements. Therefore, I have not yet found the limit of the possibilities of tires with homemade spikes.

As a result, the guys without spikes and Lech, whose back was left without spikes, gave up and got out on the shore, and we continued on the ice. Soon we drove from below to the Lyapinsky Hills area, drove along the beam and returned to the city. Riding on a beam in which poorly trampled snow did not bring much pleasure and took a lot of energy. For some reason, my knee hurt. Probably, several circumstances overlapped each other: increased loads, cold, low landing.

On the streets of the city, a frozen slush of ice was waiting for us, trampled by people and rolled out by the wheels of cars, which turned into dangerous bumpy ice with ruts and small pits. Yes, often the wheel fell off some bump, but it immediately caught on spikes, and over time I got used to not being distracted by such trifles. Even shallow - up to 2 cm - longitudinal ruts from the wheels on the ice ceased to be noticed.

While the guys were going to the store, Denis called me and reminded me that we planned to take a picture of "his charm", which became an intrigue for a whole week :) I returned back to Vostochny. A few dozen photos and home.

winter riding

A few notes and observations on winter driving.

The temperature in the morning was 12 degrees and may have risen a little during the trip. I dressed noticeably warmer than at 0 degrees, namely:

two insulated cycling pants
3 pairs of socks, one of which is insulated, shoe covers, summer cycling shoes with contacts
two pairs of gloves, one - velo, the second - knitted
anti-aircraft gun, t-shirt with sleeves and fleece, Nalini thermal jacket, bright windbreaker.
on the head are two ordinary Buff "a, one of which is non-original. Helmet. Glasses.

All this made me feel very comfortable. Not cold even in the wind. Unless at sea the little fingers on the hands could freeze, and on long stops - the toes. What is characteristic and did not sweat from overheating, although even in the park with many climbs I purposefully tried not to overheat. I didn’t have one mask on my face, but sometimes, when driving against the wind, I wanted to put it on. I think that up to 10 degrees below zero it is not really needed and driving without it is a habit. On the other hand, during active driving in the park on the slopes, I breathed cold air several times, but it turned out to be without consequences.

Conclusion

It turned out to be an excellent ride. Drove a total of 26.5 km. And guys under 50, because. drove from the center.

The tires turned out to be very good. The final budget amounted to 110 UAH. (80 UAH tires, 30 UAH screws). All the efforts expended were not in vain and moreover exceeded all expectations. Together we decided that on the ice my tires are better than the rest. A little behind was the Schwalbe Ice Spiker, which has smaller spikes and not pointed, but with sharp edges on cylindrical protrusions. Artem with Kenda Klondike lacked central studs, and Lekha should have studded the rear tire as well, so as not to walk uphill. Without spikes, and especially for the first time, driving is very dangerous.

We're going to try again next weekend. But this time you will have to fight more with the snow, which has fallen quite a lot.

Watch YouTube video. How to make winter tires on a bike

How to make studded tires on a bicycle with your own hands

If you want to safely ride a bike in winter (and not only), then you need to take care of good grip of the wheels with snow, mud, sand, ice. You can buy studded tires, or you can make studded tires on your bike with your own hands.

In this article, let's look at a more affordable and cheaper option for how to do this.

How to stud bike tires

Option number 1: Alteration of the tire (large tread)

You will need:

deep tread tire
Small flat screws (package), in this case, short wood screws work well

1. Purchase a package of self-tapping screws from a hardware store.

2. Take a drill and a 2-3 mm drill. Drill holes in the places where you are going to install the spikes.

3. Try to screw in the self-tapping screw at a perpendicular angle (90 degrees) to the tire, it should not stick out to the side.

Drill the hole and screw in the screw immediately. When you first screw the holes, and then screw in the screws, it will take you a lot of time to find the holes.

4. After these works, glue the inner surface of the tire with reinforced electrical tape (possible in 2 layers). You can also use special anti-puncture tapes in the tire instead of adhesive tape, which are sold at a bike shop. They will help protect the camera from being damaged by the screw heads.

5. Put the tire on the bike rim. Be careful during installation - you can injure your hands.

Option number 2: Tire modification (small tread)

You will need:

bicycle tires with small tread
A package of short bolts and a set of nuts corresponding to the thread. Bolts should be short, not massive, nuts should be no more than 1 cm high.

1. Dismantle the wheels of the bike, remove the tires from the wheels.

2. Determine the places in the tire where you can put the bolts (should be twisted between the rubber protection spikes, always in the center and preferably at the edges, but not close to the rim).

3. Mark the selected holes with a marker. Drill holes smaller than the thickness of the bolts (they will have to be screwed into the tire, but this way the bolts will not fail).

4. With the thread on the outside, screw the bolts into the tire, then tighten the nuts onto the bolts from the outside of the tire. Then the nuts and bolt ends will work as spikes.

5. As in the first option, put anti-puncture tape inside the tire or glue it with reinforced electrical tape in a couple of layers.

6. Install tires, mount wheels on the bike.

Do-it-yourself studded tires on a bicycle

Option number 3: Use chain pieces as spikes

You will need:

Bicycle or other small chain.
Wire, small bolts and nuts, other metal clips.

1. This method is easier, but it is only suitable for bikes with disc brakes.

2. Purchase the required items.

3. Remove the wheels from the bike, measure the circumference of the rim + tire using a flexible meter.

4. Bite off the chain of the length obtained in the measurement.

5. Attach the cut chains around the rim and tire. This can be done with wire, bolts with nuts, other metal clamps.

6. Mount the wheels. If suddenly the wheels are not put in place - remove the plastic protection.

Do-it-yourself tire studding on a bicycle takes a lot of time.
Do not inflate the wheel chamber very much, a slightly lowered wheel has a large grip area with the road surface.
For stable driving on ice, winding the chain around the wheels (option No. 3) is best suited. The wheel should not be wide.
An old chain from a bicycle is enough to wind one thin wheel of 28 diameters. During work, use a chain squeezer.
Even if you put the chain only on the front, and on the back - a tire with an increased tread - the resulting bike design will be stable on snow and ice, sand.
Do not try to drive on studded tires on stones - studs will not save you from such a road.
To correctly put the chain on the wheel, first lower it, and when you fix the chain, pump it up. The increased pressure in the chamber will hold the chain very well.
Anti-puncture tape can be made from a used tire with a low (slick) tread (bald), cut a strip of the required width from a used tire and put it inside the used one. If this design is cumbersome, you can cut a strip from the old tube and put it on rubber glue inside the tire you are using. Such tape protects the camera from punctures better than reinforced tape.

