Today we will talk about how to install studs on a bicycle tire yourself to make winter studded bike tires. We will also consider the methods of mounting homemade spikes on bicycle tires with your own hands in order to ride a bicycle in winter

Cycling, of course, means more riding in the warm season, but some extreme cyclists do not leave their “iron horses” alone in winter, arranging winter rides in nature or simply using them as a regular vehicle.

The operation of a bicycle in winter requires not only excellent physical fitness of the cyclist, but also makes special demands on the bicycle. So, here are some useful tips for winter cycling:

Be sure to install winter studded tires. With frequent movement on ice or rolled snow, tires with at least 200-350 spikes are needed; for driving along city streets, there may be fewer spikes - from 50 to 200 pieces.

If the bike has only caliper brakes, then at least one of them (in front) must be replaced with a disc brake. The thing is that V-brake brakes, working on a rim clamp, significantly lose their effectiveness in cold weather due to icing of the rims. The wheel can make up to 10 revolutions from the moment the brake is applied. What kind of safety can we talk about when a bicycle travels a distance of 20 meters in 10 revolutions? In the cold, disc brakes also perform worse than in summer, but still significantly more effective than V-brake brakes.

· When driving on winter roads, the chain is sure to become clogged with dirt and road chemicals. After each ride, be sure to clean and lubricate the chain.

· When driving on snow, the sprockets and gear shifters become clogged with snow very quickly. It is recommended to periodically stop and clean the gearshift mechanism.
· If there are cracks or chips on the bike's paintwork, paint over the damaged areas, otherwise the rust will corrode the frame, and in the summer you will have nothing to ride on.

· The seals of the bushing and the carriage “tan” in the cold, letting in dirt and other nasty things. We recommend disassembling and relubricating the bushings and carriage once every two months.

It gets dark very quickly in winter, so be sure to install a red flasher and reflectors on your bike to indicate your presence in the dark, and install a headlight in front, preferably LED.

Many cyclists ask themselves the question in winter whether to switch to studded tires or not. One of the decisive factors against bicycle studs is the considerable price of high-quality winter tires. Only one bicycle tire with spikes can cost five thousand rubles - they are not always ready to spend so much on bicycle tires.

But by the way, such rubber is worth the money - the spikes reliably bite into the ice areas, allowing the bike to maintain the trajectory.

No desire to buy? Can do it yourself

Let's say right away that it is unlikely that it will be possible to maintain rolling with self-studding, but it is quite possible to achieve decent contact with the ice surface.

What we need for self-production of studded bicycle tires:

An old tire with a high tread (completely worn out will not work);
- awl;
- a couple of hundred self-tapping screws with a press washer;
- silicone, or shoe glue;
- an old bicycle chamber;
- pliers;
- screwdriver;
- file.

Have all the required materials been found? Begin!

Decide what kind of drawing you are going to do. Optimal for most cases - insert spikes in three rows - on the sides and in the center. The center can be dispensed with to preserve the roll and give the rubber the properties of a winter grip for cornering and in narrow ice ruts.

You can also stud in four rows - this is especially reasonable if the checkers in the tread have an even number.

Having decided on the patterns of the spikes, mark the punctures in the centers of the lugs (bumps) of the tire.

Turn the tire inside out and start screwing a self-tapping screw into the pierced hole - a small part of it should come out right in the center of the lug. The job is tedious and long.

At the next stage, we begin to make a fur coat. To do this, we need an old bike chamber. Cut it, lay the inside of the tire (not to the very edge of the cord), measure and align everything again and start attaching it to the glue. The task of a fur coat is to protect a working bicycle chamber from cuts with self-tapping screws.

The next step involves grinding the screws to an acceptable level. The lateral ones can be left, but the radial spikes will have to be cut off. Leave the edges of the radial screws protruding no more than 1-2 mm. From the side - to taste.

What to cut? - wire cutters, pliers, file, grinder. With wire cutters or pliers you will make a rough cut, and with a file you will level it for a condition close to what we see on the factory rubber.

That's all.

Features of self-made winter bike tires

Not the most ideal roll;
- Pretty massive mass of construction;
- An archaic spike, inferior to what we see on factory tires;
- Cheap and cheerful!

Video instruction

Is all this necessary?

The stud is yours for those who ride downhill, or participate in country races, or bike tours.
It is customary to clean downhill tracks before skiing, but the ground will not become softer because of this - the spike increases grip on frozen ground, this is important and you can feel it.

In winter country racing without studs, it is objectively more difficult to work at full strength. As long as the snow is soft, it's good, but the sections on the tracks are different.

In cycling tourism, the spike is safety. When you ride along the tracks, think about how dangerous the wheel is to leave on a sudden icy bump, and even off the tracks - in the forest, on snow-caked areas, the stud saves lovers of winter cycling.

Buy a good bike tire for winter, or make your own, as described above in the article. There will be less rolling, but the advantages of its use are still greater.

Cycling is an enjoyable pastime for many. But for those who like to ride a bike in the winter, other studded tires are provided. Next, we will need a tool: a good, suitable screwdriver for self-tapping screws, a 7 head (8 screwdriver or drill, drill (2-3mm chalk, awl, spacer for the tire. We mark the tire, the places where the spike will sit. You can use chalk or a marker We mark evenly.We take into account the fact that a large number of spikes increases the weight of the tire, and with a small number the necessary grip will not be provided.Here we need a creative approach.Also, one should not forget about the weakening of the tire, due to the rupture of the cord with a drill and self-tapping screws.We drill the marked places drill with a diameter of 2-3 mm Insert between the sides.

Tires "made" in one evening with a screwdriver, by eye. Between the chamber and the tire, the gasket is a one-layer adhesive tape. Self-tapping screws are the smallest, 2.5x10. Impressions: tires are extremely inconvenient to install, new self-tapping screws prick. On ice and packed snow, grip is very good. The motobike leaves the icy track at a very small angle without problems. Holds the road when braking and cornering. It is impossible to ride on loose snow - the resistance force is too great. In the photo the wheel after 400 km. Half on ice, the other half on asphalt. #eleven.
We rest with a screwdriver the self-tapping screw into the slots, outside the head. We twist so that the first thread of the thread appears above the nut. We visually and manually control that the tire is well crimped with the stud head on the inside and the washer with the nut on the outside. And so with every thorn. Be careful, the ends of the screws are traumatic! May suffer: body and limbs, clothes, parquet, lacquered / polished objects and especially impressionable animals! Do not forget that at speed and during rotation, such a wheel can seriously injure both its owner and others. When assembling the wheel between the chamber and the tire. Today I decided to update the worn self-tapping screws on the rear wheel of my bike. Why only in the back? Because they didn’t wear out on the front :) Although the front wheel is mainly responsible for handling, I wanted to update the self-tapping screws on the rear to get rid of slippage and drifts on ice.

So, although the self-tapping screws on the front wheel have worn off a little, they still have to roll and roll, and I don’t see the point in replacing them, they work well. On the rear wheel, the self-tapping screws have worn off almost completely and there is already very little effect from them: I began to slip heavily on ice, the rear wheel often blows away. There were no falls, but control over the road weakened.

