Winter tyres: 5 tips for successful winter riding
Simple advice to ensure your tyres survive the winter months
Despite the potential to get cold and wet, the right attitude and know how can make winter riding a real joy.
Here are a few tips to help keep your tyres healthy.
Flint flicking
Logic suggests that it’s worth a minute post ride to remove any flints, glass or debris that may have become embedded in your tyres before they can work their way through and cause a problem.
Pressure drop
Some advocate a drop of around 5psi for winter riding for improved grip. The science is inconclusive but we’d suggest trying it for yourself – just make sure you have enough pressure not to pinch puncture.
Side cut
With debris getting washed onto roads, it’s not always easy to avoid it, but make a point of swerving larger stones as they’ll more readily slash your sidewalls or cause damage to your wheel.
Sealant
Tubeless tyres use a sealant so why not stick some in your winter wheels for a little extra protection when the weight matters less? Just make sure it’s compatible with your inner tubes.
Full gas
Pumps are awesome (and re-usable) but CO2 inflation is far quicker. If it’s cold and wet, you want to get riding again quickly to stay warm, so we’d suggest packing both.
