After the first winter snows turned many town roads into reasonable approximations of skating rinks, I figured it was time to fit my bike with the equivalent of Yaktrax boot grippers. So I ordered a pair of Innova Tundra Wolf 26 x 1.9 studded tires from BikeTiresDirect.com, at the knockdown price of USD35 each, further reduced by a USD13.40 discount. Being a belt-and-suspenders type, however, I reinvested my savings in an Innova stud tool and 20 replacement studs. (Studs sometimes loosen and fall out.) Notwithstanding the Christmas rush, BikeTiresDirect shipped my order promptly, but a thaw cleared the roads before the Innovas arrived, so I haven’t yet had a chance to put them through their paces. They look good, though. Here’s what I found on opening the box:

Nothing particularly remarkable here, though I was glad to see that BikeTiresDirect used tape rather zip ties to keep the tires in check, since zip ties can deform wire beads if cinched down too tight. The zippered pouch for the spare studs and the stud tool was a nice touch, too:

I may just mount a few of these studs on my cycling shoes. On more than one occasion I’ve rolled up to stop light in winter without any problems, only to skid the second I put my foot down.

Back to the new tires. Check out the tread and stud placement:

The studs are set in two parallel lines on either side of the tire’s centerline. Once I get the pressure right, I’ll be able to ride at speed on the stud-free center, confident that the studs will engage as soon as I begin to skid (or, equally important, whenever I lean into a turn). This isn’t the best configuration for trail riding, perhaps, but I don’t do much of that in winter, anyway. Most of my miles are on plowed—but often icy—roads.

Speaking of tire pressure, the Innovas are rated for inflation pressures between 40 and 65 psi. I’ll start off by running them at about 50 psi and see how it goes. Higher pressure will lift the studs further from the pavement; lower pressure will bring them closer. I’ll keep adjusting the pressure till I find the happy medium. (By the way, the white smudges on the tires are simply mold-release powder from the manufacturing process. It wipes right off.)

The inflation guidelines are pretty straightforward, but this legend is a bit confusing:

The Innovas would seem to have two nominal widths. Perhaps it’s an indication of the variation that occurs as result of changes in inflation pressure. Or maybe it’s something else. In any event, it shouldn’t affect me in the slightest. Even at 1.9 inches, the tires will fit fine. My winter bike has lots of fender and brake clearance.

Note the direction-of-travel arrows in the picture below. I’m not sure how much difference this makes in performance—these are not tires for the Tour, after all!—but it’s very good to have a permanent reference anyway. I’ll be removing the tires at the end of the season, only to remount them next winter, and nothing loosens studs faster than reversing a tire’s orientation after the studs have settled in.

I’m actually looking forward to the next winter storm. The cycling blogocracy seem nearly unanimous in disparaging economy tires. But Farwell’s had the same pair of no-name studded tires for four winters now, putting several thousand miles on them in the process. He’s yet to lose a stud, they’re still standing proud of the rubber, and the treads are still deep. So I’m confident that my bargain winter tires will perform just fine. That said, I’ll reserve final judgment till I roll at least a hundred miles on the Innovas. Stay tuned!

 
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