Review: Nokian Hakka WXC Studded Tires

[MD]

Observations on studs in general:
Studs are for traction on ice. They give you no advantage on snow, and can be squirmy on pavement/rock. They really only help in that specific condition

The Hakka's specifically:
Pros:
300 carbide tips really grip on ice, amazing traction.
They don't feel horribly squirmy on pavement
Allows you to relax and ride with confidence, always your goal on tough surfaces
Tread pattern quite good on snow
Claimed weight, 695 g. Actual 718g. , pretty light for a studded tire.

Cons:
Wear earplugs - the noise these things make on pavement is like riding beside a car w/ studs.....really, really annoying. I try to stay in the snow!!
Rolling resistance is incredible. You feel like you are riding uphill, always. The acceleration doesn't seem any worse than any tire that weight, but it just takes a lot of work to keep it moving. I just consider it an additional workout, it isn't like I'm racing on the things.
As I said, studs only help on ice. The tread pattern is what you're relying on 99% of the time. The tread here is pretty good, but not as good as some of our other favorite tires.

So, overall? They are a good choice when temps cause a lot of freeze/thaw and icy conditions. Riding and knowing I'm not going to suddenly be on black ice is very nice. Also, they will cut down through the snow and hook up on underlying ice/dirt, too. However, in a lot of conditions where you're just dealing with snow, the Mt King/Nevegal combo or the classic Vertical would be a better choice.

Due to a broken spoke, I threw on a wheel w/ a Nevegal rear yesterday. Wow. I immediately noticed how much easier the bike rolls! Taking these things off will make you a rocket in the spring if you ride them all winter. That said, the Hakka studs up front w/ the Neve rear is a very nice compromise - I know I'm not going to lose the front tire on ice, but I get a more reasonable amount of resistance and better climbing traction. That is going to be my new configuration for a while, and see how that works out. Initial impressions are encouraging.