# Does 700c tires work better than 26 in the snow?



## longcat (Nov 8, 2008)

the reason I'm asking is that I have 26x2,1 Scwalbe ice spikers now and when it has snowed and the snow is still kinda fresh and fluffy its a nightmare to get to work, the resistance is massive.

So I'm planning a new bike build and I dont know if I should get a 26er or one with 700c wheels. Nokian has their 240 stud tires in 700x40 and those would be the ones I would use if I go 700c.

So the question is which tire gives the least rolling resistance in fresh heavy snow / gets me to work with the least amount of effort. 26x2,1 or 700x40?

The way I reason is: the 700x40 is narrower and will meet less resistance in the snow.

What do you guys think?


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## tmotz (May 16, 2002)

*Using the bike during Summer*

If I had to ride the same bike during the Summer I would get the 700c wheelset. Then I can get a nice narrow tire for less resistance.


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## qwertzy (May 25, 2005)

How long do those conditions last though?
Don't the roads get ploughed pretty quick, or at least get packed down by the cars?
I have Schwalbe "120 snow studs" in 700 x 35 on my hybrid, which work fairly well on ice and can be pumped up hard so that you're not rolling on the studs on dry/ice free roads.
OTOH I've ridden my mountain bike on packed snow trails in the mountains (dog sled runs) with xc mud tires that have a lowish tread that gripped fine.
I think in fresh snow, spikes are not much help and tires behave like in deep mud (i.e. float over it with wide balloon tires or cut through it with skinny ones, but it's hard going either way), 
If you're commuting and dealing with continually changing road conditions (fresh snow on rutted ice, black ice etc.) I think you need a compromise of tread for the snow and studs for the ice.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

I would imagine that the bigger wheel (700 or 29") would be better for snow with some depth to it, because it would be better at packing the snow under it instead of trying to push it.

I agree that in fresh snow, you don't need studs. Regular MTB tires, at fairly low air pressure, would float better. And floating would give you lower resistance than trying to cut through it. Especially if it's heavy snow.

I'd be tempted to go with a 29" MTB.


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## StageHand (Dec 27, 2002)

Fresh snow is one of the hardest things to ride in/on. I would plan more for the icy/slushy commute (whichever you get wherever you are), because the snow part is going to be very hard no matter what you put on there.

That said, the narrower tire will cut through the snow more, and still not find the pavement except in less snow. The wider tires might float more, but I don't think the difference is worth planning a bike around.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

I like the way our big fat studded tires keep us nice and warm in the winter.

FWIW to answer your specific question if the snow is less than 3" deep and there is a dry, ice free surface underneath than I suspect the 700C tires will be fine.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

in "fresh heavy snow" I would guess that the difference in "rolling resistance" shouldn't be a big concern


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## longcat (Nov 8, 2008)

I will ride the same bike all year róund tmotz.

The commute to work is 70% gravel roads and about 30% asphalt, its ice under the snow most of the time. 

I live in northern norway and it snows a lot here, like 10 cm 2 days ago, and thats not enough for the plowmobiles, ok the bigger roads gets plowed within a few hours but the road I take to work no, it usually takes a day or 2. We get from 5-10cm most often but sometimes its like 50cm in a few hours, and then its chaos because they dont even have time to do all the roads for the cars and they dont have any place to "store" the snow.
I would say It snows about 2 times a week or so, the temps are between -2-3C or so and like today -20C.

I really need a lot of studs, I have Schwalbe marathon winters (26) for my bike too but they would be totally useless here, lost a bit of money buying those. The reason I need lots of studs and really offroady tires is that I ride where the cars go, and they create ridges like 5-10 cm high in the road and those are packed ice, I dont know how many times the ice spikers have saved me but its more than I can count, I would be dead without those, or at least not be able to ride anything, when you end up in one of those little valleys in the dark (its dark here 24/7 for a month or so) you have to be really careful, even with ice spikers.


