Studdless Snow/Ice tires: Continental Topcontact Winter 2

[The Stig]

In testing cars on hockey ice rinks, tirerack.com found studless tires are better than studded. This is basically smooth black ice, the worst kind of ice.

We were surprised when all three of today's high-technology studless winter / snow tires were able to provide more acceleration traction on ice than the studded winter / snow tires!

The rest of this article is below.

As for the Bicycle studdles ice tires, I have since tried these out and can say they do not grip on smooth black Ice, they do on rough black ice and they grip very well on all other snowy/wet surfaces! I may just leave these on year around, that would make them well worth it. I'm fine with watching out for black ice in the winter if it means i don't have to swap tires ever.



http://velonews.competitor.com/2011...continental-topcontact-winter-ii-tires_197231

Review: Continental TopContact Winter II tires

By Caley Fretz
Published Nov 6th 2011 3:07 PM UTC

The Winter IIs are designed with a cold-weather rubber compound. Photo: Caley Fretz

As much as I enjoy entertaining my fellow commuters, impersonating a dreidel in the middle of the street at rush hour just isn’t a good time. Plus, the patch of snow or ice that just sent me sprawling is likely to prevent the nearest rolling death box from avoiding me, which makes keeping the rubber side down doubly important.

This aversion to both humiliation and possible death spurs my annual search for winter commuter tires, something that will keep me safely trudging through nasty mornings while still rolling well enough to keep riding from being a chore.

Generally, my two top picks for winter are studded tires, like the Schwalbe Marathon Winter we featured in this month’s issue of Velo magazine, or knobby cyclocross tires, which have obvious benefits in the snow while still rolling acceptably on pavement.

The first contender this year is neither. Continental’s TopContact Winter II has neither studs nor big knobs. I was skeptical.
The specs

The first secret of the Winter II lies in its hundreds of tiny micro-siping channels. (Conti calls them lamellae, which I thought were the little frills under a mushroom. I guess they look similar.) The second is a soft, winter-specific rubber compound designed to maintain its grip in cold temperatures. Why tiny little siping channels instead of big knobs? Because big rubber knobs can’t bite into ice; traction is determined by the sheer quantity of edges attempting to grab hold.

The tread compound is optimized for cold weather, like a winter car tire. In warm weather the rubber is incredibly soft, easily squished around with a finger. As the mercury drops it firms up to a more reasonable durometer. Regular tires become super hard in the cold, compromising traction.

The Winter II is available in 700x37c or 26×1.9-inch sizes, which should fit any cyclocross, touring or mountain bike frame. Suggested retail is a competitive $65. The casing is a triple ply with 180tpi and a PolyX breaker for extra puncture resistance, and has a reflective stripe down the side for extra visibility.

I tested the 700x37s on my cyclocross-framed commuter. They measure a true 35mm, which I was concerned about initially but turned out to be a benefit in certain conditions. Weight is 607g per tire on our scale.
Where they’ll work
2011 Continental TopContact Winter II, tread

I was amazed that the Winter IIs held on to ice even without studs. I wouldn't try to turn quickly or brake hard, but coasting over a nasty patch is no problem. Photo: Caley Fretz

Traction on slippery surfaces is drastically increased over a regular touring-type tire, matching or even exceeding a cyclocross tire in certain conditions. The Winter II handles short sections of ice, even nasty black ice, much better than any ’cross tire I’ve used, though a studded tire still inspires far more confidence.

With less than four inches or so of snow on the ground, the Winter IIs cut through and use their contact surface area and soft compound to provide excellent grip.
Where they won’t

Deep snow is a no-go. The lack of side knobs makes tracking or turning impossible if the tires can’t reach down to a hard surface. The good news is that it doesn’t really matter what that hard surface is: Ice or pavement, the Winter IIs grab hold. The 37c versions I used were narrow; they could almost always get down and bite onto something during our last five-inch storm. Any more snow and they’d be in trouble, though.

Though the Winter IIs roll admirably fast when it’s cold, the soft rubber gets even softer and slower when it gets warm. The hundreds of little siping bits squirm around on warm pavement, sending rolling resistance through the roof. It might be worth swapping them out if a week of 60-degree highs is forecast.

