Folding vs Wire bead Schwalbe studded winter tyre

Bicycling
1

Have a friend who is looking to purchase studded tires for her husband for Christmas.
His wheels are 29" and 2.25, with tubes. It seems the IceSpiker Pro Evolution has a folding bead and does not come in 29" size. But the IceSpiker RaceGuard Pro comes in 29" but with a wire bead:

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ca/en/schwalbe-ice-spiker-raceguard-pro-winter-tyre/rp-prod123204

  1. It seems the main difference between the two is that the Raceguard pro is a wire bead. This will make it harder to switch on/off the rim, is my understanding. Is that the only major difference and is that a major con?
  2. Is the IceSpiker RaceGuard Pro a solid studded tire for 29 wheels? Or do people recommend another affordable option?

Thanks for any education and advice!

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2

There are three “levels” of ice spikers, from most to least expensive:

Evolution - most durable rubber, folding bead, lighter weight
Performance - less durable, folding bead, lighter
Performance aka RaceGuard - less durable, wire bead, heavier

All three are solid options for any size tire. I’ve been using Ice Spikers for years and wouldn’t even consider any other brands.

All three come in 29”, even if they don’t appear on chain reaction. Other shops would have them.

The wire bead does add a bit of weight and is harder to work with especially if going tubeless, but if he’s using tubes it’s not really an issue.

For a few extra dollars though it’s worth it to get the Evolutions as they will last longer, especially around Halifax where there is often exposed rock on most trails all winter. But like I said all three are solid tires.

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3

I had a wire bead ice spiker last year. Pain to install and remove. Worked fine otherwise.

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4

This guy sounds familiar and I think :thinking: I might have said the cool winter riding stories and adventures over the years with studded tires. I second to what @Rolls said would go Evolution Ice spikers :+1:. Lucky guy he is :laughing: Good luck

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5

Thanks guys, this is helpful. Apparently they have the Evolution 29ers at mec but significantly more pricey. Will pass this info along. Goal is to keep one more rider on the trails through winter!
@shadowfox70 - don’t say boo lol

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6

I have a set of 29"Ă—2.25 wire bead ice spikers someone can have if they want them. Some of the studs could use replacing but my new ride is 27.5 so i have nonuse for them

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@camurray CR usually has the evolutions for only $20-$30 more which is very much worth it, but tough to justify almost $100 more at MEC. In this case I’d go with the raceguards at CR. Or buy them from @DEBO :slight_smile:

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Im not looking for any money. Somone gave them to me im just passing them on. I wouldn’t say they are new enough for an xmas present but your welcome to them if she wants to get him something else for xmas

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@DEBO so kind, thank you :slightly_smiling_face: Let me forward this thread to my friend and see what she thinks.

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10

I know the Bike and Bean got a couple sets of 29” Ice Spikers in this week.

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