[snowmachine]

More fun to power slide and drift around". More freedom"? "Advanced rider"?

No thanks....I'd like to trade those things in for traction and control. But we all roll how we want.

PSAlease look behind you while you are enjoying more freedom and sliding and drifting along. Other riders would like to pass...safely if possible, before you sweep every corner on the trail.

Studs do just as much damage people dig down to dirt taking off, destroy roads at crossings and the walking trials with black top. Tear the heck out of trailer, pickup tail gate, ramps, garage floor, driveway, whatever. each there own. Don't worry about catching up to me that doesn't happen

 

[MuscleD]

Here we go. :snack:

We all take risks on the trails, no matter how perfect we try to seem on here. Studs or no studs.

 

[MuscleD]

Funny thing is just last Wednesday I was talking to a fellow classmate about studs and he says they are pretty much mandatory for all areas of riding and they dont puncture coolers as much as people say... 3 days later his roommate punctures his coolers on his f1100 turbo on the stand. Its not even winter and studs probably ruined his winter, poor college kids problems. Truthfully he could fix it for around 200 with a used cooler and some time. Well and a new track. Spend all this money on studs, just so you can pay for a new track, cooler and more studs. Lol no studs for the win this weekend.

 

[sleeping_dragon]

"Fun". Hmmmm.....

Let's call it "exciting on a different level".

You have much more freedom. If your an advanced rider its fun to power slide and drift around. I do think beginners and intermediate riders should have studs. They don't know how to carry momentum and how to deal with ice.

I ride my trail sleds unstudded but I actually think new riders should start out with unstudded tracks and then move to studs if they prefer them.If you learn to ride without studs you learn how to correct an out of shape sled.Its kind of the same as learning to ride a motorcycle by riding a dirtbike first.You learn to react to situatuons and have a far greater chance of getting through them without incident.

 

[sleeping_dragon]

You have much more freedom. If your an advanced rider its fun to power slide and drift around. I do think beginners and intermediate riders should have studs. They don't know how to carry momentum and how to deal with ice.

More fun to power slide and drift around". More freedom"? "Advanced rider"?

No thanks....I'd like to trade those things in for traction and control. But we all roll how we want.

PSAlease look behind you while you are enjoying more freedom and sliding and drifting along. Other riders would like to pass...safely if possible, before you sweep every corner on the trail.

If the sled is all studded up it really doesnt make any difference if the corner is swept clean.Its really only the unstudded guys that are riding in that berm anyways.Everybody else dives as low into the corner as they can.....or st least thats what I notice with sleds coming at me.I just back it down on the blind right handers and let er rip on the berm on the left handers.The track spin isnt even that bad in the berms these days with the tracks available.Its not like years ago when everything had 1/2" lugs and they never stopped spinning.

Some guys say they ride where there are lots of icy hills,icy trails in the morning,etc...and if that was the case or if I did a lot of river running studs make sense but where I ride its usually pretty good snow conditions so 99 percent of the time they dont do shit.

 

[Bontz]

If the sled is all studded up it really doesnt make any difference if the corner is swept clean.Its really only the unstudded guys that are riding in that berm anyways.Everybody else dives as low into the corner as they can.....or st least thats what I notice with sleds coming at me.I just back it down on the blind right handers and let er rip on the berm on the left handers.The track spin isnt even that bad in the berms these days with the tracks available.Its not like years ago when everything had 1/2" lugs and they never stopped spinning.

Some guys say they ride where there are lots of icy hills,icy trails in the morning,etc...and if that was the case or if I did a lot of river running studs make sense but where I ride its usually pretty good snow conditions so 99 percent of the time they dont do shit.

On the bold, if I had good snow conditions 99% of the time I'd likely go without too ... like you said, studs don't do much in those conditions. But down here, 99% of our conditions is hard pack, ice, or plain ol' SNIRT (with hills).

