Hey everyone,
My winter traction needs have now been met thanks to a member on this site, but I thought I might pass on this ad I saw this morning on Kijiji Halifax:
Does someone out there have a good source for such beasts? Either Nokian or Schalbe. I’d really like to buy them here in Canada… (I’ve found some in New Hampshire for $45 US but, oh the shipping and duty!) I don’t mind an $80 price tag, but if I’m paying that much I’d as soon they be carbide studs.
Any leads in this direction are appreciated; I use my bike every day and I have one studded tire on front right now. This makes my commute doable, but there have been moments 
Rubber side down, all
Muddy
MEC sells schwalbe. Cyclesmith can get schwalbe, tho not sure of those models.
Definitely do not cheap out and go with regular steel ones… mine died in two weeks. Are you just riding one bike all winter? Can you mount a set of studs on cheap-o rims for the icy days?
Are you looking for 700C’s or 26"ers???
CS has Nokian, Schwalbe, and some other brand. for commuting you don’t have to spend a gazillion dollars. Actually, I’ve never actually used studded tires for commuting, but some people swear by them.
Thanks for all the replies! It’ll be one bike I’ll ride all winter, 26" rims. I figured the Nokian Mount & Ground W160 would be sufficient for my needs, but I’m also looking at the Nokian 26" Hakkapeliitta W240, (if I can find a company to order it in). My rational being that though the w160 will get me home safe, the w240 will allow me to bike in more varied conditions, which means I’ll get out on it more. Any more of an aggressive tire profile like a 294 extreme or a Schwalbe Ice Spiker would give too much resistance on pavement, so the W240 looks best for my needs.
I know you said the Schwalbe Ice Spiker may be too aggressive but if you are having no luck getting anything else there was a flier at Pictou County Cycle from a customer advertising 2 used Schwalbe Ice Spiker tires for sale. I can’t remember how much he wanted for the 2 or what kind of use they had but maybe worth looking into. The phone number there is 902 928-0331. I think the guy who is selling them may be a member on here. Dogger maybe?
I used to roll around on the Extremes for a season. They offer suprisingly low rolling resistance. They are not too heavy and they are only something like 2.1" wide, and seem narrower than that again. Personally, I find the best tires for winter road riding have a chevron, or directional vee pattern. They seem to track straight and cut through the messy stuff. Most of them seem to roll nice as well. I know mine got a workout yesterday on the way home from work!