Trail Rider Magazine

14 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com Mitas Winter Friction Mitas Winter Friction Studded Tires Studded Tires By MOTORACE By MOTORACE For those living in colder climates where snow is the norm during winter months, a good set of studded res can be just the thing for beat- ing the winter doldrums. Having a set of spare wheels all set up with studded res on hand can make for one heck of a fun me in the snow. Having played with ice screws over the years with varied success, we decided to splurge and order up a set of purpose-built, studded snow knobs and beat up the local trails as much as we could. In recent years, snowpack here in the Northeast has been on the lighter side although temps below freezing is the norm. Frozen ground and ice can make for treacherous riding. Studs are a must if one intends to do any real riding. These par cular res are from MOTORACE in Wilbraham, MA. Those familiar with Trelleborg's or "Trellies", will be happy to hear the Trellies that you are used to are iden cal in every way to the Mitas Winter Fric on, as Mitas bought the molds and technology from Trelleborg. Mitas Winter Fric on res are made from a standard motocross carcass and a special compound that remains flexible and elas c in the freezing cold. All Motorace Winter Fric on res are hand-built using mushroom carbide studs installed with a pneuma c stud gun. The studding process and equipment that MOTORACE uses are iden cal to the Trellies you were used to. Most people thought the studs were molded into the Trelle- borgs of days past but no, they were not. The res were made and drilled and then studded just the same as MOTORACE does now with the proper mushroom-style stud glued in place. MOTORACE stocks many sizes and models of Mitas Winter Fric on res, and they also offer custom stud pa erns and stud depths. Even custom-studded res are shipped the same day the order is placed. We chose the XT-434 Pro 80/100-21 front and the XT-454 Pro 110/100-18 rear in the "mid-length" stud configura on. Just as expected, as soon as January hit, the weath- er soon turned brutally cold here in Maine. With the ground hard as concrete and all puddles solid as steel, it was high me to test out our new winter sneakers. For those who have never ridden in snow, riding with studded res is very similar to riding sand. Keep weight rearward, keep the front-end light, and steering with the thro le is the easiest approach. What's amazing is how well studded res find trac on. On the pegs, full thro le power slides while banging gears surely beats watching the news. The real revela on is riding glare ice. It's an odd sensa on that takes a bit to get used to. Once you trust the res, the fun really begins. Where you'd expect the bike to find zero trac on and come right out from under you is where they really shine. Frozen dirt, solid glare ice and yes even rocks are where studs work oh so well. Trac on can now be found everywhere. Even crazy steep climbs with frozen waterfalls are crested with ease and hav- ing the ability to rip around frozen bogs is a blast. Stoppies on icy descents are fun and accomplished without drama. Certainly, a skill builder. Shortly before print, we had a chance to put a set of Mitas Winter Fric on's to the test on our lo- cal 20-mile test loop. Condi ons were ideal, with temps in the mid-teens with close to 8" of fluffy fresh powder on the ground. We suited up and hit the woods. Just having the ability to ride trails that no one had been on in months was a treat. Steam- ing up the steepest climbs with the thro le pinned shoo ng a rooster of snow makes one feel all funny inside. Winter riding flat-out rocks and for those who say they don't like the cold, I can assure you, layers will be soon shed as it's one hell of a great workout! Priced at $349.99 for the front and $439.99 rear, they're not cheap but keep in mind, snow riding doesn't chew up rubber. It's not uncommon to get a handful of years out of one set of res. Don't let the cold keep ya from living life, my friends! -Kurt

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