Warnings

You must understand that cycling on slippery roads (snow, ice, mud), even on a bicycle with such a wheel modification, is fraught with falls and injuries. Therefore, if the road is very slippery and it is difficult to ride on it without falling off the bike, then it is better to use another means of transportation.
The self-tapping screws have sharp enough edges that can pierce the camera if installed incorrectly or inattentively.
Rubber studding is applicable for mountain bikes, it is not advisable to use narrow tires for this purpose.
Do not pump the wheels as this may cause the bike to fall off.
If you chose the 3rd option for wheel studding, you should understand that in the event of a chamber puncture, you will have to remove pieces of the chain and put it back on after repair.
The 1st and 2nd options are not suitable for tubeless, if you drill a tire, you will break its tightness.

We hope the article helped the option of tire studding for a bicycle. Share in the comments what you did. Also watch a helpful video on this topic.

velo-tur.net

Making winter tires (mountain bike)

"The sleigh is ready in the summer" says a good Russian proverb, but what can a cyclist prepare for winter? Winter tires! All the same, a very useful thing in snow skiing, so if you are not going to close the season, then it is advisable to get such a kit. But if the question of price stops you, then there is an option, and a very good one at that - to make winter tires yourself, especially since it is not so difficult.

For this you will need:

1. Two ordinary bicycle tires, preferably with a large and not worn tread pattern;

2. 200 (100 for each wheel) steel screws 6x3/8 or 1/4 (with caps and nuts). The length depends on the tread height of your (future winter) tires;

3. A thick tape, a piece of rubber hose, in general, anything that can be put on the inside of the tire to protect against punctures with your own future spikes;

5. Key or answer for tightening screws

6. Dremel or something similar for grinding screws.

Armed? Then fight!

1. First of all, inspect the tires. All attention should be paid to the tread pattern, figure out how you will position the screws (it is desirable to place them both in the center and on the sides). I have chosen this pattern:

2. Drill the marked places with a drill (thin drill)

3. Tighten the screws into the resulting holes, if it doesn’t work with your hands, use a screwdriver

4. Repeat the previous step again, again and again... Until you get the complete picture, such as in the photo

5. Probably the screws will go through, be sure to check the inside

For this we need a dremel, grind the ends of the screws until they are smooth and will not come out of the rubber

6. Put a thick tape on the inside, a piece of rubber hose or other protection against a possible puncture (even if polished) with a screw, feel free to put it on the rim and quickly check your creation on the street! Good luck riding, don't leave your bikes alone on the balcony!

www.cyclepedia.ru

In this video I will tell you in detail how to stud an old tire with self-tapping screws. Ready for winter rides

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Bicycle tires for winter

You can find a lot of fans not only to eat ice cream in winter, but also to ride a bike, regardless of weather conditions. And some in this way seek to reduce travel time - it's easier to quickly get there on your two-wheeled transport than to spank for a long time in the slush, getting your feet wet. If you are a fan of autumn and, then you probably wondered how to make studded tires on a bicycle with your own hands. It's no secret that factory studded tires cost a fortune, and this applies even to Chinese-made tires. What can we say about branded models?

On the roads there are holes, ledges, stones, which are much more difficult to notice in puddles and slush, under ice and snow. So, in the autumn-winter period, the tire is much easier to damage. And if it is an expensive one that will have to be changed again, the burden on your budget may become excessive. There is a way out - to make spikes on the bike with your own hands. It's a lot easier than it looks and probably won't take more than a couple of hours. At the same time, the cost of the necessary parts is minimal. So, we hiss your bike.

Items you will need

Bicycle tire.

The tire itself, which we will stud. You can buy an inexpensive one, or you can take it, even an erased one that you planned to throw away. It is quite suitable to practice and understand how to make spikes on a bicycle, and it is likely that it will last a long time, and if necessary, you can easily make another one. But if you choose a new tire, it is better to give preference to the one with a deeper tread. It is desirable that in those places where you will add spikes, there is a thicker layer of rubber.

Self-tapping screws with a wide cap.

Self-tapping screws 4.2 × 13 mm are best suited. The fact is that part of the self-tapping screw will go into the rubber, another part will be erased while driving. Therefore, shorter self-tapping screws may not be durable, but if there is no other option, then you can take a shorter one. A wide hat is needed for a good fixation of the self-tapping screw on the inside of the tire. By quantity, you need as many self-tapping screws as you want to add spikes to your bike.

Super glue.

Any one you have on hand will do. All-purpose superglue will suffice. But if you choose glue specifically to make a studded bike tire, then you can use superglue for rubber.

Awl or drill with a thin drill.

Of course, with a drill it will be much easier for you, but if there is no drill, an ordinary awl will do.

Phillips screwdriver suitable for self-tapping screws.
Old bicycle camera.

Put all the items next to you, take care of good lighting, as you have to find small holes in the tire, and get to work!

Instructions for creating studded tires

Next, we give detailed instructions on how to make studded. Of course, first of all, the tire must be disassembled. After that, inspect it and select the places where the spikes will be. As mentioned above, it is better to choose places where the rubber is thicker, because the self-tapping screws will hold on to it more firmly and tears will not appear. You can also make spikes on the side of the tire so that they point towards the ground at an angle. With them, you will be more comfortable to ride the bike, as the side spikes will make it easier to take turns on an icy road.

It is best to make four rows of spikes: two rows at the bottom of the tire and two rows on the sides.

Now let's get straight to the process. Take a drill or an awl and make a through hole in the tread where the first spike will be. There is a little trick here that will greatly simplify the work.

Important! Make a puncture from the outside, not from the inside. So you will see exactly where the spike will come out and will not fall into a thin section of rubber.

Then, from the inside of the tire, squeeze a drop of superglue onto the hole. Take a self-tapping screw and use a screwdriver to screw it into the hole until it stops. It is not necessary to overtighten strongly, so as not to create an additional load on the rubber. At the same time, the head of the self-tapping screw should be tight enough to the tire for the superglue to lock it in place.

Important! Insert each self-tapping screw immediately after piercing. If you make all the holes first and then start to put in the screws, it will be very difficult for you to find the holes, especially if your tire is black on the inside.

Now you have a rather monotonous job of adding all the spikes. But it won't take too long. And when your tire is studded with spikes around the entire circumference, having acquired a rather futuristic look, you can enjoy the results of your work: do-it-yourself studded tires for a bicycle are ready!

There is only one final, but important detail: you need to make a gasket so that the heads of the self-tapping screws do not wipe the chamber of your bike. The easiest way is to make such a gasket from an old camera. But you can get creative and use scraps of leather or other material. If nothing like this is available, just cut the old tube lengthwise and wrap it around the tube of your bike. You can lubricate it from the inside with superglue for better fixation. Put on your new studded tires on top and go ahead, you can try it out!