 

[too slow]

I ride my trail sleds unstudded but I actually think new riders should start out with unstudded tracks and then move to studs if they prefer them.If you learn to ride without studs you learn how to correct an out of shape sled.Its kind of the same as learning to ride a motorcycle by riding a dirtbike first.You learn to react to situatuons and have a far greater chance of getting through them without incident.

I've always believed any newbie rider should learn to ride with an unstuded small displacement sled, although it can be a rough way to learn. It builds character and experience. Not so sure now. Seen too many serious mishaps. Sleds can be expensive and er visits not good. A rider has to know their ability for taking on an unstudded sled.

 

[too slow]

You have much more freedom. If your an advanced rider its fun to power slide and drift around. I do think beginners and intermediate riders should have studs. They don't know how to carry momentum and how to deal with ice.

Not sure what you mean by intermediate riders how to deal with ice? I consider myself fairly well experienced on sleds and dirt bikes yet i still scream OH CRAP:blink: when going down a steep twisty narrow trail covered with bare ice if riding someones unstudded sled.

 

[x2700]

If the sled is all studded up it really doesnt make any difference if the corner is swept clean.Its really only the unstudded guys that are riding in that berm anyways.Everybody else dives as low into the corner as they can.....or st least thats what I notice with sleds coming at me.I just back it down on the blind right handers and let er rip on the berm on the left handers.The track spin isnt even that bad in the berms these days with the tracks available.Its not like years ago when everything had 1/2" lugs and they never stopped spinning.

Some guys say they ride where there are lots of icy hills,icy trails in the morning,etc...and if that was the case or if I did a lot of river running studs make sense but where I ride its usually pretty good snow conditions so 99 percent of the time they dont do shit.

On the bold, if I had good snow conditions 99% of the time I'd likely go without too ... like you said, studs don't do much in those conditions. But down here, 99% of our conditions is hard pack, ice, or plain ol' SNIRT (with hills).

We have a couple of those hills that I've had to pull countless number of people up!!
Funny when I pull up to them set my brake drag then to top then jump on mine and drive right up!
My kids sleds have studs just for these situations!!
Sure let them learn out in field but safety in our area comes first and that is studs!!

 

[Doug S]

I didnt witness it but a friend of mine lost his at a radar run and went farther down the lake than the turbo sled that went 180 mph right before him.It was a 1000 ft radar run.

Friend of mine lost his track and was almost a hood ornament on a Ford.

 

[cmonty]

i have seen more damage to tracks and sleds and people without studs than I ever seen with tracks with studs! Where we are there is more hills and dips and wooded trails than flat land trails! Studs are a personal preference but people shouldn't argue over what someone else prefers! I ride with a lot of friends every weekend anywhere from 10-30 n we all have been riding together for 30+ years and none of us have ever lost a track or put one through a heat exchanger ever! So with that said track damage can happen to anyone at anytime studded or not! O n we ride n play hard a lot!

 

[Deephaven]

Cons outweigh the Pros for me. Cons are the destruction to the trailer, driveway, and yard. Pros? Aren't so many. When it is slick I choose to pound the ditch instead of the trail. There have been days that I would completely REVOKE that statement, but it is usually once every few years.

 

[toddur]

Unless you are on ice,the tracks these days get just as much bite unstudded as studded.
It really has to do with where you ride.If its a lot of low/no snow and you dont feel comfortable in berm walls then studs will help.
Ive never had anybody prove to me otherwise.

Im sure this thread will turn to a shitshow since history has a tendency to repeat itself.

And let the show begin!! ointlaugh:

 

[Gaboon1]

You have much more freedom. If your an advanced rider its fun to power slide and drift around. I do think beginners and intermediate riders should have studs. They don't know how to carry momentum and how to deal with ice.

I would consider myself an advanced rider. I've been riding sleds for over 30 years and I've also raced sleds for many years as well and I've been bitten when I was being as careful as possible and that was the last time I rode an un studded sled of my own.