I want to tell you more about how the wear of self-tapping screws occurs. Only the center row is sewn. The side rows work very rarely, so they hardly wear out on both wheels. The front wheel is lightly loaded, so they practically do not wear out there. On the back wheel, everything is more serious. Imagine that we have a wheel with new self-tapping screws. After 10-20 km of driving on asphalt, the self-tapping screws will noticeably undercut. Then the wear rate will decrease. After 40-60 km of asphalt, the self-tapping screws will already protrude from the rubber quite a bit, but will still provide good grip on ice. After that, the wear rate will decrease even more and only after 100-200 km of asphalt they will wear out so that they stop working. Therefore, do not be alarmed if you notice that after a few kilometers of asphalt pavement, the brand new self-tapping screws have noticeably worn off :) I have driven a little more than 400 km this winter and just now I decided to stud the rubber again. Moreover, we must remember that the winter of 2011-2012 until mid-January was almost snowless and I had to drive almost exclusively on asphalt. I think if the winter was normal, my spikes would last until spring.

I will also mention pads. After the chamber was cut through 3 times with self-tapping screws, I decided to go to extreme measures and made a gasket between the chamber and the tire from three old chambers on the rear wheel, and on the front - from the old semi-slick tire. The bike has become noticeably heavier, but I got used to it and now I can maintain a fairly high speed.

So, here's what the old worn screws look like. They don't really help anymore.

This is what it looks like new, just screwed on. They look scary, but you only need to be afraid of linoleum :)

Replacing screws is not difficult. I just unscrewed the old ones and screwed in the new ones. The side rows, of course, did not touch. It took less than an hour to unscrew the old screws. It took a little over an hour to screw in the new ones. Rubber, by the way, practically did not wear out and new self-tapping screws sat down quite tightly. I also want to draw your attention to the fact that although I use the most budgetary tires (250 rubles apiece), its condition can be assessed as excellent, despite the fact that I drove at least 300 km on asphalt and only a little more than a hundred on snow (winter is , damn it, snowless). Those. self-tapping screws reduced rubber wear when driving on asphalt.

Last time I asked a friend to grind my self-tapping screws to the required length. The second time I don’t want to disturb a person, and I decided not to grind the screws at all. As you can see in the photo, they protrude from the rubber by 0.5 cm

I was hoping that I would ride a few kilometers on asphalt and they would be undermined. Actually, this almost happened, only they did not grind off, but broke off a little at the tips. Already after a couple of (rather heavy, by the way) kilometers of asphalt, they were without sharp ends, and after 10 km of asphalt and 20 km of snow (well, snow does not count), the self-tapping screws are quite suitable, slightly hypertrophied spikes that hold perfectly on ice and protrude only on 1.5-2 mm. Now that they have become shorter, their wear will be noticeably reduced and you can safely ride

Actually, the result is this: there is no need to grind new self-tapping screws, it is enough just to ride literally 2-3 km on asphalt.

Studded bicycle tires enable its owner to enjoy cycling in ice and snow, without fear that he will not cope with the movement and fall on a bad road. After all, the road is often simply unpredictable in the winter period of driving.

Studded tires are similar to automotive counterparts, with a durable metal tread that is located on both sides of the tire. It makes it possible to drive on an icy surface without problems, but on condition that the wheels are not strongly pumped.

The spikes on the tire themselves come in various shapes:

- pointed;

- flat.

In addition, studded tires come with a different number of studs.

One type is double-row tires. They are located on the sides. With a good pumping of the wheel, they practically do not come into contact with the surface, only when turning. This applies to those weather conditions when there is no ice on the surface of the asphalt. But if you need to drive on an icy surface, the wheel should be less inflated. And the weather will work exactly those side metal spikes that are necessary for contact with a slippery surface.

Another type is four-row tires. They are similar to two-row tires, but the difference is that they also have an additional two rows of studs. That is, the number of spikes on the tire is increased by one and a half times. They are more powerful, make it possible to move comfortably where there are no normal roads. But first of all, they are designed for driving on an icy surface, but at the same time it makes it possible to drive on roads.

Important when using such a tire:

1.It does not carry out strong pumping. And then the steep turns, and the descents will be nothing to the cyclist.

2. And then it allows good grip of the tire on a slippery surface.

3. Absence of sharp braking and studded tires will last long enough.

And after installing studded tires, you need to go through the break-in process. But this must be done very carefully. This is necessary in order not to harm the spikes themselves and the tire. The running-in process itself is carried out precisely on asphalt and for an hour with a slow movement of the bicycle. This will give the studded tire a longer service life in good condition and without losing studs. And then any bike ride will be a joy even in winter.

Winter came and I had to do something with the bike so as not to fall on the ice. I could buy ready-made studded bike tires - it would cost me 4-5 thousand rubles. Not only because of the desire to save money, but also from the eternal desire to do something with my own hands, I decided to make winter bike tires myself.

It was bought: 2 budget tires for 250 rubles. each; 400 pcs. 13 mm. self-tapping screws (about 100 rubles).

Tires were chosen with large "teeth" so that self-tapping screws could fit comfortably in them. In total, the tire had 80 + 140 + 80 teeth. I didn’t want to screw in 300 screws, so I inserted screws into the side rows through one. As a result, about 190-200 self-tapping screws were inserted into each tire. This made the tires about 200 grams heavier.

So, tires are bought, self-tapping screws - too. We must get to work. First you need to make the guide holes in the tires. Without them, self-tapping screws will often go crooked and come out in the wrong place. It is very important that the self-tapping screws "peep out" from the center of the "tooth" - this will extend the life of the tire. To do this, I took a drill and began to drill holes. It was hard, to say the least, so I came up with a new way: I clamped a nail with pliers, heated it over a fire and made holes in tires with it. It was no longer difficult, but it still took a lot of time. And then a brilliant idea came to my mind - to make holes with an awl! The sewer was not at home, so I had to buy it. Making holes with an awl is the best option.

The holes are ready, it's time to screw in the screws. I bought self-tapping screws for 13 mm with a press washer. It is very important to buy with a press washer, because. only they have a fairly wide "hat". I screwed the screws into the tire with a regular screwdriver. The tire was not turned inside out. The main thing is that the screws are screwed in evenly. You don't need to glue them on. The self-tapping screw must be screwed in so that at the exit it slightly presses the rubber thread under itself.

Screws are screwed in, let's move on. Now they need to be sharpened. I didn’t have a sharpener, so I asked a friend to sharpen the spikes. The self-tapping screws were hefty strong and the grindstone was more likely to grind off than they were. But, anyway, they managed to undermine them. On one tire, the studs were slightly longer; I put it on the front wheel, because there is less load on it and the quality of handling depends on it. The side row of self-tapping screws can be turned weaker (the main thing is that they are not sharp), because they will only work when cornering. Tire with turned screws looks like this

Self-tapping screws are screwed in and turned, but that's not all. So that the caps of the self-tapping screws do not damage the camera, you need to make a lining. To do this, I cruelly cut two cells - one old and one, I'm not afraid of this word, new. Now you can collect the wheel. When laying the camera, be careful not to scratch it on the spikes.

Yesterday I tested my homemade winter bike tires by riding about 25 km on snow and about 35 km on asphalt. When driving on asphalt, a rather loud noise is created, but this cannot be called a big drawback. When driving on snow and ice, the tires proved to be the best - while my friends on ordinary tires constantly fell on ice, I drove absolutely without bothering, as if on asphalt :) If we compare studded tires with ordinary ones, albeit with an evil tread , under emergency braking, the difference is simply monstrous. Heaven and earth! With studded tires, during heavy braking at high speed on ice, it does not skid at all, the studs leave a deep mark on the ice.

There is only one drawback - it is difficult to maintain a high speed of riding and a little more difficult to ride in general. This is felt when driving on asphalt, but driving on ice / snow is a real pleasure.