Be prepared for the fact that at first various debris, dry leaves and other objects that have fallen under will cling to the spikes. But over time, the screws will become a little dull and this problem will disappear. Good luck on the roads!

Winter came and I had to do something with the bike so as not to fall on the ice. I could buy ready-made studded bike tires - it would cost me 4-5 thousand rubles. Not only because of the desire to save money, but also from the eternal desire to do something with my own hands, I decided to make winter bike tires myself.

It was bought: 2 budget tires for 250 rubles. each; 400 pcs. 13 mm. self-tapping screws (about 100 rubles).

Tires were chosen with large “teeth” so that self-tapping screws could fit comfortably in them. In total, the tire had 80 + 140 + 80 teeth. I didn’t want to screw in 300 screws, so I inserted screws into the side rows through one. As a result, about 190-200 self-tapping screws were inserted into each tire. This made the tires about 200 grams heavier.

So, tires are bought, self-tapping screws - too. We must get to work. First you need to make the guide holes in the tires. Without them, self-tapping screws will often go crooked and come out in the wrong place. It is very important that the self-tapping screws “peep out” from the center of the “tooth” - this will extend the life of the tire. To do this, I took a drill and began to drill holes. It was hard, to say the least, so I came up with a new way: I clamped a nail with pliers, heated it over a fire and made holes in tires with it. It was no longer difficult, but it still took a lot of time. And then a brilliant idea came to my mind - to make holes with an awl! The sewer was not at home, so I had to buy it. Making holes with an awl is the best option.

The holes are ready, it's time to screw in the screws. I bought self-tapping screws for 13 mm with a press washer. It is very important to buy with a press washer, because. only they have a fairly wide "hat". I screwed the screws into the tire with a regular screwdriver. The tire was not turned inside out. The main thing is that the screws are screwed in evenly. You don't need to glue them on. The self-tapping screw must be screwed in so that at the exit it slightly presses the rubber thread under itself.

That's what I did:

The last photo shows that on the side rows the screws are inserted through one. Empty teeth are also sometimes found in the center, the order there is: 1-2-1-1-2-1-1-2-1, etc.

Screws are screwed in, let's move on. Now they need to be sharpened. I didn’t have a sharpener, so I asked a friend to sharpen the spikes. The self-tapping screws were hefty strong and the grindstone was more likely to grind off than they were. But, anyway, they managed to undermine them. On one tire, the studs were slightly longer; I put it on the front wheel, because there is less load on it and the quality of handling depends on it. The side row of self-tapping screws can be turned weaker (the main thing is that they are not sharp), because they will only work when cornering. A tire with turned screws looks like this:

Self-tapping screws are screwed in and turned, but that's not all. So that the caps of the self-tapping screws do not damage the camera, you need to make a lining. To do this, I cruelly cut two cells - one old and one, I'm not afraid of this word, new. Now you can collect the wheel. When laying the camera, be careful not to scratch it on the spikes.

Yesterday I tested my homemade winter bike tires by riding about 25 km on snow and about 35 km on asphalt. When driving on asphalt, a rather loud noise is created, but this cannot be called a big drawback. When driving on snow and ice, the tires proved to be the best - while friends on ordinary tires constantly fell on ice, I drove absolutely without bothering, as if on asphalt. If we compare studded tires with ordinary ones, albeit with an evil tread, with emergency braking the difference is simply monstrous. Heaven and earth! With studded tires, during heavy braking at high speed on ice, it does not skid at all, the studs leave a deep mark on the ice.

The only drawback is that it is difficult to maintain a high speed of riding and a little more difficult to ride in general. This is felt when driving on asphalt, but driving on ice / snow is a real pleasure.

Today we will talk about how to install studs on a bicycle tire yourself to make winter studded bike tires. We will also consider the methods of mounting homemade spikes on bicycle tires with your own hands in order to ride a bicycle in winter

Cycling, of course, means more riding in the warm season, but some extreme cyclists do not leave their “iron horses” alone in winter, arranging winter rides in nature or simply using them as a regular vehicle.

The operation of a bicycle in winter requires not only excellent physical fitness of the cyclist, but also makes special demands on the bicycle. So, here are some useful tips for winter cycling:

Be sure to install winter studded tires. With frequent movement on ice or rolled snow, tires with at least 200-350 spikes are needed; for driving along city streets, there may be fewer spikes - from 50 to 200 pieces.

If the bike has only caliper brakes, then at least one of them (in front) must be replaced with a disc brake. The thing is that V-brake brakes, working on a rim clamp, significantly lose their effectiveness in cold weather due to icing of the rims. The wheel can make up to 10 revolutions from the moment the brake is applied. What kind of safety can we talk about when a bicycle travels a distance of 20 meters in 10 revolutions? In the cold, disc brakes also perform worse than in summer, but still significantly more effective than V-brake brakes.

· When driving on winter roads, the chain is sure to become clogged with dirt and road chemicals. After each ride, be sure to clean and lubricate the chain.

· When driving on snow, the sprockets and gear shifters become clogged with snow very quickly. It is recommended to periodically stop and clean the gearshift mechanism.
· If there are cracks or chips on the bike's paintwork, paint over the damaged areas, otherwise the rust will corrode the frame, and in the summer you will have nothing to ride on.

· The seals of the bushing and the carriage “tan” in the cold, letting in dirt and other nasty things. We recommend disassembling and relubricating the bushings and carriage once every two months.

It gets dark very quickly in winter, so be sure to install a red flasher and reflectors on your bike to indicate your presence in the dark, and install a headlight in front, preferably LED.

Many cyclists ask themselves the question in winter whether to switch to studded tires or not. One of the decisive factors against bicycle studs is the considerable price of high-quality winter tires. Only one bicycle tire with spikes can cost five thousand rubles - they are not always ready to spend so much on bicycle tires.

But by the way, such rubber is worth the money - the spikes reliably bite into the ice areas, allowing the bike to maintain the trajectory.

No desire to buy? Can do it yourself

Let's say right away that it is unlikely that it will be possible to maintain rolling with self-studding, but it is quite possible to achieve decent contact with the ice surface.

What we need for self-production of studded bicycle tires:

An old tire with a high tread (completely worn out will not work);
- awl;
- a couple of hundred self-tapping screws with a press washer;
- silicone, or shoe glue;
- an old bicycle chamber;
- pliers;
- screwdriver;
- file.

Have all the required materials been found? Getting started!

Decide what kind of drawing you are going to do. Optimal for most cases - insert spikes in three rows - on the sides and in the center. The center can be dispensed with to preserve the roll and give the rubber the properties of a winter grip for cornering and in narrow ice ruts.

You can also stud in four rows - this is especially reasonable if the checkers in the tread have an even number.

