Remove Your Studded Tires, People

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They are also incredibly wasteful as the tires are replaced when the studs wear out but there is still years of tread life left on the tire. I've been using my Michelin X-Ice stud less tires since 2005, taking them off after 4 months and rotating them. They've got me through every Spokane winter.

MarkH on April 1, 2014 at 8:22 AM

(Kinksters: don't worry, your car needs studs. Haters gonna hate.)

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn on April 1, 2014 at 8:27 AM

Why is it so easy to imagine that many of the people who use studded tires would stop if the name were changed to something that didn't include "stud" in it?

Maybe we need a Legally Binding Slog Poll: What should be the new name for "Studded Tires?"

SuperSteve on April 1, 2014 at 8:33 AM

@3, how about "clueless moron tires"?

Reverse Polarity on April 1, 2014 at 8:46 AM

are they the same people that think that 4-wheel drive means 4-wheel stop?

Amalink on April 1, 2014 at 8:49 AM

@3 calling them Homosexual Agenda Action Grip Tires will undoubtably decrease their appeal east of the mountains, but a corresponding increase in use in King County would probably nullify the benefits.

Pol Pot on April 1, 2014 at 9:05 AM

I doubt the people who use studded tires read The Stranger.

Urgutha Forka on April 1, 2014 at 9:06 AM

I use studded tires. I work on a farm near Cle Elum. I live near Kent. The studded tires help greatly. Just because you are ignorant and imagine every studded tire user to be a stupid hillbilly (judge much?) does not mean that every studded tire user is ignorant. IF you're going to burn your energy with concern about things you are ignorant about why not divert that energy into something positive. Go volunteer somewhere instead of spewing negativity. Have a good day.

on April 1, 2014 at 9:17 AM

Studs are useful if you have to drive in the snow. Unfortunately, you know, weather.

fletc3her on April 1, 2014 at 9:41 AM

All season tires are more effective than studs in all conditions, actually. This wasn't always the case but in this modern age of scientific wonder it is true.

Keep the studs in the garage next year!

wasd on April 1, 2014 at 9:53 AM

Studies have shown that studs are only beneficial on compact ice. Most of the traction is coming from the tire tread itself. But not like you think. The tire doesn't grip the road like a claw, the soft compound allows the snow to pack into the tire tread and it's this snow on snow contact that provides the grip. The WSP quit using studs on their mostly RWD fleet over 10 years ago. People use the "I feel safer with studs" argument but ignore the research that has proven that studded tires increase your stopping distance on dry or wet roads. I agree that there should be a hefty user fee on studs and a gradual faze out, starting with a ban on studs on all wheel drive vehicles.

MarkH on April 1, 2014 at 10:01 AM

So based on @10 and @11, I'm going to continue with the "stupid hillbilly" theory.

tiktok on April 1, 2014 at 10:03 AM

Wouldn't calling them "stupid hillbilly tires" make them less attractive in both eastern WA and urban Seattle?

originalcinner on April 1, 2014 at 10:09 AM

@7: This one does.

Eric from Boulder on April 1, 2014 at 10:35 AM

I vote for "stupid hillbilly tires".

Studded tires are illegal in Massachusetts where they get a lot more ice and snow than we do. Just saying.

tshicks on April 1, 2014 at 10:37 AM

@10 is right. It wasn't the case in the past. If you use studded tires you are simply applying obsolete technology. Snow tires got much better when Japan banned studded tires. Suddenly tire manufacturers had to improve their regular snow tires and they did. Get with the times and use regular (non-studded) snow tires.

Ross on April 1, 2014 at 10:38 AM

@14,
Fair enough, although it's still not going to impact Seattle.

Urgutha Forka on April 1, 2014 at 10:47 AM

I think the noise they make frightens the homoshekshuals.

on April 1, 2014 at 11:05 AM

If red state Repub politicians can spend so much time thinking up laws about how doctors should mansplain having babies to pregnant women, why can't they have tire dealers say, "You do know these things trash up the roads, don't you?" to every customer who asks for stupid hillbilly tires.

originalcinner on April 1, 2014 at 11:11 AM

A-MEN! Couldn't agree more.

