Retire winter tires for bicycles: Long-term test of the innovative system

TEST | TIRES: Zip on winter tires for your bike? Can this work? Do the zippers withstand the loads? The innovative system could be a real game changer for everyday winter use. You can read in our long-term test whether Retyre keeps its promises.

Retyre Winter Tires: Turn street tires into studded tires

Finding good winter tires for your bike is something in itself. The selection on the market is clear and real innovations are rare. If you're looking for good grip on snow and ice in winter, you can't avoid studded tires or mud tires, like you do in ours Article about winter tires can read. If there is no snow, the spiked tires in particular are loud, uncomfortable and have a high rolling resistance. Constantly changing tires is not an option for most cyclists because it is too time-consuming. Also, many cyclists do not have the skills or routine to do so.

This is where the Retyre system comes into play: a road tire with a low profile serves as the basic tire. This is suitable for the whole year – except in wintry road conditions. For these, the tire skins are now pulled on with a zipper on each side and fastened all around. The tire change from street tires to studded tires should be done by any layman in a few minutes. In addition to the spike skins for winter use, there are also off-road tire skins. In our test we have them Nordic commuter Tried skins.

Info & data

Retyre offers starter packs, each with two base tires and two skins. In addition, all skins and the base tire are also available individually. This offers the possibility of using different skins on the front and rear wheels. For e-bikes, for example, a combination of the rough ice racers on the front wheel and the moderate Nordic commuter be on the back wheel. In order to keep the rolling resistance low, for safe cyclists the combination of the Nordic commuter on the front wheel and des Gravel Chaser (49 € per skin) possible on the rear wheel. The latter does not have spikes as a gravel tire, but should offer enough grip for the rear wheel on firm snow.

Thanks to a special rubber compound, the spike skins remain soft in winter and provide good grip. The rubber compound of the basic tires is designed for warmer temperatures – but according to Retyre, the rubber hardness of both tires is very similar.
An investment of 200 € in a starter kit is expensive, but actually four tires come into the house. For four comparable, conventional tires, more than 200 € are quickly due - this puts the acquisition costs into perspective.

Retyre winter tires on test

Mounting the Retyre winter tires

The basic Retyre tire is mounted like a conventional tire - that's it. This also works without any problems with our test tires. If you now want to use the spike skins, you attach the zippers on both sides. Putting them on is a bit fiddly, but works after a few tries. The two zippers are then closed relatively evenly. Important: Always stretch the skins lengthways while closing the zips, otherwise there will be a gap in the profile at the end. But if you work properly here, the skins close seamlessly. With a little practice, you don't have to spend two minutes per tire here - the spikes are ready to use in a single turn of the tire. The system delivers what it promises.

Important to know: You should add some buffer to the ETRTO and inch dimensions of the tire. Because the spikes on winter tires are higher than conventional tires with the same dimensions. You should calculate about half a centimeter upwards to the possibly existing fender. The zip puller is located on the left and right of the tire – each protruding almost half a centimeter beyond the tire. You should therefore allow at least half a centimeter of tire clearance on each side so that nothing grinds under load.

First driving impression & driving characteristics on the road

When looking at the system, one question immediately comes to mind for all of our test drivers: do the zippers withstand an emergency stop with the spikes on tar? Yes they do - the system feels amazingly robust. Our repeated attempts to push the system beyond its limits have failed. However, such full braking with a locked rear wheel can cause the system to age more quickly, apart from the fact that the metal of the spikes is abraded.
With the mounted spike skins Nordic commuter the driving behavior on tar is a bit spongy, which is due to the arrangement of the spikes: In the profile, these are arranged in two lines on the side. When cornering on tar, you tip over the spikes - that feels a bit spongy. But don't forget: The arrangement of the spikes makes sense on snow and ice and that's what the skins are designed for. Nevertheless, there are of course situations in which you will encounter a mix of tar and snow. Incidentally, other studded tires also have the problem of tipping over the spikes – with the Retyre, however, it is somewhat exacerbated by the minimal play between the basic tires and the skin.

The basic tires are inconspicuous - and that's a good sign. The tires roll well and also provide reliable grip on wet roads. Only the view of the front wheel with the slightly protruding zippers is unusual.

Driving characteristics on snow & ice

On hard snow they show Nordic commuter Skins a surprisingly good grip. Even small edges in the snow parallel to the direction of travel can hardly disturb the tires. The braking power is also decent and the braking process feels safe. The tire cuts a fine figure on ice, the spikes dig in reliably. However, if you encounter icy roads, you should drive with less air pressure (1,5 - 2 bar) for even more grip. The offers surprisingly good support Nordic commuter even on wet snow. Of course, the driving behavior becomes spongy, but there is a lot of air before you lose control. Like almost all spiked and winter tires, the tire shows its weaknesses in tight, dynamic corners. Here it is missing Nordic commuter some guide profile - accordingly it breaks out at higher speeds and tighter radii. Nevertheless, the cornering can be described as good.

wear

Our long-term test over the winter season 2022 - 2023 shows that even mud and road salt have little effect on the system. Any deposits crumble off when the zips are closed or can be washed off with warm water. The Retyre system is therefore still ready for use for the next season.
It should be noted, however, that increased wear on the base tire can affect the fit of the spike skins. Because if the profile of the base tire wears down, its circumference is reduced somewhat - which means that the spike skins have more air. This will result in a spongy ride. It may therefore be necessary to replace the basic tires before they are completely worn out. In case of doubt, a partially worn base tire can still be used on a bike that is not intended for winter use. In the future, Retyre will address this issue with a premium version of the system, in which the base tire is no longer intended for driving. Instead, skins for summer street use are offered and raised.

Retire winter tires on e-bikes & for rough use

Retyre has with ice racers another skin on offer that features even more spikes and a coarser profile. This could be the better choice for winter use on heavy e-bikes - depending on how often and how intensively you encounter a snowy road in winter. These skins are also interesting for bikers who want to be off-road in winter. With 300 spikes per tire, their coarse profile has almost twice as many as our test tire Nordic commuter. It should be noted here, however, that the ice racers Skins require 7mm of space in each direction.

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