Winter Tyre Noise

[Stefan Mikes]

Are Spiked/Studded Winter Tyres Really Noisy?

Not. They are not that noisy in my personal experience:

• Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 27.5 x 2.60" (344 studs) should howl. They don't. Their noise is quieter than made by, say, Maxxis Rekon (summer trail tyre) of the same size,
• Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus 29 x 2" (244 studs) are barely louder than, say, summer Schwalbe Smart Sam of the same size.

Notice how quiet the studs really are (soft "pop").

For comparison, listen to these summer tyres (the same road, different season).

@RandallS , @Prairie Dog

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Stefan but wait a moment....do the same comparison on pavement. That is when the Ice spikers create a racket.

The video was taken on dry pavement...
Can't believe that Steve? It's Schwalbe

 

[steve mercier]

I didnt watch the videos until now. The Spikers are much louder than the Winters ...Stefan you must be deaf from too much Punk rock (-: You probably have lost the high frequencies. But the good news is you no longer need to ring your bell to warn pedestrians .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Steve, I trust you haven't listened to the Summer Maxxis Minion DHF

 

[J.R.]

Steve, I trust you haven't listened to the Summer Maxxis Minion DHF

Winter tyres aren't nearly as loud as winter tires

 

[steve mercier]

Winter tyres aren't nearly as loud as winter tires

Rubber is louder in Europe !

 

[steve mercier]

Steve, I trust you haven't listened to the Summer Maxxis Minion DHF

 

[steve mercier]

Stefan we are not ganging up on you...it only seems like it (-:

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Steve, I decided to get rid of all aggressive Summer offroad tyres in favour of Johnny Watts and Smart Sam

 

[steve mercier]

Steve, I decided to get rid of all aggressive Summer offroad tyres in favour of Johnny Watts and Smart Sam

I wore out my Smart Sam/Magic Mary combo on my Charger and replaced them with Marathon Plus MTB. I like them , they are good on everything except mud where they cannot touch the Magic Mary or Minon DH ,and they have even more flat protection than the Smart Sam Plus which is most important to me. I finally got a flat on my front Magic Mary early last week ( the knobs were pretty much worn off in the middle) ,but the good news was that I was able to ride the 10 k to the LBS in limp mode with the Tannus Armours! The mechanic told me he found about 15 blackberry thorns embedded in the Armours and he said I would have been deflated many times over without the Armours. It was difficult to pedal with a flat and required turbo in order to go at even a moderate pace but the rims never touched the ground and suffered no damage and I was very glad not to have to walk the 10k in the rain. I would not like to try pedaling with a flat on an acoustic bike. Johnny Watts I do not know?....Johnny Depp and Charlie Watts I know. As far as replacing your knobbies goes are you talking about your FS bike? When Summer comes I know I will want the full knobbies on my FS bike so I can venture deep into the forests.

 

[steve mercier]

AH I see Johnny Watts ! They look promising...let us know how you like them https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/off-road_tires/Johnny_Watts_604

 

[steve mercier]

They look really good ,comparable to the Marathon MTB and perhaps better handling in mud! I will try one next time! https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/off-road_tires/marathon_plus_mtb

 

[Prairie Dog]

Are Spiked/Studded Winter Tyres Really Noisy?

Not. They are not that noisy in my personal experience:

• Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 27.5 x 2.60" (344 studs) should howl. They don't. Their noise is quieter than made by, say, Maxxis Rekon (summer trail tyre) of the same size,
• Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus 29 x 2" (244 studs) are barely louder than, say, summer Schwalbe Smart Sam of the same size.

Notice how quiet the studs really are (soft "pop").

For comparison, listen to these summer tyres (the same road, different season).

@RandallS , @Prairie Dog

Stefan, I can't provide any personal evaluation as I only run with studs in the winter. The stock 29" Maxxis Dissectors on my Trance came off once I took delivery and the Wrathchilds went on immediately after that. I think it just comes down to semantics as different tires create different noise and also how one perceives loudness. I would, however, say that the Ice Spiker Pros (with that many studs) are louder than the Recons but just in a different way. Harsh clicking/popping vs droning hum.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Steve: as long as an e-MTB is ridden in its natural habitat, good off-road tyres rule -- and are not noisy at all. (Yes, I'm talking about my FS e-MTB).
A video demonstrating lack of tyre noise off-road

The point is, some of us (such as Randall) need to use their e-MTB in mixed terrain -- where tyre noise and rolling resistance are a nuisance. Johnny Watts is something Randall, Alaskan and I believe is a cure for the trouble. There are no Johnny Watts tyres for 29" wheels: Smart Sam from "Swallow" (Schwalbe) could be a good choice.

 

[steve mercier]

Steve: as long as an e-MTB is ridden in its natural habitat, good off-road tyres rule -- and are not noisy at all. (Yes, I'm talking about my FS e-MTB).
A video demonstrating lack of tyre noise off-road

The point is, some of us (such as Randall) need to use their e-MTB in mixed terrain -- where tyre noise and rolling resistance are a nuisance. Johnny Watts is something Randall, Alaskan and I believe is a cure for the trouble. There are no Johnny Watts tyres for 29" wheels: Smart Sam from "Swallow" (Schwalbe) could be a good choice.

Stefan I would not use these Marathon mtb on my FS bike...no way I would trust them or similar tires such as Sam and Johnny on anything but a green rated trail , especially as a front tire. My off road skills are not that good and I need all the support I can get.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If your objective is solely hard trail riding then, why, full blown aggressive tyres are the only option.

 

[steve mercier]

If your objective is solely hard trail riding then, why, full blown aggressive tyres are the only option.

We get so much rain here that the trails are usually wet and muddy except in the peak of Summer. The Minion and Mary tires are fantastic at dealing with squirmy mud. Recently I was on a long trail that ran beside a creek which had been dammed by a beaver. The resulting overflow created an amazing long slimey mud caked section that I could ride through with my knobbies, but the other riders had to get off and try to skirt it on foot. Why did I not take a picture of them stuggling? My brother in law was wearing white sneakers. The mud tried to suck them off his feet. It was fun.