As I said, about 35 km yesterday I had to drive on bare asphalt. A friend with much more experience said that when I got home I would have to change the tires, as the asphalt spikes would wear off. But it turned out that the screws were practically not worn out. They only turned and became not sharp, but the length remained the same. However, it is worth noting that it doesn’t happen every time - I was just lucky with the purchase of high-quality self-tapping screws. In general, driving on asphalt on such rubber, although not desirable, is possible if you keep a low speed.

Using homemade winter studded bicycle tires. Pros and cons

Recently I wrote how to make studded tires for a bicycle. Some time has passed, I managed to ride it and now I am ready to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this bicycle rubber.

First, about the merits.

Although some say that they drive normally in winter on ordinary tires, but, whatever one may say, the difference is obvious. Especially when braking. But, it is the quality of braking that is most important when cycling in winter. Well, everything is clear with the advantages, let's move on to the disadvantages and difficulties.

Flaws

Of course, these tires are a little more difficult to ride. But that's not the point. When driving on asphalt, the spikes on the rear wheel are noticeably erased, so for the whole winter the rear wheel will not be enough for me (everything is ok with the front one) and I will either have to make a new tire, or unscrew the worn screws and screw in new ones. But in this case, the tire rubber can wear out quickly, because. a new portion of self-tapping screws, most likely, will not go along an existing thread, but will lay a new one. But this is not the main thing. When I decided to stud a bike tire for the first time, one of the main reasons was the lack of winter bike tires on sale, or rather a rarity, and therefore without a choice of options. But now there is also on sale, and there is some choice and in online stores you can probably buy any.

But looking at the location of metal and rubber spikes in bicycle tires, and understanding how and where there is a desire to ride in winter, the mood did not improve. It's as if the product-designers of tire manufacturers care about their products from too idealistic positions. Either asphalt and smooth ice, or rolled snow alternately with a snowless road. And the spikes are specially made so that they are lost more quickly on hard surfaces, and it would be necessary to buy the next bike tire.

As a result of reasoning - to spend money on what is or to do what is much cheaper, but exactly as it should be, I chose to do it.
Base selection - tires

First, I decided on the parameters - what should be the tire. And given the previous experience of studding old ones, with a partially worn out tread, I decided that only a new one and not random, which will be given for nothing (or almost for nothing), but selected from catalogs, or from those suitable that are on sale. As a last resort, I decided to wait for the one ordered in the Internet store, but the one that would be more suitable.

1. - must be folding, since it is much easier to remove and install in the cold than with a wire frame - tires with an aramid carcass are softer, more obedient. Yes, and piercing with an awl, drilling, holding the direction of puncture and drilling, at the right angle is easier, as well as screwing in a tenon screw. If the tire can be turned flat. It is easy to press it with a clamp to the plane of a workbench or plywood (board).

2. - should be with a Kevlar cord, since piercing a tire in the cold and then gluing it is not an easy task due to that very frost. And I already had the experience of a tire rupture in winter - I drove along a broken section of a metal fence with a sticking out bar, which is not visible under the snow. Then he sealed not only the camera, but also the tire - the gap was one and a half centimeters. The procedure in the cold took more than two hours. The fire had to be built in order to glue at a positive temperature.

3. - The main point is the location of the rubber spikes of the tire, because they will have to install metal spikes. So that the height is no more than 4 mm - less than that of branded winter ones by 1.0 - 1.5 mm, and the location and quantity would allow driving on hard surfaces with less loss. And so that when turning and passing inclined ice surfaces, the spikes are in the place of the most advantageous application of forces - holding abilities. And it is imperative that the spikes be located more often along the contact track, for less mechanical losses when driving on ice.

4. - the dimensions of the rubber spikes of the tire. So that the spike does not have a size, along or across, less than 8 by 8 mm, since it will not be possible to hold the spike under load - the rubber spike will tear in the direction of the load on the metal spike.

On the tire found and liked in all respects, there were 444 spikes measuring 9 by 11 mm and 8 by 11 mm, 4 mm high, located in the best way for the planned winter rides on ice, asphalt and rocky dirt roads.

They turned out to be - KUJO DH 2.25 K, for installation on the rear wheel, and KUJO DH 2.35 K, for installation on the front, according to the turn condition, and therefore at a greater angle than the rear wheel, run into (slide out) ice obstacles.

Produced - IRC.

They also had embossed inscriptions that were pleasant to the eye - MADE IN JAPAN, and the sidewalls were made of red rubber, softer in the cold, prettier than a completely black tire.

Basically, as if everything is on the tires, now you need to find what will then be metal spikes.
Finding the right tenon screws

I had to spend a long time shopping for fasteners, because what they offered alone could turn out to be worse than what could be found somewhere else. Only two sellers had visual stands to choose screws, but for clarity, only one at a time, two sizes, and not everything that can be on sale. Yes, and on the sites I had to look for links to articles by do-it-yourselfers who were ahead of me in such an idea.

In all the articles read, self-tapping screws with sharp ends of screws or washers with curved pointed edges (home-made or furniture with a threaded recess - washer-nut with horns) were used, riveted exhaust or ordinary rivets. Both of them have one feature - to tear and tear everything that they touch and pass over - clothes, wallpaper, linoleum, etc. Another reason for refusing washers is that those that are furniture should be fixed with a screw with a flat washer, but even with a thread lock they can be easily lost. But the main thing is that it is impossible not to get hurt when putting on or taking off such a tire, even with gloves or mittens made of strong, thick leather. An attribute that you will definitely need to take with you with other tools if the spikes are so sharp. How to harden them is also a problem. Yes, and the losses during movement with such washers are large. In general, pucks - no.

As a result, the choice was made on self-tapping screws with a washer head, hardened, galvanized with a drill tip.

The drill ends of these screws do not scratch hands, do not cling to fabric, fleece, powder puffs. They do not stick into linoleum, do not tear wooden surfaces under a small load. But since the tips are made for drilling metal, they are harder (harder) than ordinary self-tapping screws. I tested it by trying to scratch the glass with self-tapping drills and sharp ordinary ones. Drills managed to scratch with less pressure and immediately.

They were satisfied with the sizes - 7.5 mm, 9 mm, 13 mm, and 16 mm in length, and the diameters - 3.8 mm and 4.0 mm, which were quite suitable for mounting in tires with different rubber thicknesses.

True, the 2 smallest sizes were with caps with a diameter of 7.75 mm and without puck-shaped extensions. The rest with caps-washers with a diameter of 10.7 mm. For some reason, sellers call them preshaibs.

Since the spikes were found and bought, it was possible to buy out the tires I liked, which were waiting for me in the Trial-Sport store.
Combining theory, conjecture, someone else's and your own experience into a single whole

First I had to think about the installation method - screwing in the spike screws, how to drill and pierce the tire so as not to damage the cord. Trying on a cut piece from an old tire, cutting off a piece drilled at different angles and with different speeds, with drills of different diameters - from 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm, and changing the sharpening, I came to the conclusion. The drill is needed with a diameter of 2.0 mm - 2.5 mm, sharpening at an angle of 45 degrees or more, with a zero or negative angle of the cutting edge, the attacking part of the drill. The best indicator was when drilling with such a prepared drill, but in the opposite direction, as when unscrewing, the direction of rotation - the cord threads were not damaged at all. But even with the right rotation, the results were not bad - the cord was torn in isolated cases.