Having decided on the patterns of the spikes, mark the punctures in the centers of the lugs (bumps) of the tire.

Turn the tire inside out and start screwing a self-tapping screw into the pierced hole - a small part of it should come out right in the center of the lug. The job is tedious and long.

At the next stage, we begin to make a fur coat. To do this, we need an old bike chamber. Cut it, lay the inside of the tire (not to the very edge of the cord), measure and align everything again and start attaching it to the glue. The task of a fur coat is to protect a working bicycle chamber from cuts with self-tapping screws.

The next step involves grinding the screws to an acceptable level. The lateral ones can be left, but the radial spikes will have to be cut off. Leave the edges of the radial screws protruding no more than 1-2 mm. From the side - to taste.

What to cut? - wire cutters, pliers, file, grinder. With wire cutters or pliers you will make a rough cut, and with a file you will level it for a condition close to what we see on the factory rubber.

That's all.

Features of self-made winter bike tires

Not the most ideal roll;
- Pretty massive mass of construction;
- An archaic spike, inferior to what we see on factory tires;
- Cheap and cheerful!

Video instruction

Is all this necessary?

The stud is yours for those who ride downhill, or participate in country races, or bike tours.
It is customary to clean downhill tracks before skiing, but the ground will not become softer because of this - the spike increases grip on frozen ground, this is important and you can feel it.

In winter country racing without studs, it is objectively more difficult to work at full strength. As long as the snow is soft, it's good, but the sections on the tracks are different.

In cycling tourism, the spike is safety. When you ride along the tracks, think about how dangerous the wheel is to leave on a sudden icy bump, and even off the tracks - in the forest, on snow-caked areas, the stud saves lovers of winter cycling.

Buy a good bike tire for winter, or make your own, as described above in the article. There will be less rolling, but the advantages of its use are still greater.

Cycling is an enjoyable pastime for many. But for those who like to ride a bike in the winter, other studded tires are provided. Next, we will need a tool: a good, suitable screwdriver for self-tapping screws, a 7 head (8 screwdriver or drill, drill (2-3mm chalk, awl, spacer for the tire. We mark the tire, the places where the spike will sit. You can use chalk or a marker We mark evenly.We take into account the fact that a large number of spikes increases the weight of the tire, and with a small number the necessary grip will not be provided.Here we need a creative approach.Also, one should not forget about the weakening of the tire, due to the rupture of the cord with a drill and self-tapping screws.We drill the marked places drill with a diameter of 2-3 mm Insert between the sides.

Tires "made" in one evening with a screwdriver, by eye. Between the chamber and the tire, the gasket is a one-layer adhesive tape. Self-tapping screws are the smallest, 2.5x10. Impressions: tires are extremely inconvenient to install, new self-tapping screws prick. On ice and packed snow, grip is very good. The motobike leaves the icy track at a very small angle without problems. Holds the road when braking and cornering. It is impossible to ride on loose snow - the resistance force is too great. In the photo the wheel after 400 km. Half on ice, the other half on asphalt. #eleven.
We rest with a screwdriver the self-tapping screw into the slots, outside the head. We twist so that the first thread of the thread appears above the nut. We visually and manually control that the tire is well crimped with the stud head on the inside and the washer with the nut on the outside. And so with every thorn. Be careful, the ends of the screws are traumatic! May suffer: body and limbs, clothes, parquet, lacquered / polished objects and especially impressionable animals! Do not forget that at speed and during rotation, such a wheel can seriously injure both its owner and others. When assembling the wheel between the chamber and the tire. Today I decided to update the worn self-tapping screws on the rear wheel of my bike. Why only in the back? Because they didn’t wear out on the front :) Although the front wheel is mainly responsible for handling, I wanted to update the screws on the rear to get rid of slips and drifts on ice.

So, although the self-tapping screws on the front wheel have worn off a little, they still have to roll and roll, and I don’t see the point in replacing them, they work well. On the rear wheel, the self-tapping screws have worn off almost completely and there is already very little effect from them: I began to slip heavily on ice, the rear wheel often blows away. There were no falls, but control over the road weakened.

I want to tell you more about how the wear of self-tapping screws occurs. Only the center row is sewn. The side rows work very rarely, so they hardly wear out on both wheels. The front wheel is lightly loaded, so they practically do not wear out there. On the back wheel, everything is more serious. Imagine that we have a wheel with new self-tapping screws. After 10-20 km of driving on asphalt, the self-tapping screws will noticeably undercut. Then the wear rate will decrease. After 40-60 km of asphalt, the self-tapping screws will already protrude from the rubber quite a bit, but will still provide good grip on ice. After that, the wear rate will decrease even more and only after 100-200 km of asphalt they will wear out so that they stop working. Therefore, do not be alarmed if you notice that after a few kilometers of asphalt pavement, the brand new self-tapping screws have noticeably worn off :) I have driven a little more than 400 km this winter and just now I decided to stud the rubber again. Moreover, we must remember that the winter of 2011-2012 until mid-January was almost snowless and I had to drive almost exclusively on asphalt. I think if the winter was normal, my spikes would last until spring.

I will also mention pads. After the chamber was cut through 3 times with self-tapping screws, I decided to go to extreme measures and made a gasket between the chamber and the tire from three old chambers on the rear wheel, and on the front - from the old semi-slick tire. The bike has become noticeably heavier, but I got used to it and now I can maintain a fairly high speed.

So, here's what the old worn screws look like. They don't really help anymore.

This is what it looks like new, just screwed on. They look scary, but you only need to be afraid of linoleum :)

Replacing screws is not difficult. I just unscrewed the old ones and screwed in the new ones. The side rows, of course, did not touch. It took less than an hour to unscrew the old screws. It took a little over an hour to screw in the new ones. Rubber, by the way, practically did not wear out and new self-tapping screws sat down quite tightly. I also want to draw your attention to the fact that although I use the most budgetary tires (250 rubles apiece), its condition can be assessed as excellent, despite the fact that I drove at least 300 km on asphalt and only a little more than a hundred on snow (winter is , damn it, snowless). Those. self-tapping screws reduced rubber wear when driving on asphalt.

Last time I asked a friend to grind my self-tapping screws to the required length. The second time I don’t want to disturb a person, and I decided not to grind the screws at all. As you can see in the photo, they protrude from the rubber by 0.5 cm

I was hoping that I would ride a few kilometers on asphalt and they would be undermined. Actually, this almost happened, only they did not grind off, but broke off a little at the tips. Already after a couple of (rather heavy, by the way) kilometers of asphalt, they were without sharp ends, and after 10 km of asphalt and 20 km of snow (well, snow does not count), the self-tapping screws are quite suitable, slightly hypertrophied spikes that hold perfectly on ice and protrude only on 1.5-2 mm. Now that they have become shorter, their wear will be noticeably reduced and you can safely ride

Actually, the result is this: there is no need to grind new self-tapping screws, it is enough just to ride literally 2-3 km on asphalt.

