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Schwalbe Winter Tire 700c (HS 396)

SchwalbeWinter Tire 700c (HS 396)(Return to Product Page)

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(34 customer reviews)
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User submitted reviews

Review by Circular

On hard pack and light ice my commute was pleasant.
rating
by Circular
Daily Commuter
Springfield, MO
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.

I put the Schwable Winter tires on a spare and now it is my go to bike for snowy and icy roads.

Reviewed 1/9/2017
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Review by jerry!

Great tire for winter bike commuting!
rating
by jerry!
Daily Commuter
Burlington, VT
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.

These tires have been great! I commute to work everyday in northern Vermont, where weather can vary from day to day. These tire have served me well during snowy rides and the nutty thaw freeze cycles of VT.

Reviewed 1/12/2017
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Review by RichardC

Easy to install, great traction, reflective sidewall
rating
by RichardC
Casual Cyclist
Boston, MA
6 of 6 customers found this review helpful.

Doing 7 miles/day commute in Boston year round, on a Raleigh Misceo 2.0 hybrid. These studded tires allow you to ride safely on smooth ice. Previously, on plain rubber tires, any small patch of ice could cause a skid and loss of balance, with these studs it's no problem. They don't solve the problem of thick rutted ice or deep snow, but that occurs less frequently.

The reflective sidewall is a bonus, giving excellent side visibility on dark winter evenings.

There's a little extra noise, and noticeably more rolling resistance, but it's well worth it to feel safe in winter conditions.

Reviewed 2/24/2014
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Review by bart

Winter rider
rating
by bart
Cycling Enthusiast
Intercourse, PA

I threw one of these on the front of my bike and was able to ride this winter without falling down. Exactly as expected, no surprises.

Reviewed 3/22/2019
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Review by Mark

For Ice Only
rating
by Mark
Western Colorado
1 of 3 customers found this review helpful.

I planned on leaving these tires on until spring, rolling through the snowy, icy days and the drier days in between.

I took them off after one day.

I expected them to be kinda sluggish, being studded snow tires, but wow. They are heavy, stiff, noisy, and slipperyyes, slipperyon anything short of blade ice. I didn't think a tire could be so harsh, even at low pressures. I didn't think a tire could be so skittery on asphalt. I didn't think studs could be so ineffective in snow.

My knobbly CX tires (also Schwalbes) outperform these on every surface but blade ice, even crispy iced snowpack.

Save these tires for your zamboni.

Reviewed 3/2/2017
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Review by Anonymous

Nice tire. Just right for an urban commute
rating
by Anonymous
Daily Commuter
Minnesota

It has the basics to me upright on ice.

Reviewed 5/3/2019
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Review by JWS

Excellent
rating
by JWS
Washington state

These tyres performed very well. They tackled ice on the road and made me feel secure. Just remember to ride steady and not make sharp turns and you�ll be enjoying winter riding.

Reviewed 2/29/2024
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Review by Damien

work really great
rating
by Damien
Daily Commuter
Washington DC
2 of 3 customers found this review helpful.

Used it in Washington DC for few weeks. Tried on fresh snow and it works perfectly. When no snow, it's an extra work (and sound) to ride with, but it's usable (I have only one commuter bike so I let my studded tires on it for weeks). I haven't tried on black iced but friends told me it doesn't work.

I haven't lost any stud during that period, and I had no flat.

Reviewed 3/11/2019
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Review by Bad weather bad bike

Still going after 5 winters
rating
by Bad weather bad bike
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful.

Bought these many years ago at LBS. I put approx 25 miles per week on them Dec-Mar. Treads and studs are still good after at least 5 Northeast winters. No punctures yet for me or my wife. They've saved my butt when I hit an unexpected black ice puddle in the dark. I'd buy another set, but I might not need them for another 5 years.

The tread is pretty mild, so they're not great when the snow gets deep. Not so many studs either, so don't lean too far over. They are slower than what you ride in the summer, but if you want just enough winter traction, these are good compromise. If you want more traction and more studs, get something knobbier, and be prepared to go even slower. These are around the same level as the Nokian A10, which is skinnier with a more square profile.

Reviewed 11/8/2018
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Review by RositaMike

Works great and is better for noise and rolling resistance than other spike tires
rating
by RositaMike
Cycling Enthusiast
Denver, CO
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.

If you haven't tried studded tires for winter riding, yo may not know how effective they are. I've crossed smooth ice numerous times without a bobble, and lumpy, irregular ice similarly.

These Schwalbe tires are considerably quieter on pavement than others I've used, and the rolling resistance is more than typical small-lug/smooth tires but not hugely.

There are other models with more studs (wider spacing) but unless you're racing I don't think they'll make any difference.

Just don't lock up the brakes on dry pavement or you may lose studs.

The price is very reasonable.

Reviewed 2/24/2022
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Review by Anonymous

Heavy, slow but worth it
rating
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Michigan
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.

These are really slow and very heavy tires. I'd guess they're a 30-40 watt penalty over my usual tubeless Gravelking SK tires, BUT they work great on ice and keep me riding when I otherwise couldn't, that makes them worth it.