The technology is as follows - first pierce the tire with an awl where the spike will be installed. At an angle of installation of a thorn. Pierce from the outside so that the awl sticks out 15-20 mm inside the tire, so that you can see the place and the angle - the direction of the hole. Take a drill with a drill and switched to the opposite, the direction of rotation. The maximum speed is not more than 1000. It is more convenient if it is a cordless drill with speed control with a start trigger. Note the place and direction of drilling, pull out the awl and immediately drill into the resulting hole. Put the drill with a drill aside, take a second drill - an electric screwdriver with a Phillips screwdriver installed in the chuck - a pin that matches the number of the cross for the drill screw. Put the screw-drill on the tip of a Phillips screwdriver (pin) and screw it into the hole at an angle of drilling - piercing with an awl. Check that the screw drill - spike, comes out exactly in the right place, marked with an awl.

And also 443 more times, and then for the second tire the same number - exactly 444 identical procedures - “Chinese labor”. A little "trick", so as not to pierce the tire for each stud separately, pierced as many holes as I intended to install the studs on a given day (working shift). Then he stuck parquet nails into the resulting holes, and took them out only before drilling one at a time. Then he again inserted nails into the holes obtained, but thicker - 3 mm thick, immediately after drilling. And when I drilled the norm of the day, then I took out the three-millimeter-thick nails one at a time before screwing the tenon screw. So the holes did not “disappear” - they did not tighten, and faster and more accurately than repeating all the procedures with each spike.

First, a row of extreme ones, at appropriate angles, pierced and inserted parquet nails (they are inserted easily) - you can immediately see whether the holes are even and correct, according to the protruding row of nails. Then another extreme row, and then along the rows and the rest. But not all in a circle, but a section - a sector into which he divided the tire, as for working days. Observing accuracy and attention, each stage of work is visually easily controlled by evenly placed carnations.

It took about 30 working hours for the listed works - two weeks in the evenings.

It is possible and faster, but after all, I worked out the control technology, it’s already beautiful - the result of the work is visible and predictable.

Attention - you need to pierce the tire with an awl once for one spike, accurately marking the location of the hole according to the drawing, taking into account the angle along the red dotted line - 3-5 degrees from the black dotted line, no more.

The tire is 26 by 2.25 inches, screws with spikes of different sizes are used - the middle row is the smallest, blued, then slightly larger galvanized, and on the outer rows the largest ones with a preshay hat.

Close-up of a 26" x 2.35" tire. It can be seen that in the extreme rows, the screws are screwed in at an angle favorable for holding on to the ice. All thorns are the largest, with a preshayba hat.

I called a familiar trial worker and asked: “Are there any unnecessary, with a torn off nipple, cameras made of thick rubber?” It turned out that there are already 3 pieces. It was from these cameras that I cut out strips. I cut it in the middle of the sidewalls and used the outer part. Two chambers with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm and one with a wall thickness of 3.5 mm - heavy, the whole chamber weighed 600 grams, like a tire.

Thick-walled chamber, cut off in the middle of the sidewalls. For insertion into the rear studded tire - protects the cycle tube from the heads of the stud screws. It is also more loaded in the middle rows of stud screws, caps of small diameter are more embossed.

I installed a thick-walled strip under the rear tire, and thinner under the front. One thinner - spare. Inflatable bicycle tubes, used by Schwalbe, at a price of 240 rubles - ordinary, but made of high quality rubber. Bought in "Leader-Sport", on the street. K. Marx.

The rear tire from the inside, the chamber-gasket with traces from the heads of the spike screws is visible. There were no breaks, there was not even a hint of wear - the “gaskets” can be thin.

Tests

This most exciting and interesting thing happened from the Temnaya Pad station and when crossing Lake Baikal on ice.

At first, of course, I was driving to the central passenger station along the asphalt.

The first impression is the sound, like from a dog running on linoleum or parquet with its claws extended, but stronger. We are traveling with a friend who has no spikes on the wheels. But since there is no ice, we drive quickly and as if without tension, although we are careful not to slip and away from the cars.

Skating tests on the rink were surprising, but only for a moment - normal skating, turns and braking without problems. But there were no cars with pedestrians on the rink.

So there were no unusual impressions. Tried to brake sharply, turn around - normal. It seemed that without spikes, the friend is less confident, but this did not seem like a certain indicator. We go by train to the Dark Pad. How will it be there?

We arrived, looked down the trail and … drove. At first slowly, and then somehow inexplicably confident and risking more and more. Braking with the rear wheel, helping and sometimes dragging with one foot through the snow like motocrossers, and even accelerating and bouncing in some areas. Horror. Suicide slope.

I look around - my friend is gone, his bike too. I had to hurry up and search. It turns out that he, braking with the rear wheel and finding that this does not work on the steep slopes of the track, began to slow down with the front, but this did not help on a snowy trail. He began to accelerate and ran into a piece of soil bare from snow. The front wheel, braked and he had rims, stopped them both and threw one over the handlebars of the other down the slope. But somehow silently - he did not have time to be frightened and scream. And then the bike flew away. One lies below, in deep snow, silently, and the other, turning its wheels in an inexplicable position, ten meters away. The one without wheels responds with some phrase from a joke and unprintable about a close relative. Snowdrifts took both flawlessly - they flew next to huge stones and lying tree trunks.

Looking at the action described above, for the first time I became proud of my cycling. After all, he never slipped, although he was afraid a lot.

Further down, on the Angasolka river, there was a super test. I go down the path to the bridge, and from it to the hilly ice - snow on top, under it a layer of wet sludge, and ice at a depth of 5-10 cm. I reached the tree, looked around, and my friend was walking around this ice mess on the slope with a bicycle on his shoulder. She shouts that it is impossible not only to drive, but even to walk - it is slippery and wet. Once you fall and you have to go wet.

I let go of the tree and food, no sensations, ordinary driving, only splashes of sludge to the sides. I even liked it, I rode in different directions, because the ice on the river is bumpy and sloping, like the slope. Amazingly, no uncertainty, easy to ride, like dry and hard gravel. I didn’t want to go further, an absolutely unusual feeling from ordinary confident skiing - you go easy, switch, accelerate, brake, and this is a very slippery and uneven place, more slippery than just ice. After all, I didn’t go to such places, but on the contrary, I avoided it.

While driving to Baikal, out of interest, I chose the opportunity to drive exactly on the ice of the river, where it is under the sludge, wet, bumpy and whatever - the ride is absolutely normal, there is no stress, so as not to slip. It is easy to move out onto the ice and drive back to the shore, where the trail passes.

On the shore of the lake, several skiers took their skis with poles in their hands and went to the snow drift to get on skis to Slyudyanka along it.

Looking at the absolutely even and smooth ice, I was a little confused - how will it go? But having moved onto it, I heard the noise from the spikes and that's it ... no other feelings - like on a flat road. I accelerate, I brake, I make such turns that I almost fell several times, jumped - bucked as best I could and ... NOTHING. It’s even strange, because just like that you can ride on smooth asphalt. He began to mock himself and the bike, but no maneuvers or braking failed to slip or skid either on ice or on thin crust. True, he rolled over the steering wheel several times, both straight and sideways. On that day, only a friend had problems - he was driving no faster than 6-9 km / h, and then on lowered tires. On normally inflated even 3 km / h, the problem is that it fell, slipped every 5-10 meters. I can't imagine how many bruises and bumps I brought home. True, I also brought it - from flying over the steering wheel. One of the flights was from the fact that he braked sharply with one rear wheel.

The main impression is the same - NO IMPRESSIONS - ordinary skating without problems and uncertainty. Self-studded tires "hold" on ice or a dense snowy road much better than new tires on clean summer asphalt.

Another time, to the Angasolka River, I drove along the highway and gravel road for almost 20 km - I didn’t lag behind, sometimes even went ahead on the slopes, although everyone with whom they drove in a small “gang”, except for me, rode branded spikes.

