Just a brief update on the 45NRTH Hüsker Dü tires…

We finally got snow in Illinois.  I’ve been able to do a few snow rides now, including 18 miles this morning in 3-6″ (and a few drift bursts at 18″).  In a word, I’m impressed.

I’m running them front and rear on my Mukluk, on 82mm Rolling Darryl’s.

This morning, I ran 4.5psi rear and 3psi front.  That’s as low as I’d go, tubeless.  On hard surfaces, if I pushed in a corner, I’m pretty sure I’d burp a bead.  But on snow, with little lateral traction, it wasn’t an issue.

The traction improvement over the Big Fat Larrys that I ran last year was HUGE.  The Husker Dus are about as good as you can get in a 4″ tire, without going to studs.  I’m impressed with their traction on all surfaces–slush, ice, and powder.  In the pics above, I had just ridden some slush and transitioned into powder, and the tread packed up a bit…but it cleaned out pretty rapidly.

I was climbing things that I thought I’d never clear–just gear down and stay in the saddle, and push up the hill.  Perfection.  Standing and cranking is not the way to go, unless you’re in a drift.  In a drift, sometimes a little bouncing and standing can get you forward for a short period.

Lateral traction is improved over the BFLs, as well…on sidehills, the Huskers do pretty well.  On a snowy/icy sidehill, you’ll still eventually slip the rear tire out, but it’s gradual and relatively predictable…slow enough that I can usually catch myself with a foot.

I’m very pleased with the Huskers.  They’re doing great tubeless, and are great in the snow.  They roll nicely on hard surfaces, and have good traction in a wide array of conditions.  (I’m running Stans sealant in them, with no ill effects.)  They’re a great upgrade: light, fast, and tractive.