Submitted by
George
a Cross Country Rider
from Bondville Vermont U.S Date Reviewed: February 15, 2009
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$78.00
Strengths:
Rolling resistance good, great on flat ice and snow.
Weaknesses:
Work a little to well and you tend to push the tire to it's limit.
Similar Products Used:
Winter Snow Stud
Bike Setup:
Bionx Electric Specialized Cross Trail
Bottom Line:
One heck of a tire it works very well in mixed conditions that include snow and ice. It does what it is meant to do with little problems, very good snow traction to about 2 inches and on glare ice it does a nice job. I have a lot of time on different studded tires as I travel almost exclusively by bike in what you would call a fairly bad environment. I come from the city of N.Y. but live in southern Vermont, very challenging conditions in winter. Normal commuting is usually not an issue as the performance is enhanced by the bike setup. The Bionx electric package adds weight to a very light frame and allows the tires to perform excellent, even on grades as steep as 12%. (With caution) Riding in urban conditions, less the hills they only get better. The studs being placed towards the center of the tire allows you to be less concerned about tire pressure compared to the Snow Stud. Ride smart and you will be very, very pleased.If you ask more than you should from these tires you will be very, very unhappy, like high speed turns in 5 inches of snow that covers a sheet of ice, while mixing with traffic. That requires a different tire and probably a really good insurance policy.. As with most products it cannot undo a bad idea.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rohara
a Cross Country Rider
from Alexandria, Va, USA Date Reviewed: January 29, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Mt vernon and WO&D also Toepath
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Peteer White Bicycle
Strengths:
THEY WORK!!!!!!!
Weaknesses:
Like all studded tires they to have traction problems on dry non iced pavement but it is just barely more then negligable. Just not a problem realy but something to keep in mind when riding.
Bike Setup:
Specialized Tricross Sport, 700cX32c tires
Bottom Line:
These are the best money I have spent on any biking accesory! They do exacly as the advertize and can make a hellish commute on sheets of ice a doable and plesant experience. Of corse you have to be carefull and watch out for ruts; for those you need to look at the other Nokian tires that are either thicker or have studs reaching toward the sides of the tires. For someone that commutes on thier bike every day and wants something for realy bad weather but also tollerable for good weather these are it! Sereously, anybody who does not give these things a great rating is either lying or just doesn't know what they are talking about.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean
a Racer
from Pullman, WA, USA Date Reviewed: January 10, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$95.00
Purchased At:
fleabay
Strengths:
Tough, narrow, smooth, grip
Bike Setup:
Surly Crosscheck, custom snow plow thanks to BOB trailers
Bottom Line:
This review is for the 700c 106 stud-count Hakka. I mounted it on my X bike. I've been riding winters with slicks or old Specialized TriX. An amazing difference. These roll smooth and fast (relatively speaking). Glare ice is no problem…of course I'm used to slicks. But well worth the big bucks for the safety they afford. I could ride black ice on asphalt with them and no scares. Also good feel in ruts.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kristmundur Guðleifsson
a Cross Country Rider
from Hafnarfjörður, Iceland Date Reviewed: November 26, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
traction,predictable handling
Weaknesses:
none
Bike Setup:
rigid
Bottom Line:
i have the hakka 240, great tire for commuting in ice and snow. havent put very many miles on them yet but so far im very impressed. highly recomend them for anybody who rides in ice. less rolling resistance than i expected, but by no means a fast road tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan GlowBoy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR USA Date Reviewed: April 29, 2003
Favorite Trail:
anywhere in the desert
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
bikeman.com
Strengths:
Grips great on frost and ice. Also grips great on wet or dry pavement. Rolls well on pavement.
Weaknesses:
A bit heavy, but it's a studded tire. Not great in deep snow, but Nokian makes others for that.
Similar Products Used:
IRC Blizzard - good in ice, utterly useless in snow
Bike Setup:
'01 Bianchi Volpe 'crosser
Bottom Line:
To those who are complaining about poor performance in deeper snow: YOU BOUGHT THE WRONG TIRE! You should have bought the Mount & Ground or maybe even the Extreme 296. The Hakkapeliitta is intended to be a fast commute tire where you encounter ice and packed or otherwise light snow. I'm in Portland, OR, where it rarely snows but we do get frequent frost and occasional ice storms. This is where the Hakka shines - it rolls great on the wet or dry pavement I see most of the time, but on those mornings where there's a heavy frost, I don't have to worry about falling down onto the pavement in a turn anymore. Sure it weighs something north of 1000g but it's worth it for those times. Be aware that it runs EXTREMELY narrow for its stated size - my "700x38" is narrower than several 700x32 tires that I own. I have also ridden this tire off-road a bit, and it grips decently on rocks and moderate mud too. 5 chilis overall, 4 for value because 50 bucks is 50 bucks.