We went down to Baikal past the village of Angasolka on a frozen dirt road. I, along the crooked and wet ice on the Angasolka River, and those on branded spikes, along the path. The owners of the "company" tried, one even fell, and stopped taking risks - driving on wet ice, and on Baikal they did not risk sharp maneuvers, but in a straight line it was possible to race with the firms on an equal footing. True, in the “firm”, they could afford to press the rear brake sharply and strongly - the rear wheel skidded a little to the side, and I could fly through the steering wheel.

It is a pity that I did not take a camera and there are no pictures of those tests. Twice I traveled in company with Diagran (who knows) on his spikes and on the highway and on the snow and on the ice of Lake Baikal - you can’t keep up with him on highways on asphalt, he rides on ordinary branded spikes on ice at 35 km / h - a monster.

In the train, when setting up a bicycle, there were no fears that clothes or fleece gloves could be torn on homemade spikes, it was specially taken.

By the spring, it became noticeable how dull they become - the drills of the spike screws become semicircular, but this did not affect the force of holding on ice and rolled snow. True, due to the fact that the spikes have become a little shorter, it seems to feel better to ride on asphalt and ice. And yet - the more blunt the drill spikes, the slower their abrasion occurs - the contact surface area increases. It becomes approximately equal to the area of ​​hardened spikes, like branded bicycle tires, without victorious inserts. I ran into about 700 km in the first winter with spikes, I don’t know for sure, since the bike speedometer “died” after 600 km. On asphalt and concrete with ice, it turned out about 100 km, about 250 more km on gravel and dirt roads, the rest about 400 km on ice and dense snow.

I think that during my operation, it will be enough to drive until some spikes are replaced, at least 1500 km.
Theory confirmed by practice

The proposed stud angle was derived from the consideration that the greatest shear load on the stud is during braking. And in order for the spike to “bite” into the ice in the best possible way, it must be installed at a negative angle to the support plane when moving forward.

The side spikes are also at a negative angle to the support plane from the corresponding side, as when driving on a slope or when turning at speed. And since under shear load, the studs will deviate in the elastic rubber of the tire, this deviation will be less due to the greater thickness of the rubber behind the stud and the greater elasticity of the thicker rubber layer.

I did not glue the gasket between the cycle chamber and the caps of the self-tapping spikes, since the gluing will not be tight, and water and dust will get into the leak - dirt in it, and inserting and removing this gasket is not difficult.

How will water get there?

Let's say you had to ride in wet places, and then remove the tire and chamber in the heat - water from the internal volume of the rim will flow into the tire.

Yes, and you need a lot of glue - 2-3 full tubes per wheel. With a mediocre result - poor quality gluing. After all, embossed hats will interfere with the ability to stick the rubber of the cut chamber to the inside of the tire. And with a thick layer of glue, “chewing” sounds will be made, which happened when I glued the bike tubes to road bike wheels on an excessively thick layer of glue - not a quality gluing. And since high-quality gluing cannot be achieved, then why do it badly? After all, if you have to replace any spike, you still have to tear off the gluing.

I hope what happened in the end, and what gave me the opportunity to verify the correctness of my guesses and the applied work, will help those who are not afraid to spend labor, accuracy and attention for the final result - cycling where it was impossible before, but with such tires are safe and pleasant.

Recently, to make it easier to ride, I decided to pump up the wheels harder. Actually, I did not pump them up much, but in the way that everyone usually pumps up wheels in the summer. I went on business, and on the way back I had a flat rear tire. At home, I pulled out the tire, found two strange holes on the chamber, despite the fact that the lining chamber was intact. I did not bother and just sealed the camera. The next day I went on a night ride and on the way I got a flat front tire. Thoughts began to creep into my head that this was the work of self-tapping screws, or rather, caps of self-tapping screws that could damage the camera. I disassembled the wheel, pulled out the camera and for sure - the whole camera was in noticeable marks from the caps of the screws, and the hole was exactly along the edge of the mark. In short, it was clearly visible that the head of the self-tapping screw was the cause of the damage to the camera.

There are 3 or 4 such damages on the chamber. Moreover, this is not a hole; The chamber does not let air through. But, of course, you don’t want to ride with such a camera, because a crack can break up at any moment. Let me remind you that my old camera acted as a gasket. As you can see, it is clearly not enough.

On a note

After inspecting both wheels, it turned out that the camera was damaged only on the front wheel. Everything is fine with the rear wheel camera. This is most likely due to the fact that the length of the screws on the front wheel is 2 times longer than on the rear. This is logical: when braking, 2-3 central self-tapping screws bite into the asphalt / ice and, if they protrude strongly, they dig into the camera with the edge of the cap. Pretty much the same when hitting curbs. From this we can conclude that it is not desirable to leave self-tapping screws protruding by more than 1.5 mm. In addition, if there are a lot of self-tapping screws in the central row, then a larger number of self-tapping screws will work during braking, which means that there will be less impact on the camera.

What to do?

It became clear that the spacer alone was not enough. Also, a band-aid pad will not suffice. In several places on the Web, I saw that people used a piece of linoleum as a gasket. I didn’t have extra linoleum, but I remembered the old semi-slick tire gathering dust on the balcony. I cut off the sides of it and inserted it into the front wheel tire. I had to trim it a bit to fit. If you do the same, cut the tire very carefully, because. if you cut off the excess, there will be a gap between the ends of the tire-gasket, which will damage the tire. To avoid this, I sealed the joint with a piece of rubber from the first aid kit.

The wheel has become noticeably heavier and it's bad. On the other hand, if done correctly, I will be almost completely puncture-proof and will be able to inflate the tires hard to make the ride easier. Someone may say that in winter you need to ride at low pressure, but when there are spikes, there is simply no need to increase the working surface area.

Because I still have one extra spacer chamber, I decided to add it to the rear wheel. Gaskets from two chambers should suffice.

Honestly, I don’t know what will come of this and how much more difficult it will be to ride. I decided on a desperate act: to make a lining between the camera and the tire from ... tires. It sounds scary, but in fact, everything is true =) An old semi-slick tire was found on the balcony, the sides were cut off from it. The tire itself was also cut and shortened a little, because. it simply did not fit inside the working tire. I sealed the resulting joint with a piece of rubber so that the corners of the tire would not damage the camera. The resulting gasket was installed on the front wheel. On the back, I used as many as three (how many were old, I put in as many) cameras as a gasket.

Naturally, the bike became noticeably heavier after such a mockery. To be honest, I assumed that I would not be able to constantly maintain even 20 km / h. However, normally drove about 35km.

After driving about 100km on these wheels, I disassembled the rear wheel to see how the camera felt. On the rear wheel, let me remind you, 3 old cameras act as a gasket. Upon closer inspection, no damage, tears or scratches were found. On the camera there were only soft, not sharp prints from the heads of self-tapping screws and nothing more. As I thought, it turned out to be an impenetrable option. The wheels, though noticeably heavier, but it is quite possible to ride.

Separately, I want to say about the wear of self-tapping screws. The fact that the rear wheel is not enough for the whole winter, that's for sure. On it, the central screws were worn out very much.
In principle, what else to expect in such a snowless winter? If there was snow, everything would be fine. But I think when the screws protrude only 0.2-0.3 mm, the erasing process will slow down. When they wear out completely, I plan to unscrew them and screw in new ones. I think to screw in more, because. the more self-tapping screws (and they don’t weigh much), the less their wear will be. On the front wheel, the self-tapping screws both stick out by 2-2.5 mm and stick out. Even the central ones did not fade. This is very good, considering that it is the front wheel that is responsible for control on the road.