I was riding up north for a weekend with my buddies and the trail we were on came out onto a very icy road that we had to go down about 1/4 mile to meet that trail again. This road had a steep decline and a right hand curve in it. I left to go first with my buddies behind going as slow as possible but I had absolutely no control and the sled picked up speed, did a 180, backed into the snow bank on the opposite side of the road, luckily there wasn't a car or logging truck on the opposite side and two of my buddies ended up backing into the same bank throwing us all into the ditch. Luckily the damage to the sleds was minimal and no one made contact anyone else or it could have been worse.

Oddly enough the only one in the group that didn't have an issue was the one rider that had a studded track.

That was the last time I rode without studs.

So no, misfortunes can happen to anyone, Novice or expert and I've seen my fair share over the years of accidents that could have been avoided if the sled had studs.

It only takes one time my friend.

 

[too slow]

I would consider myself an advanced rider. I've been riding sleds for over 30 years and I've also raced sleds for many years as well and I've been bitten when I was being as careful as possible and that was the last time I rode an un studded sled of my own.

I was riding up north for a weekend with my buddies and the trail we were on came out onto a very icy road that we had to go down about 1/4 mile to meet that trail again. This road had a steep decline and a right hand curve in it. I left to go first with my buddies behind going as slow as possible but I had absolutely no control and the sled picked up speed, did a 180, backed into the snow bank on the opposite side of the road, luckily there wasn't a car or logging truck on the opposite side and two of my buddies ended up backing into the same bank throwing us all into the ditch. Luckily the damage to the sleds was minimal and no one made contact anyone else or it could have been worse.

Oddly enough the only one in the group that didn't have an issue was the one rider that had a studded track.

That was the last time I rode without studs.

So no, misfortunes can happen to anyone, Novice or expert and I've seen my fair share over the years of accidents that could have been avoided if the sled had studs.

It only takes one time my friend.

True, I was on a trip in quebec with our guys...one of them had a new track and didn't have time to stud it. All off us have always run studded sleds. Well this time we were on a new trail that none of us ever ridden. We going along at 60+ mph and all of a sudden we came upon a blind intersection a few yards from a highway....no advanced stop signs. All of stopped in time from sliding into the road, except our stud less buddy that was lagging in the rear. A few seconds later he came skidding at a high rate past us right into the road. Lucky there was no traffic when it happened...we laughed about it when it happened, but a few minutes later if this happened it would have been tragic....a large logging truck loaded came barreling past.

 

[jt87]

Here's my opinion. If you ride all perfectly groomed trails all the time no ice or hilly terrain. fields and flat bog bush trails. Don't stud it then. But on those cold mornings when there is no fresh snow studs sure help with cooling.

If there crappy conditions hills that get icy logging roads that are icy get studs.

I know all of my sleds will always have studs no matter what.

At least I know that I will be able to stop sooner when the wahoo on the wrong side is sideways coming at me who thinks he's in control just flipping the throttle on a corner.

Rotating mass and all the other stuff that comes with studs is a negligible loss imo with the safety studs provide.

 

[MuscleD]

True, I was on a trip in quebec with our guys...one of them had a new track and didn't have time to stud it. All off us have always run studded sleds. Well this time we were on a new trail that none of us ever ridden. We going along at 60+ mph and all of a sudden we came upon a blind intersection a few yards from a highway....no advanced stop signs. All of stopped in time from sliding into the road, except our stud less buddy that was lagging in the rear. A few seconds later he came skidding at a high rate past us right into the road. Lucky there was no traffic when it happened...we laughed about it when it happened, but a few minutes later if this happened it would have been tragic....a large logging truck loaded came barreling past.

2 things could have been avoided with that with no studs. 60+ mph on a trail no one knows. That could have changed a lot if you werent pushing it. No need to go that fast on an unknown trail. Another thing. Non stud sleds shouldnt be following sleds with studs. Im not busting balls here we all ride and take risks. Its fine. Just know its not just studs that could have helped your buddy. Less speed could have helped him. I'm also not saying to take your studs out lol. Just if you dont have studs you need to ride differently.