45nrth studs vs Terrene Low rolling resistance studs

I got a set of Bontrager Gnarwhal tires for my fat bike, but the Bontrager studs were out of stock. So I ordered some 45nrth concave studs and some Terrene Low Rolling Resistance Studs.

Terrene left, 45nrth Right

Both studs installed easily with the Bontrager Stud tool. The two types are only .020" difference in height but in the tire its a noticeable difference.

5.9mm (.230") Tall

5.4 mm (.210") Tall

I like the "tripletraction" profile of the Terrene studs, the sharp edges should dig into the ice better than the 45nrth. The only issue there would be durability, I feel like a sharp edge will wear quicker than the concave shape of the 45nrth. That will tell with time.

I ended up setting the tires up with the terrene studs down the center rows for lower rolling resistance and the taller studs  on the outside rows to dig in on corners. The trails are snow covered right now so studs really aren't really necessary. I'm sure we will get a thaw soon and everything will re-freeze and I will get to test the setup. 

Hugh Jass Fat Bike Race at Canopy

Saturday morning we received our first measurable snow of the year. Just in time for my first fat bike race of the season. The race was at Canopy Tours in Lake Geneva, nice and close to home. 

The course was pretty long compared to most of the Hugh Jass series. It is also tight and technical, so the fastest time of the day still only averaged 9 miles per hour. It sure felt like we rode a lot further than 12 miles.

Photo by Bryan Scheel

There was a great turnout, around 150 riders. I got a good start, 4th into the woods behind Jason, Mike and Nick. Jason took off pretty hard on the first lap and made a gap, I hung back with Nick for a bit till he made a mistake and I went after Jason. Once I caught him I got the sense that he was probably resting a bit before I got there. I tried to ride past and leave him, but he didn't let me get away. We rode together for two laps, toward the end the trail started to wear down to a smooth icy surface and Jason was riding it better than me. He created a gap and got the win.

Photo by Bryan Scheel

I was still pretty pumped with second in Elite, my teammate Bryan Scheel got second in the citizen class so the Bike Haven was well represented. It was a great time riding bikes.