Studded bicycle tires enable its owner to enjoy cycling in ice and snow, without fear that he will not cope with the movement and fall on a bad road. After all, the road is often simply unpredictable in the winter period of driving.

Studded tires are similar to automotive counterparts, with a durable metal tread that is located on both sides of the tire. It makes it possible to drive on an icy surface without problems, but on condition that the wheels are not strongly pumped.

The spikes on the tire themselves come in various shapes:

- pointed;

- flat.

In addition, studded tires come with a different number of studs.

One type is double-row tires. They are located on the sides. With a good pumping of the wheel, they practically do not come into contact with the surface, only when turning. This applies to those weather conditions when there is no ice on the surface of the asphalt. But if you need to drive on an icy surface, the wheel should be less inflated. And the weather will work exactly those side metal spikes that are necessary for contact with a slippery surface.

Another type is four-row tires. They are similar to two-row tires, but the difference is that they also have an additional two rows of studs. That is, the number of spikes on the tire is increased by one and a half times. They are more powerful, make it possible to move comfortably where there are no normal roads. But first of all, they are designed for driving on an icy surface, but at the same time it makes it possible to drive on roads.

Important when using such a tire:

1.It does not carry out strong pumping. And then the steep turns, and the descents will be nothing to the cyclist.

2. And then it allows good grip of the tire on a slippery surface.

3. Absence of sharp braking and studded tires will last long enough.

And after installing studded tires, you need to go through the break-in process. But this must be done very carefully. This is necessary in order not to harm the spikes themselves and the tire. The running-in process itself is carried out precisely on asphalt and for an hour with a slow movement of the bicycle. This will give the studded tire a longer service life in good condition and without losing studs. And then any bike ride will be a joy even in winter.

It was bought: 2 budget tires for 250 rubles. each; 400 pcs. 13 mm. self-tapping screws (about 100 rubles).

Tires were chosen with large "teeth" so that self-tapping screws could fit comfortably in them. In total, the tire had 80 + 140 + 80 teeth. I didn’t want to screw in 300 screws, so I inserted screws into the side rows through one. As a result, about 190-200 self-tapping screws were inserted into each tire. This made the tires about 200 grams heavier.

So, tires are bought, self-tapping screws - too. We must get to work. First you need to make the guide holes in the tires. Without them, self-tapping screws will often go crooked and come out in the wrong place. It is very important that the self-tapping screws "peep out" from the center of the "tooth" - this will extend the life of the tire. To do this, I took a drill and began to drill holes. It was hard, to say the least, so I came up with a new way: I clamped a nail with pliers, heated it over a fire and made holes in tires with it. It was no longer difficult, but it still took a lot of time. And then a brilliant idea came to my mind - to make holes with an awl! The sewer was not at home, so I had to buy it. Making holes with an awl is the best option.

Yesterday I tested my homemade winter bike tires by riding about 25 km on snow and about 35 km on asphalt. When driving on asphalt, a rather loud noise is created, but this cannot be called a big drawback. When driving on snow and ice, the tires proved to be the best - while my friends on ordinary tires constantly fell on ice, I drove absolutely without bothering, as if on asphalt :) If we compare studded tires with ordinary ones, albeit with an evil tread , under emergency braking, the difference is simply monstrous. Heaven and earth! With studded tires, during heavy braking at high speed on ice, it does not skid at all, the studs leave a deep mark on the ice.

There is only one drawback - it is difficult to maintain a high speed of riding and a little more difficult to ride in general. This is felt when driving on asphalt, but driving on ice / snow is a real pleasure.

As I said, about 35 km yesterday I had to drive on bare asphalt. A friend with much more experience said that when I got home I would have to change the tires, as the asphalt spikes would wear off. But it turned out that the screws were practically not worn out. They only turned and became not sharp, but the length remained the same. However, it is worth noting that it doesn’t happen every time - I was just lucky with the purchase of high-quality self-tapping screws. In general, driving on asphalt on such rubber, although not desirable, is possible if you keep a low speed.

Using homemade winter studded bicycle tires. Advantages and disadvantages

Recently I wrote how to make studded tires for a bicycle. Some time has passed, I managed to ride it and now I am ready to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this bicycle rubber.

First, about the merits.

Although some say that they drive normally in winter on ordinary tires, but, whatever one may say, the difference is obvious. Especially when braking. But, it is the quality of braking that is most important when cycling in winter. Well, everything is clear with the advantages, let's move on to the disadvantages and difficulties.

disadvantages

Of course, these tires are a little more difficult to ride. But that's not the point. When driving on asphalt, the spikes on the rear wheel are noticeably erased, so for the whole winter the rear wheel will not be enough for me (everything is ok with the front one) and I will either have to make a new tire, or unscrew the worn screws and screw in new ones. But in this case, the tire rubber can wear out quickly, because. a new portion of self-tapping screws, most likely, will not go along an existing thread, but will lay a new one. But this is not the main thing. When I decided to stud a bike tire for the first time, one of the main reasons was the lack of winter bike tires on sale, or rather a rarity, and therefore without a choice of options. But now there is also on sale, and there is some choice and in online stores you can probably buy any.

But looking at the location of metal and rubber spikes in bicycle tires, and understanding how and where there is a desire to ride in winter, the mood did not improve. It's as if the product-designers of tire manufacturers care about their products from too idealistic positions. Either asphalt and smooth ice, or rolled snow alternately with a snowless road. And the spikes are specially made so that they are lost more quickly on hard surfaces, and it would be necessary to buy the next bike tire.

As a result of reasoning - to spend money on what is or to do what is much cheaper, but exactly as it should be, I chose to do it.
Base selection - tires

First, I decided on the parameters - what should be the tire. And given the previous experience of studding old ones, with a partially worn out tread, I decided that only a new one and not random, which will be given for nothing (or almost for nothing), but selected from catalogs, or from those suitable that are on sale. As a last resort, I decided to wait for the one ordered in the Internet store, but the one that would be more suitable.

1. - must be folding, since it is much easier to remove and install in the cold than with a wire frame - tires with an aramid carcass are softer, more obedient. Yes, and piercing with an awl, drilling, holding the direction of puncture and drilling, at the right angle is easier, as well as screwing in a tenon screw. If the tire can be turned flat. It is easy to press it with a clamp to the plane of a workbench or plywood (board).

