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The cold winter months can present a unique set of bike safety issues if you live in an area with snow and ice-covered roads.
In this article, we will go over the benefits of using winter tires for your bike. We will also cover what these tires are made of, how they work, and which are the best ones to buy in the UK.
Winter Fat Bike Tire Comparison Table
Things To Consider When Buying Winter Fat Bike Tires
There are five considerations when buying winter bike tires.
Tire Width
This might seem like an obvious one, but you will be surprised how many people get this wrong any buy the wrong size tire.
Fat bike wheels vary in width, starting at 3.8” wide and going all the way up to 5”. They can also vary in size, with some fat bikes having wheels of just 20” and going up to 29”.
When choosing your tires, you should check the size of yours by checking what size is currently on your fat bike. Then you can make sure you pick the right size for your bike.
Tire Tread Pattern
The tire tread pattern is the next consideration when choosing a winter tire for your fat bike.
Most bike tires have a centre tread that is in continuous contact with the surface you’re riding on, and a side tread that engages only when you turn.
Traditional tires have a lower tread pattern in the middle for better performance on flat surfaces. Their treads are more aggressive to give you traction on turns.
Snow-specific tires have high knobs designed to cut through packed snow and grip the surface beneath. Snow-specific tires also tend to use a widely spaced tread that will shed sticky snow instead of letting it pack in between the knobs, which reduces traction.
Number of Studs
Studs provide more grip on the slippy surface of the ice and can also be used on snow during the winter.
Studs are a type of metal spike that is fitted to the tire, designed to improve traction on icy and snowy surfaces.
For winter cycling, the more studs the better if you are after enhanced grip. However, studs will add a lot of weight to your bike, so making a decision between weight and traction is key.
Rubber Compound
The rubber compound is an important consideration when buying winter bike tires. The factors to consider in this category include the hardness, the density, how much oil is in the rubber, and the type of rubber.
Tire Weight
Normally when selecting tires for your fat bike you wouldn’t think that weight would be an important factor, however, when it comes to choosing winter tires, there can be a lot of fluctuation between different tire types.
The reason that some tires weigh more than others is due to the number of studs. Simply put, the more studs, the heavier the tire.
Best Winter Fat Bike Tire
VEE Tire Co. Adult Snow Shoe XL
Vittoria Cannoli 26 x 4.8 Fat Bike Tyre
Schwalbe Jumbo Jim Evolution TL Easy Folding Tire
Fincci 26 x 4.0 Inch 100-559 Fat Tyre
Fincci 26 x 4.0 Inch 100-559 Fat Tyre
Summary
Whilst all of these tires are a great choice for winter fat bike riding, I believe the VEE Tire Co. Adult Snow Shoe XL tires are the best winter bike tires due to them having studs, which will provide significant traction in the snow and ice.
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Happy cycling!
