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Submitted by
Matti
a Racer
from Helsinki
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Strengths: | Finnish craftsmanship, extreme performance, ability to extend cycling season | | Weaknesses: | None, yes heavy but what do you expect?? Not designed for racing in the summer, made to keep your body in tact in the winter. | | Similar Products Used: | Home-made studded tires. Worked but durability the issue | | Bike Setup: | Sinister ridge, rock shox pike 454, hope discs | | Bottom Line: | If used for what it is intended, this tire is unbeatable. If used in proper winter with ice and snow, studs will remain in place. If used on dry pavement with an irresponsible riding style, i.e. sliding rear tire out, of course theres a chance to rip a few studs out. For a skilled and experienced rider these should last many many years. Would not consider any alternative currently available.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Maine
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything technical | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$95.00 | | Purchased At: | SkiRack bike shop | | Strengths: | Designed in and for an Icy climate (Finland) and they will "never wear out" | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Turner 02, Psylo SL, Mavic 317, Stans Notubes, Hayes etc. | | Bottom Line: | I ride all winter every weekend the temp is above 20 degrees. We have a local recreation area that has plowed roads but no vehicle traffic. Bike paths, singletrack in the summer. Cross country skiing and walking the dog in the winter. These plowed, crowned roads become ribbons of ice under certain conditions. Freezing rain, melt and refreeze etc. I ride these roads when I wouldn't walk on 'em. I can do a stoppy! There is no doubt that these tires provide great piece of mind when ice is encountered. Regular lug tires work just as well, maybe better, on packed snow. I've run these Nokians for 2 winters and they still look like new. If you ride in icy conditions, or want to, buy 'em. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
t
a Cross Country Rider
from courtice
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Right now any I can ride!(Feb.) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | NORTHERN CYCLE! | | Strengths: | width,no flats | | Weaknesses: | not agressive enough for pure ice,heavy,Expensive | | Similar Products Used: | homemade with screws | | Bike Setup: | FUEL | | Bottom Line: | When the snow is packed all you need is wide tires @ 30psi. when it is icy though they won't do. Screws are great but heavier, flats suck too,I wonder how Tuffy tireliners work or how about STAN,S no tubes! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mikie
a Weekend Warrior
from Haverhill
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2002 | | Favoriate Trail: | ya right | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$78.00 | | Purchased At: | Peter White Cycles, Acton, MA | | Strengths: | Great hookup on snow and ice. Excellent price from Peter White. | | Weaknesses: | A little heavy but can't complain because hookup is so good. Whats up with the break in period Nokian? | | Similar Products Used: | nothing compares | | Bike Setup: | Intense Uzzi SL, Rohloff, 317, Hayes, and the rest | | Bottom Line: | Was riding on regular rubber this winter. Treking was great with the packed snow and crunchy conditions. Once the temps started to rise during the day and drop at night the trails turned to ice. The old treads couldn't cut it. I body couldn't take another dab. I tossed on a set of Nokian 296s and life was good again. Sure riding for 31 miles on the street to break them in sucked but hay I figured it was worth doing. At 78 bucks each I want these babies to last. Took them out today for a maiden voyage on the trails and was impressed. These things grabbed onto everything. Never even shuttered when the trails got icy. They definately give you a sense of security on the ice. For some fun I took them out on a frozen pond with no trouble. I can even say I didn't notice the weight increase over my Mythos summer tires. Sure ther heavier but you have to give up a little something for this much frozen fun.
These babies get five chiles just for the added fun.
And Peter White gets five for offering them at a good price, having them in stock, being local and being honest about the Hakka WXC300s | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matti
a Cross Country Rider
from Finland
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2000 | | Favoriate Trail: | any trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Good on snow. | | Weaknesses: | Not so good on ice. | | Similar Products Used: | Home made tire with screws. | | Bike Setup: | Tunturi Matrixx Kayapó, RS Indy XC LT, STX-RC-parts | | Bottom Line: | If you ride on snowy conditions, the Extreme 296 is the best choice. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Crowell
a Cross-Country Rider
from Bartonsville PA
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1999 | | Favoriate Trail: |
camelback | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
unknown | | Weaknesses: |
unknown | | Similar Products Used: |
homemade studded tires, see info below | | Bike Setup: |
97 Stumpjumper hardtail, Manitou Spyder fork | | Bottom Line: | I never tried these tires but want to let you know you can make your own. I recycled some wornout Velociraptor tires (just about any brand of knobby mountain bike tires should work). Drill some pilot holes with a small diameter bit, then screw number 6 or number 8 sheet metal screws through the knobs. Don't scrimp on the amount of screws because you'll need them for good traction. Before you mount them buy some Tuffy tire liners for about $8 each to protect tubes from flats. When you're done you've got a set of tires that can ride over ice and frozen snow with so much control you won't believe it. Last January I went out at midnight on top of Camelback mountain in the frozen snow and floated over the trails on the smoothest ride ever. It's awesome because you're the only idiot out there, no human tracks to be seen for miles. When you stop for a break shut off your light and howl at the moon because you're the one out there having fun while others are sitting by their heaters. I can't wait to upgrade to disc brakes. No more loss of brakes due to iced up wheel rims. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim Coffman