Justin on April 1, 2014 at 11:29 AM

@15 they salt the hell out of the roads back East, unlike Washington State.

WestSeven on April 1, 2014 at 11:55 AM

We need to ban them already.

Studs are old, obsolete technology that cause more problems than they solve. WSDOT doesn't even use them on plows or mountain -bound maintenance trucks, preferring studless snow tires with modern rubber compounds designed for snow and ice.

A modern studless snow tire is almost always superior to a studded one, and in the only conditions where studs provide a (marginal) benefit, you should really be chained up.

And yes, the Michelin X-ice another commentor mentioned is one of the best.

Lack Thereof on April 1, 2014 at 12:00 PM

@10 is correct

Will in Seattle on April 1, 2014 at 1:18 PM

Studded tires perform far, far worse in rainy condition than all season tires. Now what was our winter like again? I like the idea of an idiot tax on studded tires., kind of like our cigarette taxes.

ProstSeattle on April 1, 2014 at 1:24 PM

im going to leave my studs on my diesel f250 for a few more weeks just to piss you people off. i find they make me much happier on my 8 block work commute

derrickito on April 1, 2014 at 1:36 PM

X-Ice or Blizzaks will get you through almost anything. I've driven through several officially classified blizzards in Blizzaks. They are great tires on glare ice as well (and contrary to the opinion of many, you can safely drive on glare ice, you just have to have winter tires).

Anyways, if you have any type of winter tire, you should be taking them off right now. They get mushy at higher temps (switching back to all-season tires makes it feel like you are driving on ball bearings for a few days) and burn up fast.

delirian on April 1, 2014 at 3:04 PM

I live on a steep paved road in the mountains that is many times a year covered in ice. Black, slippery ice. Studded tires are the difference between life and death. Take your totalitarian right wing ideas and stick them up your ass.

banji on April 1, 2014 at 5:42 PM

I would call studded tire users as" paranoid republican voting, anal retentive racist neanderthal homophobics." I think I covered all the bases, didn't I? Studs are worthless on cars and trucks in the Northwest. Don't let the crewcut guys at Schwab's tell you otherwise.

longwayhome on April 1, 2014 at 8:55 PM

@27 Life and death........ Drama queen!

longwayhome on April 1, 2014 at 8:57 PM

Studded tires are banned in France, as far as I know. Snow tires and chains are allowed, and at some times, on certains roads, chains are compulsory. And they're cheap.

Are chains available in your place, banji ? As it also reduces speed, wouldn't chains be even more helpful in your "life and death" conditions ?

sissoucat on April 2, 2014 at 12:48 AM

I also live on a steep hill in the mountains in Quebec province. Think of an 8 in terms of steep-i-tude on a treadmill. That's the hill I live on (actually there are 2 of them to get to my maison). As for snow, it snowed a foot a couple days ago in probably 5 hours. Which is typical.

Michelin X-ice does the trick. Also I've never seen studded tires for sale anywhere in the province so I'm guessing that socialist Quebec bans them. Also fyi if anyone tries to sell you Hankook tires, run away.

sheiler on April 2, 2014 at 4:57 AM

You know, some people actually live in the foothills where regular road driving on a typical day takes us through multiple extreme elevation changes going back from snow to dry pavement and so on several times... Not exactly feasible to chain up. And many people don't put them on until they're needed and then take them off early, too. But let's never let that stop advocacy for one-size-fits-all legislation that ignores rural people. Because we're clearly all Freedom County lolbertarian nutcases in SUVs and not at all possibly poor queer people who happened to be born and raised rural and want to get to work on time in a front wheel drive subcompact that would be totally screwed in the snow without studs.

fjordgirl on April 2, 2014 at 8:55 PM

@32: Please to read previous comments about how snow tires work better than studded tires.

clashfan on April 3, 2014 at 2:43 PM

@2 Your comment is a stupid as your handle.

longwayhome on April 3, 2014 at 8:27 PM

Remove Your Studded Tires, People

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