2. - should be with a Kevlar cord, since piercing a tire in the cold and then gluing it is not an easy task due to that very frost. And I already had the experience of a tire rupture in winter - I drove along a broken section of a metal fence with a sticking out bar, which is not visible under the snow. Then he sealed not only the camera, but also the tire - the gap was one and a half centimeters. The procedure in the cold took more than two hours. The fire had to be built in order to glue at a positive temperature.

3. - The main point is the location of the rubber spikes of the tire, because they will have to install metal spikes. So that the height is no more than 4 mm - less than that of branded winter ones by 1.0 - 1.5 mm, and the location and quantity would allow driving on hard surfaces with less loss. And so that when turning and passing inclined ice surfaces, the spikes are in the place of the most advantageous application of forces - holding abilities. And it is imperative that the spikes be located more often along the contact track, for less mechanical losses when driving on ice.

4. - the dimensions of the rubber spikes of the tire. So that the spike does not have a size, along or across, less than 8 by 8 mm, since it will not be possible to hold the spike under load - the rubber spike will tear in the direction of the load on the metal spike.

On the tire found and liked in all respects, there were 444 spikes measuring 9 by 11 mm and 8 by 11 mm, 4 mm high, located in the best way for the planned winter rides on ice, asphalt and rocky dirt roads.

They turned out to be - KUJO DH 2.25 K, for installation on the rear wheel, and KUJO DH 2.35 K, for installation on the front, according to the turn condition, and therefore at a greater angle than the rear wheel, run into (slide out) ice obstacles.

Produced - IRC.

They also had embossed inscriptions that were pleasant to the eye - MADE IN JAPAN, and the sidewalls were made of red rubber, softer in the cold, prettier than a completely black tire.

Basically, as if everything is on the tires, now you need to find what will then be metal spikes.
Finding the right tenon screws

I had to spend a long time shopping for fasteners, because what they offered alone could turn out to be worse than what could be found somewhere else. Only two sellers had visual stands to choose screws, but for clarity, only one at a time, two sizes, and not everything that can be on sale. Yes, and on the sites I had to look for links to articles by do-it-yourselfers who were ahead of me in such an idea.

In all the articles read, self-tapping screws with sharp ends of screws or washers with curved pointed edges (home-made or furniture with a threaded recess - washer-nut with horns) were used, riveted exhaust or ordinary rivets. Both of them have one feature - to tear and tear everything that they touch and pass over - clothes, wallpaper, linoleum, etc. Another reason for refusing washers is that those that are furniture should be fixed with a screw with a flat washer, but even with a thread lock they can be easily lost. But the main thing is that it is impossible not to get hurt when putting on or taking off such a tire, even with gloves or mittens made of strong, thick leather. An attribute that you will definitely need to take with you with other tools if the spikes are so sharp. How to harden them is also a problem. Yes, and the losses during movement with such washers are large. In general, pucks - no.

As a result, the choice was made on self-tapping screws with a washer head, hardened, galvanized with a drill tip.

The drill ends of these screws do not scratch hands, do not cling to fabric, fleece, powder puffs. They do not stick into linoleum, do not tear wooden surfaces under a small load. But since the tips are made for drilling metal, they are harder (harder) than ordinary self-tapping screws. I tested it by trying to scratch the glass with self-tapping drills and sharp ordinary ones. Drills managed to scratch with less pressure and immediately.

They were satisfied with the sizes - 7.5 mm, 9 mm, 13 mm, and 16 mm in length, and the diameters - 3.8 mm and 4.0 mm, which were quite suitable for mounting in tires with different rubber thicknesses.

True, the 2 smallest sizes were with caps with a diameter of 7.75 mm and without puck-shaped extensions. The rest with caps-washers with a diameter of 10.7 mm. For some reason, sellers call them preshaibs.

Since the spikes were found and bought, it was possible to buy out the tires I liked, which were waiting for me in the Trial-Sport store.
Combining theory, conjecture, someone else's and your own experience into a single whole

First I had to think about the installation method - screwing in the spike screws, how to drill and pierce the tire so as not to damage the cord. Trying on a piece cut off from an old tire, cutting off a piece drilled at different angles and with different speeds, with drills of different diameters - from 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm, and changing the sharpening, I came to the conclusion. The drill is needed with a diameter of 2.0 mm - 2.5 mm, sharpening at an angle of 45 degrees or more, with a zero or negative angle of the cutting edge, the attacking part of the drill. The best indicator was when drilling with such a prepared drill, but in the opposite direction, as when unscrewing, the direction of rotation - the cord threads were not damaged at all. But even with the right rotation, the results were not bad - the cord was torn in isolated cases.

The technology is as follows - first pierce the tire with an awl where the spike will be installed. At an angle of installation of a thorn. Pierce from the outside so that the awl sticks out 15-20 mm inside the tire, so that you can see the place and the angle - the direction of the hole. Take a drill with a drill and switched to the opposite, the direction of rotation. The maximum speed is not more than 1000. It is more convenient if it is a cordless drill with speed control with a start trigger. Note the place and direction of drilling, pull out the awl and immediately drill into the resulting hole. Put the drill with a drill aside, take a second drill - an electric screwdriver with a Phillips screwdriver installed in the chuck - a pin that matches the number of the cross for the drill screw. Put the screw-drill on the tip of a Phillips screwdriver (pin) and screw it into the hole at an angle of drilling - piercing with an awl. Check that the screw drill - spike, comes out exactly in the right place, marked with an awl.

And also 443 more times, and then for the second tire the same number - exactly 444 identical procedures - “Chinese labor”. A little "trick", so as not to pierce the tire for each stud separately, pierced as many holes as I intended to install the studs on a given day (working shift). Then he stuck parquet nails into the resulting holes, and took them out only before drilling one at a time. Then he again inserted nails into the holes obtained, but thicker - 3 mm thick, immediately after drilling. And when I drilled the norm of the day, then I took out the three-millimeter-thick nails one at a time before screwing the tenon screw. So the holes did not “disappear” - they did not tighten, and faster and more accurately than repeating all the procedures with each spike.

First, a row of extreme ones, at appropriate angles, pierced and inserted parquet nails (they are inserted easily) - you can immediately see whether the holes are even and correct, according to the protruding row of nails. Then another extreme row, and then along the rows and the rest. But not all in a circle, but a section - a sector into which he divided the tire, as for working days. Observing accuracy and attention, each stage of work is visually easily controlled by evenly placed carnations.

It took about 30 working hours for the listed works - two weeks in the evenings.

It is possible and faster, but after all, I worked out the control technology, it’s already beautiful - the result of the work is visible and predictable.

Attention - you need to pierce the tire with an awl once for one spike, accurately marking the location of the hole according to the drawing, taking into account the angle along the red dotted line - 3-5 degrees from the black dotted line, no more.

