Price Paid:
$0.00
at Paradise Creek Bike Setup:
Surly LHT Summary:
Haven't used these tires very long, but thought someone should post a review.
I have the 40mm version purchased on sale for $40 at the LBS. They are a heavy tire (~1,000g) and barely fit under Planet Bike Fenders on the LHT. They have a low threadcount, beefy casing which makes them good for banging into curbs or other hidden objects with a load. Given these "features" I expected a much slower rolling tire on bare road and was pleasantly surprised. It's not a slick by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd still use the front on a 10 mile commute that was mostly bare road with frost, for example.
I've been riding on mostly packed snow and/or bare ice with about 50 psi, depending on load and conditions, and they hook up well enough. Haven't really pushed them in corners but have yet to lean over far enough that the studs can't grip. The best word to describe them is "predictable." For commuting on plowed/icy roads, and taking it relatively easy in corners, the grip is more than adequate. More than anything, I was pleasantly surprised at how well they handle 2 inches of packed, sandy, mushy wheeltrack gunk. Nothing seems to work well in that stuff and these tires are the best I've used. The studs are near the center of the tread and will not save you in icy ruts, nor are they intended for serious trail riding, but otherwise they offer very good grip and control in a variety of conditions, without being obnoxiously slow.
One other thing: I lost 15 studs on the rear tire in one ride (and already knew about riding gently on bare surfaces). Instead of blaming me, the shop claimed it was a dud, swapped it out for a new one, and I have had no problems since.
For $65 retail, I think they're overpriced and would go with the more popular Nokians. The W106's seem pretty similar to the Klondikes and the A10's would be a faster tire for pure black ice/frost conditions. But for $40, I'd get them again. In less than 100 miles of use, no stud wear is evident. Strengths:
versatile
carbide studs Weaknesses:
heavy
overpriced Similar Products Used:
Homemade mountain studs - sloooowwwww and lacked durability 
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