Any motorist knows that before the onset of frost, you should change the tires on your vehicle. This is due to both the safety of movement and the legislation of the Russian Federation, according to which motorists must “change shoes” before the end of autumn. Now most drivers prefer to stud their tires on their own, as well as re-stud the tires. This homemade method has several advantages. First, tire manufacturers use substandard materials to cut costs, causing studs to break or fail quickly. Secondly, with self-studding, you can equip tires based on the purely individual operating conditions of the car. Thirdly, repeated studding of winter tires allows you to extend the life of tires.

However, it should be borne in mind that if you want to install studs on newly purchased tires equipped with special stud holes, then you will not be able to save on such an operation, since you will have to spend about the same amount as on new tires with factory studs. Therefore, in our article we will consider the option of "resuscitation" of old tires, equipped or not equipped with spikes. To do this, first of all, you need to carry out preparatory work.

Preparing for tire studding

Before processing tires, you need to purchase rubber. Tires suitable for studding must:

• Correspond to the season of operation, that is, it is necessary to choose winter tires;
• Be made of hard material, since hard rubber holds the spikes better;
• To be with a “non-worn” tread pattern, so it is better if these are new tires.

Only friction models of tires or tires with special holes for studs meet such requirements. Such models cost an order of magnitude higher, but, with self-studding, you will be sure of the quality of the “claws” and that the technology for their installation has been fully observed. Thus, the service life of retreaded tires can be no less than that of new ones.

In addition, you will need a special air gun for studding winter tires and a set of studs, which we will talk about in more detail.

Which spikes are better to choose

Many people think that spikes are the same type of products that do not differ from each other. Actually it is not. To date, there are many varieties of spikes and they can differ in the following ways.

• The body material of the "claws" can be made of aluminum alloys (marking AD), steel (SD) or plastic (MD);
• The shape of the products can be either classic round, oval (OD), tetrahedral, diamond (DD) and so on. In fact, there are many more forms, these are only the main, most popular ones;
• Studs can be single flanged or double flanged. The latter are distinguished by increased reliability, but it makes sense to install them only if you like to quickly drive along the tracks at high speeds;
• The type of core is tubular, rod or other type. In simpler terms, a single-flange spike can be either round or oval, and a two-flange one has the shape of a “glass”.

There are no universal stud models, so when choosing products, it is important to understand three important parameters for yourself: how fast you drive, what your driving style is and what characteristics the selected tires have (tread, hardness, etc.).

Important! The stud must not protrude more than 1.3 mm out of the tire. Therefore, it is necessary to purchase spikes of the appropriate length.

It is worth noting the number of spikes that can be installed. In fact, there are no restrictions on the territory of the Russian Federation, but most motorists prefer to adhere to European standards, according to which, there are the following restrictions:

• On 13-inch wheels, it is recommended to put no more than 90 pieces;
• 14-15-inch - 110 pieces;
• 16-inch - 150 pieces.

In addition, remember 2 important rules:

• Studding must be done before the onset of the winter season. New spikes need some time to rest (preferably 2-3 months), in which case they will last longer and will hold firmly in the tire;
• Studded tires need to be broken in. To do this, the first 500 km must be driven at low speed without strong jerks and braking.

After the winter tire studding equipment has been prepared, you can proceed directly to the installation process itself.

Stud installation

Before installing the spikes, you must first fix the tire. It must remain stationary, otherwise the work may go down the drain. Next, dampen the surface of the tire with soapy water to help the spike slide into the hole in the tire more easily.

After that, you need to take an air gun with spikes filled into it, and fix it in such a way that the paws are in the hole for the spike and stretch it a little. The gun itself at this time should be located relative to the hole. Make sure that there are no distortions. After the spike has been installed, it is necessary to check how securely it "sat down". If it is installed in a skewed state, then it is better to get rid of such a marriage, since in any case there will be no benefit from it.

Advice! If the spike protrudes too much, just drive it a little deeper. To do this, use a hammer and a steel sheet.

If for one reason or another you installed the “claw” incorrectly, it can be easily pulled out until the previously applied foam has dried.

If the installation went smoothly, you should not immediately get behind the wheel and test drive the updated tires. Tires need to be given time to “adjust” to the studs, as the stretch and load in this case change slightly. In addition, the soap suds should dry completely and finally “grab” the spikes and fix them tightly.

You can install tires on a car 2-3 days after the manipulations.

Healthy! If during the break-in process some spikes flew out, it is better not to insert them back, because when they fly out, the holes are deformed and re-installing products in them is a useless exercise.

If you decide to stud the rubber without the corresponding holes, then you will have to do them yourself. This is a laborious job, during which you can accidentally damage the rubber. In this case, in addition to an air gun, you will need a special tubular drill.

Re-studding

Secondary studding (studding) is a know-how that allows you to extend the life of a tire at minimal financial cost. In this case, tires with already existing (worn or fallen out) spikes are used as tires. For this type of work, special spikes are used - repair. They are distinguished by an enlarged hat, so the products can be installed even in a deformed hole. If we talk about the material from which such products are made, then they mainly consist of a metal body, a plastic sleeve and a hard alloy tip.

Important! When studding winter tires, make sure that the tread has not worn off too much. Its depth should be at least 7 mm.

The process of installing new studs in place of the old ones is not much different from the initial studding. The only thing worth paying attention to is cleaning the holes from dirt, stones, sand and other foreign materials, including old spikes. In all other respects, the installation system is the same.

In custody

Studding winter tires, the video of which is presented below, is simple. In order to perform the installation yourself does not require special skills and craftsmanship. In a car service, specialists use an air gun in the same way, only in this case you will not be able to check the quality of the spikes used. Therefore, in this matter it is better to trust only yourself, especially considering that if you purchase high-quality component material, the tires will serve you for many years.

Quite often we hear about the disadvantages that studded tires have, however, when driving on ice, which often freezes on roads in winter, it is virtually impossible to do without studs. As practice shows, studded tires make it possible to stop much earlier on slippery surfaces after pressing the brake pedal, and also give the car better handling, thereby eliminating drifts on difficult sections of the road, for example, when cornering. But there is one problem - such tires, which have metal inserts installed at the factory, are notable for their considerable cost, which to some extent limits the possibility of their purchase. An alternative option is self-studded tires, which makes it possible to significantly reduce costs, as well as independently predetermine the characteristics of the wheels. To understand how reliable such tires are and whether they meet the requirements that are stated for them, we will take a closer look at the studding process.

It is worth knowing that only winter tires are subjected to studding, which have a high density, which is enough to hold metal products. It is better to select tires that already have special holes in the basic configuration - this option will be the most durable and reliable. It is necessary to carefully check that the studding sockets form a certain pattern and are evenly spaced - otherwise, there is a high probability of home-made wheel preparation, which reduces their safety and reliability.

Studding a wheel, why you can only stud new tires

It is important to remember that self-studding is carried out exclusively on new tires, since with a lot of rubber wear in broken seats, metal inserts will not hold.

Undoubtedly, it is possible to make studding on ordinary tires without recesses, but there is a risk of damaging the product right up to its absolute unsuitability. It is also worth noting that the holes for the spikes are created only with the help of expensive equipment, namely a special drill with flexible adjustment of the rotation speed of the tubular hollow drill and spindle. In subsequent work, different tire studding equipment can be used, the type of which depends on your priorities and needs.