BTW, I've also used the Hakkapeliitta 1 studded car tires in the past and they perform similarly: great grip on ice, and the best, most predictable cornering of any snow tire I've ever used, but mediocre climbing traction in deep snow compared with other similar tires. Too bad they don't make a Mount & Ground for cars!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nate Cohen
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston Date Reviewed: March 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
regicide
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
Pretty good on ice.
Weaknesses:
Could be cheaper. Still choke on mushy snow.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Cannondale M200 customed.
Bottom Line:
I am a year-round cycle commuter and mt. bike rider, with 4 winters in Minnesota and 12 in New England. The studs on these tires are pretty good on slick ice. On the front wheel they help you steer with confidence. As a Nokian, the construction looks solid.
However, they are not perfect for winter riding. Unlike the Specialized Ground control (my favorite tire for winter snow, but with sucky sidewalls), the profile of these tires are a bit too rounded. A more square profile knobbed tire is needed to get maximum traction in snow. The tread is also a bit thin too. You will still slip in mushy snow, where studs will not save your @ss.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
No Spam
a Cross Country Rider
from Cambridge, MA USA Date Reviewed: February 4, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Peter White
Strengths:
Great for winter commuting
Weaknesses:
Some drag, as you'd expect.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bottom Line:
Buy 'em, bike all winter.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alexi Zawadzki
a Racer
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada Date Reviewed: January 10, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
MEC
Strengths:
Great on ice and hardpack. Relatively fast. Well made.
Weaknesses:
Performs very poorly in snow, deep slush and on the rough - you get beaten up when fighting slush, snow and general road crud. Basically, this product only performs well on ice or compacted snow. I would rate it as very poor (bordering on dangerous) in deep snow - the tire is too narrow for that purpose.
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Hammer - winter commuter stylin'
Bottom Line:
Great tire if you intend on riding on an ice rink or equivalent. Effectively useless in deep snow and slush. I have crashed because of this tire in deep snow.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from St. Paul M.N Date Reviewed: March 17, 2001
Favorite Trail:
any
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$55.00
Purchased At:
eriks bike shop
Strengths:
you dont fall
Weaknesses:
none
Bike Setup:
TREK 6500
Bottom Line:
i ride 50+ miles a week in MINNESOTA. after falling on black ice at 13mph i bought and put this on the front wheel. now i can ride on a ice skating rink!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from Winnipeg, Canada Date Reviewed: March 2, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Durability,stability on hardpack.Ideal for winter commuters intent on riding city streets through all temps and road conditions. After 3 months of commuting daily 14 miles no impact on stud wear. High quality product.
Weaknesses:
none.
Bike Setup:
Trek 830 XC
Bottom Line:
After riding one winter on knobbies, buying these Nokian Hak 106 make riding on hardpack, ruts in -10F to -20F temps fun. A must for winter riders where city streets stay clogged by snow and ice. Riding stability is greatly enhanced and results in a more confident ride. They are not cheap (got a deal) but well worth the investment imho.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kirk Dungan
a Cross-Country Rider
from Anchorage, Alaska Date Reviewed: August 24, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Downtown
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Good city tire, less rolling resistance than the 296, relatively affordable.
Weaknesses:
65 psi. ride harsh, I'm afraid to try them in deep snow.not really good cornering
Similar Products Used:
296-Extreme, home-made studs with sheet metal screws,Nokian W-288's on Snowcat rims
Bike Setup:
Fully rigid Stumpjumper.
Bottom Line:
These are cummuter tires, not trail tires. I haven't had the chance to try these on more than 2 inches of fresh snow, so I can't realy talk about that. I did find them to be the ticket for hardpack, ice and the odd bit of pavement. Less rolling resistance then the other's I've tried but the trade off is in the corners. In case you missed my reveiw of the 296's I am a working bike messenger and speed is important so these are good everyday winter tires for my needs but when thing get really nasty i'll switch to the 296's or my second bike with the double wide rims.
Overall Rating:
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