a Weekend Warrior
from South Lyon,MI
Date Reviewed: November 7, 1999 | | Favoriate Trail: |
Island Lake | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Traction and More Traction | | Weaknesses: |
weight and noise on pavement | | Bike Setup: |
Gary Fisher Zigurat | | Bottom Line: | I love these tires! Traction and more traction. You will not fall with these tires on your bike. Great on hard ice and less that a couple of inches of snow. On the pavement you will not need a horn to signal people, they will hear you comming from 100 feet away. I have not lost any studs after rining on these 50 miles a week all winter long. I would recomend them to anyone riding in the winter in northern places like Michigan. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Piotr
a Cross-Country Rider
from Zakopane - POLAND
Date Reviewed: August 19, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
works great
not too expensive (50$
in Poland) | | Weaknesses: |
weight (but I think
it is normal for that
type of tire) | | Similar Products Used: |
Duster II
Nokian X-track
Fire XC Pro | | Bike Setup: |
Trek Y, XTR , SID rear
and SID front | | Bottom Line: | Works great on ice, and hard snow, you can climb
any hill in winter, and (best thing) you can use
your brakes on ice. I made few hundred km in winter, and I noticed no problems with taht tire. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich
a cross-country rider
from Philadelphia and Boston
Date Reviewed: January 30, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These tires are awesome. I went riding on a frozen lake and i could control my bike very easily. Excellent performance in ice and snow no deeper than about 4 inches. they shed snow really well and i haven't lost any studs yet. after three months of riding them, they are still looking almost new. the only drawbacks are that they're expensive and heavy. Definately worth it though!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thomas Mattsson
a weekend warrior
from Östersund, Sweden
Date Reviewed: January 29, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
As mentioned in earlier reviews we have fairly long winters here in Sweden so if you want to keep going out for some real training rides you need a pair of studded tires. The best ones I´ve tried so far are the Nokian Extreme 296. They are simply outstanding on ice and work quite well in snow as well, as long as the snow isn´t too deep. Of course they are a bit heavy but you can´t have it all. I haven´t had any problems with losing any studs, in fact I haven´t lost a single one. I believe that the importance of running the tires in properly can´t be overestimated. Running them in properly means about 80 kms on paved/hard road without locking up your wheels, wheelspin or hard cornering. So if you want to stop worrying about falling, and have some money to spend, these tires are the best winter tires on the market, at least in my opinion. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich Bindler
a weekend warrior
from Umeå, Sweden
Date Reviewed: December 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
A recent warm spell turned Umeå's extensive bike paths into veritable skating rinks, which are only lightly gravelled. Walking, never mind riding a bike, is a life endangering prospect. This spurred me finally, after three winters here, to invest in studded tires. It's too bad I didn't buy these three years ago. Like the previous reviewer, we have six months of winter so the investment is well made. Instead of survival riding I can actually put in real training rides. Since only just bought and mounted the tires I don't know about their longevity yet. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tuke
a racer
from Finland
Date Reviewed: December 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The Nokian 256(X-treme) is the best winter riding tire around. OK, it weights a lot, but think about it, IT IS A STUDDED TIRE HEAVENS SAKE. You´re not supposed to ride it in sand on pavement. In Finland, almost half of the year is riding on snow, so you really need studded tires, if you wanna ride. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Norton
a cross-country rider
from St. Catharines, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The Nolkian 256 studded tire really works on ice, and also snow up to a few inches deep. Good all around winter tire. It works well enough that you can wheelie on ice. It takes away the worry about slipping/falling on an unseen ice patch.Yes you feel the extra weight of these tires, but what does that matter considering the conditions they are used in. Steel studs are bound to weigh something. I couldn't afford a titanium studded tire, could you?All is not perfect though. I have lost 6 studs in my rear tire despite running them in on roads for abouth 50 miles/80 km. 5 of the 6 studs were lost from side knobs, only one from a center knob. I have been trying through my dealer to find out if one can replace any studs. So far silence. If anyone knows if the studs can be replaced I would surely like to know. (No studs have been lost from the front.)If it wasn't for the lost studs the rating would be 5, now I feel it's between 3 and 4 depending on how long the remaining studs last. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tero Lindberg
a cross-country rider
from OR
Date Reviewed: December 22, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have ridden with these tires only one winter. After installing them I was amazed how well they stick on ice. That expanded my biking season through winter. It feels almost like riding in the summer (ALMOST!!!), of course it's not the same!! But anyway good tire!! I can really recommend to buy these babys, not the cheaper ones! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Boles
a downhiller
from Brockton, MA
Date Reviewed: December 13, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
SNOW TIRES - Nokian 256's are studded snow tires. They work best when the snow is less than 4 inches deep or when you are riding on packed snow or ice.
They weigh 950 grams each so their only disadvantage is the weight. After using them all winter last year I'd reccommend them highly. (Although if you don't have and icy to slip on, wide knobbys are probably just as good.)
In the dirt the Nokian 256 is a good tire, but just too heavy. | | Overall Rating: |
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