Now is the time to get yourself ready for winter and change tyres. It’s not only the car that needs studs when it’s slippery on the roads! Whether you’re riding to work or school, continuing your training or having fun in the forest -we’ve got tyres to suit you! All with our ’monterat och klart’ package!
Standard bike
If you’re looking for ’standard’ tyres for your commuting bike, we have 2 options to choose from in ’most’ of the common sizes.
(116-120 studs depending on width) come in sizes –
622 x 30 / 35 / 42 and 635 x 40 (these are all 28″ if you’re wondering!)
559 x 47 (26″)
Smaller sizes for junior bikes are also available down to a 16″ size – ask for special ordering!
The Winter is a good choice if you’re commute or general riding is fairly short/infrequent or the cycle paths you use are well plowed and looked after. The fewer number of studs in these tyres than their big brother the ’Marathon Winter Plus” version, means you lose them from the sides/edges of the tyre and so lose that extra grip when cornering.
We wouldn’t suggest these tyres for electric bikes or cargobikes. Choose the higher stud count ’Plus’ model instead.
MARATHON WINTER PLUS
“FOR A SAFER JOURNEY. You have full control on icy roads with the Marathon Winter Plus. Even in tight bends and under violent braking everything remains under control, thanks to special Winter compound, lamella tread and up to 240 spikes. For best possible puncture protection it comes with a SmartGuard layer. Schwalbe Protection Level 7.” – Schwalbe.com
Schwalbe Marathon ’Winter Plus’
(240 studs) come in sizes –
622 x 35 and 42 (28″ again!)
559 x 47 / 50 (26″)
507 x 47 (24″)
406 x 42 / 55 (20″ – junior and cargo bike sized)
The Marathon Winter Plus tyre is the go to for all round performance and grip. With double the amount of studs as the Winter as well as a high performance puncture protection layer, the Winter Plus will keep you rolling all winter long!
We reccommend this tyre for those commuting to work on a daily basis, with uncertain road conditions and a need to get to the train on time! We’d also reccomend that ebikers and cargobikers use this tyre as well. The extra torque from ebikes, the higher speeds and the extra weight of cargobikes means this is more well suited than other tyres (see below)
Cargobike
Cargobike owners should also think about the importance of changing tyres as well. The extra weight and stresses of both drive/braking and steering with the weight of a cargobike and it’s load, means it’s important to use the higher stud count tyres, as well as those with a puncture reinforced construction (which often mean they are E-Bike ready as well) We’ve reccomend using Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus and they come in 20″, 24″ and 26″ for most cargobike needs. We have a fully equipped cargobike workshop, including electric winch for safely and effectively changing tyres on heavy cargobikes, as well as doing routine maintenance and actually getting underneath the bikes, to make sure everything is as it should be, correctly installed, adjusted and safe.
MTB
Again we use and recommend Schwalbe for MTB use. We’ve tried others, but as far as performance and feel goes, the Ice Spiker Pro is hard to beat. 2 versions are again available. Evo and non Evo.
27.5″ we carry just the Ice Spiker Pro Evo version in a 2.25″. This is the ’best’ one with folding bead, replaceable studs (378) and a relitavely low weight of 835g.
In a 29er size we have both the Evo and non Evo. The 2.25 Evo with 402 studs and a 890g weight, make it a real performance tyre. The non Evo version still has 402 studs, but a higher weight of 1170g.
You can run these tyres tubeless if you wish, we reccomend Peatys Biofibre sealant as it has a lower temperature rating. Of course, tubes work as well!
Good to know!
New dubbdäck need a ’bedding in period’. When we mount them, we’ll inflate them to a higher pressure than you would normally ride with, this helps the studs ’bed in’ to the rubber of the tyre, meaning you lose fewer spikes over the life of the tyre. We’d reccomend that you ride on the tyres, carefully – without heavy cornering or braking for at least 50km before the studs are fully bedded in. Then you can reduce the pressure to a suitable one for your tyre size, weight and riding type (feel free to ask us for advice on an individual basis)
Think about a service of your bike at the same time as having tyres mounted. Do you often have problems with gears not working in the winter time (freezing cables) Drivetrain worn from the summer riding? Brake pads? Even just make sure you’re safe and legal with reflectors, working lights and a bell! We have all the essentials you need and can fit them at the same time as the tyres. Usually there is some form of Service Campaign as well, so an ideal time to save money, combine the jobs and save the stress of a poorly working bike in the harsher conditions of winter.
If you’re riding your MTB through the winter, it’s also a good time to do a fork/shock service if it’s not been done since summer (and if you’re putting your bike away for the winter, an even better time to make sure that it’s clean and a full service done to make sure water and dirt don’t sit in all the wrong places and casue expesnive issues next season. Making sure that seals are in good condition and oil is fresh and ready to lubricate and protect – all means your dampers will keep working through the bad weather and extra washing. Get in touch with the workshop (click here) for more info on pricing and timescale.
And finally…
Throughout winter we have workshop campaigns on the go, offering excellent value for money which will hopefully encourage you to look after your ride! We see all too often, poorly maintained (dangerous?!) bikes, that haven’t had service in a long time. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – if there are noises coming from the bike, there is likely a problem! Don’t ignore it! It just makes it more expensive to fix later. We know you think it’s ‘just a bike’, but if your car, washing machine or any other device made untoward noises and wasn’t performing as it should, you’d have no hesitation in taking it to the garage or repair shop and having it looked at!
