Unfortunately the riding conditions are changing and roads will be getting sketchy in the next couple of months for riders that get to enjoy four seasons. I live in Minneapolis, MN and enjoy the winter however have had to adapt to difficult eSk8 conditions. Last year I ran with a Chen Shin 200mm x 50mm tire see below:
The tire was OK …at best… as it was an improvement over the the Kenda 200mm x 50mm slicks I run on the roads most of the year (that are great in all conditions except Ice and snow). It just did not do well on ice and left me wanting more traction.
This year have some T2 MBS tires:
13120 - 9" MBS T2 Tires $17.95 a piece:
The 9" MBS T2 tire is the obvious choice for riders wanting a little extra clearance to tackle the obstacles that lay in their path. Made with a super tough rubber compound for unmatched durability. ONLY fits MBS Trispoke and FiveStar hubs.
13211 - MBS FiveStar Hub (1) - White $9.95 a piece
When designing the FiveStar hub MBS took the successful RockStar II hub design and tweaked it to work with both 8" and 9" tires by adding a second internal rim lip. By increasing wall thicknesses slightly MBS was able to use a lighter and slightly more economical impact-modified hub material which has proven to be perfect match for this versatile general-purpose hub. Maximum recommended tire pressure is 50 psi. Riders wanting to ride higher pressures should look the Rock Star II or Rock Star Pro hubs.
Tire size and comparison ( MBS T2 vs. Kenda):
Well to take it the next step I have installed studs (sized and designed specifically for mountain bike application):
from https://bikestud.com/ where high quality can be purchased for 50 studs for $10 (I used 40 per T2 tire)
The process for insertion is time consuming as you need to make a small soldering iron tool to create a pocket to insert the stud. I takes about 15 seconds a stud to install so you can do the math to complete four tires.
Here is an example of a finished tire:
If their is interest I can provide measurements for the solder iron tool I developed and a video of the process. You do need a tire knobby with a durometer and thickness that will work. The best I found were the MBS T2 the tire wall thickness is 6mm and to the top of the knobby approx 8.5mm. I am looking forward to rolling strong this winter.
This will be my winter ride (test ride before studs installed in tires).
These MBS 5 star hubs (https://www.mbs.com/parts/13211-mbs-fivestar-hub-1-white) and have a step that allows both 8" and 9" tires…MBS clearly says that the 9" T2 tyre only works on the five star hub. I have the aluminum MBS Pro Rockstar II hubs but I don’t think they will work.
By the way the T2 is a superb tyre capable of 50 PS and have a 4 ply construction. When riding they are very smooth and feel like you are snowboarding on powder…
This is the tool I created from a square solder tip:
The tip is is pretty small as you want to create a pocket in the rubber. The tip is about 1.8mm by 4mm with the shaft at 2mm and penetration depth 4.5mm. I have my iron adjusted to about 330C and push the tip in at an angle then straighten to vertical and rotate slowly to create the seated pocket. I then immediately inset the stud while the rubber is still soft / molten. It takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it you can do a stud in about 15sec. It is very important to do in a well ventilated area as the molten rubber puts off smoke and strong odor and it is easiest with a mounted tyre under pressure.
I‘m sure it was smelling like hell
Wouldn’t it be possible to make a hole with a drill and than use epoxy or some kind of rubber glue to hold the studs in place?
Maybe but it is really better to use the tire to your advantage to grip the stud. You need to create that pocket that is present in MTB studded tires. The studs I have placed have been solid with no need for additional adhesives…just do outside before the snow falls and if you want run a fan to blow fumes down wind. I really think this is the best method for cost…Also the studs you get at https://bikestud.com/ are smaller than a standard car stud and are top quality…
The board has been totally upgraded (as shown above) thanks to the help and knowledge shared from the eSk8 community…and looking forward to a better winter 2018/2019…
I already was looking for studs, but the ones I could find where all 9-11mm which would be definitly too long.
Can you say something about durability.
In case I need to dive some km on pure asfalt they gonna rub off fast?
Andy these are Tungsten carbide tip (the darker portion that is mounted in an aluminum body)
they will wear extremely slow…how many winter miles are you thinking? These should last many seasons without any noticble wear or performance loss. You should not experience major wear on asphalt.
I am running a 72 tooth hub wheel pulley I purchased from Evolve that fit the all five star (five bolt) MBS hubs. If they can fit the bolt pattern of the hub should work on TB Trucks.
I have about 2km of road till the next park I drive usually. So 4km per trip.
For sure it depends on how much snow we will get this year.
Would say 50-100km max.
Thought about some kind of chains too and already have a design.
Think it could be better in deeper or fresh snow, but not sure if diy chains will perform good when driving 30km/h.
I just read your post again and realized you made only a pocket for the studs not a hole and put them through
You made that pocket with inflated wheels. You don´t afraind to burn to deep and hit the inner tube too?
No never had problem going through tire as the tip I designed left left 3…4mm of rubber and belt. Have installed over 100 studs no problem, you want to use a larger tire like the MBS T2 with a deep tread to grip snow and studs are for ice. Chains can work as well but I wanted a smoother ride and not thumping of the chains or the worry they would slip in turns…
The axle in my trucks is 12mm…I do think you can get an adapter or sleeve for you 8mm trucks however I
have not used one. I do think I have read on the board individuals doing this…
thanks for the tip, my guess is that it would look something like this?
So if you wanted to do you setup on like a TB truck, you need to buy the hubs/spikes etc you listed above, then get the link above for the conversions, get a set of 4 12mm x 28mm bearings, and then get the evolve second gen drive gears:
Yes that is the exact pully gear I have used with great success…as they also include extended bolt kit for mounting. You will need to play with your setting on your ecs…,I am running 16x72 with 190kv 6374 duals that provides a good balance between torque and top end. Never have any issue on hills or speed.
Not sure on the tires you listed but you could give it a try…evolve makes a 7” knobby that I think would be better for you. Take a look… https://evolveskateboardsusa.com/products/7-evolve-tire-knobby not sure you will need to confirm they will work with Trampa hubs…
This will be my winter ride (test ride before studs installed in tires).
Wouldn’t it be possible to make a hole with a drill and than use epoxy or some kind of rubber glue to hold the studs in place?
my standard Poodle is addicted to eSkt8.
You made that pocket with inflated wheels. You don´t afraind to burn to deep and hit the inner tube too?