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## PaulRivers (Sep 11, 2006)

I think you should go with the 700c wheel (with lots of clearance in the front fork and rear stays) just because there are more options in 700c tires.

Unfortunately, there's no equivalent Nokian tire in 26" to the w240. With 26" tires, you have to go with either the Mount and Ground's, which only have a center row of studs, or the Extreme's, which are a slow and very aggressive mountain bike tire but have the side studs. In the 700c size, you can get a 106's with center studs only, the 240's with center and side studs but a road-like tread, or the Extreme with a very aggressive tread designed for offroad stuff.


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## torrefaction (Jun 25, 2006)

This is my 15th winter riding in Montreal, Canada. For the first time I'm trying it with a road bike, and I've never felt safer on snow. I have a vittoria 700x27 green cyclocrossy type tire and a bald 700 x 23 in the back with clip on fenders. Hot knives in butter. Haven't bailed sober once this winter, and we've been snowed in since November. Obviously this is useless for you, longcat. However, this might be more your speed: http://www.coupedesglaces.org/new/tire.html
We have a messenger race on ice every year and we make our own ice tires (no retail studded tires can grip full speed in a corner on a skating rink). Takes a while and you have to find teeny little screws, but maybe a set of homemade tires would keep you safe in Norway! Let me know if you want some tips if you decide to try this.
Cheers.


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## kiwisimon (Oct 30, 2002)

my bike is a 700c crosser with discs. We also have snow and more than fresh snow, it's frozen except in the middle of the day when it thaws out a bit. I ride with spiked nokians on 26 inch wheels( wish panaracer still made their spiked tires) again with disc brakes cause I like being that little bit lower on the slippery stuff. The larger wheels with knobbies 700X42 with less pressure do pretty well on slush but when the fresh stuff gets deeper than a few inches the big rubber knobbies with spikes on the 26s plough on through with no trouble. Fatter with heaps of knobbies and spikes is better IMHO. (Sorry rolling resistance sucks but so does walking on an unploughed road at night) Putting the 26s on my SS gives me a lower gearing and center of gravity. I have the same riding position but less distance to dab if i do feel things slipping out. who knows, maybe a massive spike count 700c would be just as good. good luck. here is a really good link with lots of other good links http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp


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## superjohnny (May 16, 2006)

Time for a Pugsley


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## 88 rex (Mar 18, 2008)

JohnnyTooBad said:


> I'd be tempted to go with a 29" MTB.


Sounds like the perfect bike would be the Salsa Fargo


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## jimmygster (Oct 7, 2008)

I've been commuting all winter here in Edmonton, and there's been lots of snow and Ice. I'm riding a Specialized TriCross Comp with Schwalbe Marathon Winter's 700c, and while it's been challenging at times (!), they've worked great. My bike is a 61" too, and I'm a big guy with a high centre of gravity. This winter has been a blast, and my skills are growing.

I ran into a bike courier who uses skinny road slicks! He says the cut through the snow better. Of course he's also riding a fixie with no brakes. I thinks he's crazy, stupid, or both.

New deep snow can be a struggle. I find the worst situation is when someone ahead of me has wiped out, and left a rut. There's a tendency for the bike to catch the rut, and pull me into the same wipeout. 

When it gets below about -28 to -35, everything gets really stiff, and even riding on flat ground feels like pedalling uphill. Great exercise though, especially for a 52 year old.

I love winter cycling!


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## repartocorse40 (Feb 23, 2009)

listen to your messenger........i use conti ultra sports(700X23) for "all" of my commuting no problem in Wisconsin. The key is having no tread. Mountain tires with deep tread are the worse thing you could choose - the snow clogs them and then you are in trouble. Riding a hard road tire pushes down through the snow to the pavement and works great in my experience. Taking your time and keeping a smooth steady cadence while staying completely centered on top of the saddle is the key to fall free winter riding.


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