Bikes: Swapping in Studded Winter Tires

Swapping in Studded Tires for a winter bicycle
   Its time, well a little past even. With that last Minnesota thaw, I was happy that I still had snow tires on, but with the latest cold blast, it seems the ice is here to stay. This week I swapped out my front tire on the snow bike for a studded tire, making it a snow and ice champion. This is a 'can swing a hammer' project, fer sure. Here's how to do it:

1) Remove the wheel.
   -let the air out of the tube. you can either use a tool to push in a schreoder valve (shown) or unscrew the valve on a presta and push it in with your finger.
   -you may still need to loosen the brakes to remove the wheel. For linear pull, remove the metal 'noodle' from its harness, or for cantilever, pull the metal quick release end of the straddle cable.

2 ) Remove the old tire.


   -insert a tire lever under the tire and pop it off the rim with the 'spoon.'
   -run the lever all the way around the rest of the tire bead/rim so that one side is completely off.
   -the other side should come off easily with only the force of your thumbs. Finally, pull the valve from the valve hole, and set the tire aside.

3) Install the new tire

   -set the new tire/tube up next the rim and start the new tire installation by doing the reverse of removal. install the valve into the valve hole, push one side on with your thumbs, then use the lever to 'pop' in the other side.
   -make sure to reattach the brake cable and check that the wheel is centered.




4) Pump it up!

   -double check to verify the valve is sitting in a 90 degree position perpendicular to the rim. that way the valve hole can't dig into the valve and cause air leakage later.
   -refer to the tire casing for the proper amount of air the tire should be pumped to. I generally leave it at the lowest end for snow/ice winter riding.

5) Get out and ride!
   You can find a handy multi-tool like the one shown for a bout $30 from your friendly local bike shop, and studded winter tires like these generally run for $60-$100 depending on size, quality, and availability.

Thanks for tuning in,
DIY Dads with Beards

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