I haven't lost any studs, they're not too noisy for studded tires. Surprisingly on glare ice they have more traction than my fat bike with studded Dillinger tires

Reviewed 3/4/2022
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Review by Anonymous

Solid tire with room for more studs.
rating
by Anonymous
Daily Commuter
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.

Great tires, Just like a marathon but with studs and some extra knobs, there are empty holes that you could put in another row of studs if you wanted, but it works well enough on ice without.

Reviewed 2/9/2018
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Review by Hodaddy

Provide great traction
rating
by Hodaddy
Cycling Enthusiast
Rochester Mn
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful.

Put the studded tires on my commuter bike. I try to ride a few times a week. I took a spill in December so bought these, they really give me confidence on the icy spots of the road.

Reviewed 2/16/2017
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Review by MTRyno

Burly winter tire
rating
by MTRyno
Daily Commuter
Missoula, MT
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.

I've been using these tires for winter commuting in Montana for a couple months. They have generally done a very good job at keeping me upright through snow, ice and slush. The only complaint would be that if the snow has really been packed down and turned to ice chunks and you end up in a tire rut (e.g. on a non-plowed side street or something), and there is built up ice on both sides of the rut, the lack of studs or knobs on the edge of the tire make getting out of the rut a little dicey. But I'm not sure there is much that could be done to really solve that problem anyway. I would definitely buy these again.

Reviewed 1/27/2017
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Review by Anonymous

Excellent ice tire!
rating
by Anonymous
Michigan
4 of 4 customers found this review helpful.

I'm a Michigan transplant so frigid winters are relatively new to me. Last winter I was taking my chances with rubber on ice, everything is fine but suddenly I'm on my back, still clipped in, headlight and water bottle skipping off the trail in opposite directions. Time for studded tires!

With these tires I'm confident on solid ice, like frozen lakes or just thin cracking patches of ice. You are only as secure as the ice you are riding on, so I have been on a sheet of ice that slides a bit, even though the tire maintains traction it is possible to slip out a few inches. Frozen earth and gravel are no problem. This is my cross bike, so I've been over every type of terrain with no issues except deep show where only maybe a fat bike can go. Even dry pavement is ok, the zing of the spikes is actually less than I had expected. I'll keep these tires on through winter, ice or not. Co-workers think I'm crazy to commute in conditions they can't even walk in!

Reviewed 1/16/2017
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Review by Anonymous

My first set of studded tires
rating
by Anonymous
Chicago

I didn't know what to expect but I like them. Good grip on icy pavement. Too thin to provide a lot of benefit in measurable snow. The studs make. Nice humming noise which shouldn't have surprised me but did. I recommend the tires.

Reviewed 1/7/2017
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Review by Anonymous

great winter commuter tire
rating
by Anonymous

Grips very well and puncture resistance is fantastic. I only wish it came in wider version to give more cushion, but if you need a thin winter tire, this is it.

Reviewed 1/10/2021
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Review by nickSlyness

Worked well in mixed conditions
rating
by nickSlyness
Daily Commuter
Norther Minnesota

Put these on a Specialized Diverge and did some riding on a path that had stretches of packed thin snow and ice, but quite a bit of pavement showing through too. They did ok on all surfaces, which is what you want in a winter commuter tire.

I even got them out on a frozen lake. Probably not the best application for these lightly studded, commuter oriented tires, but they did work ok at slow speeds.

Reviewed 1/4/2021
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Review by Anonymous

Good on the ice
rating
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Boston MA
4 of 4 customers found this review helpful.

We had a pretty gruesome winter last year in Boston, and these saved my ass on a number of occasions. Important to note that if you corner too hard, the spikes can't save you. Rode about 2000km without a puncture, and lost only 4 spikes, so I guess these will survive a few more winters.

Reviewed 10/20/2015
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Review by ColoDude

Great tire for marginal to poor winter conditions
rating
by ColoDude
Cycling Enthusiast
Conifer, CO
5 of 5 customers found this review helpful.

I put this on touring bike rims (Cannondale T2000), and headed out along my usual trail. There was glare ice, rough ice patches, and some crunchy snow along the way. The tire performed perfectly in all cases. Smooth, no slip on the rear while accelerating a bit on the glare ice, stable tracking through the rough patches, and like the snow wasn't there for the crunchy stuff.

It did take more effort to pedal at my usual pace, but not overly so. The rubber part of the tread is fairly aggressive, so I would suspect it to be decent in dirt, but not mud. The noise of the studs was noticeable, but not overly so. I was careful turning sharply, as the studs do make the front wheel a bit more skittish. I wouldn't take these tires down my CO mountain road at 35 MPH, but I would at 20 MPH, and slowing on the icy turns, just like one does in the car with studded tires.

I've run studded tire on my cars for 30 years, and these tires are as well built as I've seen. At almost 200 lbs, I put a lot of stress on these tires with no missing studs and no noticeable wear. If I were commuting, I would suspect I could easily get 1000-1500 miles of use riding bike trails.

Reviewed 2/27/2015
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