In four seasons of fat biking I’ve never used studs or felt the need to. It hasn’t caused me any issues that would motivate me to drop $600 on a pair of studded tires. Where it has caused issues, like icy embankments, my friends with studded tires often experienced the same problems. Studs do provide extra traction, but not all the time.
Simply being cautious and monitoring freeze/ thaw cycles helps prevent many ice-related problems and surprise crashes.
The overwhelming majority of my fat bike crashes (and there have been several!) were because of fluffy powder, where studs wouldn’t have made a difference anyways.
I’m 220 lbs. and run around 3 PSI in my fat bike tires. I typically run tubeless as well, to cut weight and prevent pinch flats.
At that low of a pressure, 27.5 4.5” tires (Bontrager’s Gnarwhals) have a massive footprint and provide plenty of traction. Proper balance, weight, and paying attention go a long way to keeping your tires rooted. Studs are not a panacea. You will not magically power up steep icy sheets or send corners at summer speed. In some ways, they can make you a complacent fat biker because you don’t pay as much attention to your environment.
The area I spend most of my riding, the eastern slopes of the Rockies, experiences drastic changes in temperature and snow conditions throughout winter. Sometimes we get a big dump, other times the trails dry out and return to summer conditions. Sometimes it’s freeze thaw, especially in spring.
With normal tires I never have to worry about babying my studs in dry conditions. When the conditions are sketchier I know to look out for bad sections. Often times, on icy stretches, merely dropping my seat and getting a foot on the ground provides more than enough stability. And it’s much cheaper than a $600 set of tires.
I rode my Fatbike for 2 winters and was firmly in the camp of studs would be nice but aren’t necessary… until this year. This year my husband and I got new bikes with studdable tires and decided to fill them up. GAME CHANGER. The last 2 seasons we felt like we really only missed having studs early and late season when there were lot us of freeze/thaw cycles. After riding with studs this season and looking back, I realize that we missed out on a lot more by not having them all season. First, we didn’t ride as much and waited for good conditions. That meant we only rode about 600 km of snowy single track each season. Second, it meant that we rode more cautiously, avoided the steep and technical trails, and spent a lot more time walking both up and down hills. All things that riding with studded tires have changed! So far this year, we have ridden over 800 km and we aren’t even half way through the season! Studded tires allow me to ride my fat bike in the winter on the same trails and in the same way that I would ride my summer trail bike. I’m able to ride with full confidence at full speed all of the same trails that I would ride in the summer and also know that I am going to stick the landings on drops and jumps. And that is really saying something considering that the trails here in Edmonton have been sheets of ice most of this winter. Too slippery to walk on but perfect to ride with studded tires! So, while I agree with your basic statement that studded tires aren’t necessarily a necessity, they absolutely elevate the winter fat biking experience and enjoyment and are 100% worth every penny (or dollar?). Fatbike Canada makes studs that are fantastic and much more economical than the big names. Also wanted to add that we have travelled to places like Jasper where the trails were rock and frozen dirt and rode many km’s, here in Edmonton we ride lots of rooty trails and wooden and cement stairs, and paved double track to get to trails, and I have not lost a single stud in over 800 km on my Gnarwhals. On the other hand, my husband lost over 40 studs in 3 rides in Jasper from his Cake Eaters. Since switching to Gnarwhals, he hasn’t lost a single stud either, so it could totally be the tire/stud combo if people find they are losing more than a couple per season. I’d be interested to hear if your opinion on having studded tires for your Fatbike would change if you had a chance to ride them over a month’s worth of conditions. Or maybe your location and the trails that you ride are what makes the biggest difference?
This is a great response, and tons of useful info here for other riders! Nice work Marcie.
That’s a great point that you haven’t lost any studs on Gnarwhals–I’m sure tire manufacturer/ styles play a role with this issue. As time goes on, hopefully the better studdable options will be more obvious!
I know studs would make a big difference. But, I’m able to keep up with my friends that do have studs. It is more work but the payoff (and better balance skills) are worth it. Ironically, my friends with studded tires tend to wipe out more, likely because of complacency because you don’t have to pay as much attention with studded tires.
Maybe if they come down in price I’ll consider them. But at this point, lower tire pressures and focused weight balance give me the control I need. But, I know this isn’t the case for everyone! Ice is sketchy and most people will feel better with that piece of mind. But, someone who just dropped their bike budget on a new bike might not be keen to drop another few hundred for studded tires.
Thanks for the input, and it’s great to know that if I did stud my Gnarwhals, losing studs may not be as big an issue as it is for other tires!