Winter and Cyclocross tyres / tires

I don't think there's any tyres that can grip on the slipperly cobble/painted line/manhole cover.

the closest one I just managed to get a good grip on the painted line is a 2.35 Fat Frank tyres on the ATB, but that's about it.

Sure, nothing's going to grip on a wet manhole cover or a particularly thick, slick painted line (HPA, I'm looking at you). But I've had a couple of really squirmy moments on cobbles that surprised me a bit - maybe I expected better from a £30+ tyre that's designed specifically for wet conditions.

I recall someone saying that the veloflex pave work well on cobble, AFAIK.

Why do you need to grip manhole covers?
If you're riding straight over them = no problem. If there's one on a corner = ride around it. If there's one at the lights you happen to stop on, moderate your laughable powerful standing start to avoid any wheelspin.
Manhole != pave

I don't expect to have any grip on manhole covers. You do get the odd situation where you might not be able to react/ride around them though, particularly if you're in traffic and don't know the road, e.g. this impressive quad-combo on a right-hand turn (I think they also recently added some extra ones on the road you're turning into there, bonus).

But, yeah, exactly, wet pavé I'd expect the C*nti 4 Season to handle, you know, a bit better than a heavily worn, basically slick, significantly cheaper racing tyre. In fact the opposite seems to be true. Rubino Pros got grip, yo.

rubino pros have slightly more grip than gatorskins, which isn't saying much.

Schwalbe CX Pro's £15 at Wiggle at the moment, will be buying a front to match the rear I have from last winter, now I have a winter bike and clearance clarence.

anyone had experience with schwalbe durano?

I think the answer is Yes, but your question may be in the wrong thread. The Durano is practically a slick tyre, and isn't really suitable for winter at all.

I say this because snow is due on Saturday, and a Durano would not be my choice at all. Wet cobbles are one thing, but snow will be a real test.

Eh? The Durano Plus is meant to be a very good winter tyre. Remember folks: tread on a bicycle tyre is superfluous on the road.

Yes. The less tread there is, the less chance of aquaplaning.

I'm not bothered about knobbles unless I'm off road

How often do we get enough snow in London to affect road conditions? Once every three years?

I've been here 3 years. I've had one snowy (really snowy) winter. The other one was wet.

anyone had experience with schwalbe durano?

Yeah, I'm running a leftover Durano on the rear at the moment. Not a bad tyre but not great, long lasting, less grip than the Rubino Pros I normally run but quite nice to skid.

I always think the fine tread, like that on a diamante pro, allows tyre to deform around the asphalt surface.

I also wonder how the Tg (softening point) of the rubber compounds used, varies, in accordance with the temperatures they are expected to be used at.

If all road tyres are made without thought for seasonal temperature variance*. Then a fine tread is likely to be a good thing.

Just some thoughts and ramblings.

(*mine use a special winter rubber, while they were hanging in my workroom last summer, I had a feel of them, and they were far softer than I'd expect of a tyre rubber)

Someone asked me for advice at work yesterday about riding a boris bike in icy conditions.
I actually had to stop myself from laughing when I told them not to lean.

Zip ties instead of studded tyres anyone?

Zip ties instead of studded tyres anyone?

maybe it helps a bit on the back but it doesn't improve sideways traction.

Eh? The Durano Plus is meant to be a very good winter tyre. Remember folks: tread on a bicycle tyre is superfluous on the road.

Not entirely true - tread is unhelpful on smooth tarmac.

http://smtp.schwalbetires.com/tech_info/tire_tread

Anyone seen any of that round here?

I always think the fine tread, like that on a diamante pro, allows tyre to deform around the asphalt surface.

Makes sense and Schwalbe seem to agree - from the link above:

'A slightly serrated surface on the tire tread can have a positive effect on tire grip, as it creates micro interlocking with rough asphalt.'

And while I'm here - just bought a Tricross single for winter use, which came fitted with Michelin Mud 2's - any use whatsoever on tarmac in wet/wintry conditions?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20458

Been thinking about going for Vittoria Rands which seem to have pretty good puncture protection, lighter than MP's and fairly useful in most conditions - oh and cheapish too.

And while I'm here - just bought a Tricross single for winter use, which came fitted with Michelin Mud 2's - any use whatsoever on tarmac in wet/wintry conditions?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20458

Been thinking about going for Vittoria Rands which seem to have pretty good puncture protection, lighter than MP's and fairly useful in most conditions - oh and cheapish too.

I'd swap them out for those rando's, and save them for dirty fun. They will be wasted on the road, a bit uncomfortable, and will ear down pretty quickly.

Just for fun I switched out my 28mm schwalbe stelvios for some 32mm Specialized Infinity thingies (slightly knobbly, similar to a marathon) had them lying around so gave it a go. No real point to this post but just to say fat 32mm tyres fit on a 2009 Fuji track. Couldn't tell you if they grip better in snow though. The slush seemed fine.

I just got back from Iceland and it seemed everyone there just had studded tyres, even on little shoppers. No one there even thinks twice about snow/ice. Funny how you get used to things.

I'm waiting on a marathon winter to arrive in a week or two I hope. Had to skip work to make an emergency trip to the bike shop and pick up some offroad kenda tyres, which improved my grip no end. I'll be interested how the winters perform on snow as I have heard mixed reviews.

I'm waiting on a marathon winter to arrive in a week or two I hope. Had to skip work to make an emergency trip to the bike shop and pick up some offroad kenda tyres, which improved my grip no end. I'll be interested how the winters perform on snow as I have heard mixed reviews.

My boss loves them. They dont have very aggresive tread, as the are designed for hard packed snow and ice (ie. what you find on roads). But this also means they offer a nicer ride then most studded tyres. Yet they still have a large number of, well placed, quality carbide tipped studds.

In deep softer snow, its the tread that gives traction, not the studds. Which is why I went with 'Nordic spikes'. But they have a pretty poor ride on dry roads.

I guessed that the marathon winter would be best for me as I ride in variable conditions. Some places are unploughed paths, which are probably going to be the hardest for me, but other places are completely cleared.
Plus the fact that the marathons are the only spikes I can find that fit my bike(I think).
It is amazing how fast the snow changes on the roads here. In one hour the snow went from hard packed to that broken up brown slush with the really hard chunks that want to throw you around.