Skip to main content
3 of 3
Linked Google Maps
Drew Stephens
  • 4.5k
  • 8
  • 35
  • 41

Do studded tires make less than ideal railroad crossings worse?

I'm considering getting studded tires, but I'm concerned about a portion of my commute. I go down this road both directions: 39° 40.468', -84° 14.340'. This 2 lane narrow road has 2 railroad crossings from a parallel track next to the road in order to service a factory. Both the road and the crossings are poor quality.

Considering the rule of thumb for railroad crossings is perpendicular as possible, this road doesn't allow that. I'm not talking about the tire falling in the groove along the rail, just the tire trying to climb a rail. On dry days, no problem, but when they are wet they cause a small slide to the side before the tire goes over the top of the rail. What I'm worried about is that since the tire engages the track off center, will studs cause me even more troubles by not providing traction to climb the rail and cause the bike to slide out from under me as the tire follows the rail?

In my case, the bike is a 2008 Schwinn High Timber, 26x1.95 inch department store mountain front suspension with stock dirt trail tires. Any tires I plan on buying are urban 26x1.50 to 26x1.75.

BPugh
  • 2.4k
  • 2
  • 24
  • 42