Insert spikes into the tire, how to install spikes

In any case, the choice is yours, but it is not rational to purchase an expensive set of pneumatic equipment for one vehicle - it will come in handy if there are several cars in the family. In other cases, experts advise to stop at the semi-automatic method.

Tools and fixtures for manual installation of spikes

Tools and fixtures for semi-automatic cleat installation

1. Screwdriver or drill.
2. Special nozzles.

Tools and accessories for automatic installation of spikes

Preparatory work, how to prepare a wheel for studding

In any case, the tire is first treated with a soapy solution, which allows it to be cleaned as much as possible and facilitates the entry of the spike into the socket. This can be done with a household sponge, but it is better to use a pneumatic sprayer, which allows the solution to penetrate into each hole. Studding of winter tires is done as carefully as possible - you need to make sure that not a single metal product is warped. If it is impossible to achieve a smooth installation, the spikes are removed with pliers. At the same time, they should be swayed in different directions. Uneven installation using an air gun often leads to a rupture of the mounting hole. In this case, it is simply skipped, because after a few kilometers the spike will be lost.

Tire stud, stud device, types of studs

For tire studding, studs should be selected not only by the type of material from which the product is made, but also by the shape of the carbide tip that protrudes out of the rubber - traditional round objects have mediocre efficiency and have a minimal cost. In the European Nordic countries, square and multi-faceted studs are most popular, allowing you to gain confidence in driving safely even in the most difficult road conditions. In recent years, the so-called. "diamond spikes", which are named so not because of the use of expensive material, but as a result of the complex shape of the tip, which mimics the structure of the crystal.

Quite a few motorists also ask questions about the required number of stud flanges. According to this parameter, the selection is extremely simple - in the case of active driving, give preference to two-flange models, since they are much more stable when driving at high speed, as well as when performing maneuvers. Single-flanged models are much cheaper and can slow down the wear of the seating recess, but with active movement they are lost faster.

Tire stud, which studs are suitable for domestic roads

It is necessary to approach the purchase of spikes with the utmost seriousness. It should be noted that for our latitudes and low-quality domestic roads, it is desirable to select products from iron-containing alloys, since aluminum spikes can be deformed even after the first drive along country roads with large bumps and potholes.

What does the law say about the number of spikes per linear meter

The spikes should also be selected in size - it must be borne in mind that the maximum size of the protrusion of the metal tip above the rubber is 1.3 mm. Therefore, it is advisable to buy spikes at the outlet where the tires themselves are, since without screwing one of them into the wheel, it is unrealistic to measure the actual size of the protruding head. In addition, you should not buy too many metal inserts - very soon in Russia, as in all European countries, requirements regarding the maximum number of spikes, which is 60 units per linear meter, will come into effect. For R13 rubber, this figure will be 90 units, and for R16 - 150.

Do-it-yourself stud repair on winter tires

After studding tires, it is necessary to carefully inspect them for warped inserts and excessively protruding tips. The former are removed with pliers, and the spikes that do not meet the standard dimensions are driven inside with a thin metal plate and a hammer. The plate is applied to the spike to evenly distribute the impact energy.

Do not forget that the tires should be at rest for some time so that the rubber wraps around the spikes as tightly as possible, which increases the strength of their fixation. After mounting on a vehicle, studded tires should be run in, for which the first 300-500 kilometers must be driven without active starts, sharp maneuvers and speeds above 80 kilometers per hour. Do not worry if a few studs are lost during the break-in process - this will not have a serious impact on the efficiency of the wheels.

It is not at all necessary to purchase factory sets of studded tires - you can create such wheels yourself. But you only need to use new tires with the right preparation and select the appropriate spikes that have the required tip parameters. In addition, also pay attention to the equipment for studding - if you do not want to spend a lot of money on it, get ready for a significant laboriousness of the work.

Cyclists who want to continue to ride comfortably even in cold weather should consider changing their steel horse's regular tires to studded ones. Special protectors for winter are sold, which are equipped with steel spikes. However, they are expensive, about 1000-2500 rubles, do-it-yourself tire studding will be much cheaper. This is not as difficult as it might seem right away, and you will only need to buy self-tapping screws, good glue. Naturally, regular tires will also be needed.

Spike selection

To upgrade tires, self-tapping screws are selected, which are designed to be screwed into metal holes. The optimal length is 14 mm, and their hat should be wide and with rounded edges. Such self-tapping screws are also good because they have a wide tip, so they will wear out more slowly.

Choice of studded tread

To do it yourself for a bicycle, it is better to choose tires with the thickest rubber, which is designed for snow and ice. This will allow you to convert the tire so that it is universal: for snow, ice and asphalt. Rubber should not be too hard to better cling to the surface. You should not equip the protector with self-tapping screws too thickly, because they will not hold on smooth stones or tiles. And if you insert too few spikes, their tenacity will not be enough on the ice, so it's worth finding a middle ground. It is necessary that the protrusions on the tread alternate: one with a metal spike, the other without it. Do-it-yourself tire studding should not be carried out only in the center of the tire, it is very important that there are self-tapping screws from the sides. After all, cornering stability is much more difficult to maintain. For this reason, the side parts must be equipped with metal spikes thicker than the center. This symmetry will allow you to ride comfortably on any surface. About 140 self-tapping screws are needed per tread to ensure good grip on any surface.

The method of installing screws on the protector

So, preparations for winter are underway, with their own hands. To begin with, the tread pattern is inspected. It is necessary to decide in which protrusions the screws will need to be screwed so that their location is symmetrical. This is very important, because if you place somewhere more, and somewhere less spikes, then the grip will be uneven, which will significantly impair movement.

After it is decided which protrusions need to be equipped with spikes, they are marked so as not to make a mistake in the sequence, after which they are drilled. It is convenient to do this with an electric drill, and it is better to choose a drill twice as thin as self-tapping screws.

Tread drilling

The tire is drilled from the outside, laying it for convenience on a wooden board. When all the holes are made, the bike begins with your own hands. The spikes must be screwed in from the inside of the tread. Before that, we take pliers with which it will be convenient to take self-tapping screws. Then we dip them in glue to the cap, insert them into the hole and screw them in with a screwdriver. Many people use screwdrivers, but for starters it is better to use a regular screwdriver until all the actions start to work automatically. As for the glue, any rubber, for sticking the camera, or the usual "Moment" will do just fine.

The self-tapping screw must be mounted carefully, although it is screwed into the pilot hole, it can still come out not where expected. In this case, it is unscrewed and installed correctly. Indeed, the grip with the surface depends on the angles at which the spikes will be located in relation to the ground. Thus, tire studding passes around the entire circumference, with your own hands, at home, without any special tools. The central spikes should protrude 2 mm above the rubber, this is the optimal size for high-quality grip on the surface. If any exceed this size, then they need to be shortened with wire cutters. The side studs can protrude up to 4mm because they don't touch the ground when riding in straight sections, but only engage in corners.

Camera Puncture Protection

After all the metal components are installed and securely tightened, you can begin to protect the camera from the heads of the self-tapping screws. To do this, you can use a nylon tape or any other, as long as it is as stiff as possible. Or cut the old camera into strips of the desired width. The main thing is that all hats are closed, in order to avoid contact with the camera.

Bonding a protective pad between the tube and the studded tire

In principle, some do not stick a protective tape, but for reliability it is better to do this so that the studding of the wheels with your own hands turns out to be of high quality, and during the ride the self-tapping screws do not pierce the camera. If the glue is quick-drying, then it is better to cut the tape into pieces and stick them in turn. In a word, you need to glue the caps of the self-tapping screws from the inside.