The tire is 26 by 2.25 inches, screws with spikes of different sizes are used - the middle row is the smallest, blued, then slightly larger galvanized, and on the outer rows the largest ones with a preshay hat.

Close-up of a 26" x 2.35" tire. It can be seen that in the extreme rows, the screws are screwed in at an angle favorable for holding on to the ice. All thorns are the largest, with a preshayba hat.

I called a familiar trial worker and asked: “Are there any unnecessary, with a torn off nipple, cameras made of thick rubber?” It turned out that there are already 3 pieces. It was from these cameras that I cut out strips. I cut it in the middle of the sidewalls and used the outer part. Two chambers with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm and one with a wall thickness of 3.5 mm - heavy, the whole chamber weighed 600 grams, like a tire.

Thick-walled chamber, cut off in the middle of the sidewalls. For insertion into the rear studded tire - protects the cycle tube from the heads of the stud screws. It is also more loaded in the middle rows of stud screws, caps of small diameter are more embossed.

I installed a thick-walled strip under the rear tire, and thinner under the front. One thinner - spare. Inflatable bicycle tubes, used by Schwalbe, at a price of 240 rubles - ordinary, but made of high quality rubber. Bought in "Leader-Sport", on the street. K. Marx.

The rear tire from the inside, the chamber-gasket with traces from the heads of the spike screws is visible. There were no breaks, there was not even a hint of wear - the “gaskets” can be thin.

Tests

This most exciting and interesting thing happened from the Temnaya Pad station and when crossing Lake Baikal on ice.

At first, of course, I was driving to the central passenger station along the asphalt.

The first impression is the sound, like from a dog running on linoleum or parquet with its claws extended, but stronger. We are traveling with a friend who has no spikes on the wheels. But since there is no ice, we drive quickly and as if without tension, although we are careful not to slip and away from the cars.

Skating tests on the rink were surprising, but only for a moment - normal skating, turns and braking without problems. But there were no cars with pedestrians on the rink.

So there were no unusual impressions. Tried to brake sharply, turn around - normal. It seemed that without spikes, the friend is less confident, but this did not seem like a certain indicator. We go by train to the Dark Pad. How will it be there?

We arrived, looked down the trail and … drove. At first slowly, and then somehow inexplicably confident and risking more and more. Braking with the rear wheel, helping and sometimes dragging with one foot through the snow like motocrossers, and even accelerating and bouncing in some areas. Horror. Suicide slope.

I look around - my friend is gone, his bike too. I had to hurry up and search. It turns out that he, braking with the rear wheel and finding that this does not work on the steep slopes of the track, began to slow down with the front, but this did not help on a snowy trail. He began to accelerate and ran into a piece of soil bare from snow. The front wheel, braked and he had rims, stopped them both and threw one over the handlebars of the other down the hill. But somehow silently - he did not have time to be frightened and scream. And then the bike flew away. One lies below, in deep snow, silently, and the other, turning its wheels in an inexplicable position, ten meters away. The one without wheels responds with some phrase from a joke and unprintable about a close relative. Snowdrifts took both flawlessly - they flew next to huge stones and lying tree trunks.

Looking at the action described above, for the first time I became proud of my cycling. After all, he never slipped, although he was afraid a lot.

Further down, on the Angasolka river, there was a super test. I go down the path to the bridge, and from it to the hilly ice - snow on top, under it a layer of wet sludge, and ice at a depth of 5-10 cm. I reached the tree, looked around, and my friend was walking around this ice mess on the slope with a bicycle on his shoulder. She shouts that it is impossible not only to drive, but even to walk - it is slippery and wet. Once you fall and you have to go wet.

I let go of the tree and food, no sensations, ordinary driving, only splashes of sludge to the sides. I even liked it, I rode in different directions, because the ice on the river is bumpy and sloping, like the slope. Amazingly, no uncertainty, easy to ride, like dry and hard gravel. I didn’t want to go further, an absolutely unusual feeling from ordinary confident skiing - you go easy, switch, accelerate, brake, and this is a very slippery and uneven place, more slippery than just ice. After all, I didn’t go to such places, but on the contrary, I avoided it.

While driving to Baikal, out of interest, I chose the opportunity to drive exactly on the ice of the river, where it is under the sludge, wet, bumpy and whatever - the ride is absolutely normal, there is no stress, so as not to slip. It is easy to move out onto the ice and drive back to the shore, where the trail passes.

On the shore of the lake, several skiers took their skis with poles in their hands and went to the snow drift in order to ski to Slyudyanka along it.

Looking at the absolutely even and smooth ice, I was a little confused - how will it go? But having moved onto it, I heard the noise from the spikes and that's it ... no other feelings - like on a flat road. I accelerate, I brake, I make such turns that I almost fell several times, jumped - bucked as best I could and ... NOTHING. It’s even strange, because just like that you can ride on smooth asphalt. He began to mock himself and the bike, but no maneuvers or braking failed to slip or skid either on ice or on thin crust. True, he rolled over the steering wheel several times, both straight and sideways. On that day, only a friend had problems - he was driving no faster than 6-9 km / h, and then on lowered tires. On normally inflated even 3 km / h, the problem is that it fell, slipped every 5-10 meters. I can't imagine how many bruises and bumps I brought home. True, I also brought it - from flying over the steering wheel. One of the flights was from the fact that he braked sharply with one rear wheel.

The main impression is the same - NO IMPRESSIONS - ordinary skating without problems and uncertainty. Self-studded tires "hold" on ice or a dense snowy road much better than new tires on clean summer asphalt.

Another time, to the Angasolka River, I drove along the highway and gravel road for almost 20 km - I didn’t lag behind, sometimes even went ahead on the slopes, although everyone with whom they drove in a small “gang”, except for me, rode branded spikes.

We went down to Baikal past the village of Angasolka on a frozen dirt road. I, along the crooked and wet ice on the Angasolka River, and those on branded spikes, along the path. The owners of the "company" tried, one even fell, and stopped taking risks - driving on wet ice, and on Baikal they did not risk sharp maneuvers, but in a straight line it was possible to race with the firms on an equal footing. True, in the “firm”, they could afford to press the rear brake sharply and strongly - the rear wheel skidded a little to the side, and I could fly through the steering wheel.

It is a pity that I did not take a camera and there are no pictures of those tests. Twice I traveled in company with Diagran (who knows) on his spikes and on the highway and on the snow and ice of Lake Baikal - you can’t keep up with him on highways on asphalt, he rides on ordinary branded spikes on ice at 35 km / h - a monster.

In the train, when setting up the bike, there were no fears that clothes or fleece gloves could be torn on home-made spikes, it was specially taken.

