January 1, 2011, was a day of firsts, and not just because it was the first day of the new year. With a high temperature of 56 degrees Fahrenheit, it was also the warmest New Year’s day I can remember in this part of the world. And it was my first time on my winter bike’s Innova Tundra Wolf studded snow tires. What did it matter that the roads were almost entirely free of ice? A drift of salty sand fanned across the shoulders of the main road, and the side roads might as well have been unpaved for all the sand on them. It was so pleasantly warm that I couldn’t NOT go for a ride, especially because I suspected the pleasant break in the wintry weather wouldn’t last. (I was right, too. It’s been snowing ever since.) I rode about 20 miles, which was long enough for first impressions, beginning with…

Studded Snow Tires Are Noisy   No surprise there, I suppose. Between the studs and the aggressive tread, the Tundra Wolves are a presence on the road. Rolling away from the driveway, my initial thought was that they sounded like frying bacon, but the faster I rode, the more they resembled an underpowered jet engine straining to reach takeoff thrust. The noise was loud enough that it got the attention of a friendly horse who lives down the road. He pricked up his ears, shook his head, and ran alongside me until a fence brought him up short.

Studded Snow Tires Are Slower   Slower than my Schwalbe Marathon, WTB Slickasaurus, and Conti Town & Country tires, that is. This was hardly surprising, either. Not only do steel studs and deep tread make a difference, but the Tundra Wolves are noticeably heavier than the others. Most of the difference is in the thicker rubber of the running surface, but the sidewalls are thicker, too.

Studded Snow Tires Are Grippy   The Tundra Wolves easily clawed through the drifts of wet sand that accumulated on road shoulders and intersections, and the occasional lens of ice hidden under the drifts didn’t faze them either. I never felt as if the tires were slipping away from me, even when turning sharply. On the few occasions that I encountered snow in the roadway—usually in the aftermath of some homeowner’s belated efforts at driveway clearing—I powered through it without trouble. The treads gripped wonderfully well, and I never felt as if I’d skid out.

Now a few technical notes:

Pressure Points  The Tundra Wolf tires are rated for 40 to 65psi. I inflated then to 52psi, and that turned out to be a good guess. On damp pavement, only the central tread on each tire was wetted. But in my trial rides through snow, the full footprint engaged.

Cleaning and Inspecting Studded Snow Tires Post-Ride  The Tundra Wolves’ aggressive tread picks up a fair bit of sand, but a few minutes with a whisk broom while my bike’s rear wheel was held off the ground by a handy floor stand left them clean enough to bring into the living room. (Well, OK. The kitchen hallway.)

And what’s the…

Bottom Line?  This wasn’t a very testing test, I admit, but so far, so good. I’ll get a chance later his week to give them a more rigorous trial, and I’m confident that they’ll be up to the job. Though these tires are comparatively slow, so what? The penalty was modest—around one mile per hour off my average. And anyway, speed matters relatively little in winter. Safety and security are key in the cold months. I can now ride with confidence in conditions when I’d have thought twice about venturing out before. The Tundra Wolves will be especially welcome in icy parking lots and at urban intersections, locations where I’ve come to grief before. That’s plenty good enough for me.

 
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