Many, for better bonding of all parts, when they are connected, lay the inside with polyethylene and insert the chamber, after which they pump it up. Thus, everything fits snugly and is leveled. In this form, the protector is allowed to dry, and the polyethylene prevents the camera from sticking. The next day, when everything is dry, you can collect the wheel.

What changes occur when driving after a do-it-yourself studded bicycle tire is installed?

The first is the weight of the tire. It can be calculated based on the fact that one screw weighs around 2 grams (plus glue). Weight becomes more by about 400-600 grams, but again, everything is individual. For this reason, the speed drops by 2-3 km / h. A little more tire noise, but it depends more on the surface that is under the wheels. And, of course, the appearance of the tread is more toothy and predatory.

However, all the shortcomings are nothing compared to the advantages that do-it-yourself wheel studding provides. The first is the price, this option is much cheaper than branded rubber. The second is that the size of the metal spikes and their location can be clearly tailored to your needs. And do not hope that the purchased tire will meet the necessary requirements.

Well, now about the skating itself

Even when riding on open ice, the bike rolls like it's on asphalt. No skidding occurs, even when cornering. You can easily go up the hill, where the children made themselves a skating rink, filling it with water, the adhesion occurs, as in the summer. It also goes great in the snow. As for asphalt and slippery stones, it all depends on how the spikes are located. Many, knowing that they will ride in the winter mainly around the city, do not put screws on the middle row at all. But if there is still such a need, then they should not stick out of the rubber by more than 2 millimeters. In general, do-it-yourself studding of winter tires is justified, and its advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Do both wheels need to be studded?

When winter is very changeable, and snowfalls are replaced by slush, only the front wheel can be spiked. It is responsible for handling, but the load on it is much less. Therefore, the spikes will not wear out very much if you drive, for example, on bare asphalt. When the rear wheel skids on ice, it is not as dangerous as the front wheel. In general, do-it-yourself studding of winter tires provides more opportunities than a finished product. However, if there is money for branded protectors, and they meet all the requirements, then, of course, it is more convenient to purchase them.

Having covered the tires with metal spikes once, the cyclist will know exactly what to change in the next models. The whole difficulty of the first choice lies in the fact that there is no unequivocal answer to the question of what spikes should be and how many to screw them in. It all depends on the specific terrain. However, as practice shows, if such wheels are needed not for a highly specialized sports discipline, then it is better to make universal ones.

So, the article describes how do-it-yourself tire studding is carried out, and what you should pay attention to. This method is the most versatile, and is suitable for any coating. Having made the tread studding in this way, it will be possible to understand more clearly in the future what to change for better grip in a particular riding area. One thing can be said for sure: that rubber, in which metal spikes are installed, will always be better in frost than one that is not equipped with them.

The disadvantages of studded tires are a fact. And under an hour of travel on icy sections of the road, studded tires are indispensable (in order to minimize the risk and prevent all sorts of difficulties). As evidenced by practical application, the studded tire option allows you to gain from two to five seconds when braking to a complete stop in relation to summer (non-studded) tires. Even fractions of a second will be decisive.

Winter studded tires allow you to increase handling, minimize the chances of skidding in corners, and stabilize the car on difficult sections of the road. True, you will encounter a problem - such rubber has metal factory inserts, which automatically affects the cost increase by up to 10%. As an alternative, we are considering the process of studding rubber with our own hands, which will significantly structure the costs and add confidence on the road. To understand the reliability of this option, you should take care of the whole process as a whole. Let's get started on this.

Is it possible to stud tires yourself

Spikes are sold by independent efforts, in their own garage, without spending financial and physical efforts.

To work, you will need a standard set of tools for tire studding and you can’t do without a set of winter tires:

• spikes;
• Pliers;
• Pneumatic gun.

At the moment, literally every auto shop is ready to offer help in finding tires with ready-made holes, where purchased spikes are inserted on their own. This will make the stitching process easier.

2 types of spikes: one- and two-flange. The first stud option is designed for standard driving on city roads, the second stud option is for high-speed driving.

Do not forget that the winter version of tires lends itself to studding due to the presence of rubber density in order to hold the metal frame.

It is advisable to choose rubber with a special hole already in the basic configuration in order to install spikes without difficulty - this option is more reliable and durable. Carefully check that the nests go evenly, forming a pattern (herringbone, zigzag, stripes). In another case, it is highly likely that artisanal preparation will reduce safety and reliability. A note will be to carry out studding on new rubber on our own - on worn rubber, metal inserts will not cope with holding in broken landing recesses.

It is also recommended to carry out studding with ordinary tires, without recesses - however, the product may be damaged to the point of complete unsuitability. Holes for spikes are created by high-tech equipment. At home, drills with flexible rotation control are suitable. In further work, equipment is used depending on needs and priorities.

Choosing tires and studs for tire studding

Despite the insignificance of the choice, today they acquire from dozens of other types of spikes installed on winter-type tires. At the same time, it is very important to take the acquisition seriously. Considering our regional weather conditions, and our quality of roads, it is best to choose an iron-containing option. Aluminum studs will not deform after the first couple of rides on a country road with potholes and bumps. In addition, the spikes should be chosen in accordance with the shape of the carbide tip, which protrudes from the rubber. In this case, traditional round ones are quite cheap, so they call them effective only with a stretch.

If we take into account the more severe climate of the northern European regions, then we should also talk about 4-sided and multi-faceted studs, which allow you to get confidence in reliability even in the event of crossing an icy road.

Recently, there has been an increase in interest in diamond varieties of studs. Their cost cannot be called more expensive than 10% of the usual ones. It's all about the complex shape of the tip, which is visually similar to the crystal structure.

In this situation of acquisition, think about the choice of spikes. 50% of motorists ask questions about the number of flanges. A selection according to this parameter: in the case of constant driving, it is worth paying attention to 2-flange models due to the fact that they are more resistant to maneuvering and driving at high speed. The situation is reversed with 1-fold models: they are cheaper and slow down the wear of the landing recess, however, in the case of active driving, the situation is unprofitable. The selection of spikes also takes place according to the dimensions - consider the max. protrusion size up to 1.3mm. In this regard, it is best to buy studs in the same place as tires.

Do-it-yourself studding process

In order to independently cope with the process, it is necessary to follow a clear algorithm of actions, without which all attempts can be in vain.

• First of all, work begins with fixing the tire. In this case, you need to resort to the help of improvised means (tools). Here it is worth paying special attention to the fact that the quality of your work will directly depend on the level of fixation and fixing of the tire.
• The next step will be to moisten the spikes with soapy water. Yes, at first glance this may seem crazy, but it will allow the spikes to easily pass through all the holes in the tire. We put the spikes in the pneumatic pistol ahead of time and direct them to the holes made earlier on the tires. The pneumatic gun should be kept parallel to the plane, and pressure should be applied until the spikes are completely driven into the tire.
• Spikes, the installation of which did not go smoothly (distortions, bumps, rolls), will need to be removed. In the case of the protrusions of the inserted spikes, you will need to resort to a hammer and an aluminum sheet, with which you can try to drive inward.
• Having dealt with the spike, you should not conduct direct testing immediately. You should wait a bit until the spikes “grow together”. This will take at least a month. In motion, the speed of driving on new studded tires does not exceed 60 km / h. After rolling 200-300 km, gradually increasing the speed to 85 km / h, not forgetting the maximum allowable level.
• It is worth remembering the next point. When the studded tires are ready, inspect carefully for the lugs of the tips. In case of irregularities, remove with pliers or drive in non-compliant (1.3 mm) spikes inward. A hammer and a metal plate will do just that.