By the spring, it became noticeable how they become dull - the drills of the spike screws become semicircular, but this did not affect the force of holding on ice and rolled snow. True, due to the fact that the spikes have become a little shorter, it seems to feel better to ride on asphalt and ice. And yet - the more blunt the drill spikes, the slower their abrasion occurs - the contact surface area increases. It becomes approximately equal to the area of hardened spikes, like branded bicycle tires, without victorious inserts. I ran into about 700 km in the first winter with spikes, I don’t know for sure, since the bike speedometer “died” after 600 km. On asphalt and concrete with ice, it turned out about 100 km, about 250 more km on gravel and dirt roads, the rest about 400 km on ice and dense snow.

I think that during my operation, it will be enough to drive until some spikes are replaced, at least 1500 km.
Theory confirmed by practice

The proposed stud angle was derived from the consideration that the greatest shear load on the stud is during braking. And in order for the spike to “bite” into the ice in the best possible way, it must be installed at a negative angle to the support plane when moving forward.

The side spikes are also at a negative angle to the support plane from the corresponding side, as when driving on a slope or when turning at speed. And since under shear load, the studs will deviate in the elastic rubber of the tire, this deviation will be less due to the greater thickness of the rubber behind the stud and the greater elasticity of the thicker rubber layer.

I did not glue the gasket between the cycle chamber and the caps of the self-tapping spikes, since the gluing will not be tight, and water and dust will get into the leak - dirt in it, and inserting and removing this gasket is not difficult.

How will water get there?

Let's say you had to ride in wet places, and then remove the tire and chamber in the heat - water from the internal volume of the rim will flow into the tire.

Yes, and you need a lot of glue - 2-3 full tubes per wheel. With a mediocre result - poor quality gluing. After all, embossed hats will interfere with the ability to stick the rubber of the cut chamber to the inside of the tire. And with a thick layer of glue, “chewing” sounds will be made, which happened when I glued the bike tubes to road bike wheels on an excessively thick layer of glue - not a quality gluing. And since high-quality gluing cannot be achieved, then why do it badly? After all, if you have to replace any spike, you still have to tear off the gluing.

I hope what happened in the end, and what gave me the opportunity to verify the correctness of my guesses and the applied work, will help those who are not afraid to spend labor, accuracy and attention for the final result - cycling where it was impossible before, but with such tires are safe and pleasant.

Recently, to make it easier to ride, I decided to pump up the wheels harder. Actually, I did not pump them up much, but in the way that everyone usually pumps up wheels in the summer. I went on business, and on the way back I had a flat rear tire. At home, I pulled out the tire, found two strange holes on the camera, despite the fact that the lining was intact. I did not bother and just sealed the camera. The next day I went on a night ride and on the way I got a flat front tire. Thoughts began to creep into my head that this was the work of self-tapping screws, or rather, caps of self-tapping screws that could damage the camera. I disassembled the wheel, pulled out the camera and for sure - the whole camera was in noticeable marks from the caps of the screws, and the hole was exactly along the edge of the mark. In short, it was clearly visible that the head of the self-tapping screw was the cause of the damage to the camera.

There are 3 or 4 such damages on the chamber. Moreover, this is not a hole; The chamber does not let air through. But, of course, you don’t want to ride with such a camera, because a crack can break up at any moment. Let me remind you that my old camera acted as a gasket. As you can see, it is clearly not enough.

On a note

After inspecting both wheels, it turned out that the camera was damaged only on the front wheel. Everything is fine with the rear wheel camera. This is most likely due to the fact that the length of the screws on the front wheel is 2 times longer than on the rear. This is logical: when braking, 2-3 central self-tapping screws bite into the asphalt / ice and, if they protrude strongly, they dig into the camera with the edge of the cap. Pretty much the same when hitting curbs. From this we can conclude that it is not desirable to leave the screws protruding by more than 1.5 mm. In addition, if there are a lot of self-tapping screws in the central row, then a larger number of self-tapping screws will work during braking, which means that there will be less impact on the camera.

What to do?

It became clear that the spacer alone was not enough. Also, a band-aid pad will not suffice. In several places on the Web, I saw that people used a piece of linoleum as a gasket. I didn’t have extra linoleum, but I remembered about the old semi-slick tire gathering dust on the balcony. I cut off the sides of it and inserted it into the front wheel tire. I had to trim it a bit to fit. If you do the same, cut the tire very carefully, because. if you cut off the excess, there will be a gap between the ends of the tire-gasket, which will damage the tire. To avoid this, I sealed the joint with a piece of rubber from the first aid kit.

The wheel has become noticeably heavier and it's bad. On the other hand, if done correctly, I will be almost completely puncture-proof and will be able to inflate the tires hard to make the ride easier. Someone may say that in winter you need to ride at low pressure, but when there are spikes, there is simply no need to increase the working surface area.

Because I still have one extra spacer chamber, I decided to add it to the rear wheel. Gaskets from two chambers should suffice.

Honestly, I don’t know what will come of this and how much more difficult it will be to ride. I decided on a desperate act: to make a lining between the camera and the tire from ... tires. It sounds scary, but in fact, everything is true =) An old semi-slick tire was found on the balcony, the sides were cut off from it. The tire itself was also cut and shortened a little, because. it simply did not fit inside the working tire. I sealed the resulting joint with a piece of rubber so that the corners of the tire would not damage the camera. The resulting gasket was installed on the front wheel. On the back, I used as many as three (how many were old, I put in so many) cameras as a gasket.

Naturally, the bike became noticeably heavier after such a mockery. To be honest, I assumed that I would not be able to constantly maintain even 20 km / h. However, normally drove about 35km.

After driving about 100km on these wheels, I disassembled the rear wheel to see how the camera felt. On the rear wheel, let me remind you, 3 old cameras act as a gasket. Upon closer inspection, no damage, tears or scratches were found. On the camera there were only soft, not sharp prints from the heads of self-tapping screws and nothing more. As I thought, it turned out to be an impenetrable option. The wheels, though noticeably heavier, but it is quite possible to ride.

Separately, I want to say about the wear of self-tapping screws. The fact that the rear wheel is not enough for the whole winter, that's for sure. On it, the central screws were worn out very much.
In principle, what else to expect in such a snowless winter? If there was snow, everything would be fine. But I think when the screws protrude only 0.2-0.3 mm, the erasing process will slow down. When they wear out completely, I plan to unscrew them and screw in new ones. I think to screw in more, because. the more self-tapping screws (and they don’t weigh much), the less their wear will be. On the front wheel, the self-tapping screws both stick out by 2-2.5 mm and stick out. Even the central ones did not fade. This is very good, considering that it is the front wheel that is responsible for control on the road.