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Kevin's Cycle Carbide Tipped Studded Tires www.kevinscyclestudded res.com Who said it's me to put the bike away? 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 bea ng 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 varies 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 really a must if one intends to do any real riding. These par cular res are from Kevin's Cycle in Norton, Massachuse s. They are Kevin's own, in house studded , "Excelerator Pro" mixed terrain res designed for rocky, icy, winter hare scramble racing. The Excelerator Pro is considered a "short stud" re, typically preferred in condi ons of less than 10" of snow. Just as expected, right a er Thanksgiving, the weather 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 easi- est approach. What's amazing is how well studded res fi nd trac on. On the pegs, full thro le power slides while banging gears sure 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 fi nd zero trac on and come right out from under you is where they really 22 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com