That same soft rubber picks up gravel and other spikey bits more than any tire I’ve ever used. I haven’t had any flats yet, but I have picked a few chunks of glass out of the tire that the PolyX breaker stopped.
The scoop

We’re just two storms into winter here in Boulder and I’m already a big fan of the Winter IIs. I love their versatility: They grip well on ice (which is what usually takes me out, not the snow); can take on a few inches of snow with ease; roll well on dry pavement; and come with more puncture protection that more cyclocross tires. For extreme conditions I’ll put on the studs, or ride my mountain bike, or just strap on my skis.

Best of all, I don’t feel the need to pull them off between storms the way I do studded tires. That’s appreciated here on the Front Range of the Rockies, where even big storms often melt off the roads within hours.

I don't think we're there yet but I'm especially interested in the potential of this tire technology because in the automotive world Studdless tires can have better grip than studded tires on ICE!

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=94

We were surprised when all three of today's high-technology studless winter / snow tires were able to provide more acceleration traction on ice than the studded winter / snow tires!

Traction Index refers to the relative performance vs. the studded tire (higher is better)
Our acceleration runs began with each car lined up with its rear wheels on the goal line. We then recorded the time it took for the car to cover the final 60 feet to the center of the rink as the car accelerated as fast as its tires and traction control would allow.

Establishing the Firestone Winterforce studded winter tire's 60-foot acceleration times as our basis of comparison (and assigning it a traction index of 100), we found that the slightly faster Michelin X-Ice earned a traction index of 101, while the faster still Dunlop Graspic DS-2 earned a traction index of 108, and the new Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 tires completed the course with the fastest time and earned a traction index of 115.

 

[The Stig]

Well turns out these are great on everything!!... except on BLACK ICE

 

[grindz145]

Studs are still the way to go in the winter. I even have them for my streetbike in the winter (and I ride year round). There really isn't a substitute if you come across a decent amount of ice. Cheap insurance if you depend on your bike.

 

[The Stig]

Yeah but remember in world of cars studdless tires have surpassed studded... as tire rack found:

We were surprised when all three of today's high-technology studless winter / snow tires were able to provide more acceleration traction on ice than the studded winter / snow tires!

I wonder when studdless ice tire technology will ever be developed for 2 wheelers...

 

[Kingfish]

I run the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro on the FWD; it’s 26x2.35 (60-559) with 361 tungsten carbide core spikes. On the RWD, I couldn’t find a phatty 24” with studs so I went with a Panaracer Fire FR 24x2.4 knobby mainly because it will still grip in snow and crud... perhaps not the best for dry asphalt – though good enough when braking. This particular knobby can be studded with the right tools though so far there hasn’t been the need this winter.

Studless snow tires IMO cannot beat out studded tires on black ice polished to a mirror finish or otherwise. Perhaps the steep hilly country here in the PNW limits their acceptance. As it is, I run two sets of tires on my 4x4: All-Season steel-belted radials & Studs for winter. My ebike is the same, swapping for Hookworms in all but winter.

Now if I could afford two sets of motors... swapping wheels would be a dream :wink:

~KF

 

[The Stig]

I run the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro on the FWD; it’s 26x2.35 (60-559) with 361 tungsten carbide core spikes. On the RWD, I couldn’t find a phatty 24” with studs so I went with a Panaracer Fire FR 24x2.4 knobby mainly because it will still grip in snow and crud... perhaps not the best for dry asphalt – though good enough when braking. This particular knobby can be studded with the right tools though so far there hasn’t been the need this winter.

Studless snow tires IMO cannot beat out studded tires on black ice polished to a mirror finish or otherwise. Perhaps the steep hilly country here in the PNW limits their acceptance. As it is, I run two sets of tires on my 4x4: All-Season steel-belted radials & Studs for winter. My ebike is the same, swapping for Hookworms in all but winter.

Now if I could afford two sets of motors... swapping wheels would be a dream :wink:

~KF

Apparently studdless car tires have nano hard particles in the rubber compound that act like thousands of nano studs gripping the crystalline ice surface. Ice may feel smooth to us but under a microscope or electron microscope its pretty rough.

Depending on the bike might be nice to have a whole rear swing arm assembely with wheel and motor to swap out, if you have mechanical brakes. would save downtime from flats too

 

[Kingfish]

Apparently studdless car tires have nano hard particles in the rubber compound that act like thousands of nano studs gripping the crystalline ice surface.

That bit of information does catch my attention; thanks for sharing.

In a way it reminds me of the work applied to develop technologies that mimic gecko feet which are covered in micro-hairs (called setae) that adhere to the surface in a different manner than straight mechanical traction – using electrostatic forces that create bonds at the molecular level. I don’t think that studless tire technology employs that – yet. However hard micro-particles embedded into the compound are an interesting twist.

The State of Washington reporting in 2002 that studded tires produced their best traction at or near freezing temperatures when water turns to ice in that they stated there was no equal. However as temps are driven up or down beyond the transition then traction tires again prove their merit without degrading the road surface. When breaking on ice and in icy conditions, studded tires still outperformed all other tires by 15%. The report goes on to explain the distinctions between compact snow and hard frozen ice (the latter being the worst of all possible conditions). Furthermore – during braking, studded tires are best for anti-lock systems on ice. In the report Washington State winter tests were compared to Alaska and Minnesota (milder verses harsher). It’s interesting that only steel tire chains beat out studded tires in all conditions (that being ice, snow, wet) except for wet (which makes sense). But then you can’t hardly drive a vehicle with chains safely at a speed above 35 mph.

That said, the report goes on to compare Bridgestone Blizzacks to normal- and light-studded tires, and all-season. This is where it gets interesting and the study begins to support that Blizzacks have a slight edge in certain conditions over studs.

I found the report intriguing. Being that this is relatively old data I’d wager that much improvement has occurred in tire compound technology. Keeping an open mind - if I could find a phatty bike traction tire… I think would be willing to giving it a whirl.

Not too old to learn something new, KF

 

[bowlofsalad]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPd3O5_SJEs

I thought this video was semi-relevant and interesting.

 

[Kingfish]

“RUD gets you there” :lol:
Actually that’s pretty clever. The only worry is having a segment break off and become a projectile.

Ever read about retractable-stud snow tires? Lots of publicity in 2008 – though difficult to find more info on it. Seemed like a good idea.

~KF

 

[bowlofsalad]

“RUD gets you there” :lol:
Actually that’s pretty clever. The only worry is having a segment break off and become a projectile.

Ever read about retractable-stud snow tires? Lots of publicity in 2008 – though difficult to find more info on it. Seemed like a good idea.

~KF

"The problem is, some northern states have laws that prohibit studded tires between spring and fall." Some states don't allow studded tires on cars ever. It's one of the million things I dislike about cars.

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/research/qanda.htm See 'studded'.

 

[The Stig]

... Being that this is relatively old data I’d wager that much improvement has occurred in tire compound technology. Keeping an open mind - if I could find a phatty bike traction tire… I think would be willing to giving it a whirl.

Not too old to learn something new, KF

Yeah the new blizzaks I have, the WS70 s, have some compound with silicone in them to make the last longer... I bet the tire companys are pouring all sorts of money into developing better compounds...

I would kill for a fatbike studdless ice tire! I'm looking to build a downhill eFatbike... so far I'm considering the studded 45nrths:
http://fat-bike.com/2012/08/new-45-nrths-dillinger-escalator-tires/

or the surly 4.8" tires and studding them myself:
http://surlybikes.com/blog/post/how_fat_can_we_go
http://www.gripstuds.com/Bicycle.php
Downside is these studs a very expensive and then need installing

 

[outside]

my reports with Schwalbe Ice Spiker around Italy under snow:

http://www.bellitaliainbici.it/passo_montecroce.htm
http://www.bellitaliainbici.it/livigno_pano.htm
http://www.bellitaliainbici.it/valfederia.htm
http://www.bellitaliainbici.it/roncola_pertus_valcava.htm

I must say that I am satisfied with holding these tires in all conditions, especially on packed snow or ice.
After the stay of 8 days with temperatures between -5 ° C to -20 ° C,
grip on packed snow was always great.

Of course I think Continental Topcontact can not have the same grip on packed snow or ice as they have the Ice Spiker. Spikes make their difference