yaktrax, stablicers, grip-ons oh my

[Korbel]

as the ineveitable arrival of snow and ice in southern MN is very near, I am wondering has anyone tried any of these things out?? love to get some feedback from this knowledgable group.

[merigayle]

i have used yaktrax on hard packed snow and they were great. They are not to be used on pavement.

[Nettie]

I've used something like these: http://cozywinters.com/shop/gag-ultra.html

It seemed ok enough to use them on the pavement, too.

[willrun4chocolate]

I use yaktrax on snow and icy roads/sidewalks. They aren't so hot if someone has cleared the snow from their sidewalk.

[phillytom]

I just put hex headed screws around the outside edge of the forefoot and the heel of an old pair of shoes. Worked pretty well o snow and ice. Not so hot on really icy stuff, but what is other than skates? Clicky on pavement. Don't wear on hardwoods :)

[Korbel]

very resourceful Tom

The comment about yaktrax being a problem on pacement is a common one.

Nettie the Get a Grip feedbaclk is appreciated!

[jaektaylor]

I have yaktrax, they are good now that I've stretched them a bit, the tended to pull my toes back toward my calf a bit at first. Now that they are relaxed, they are ok, but I don't use them that often, our roads get plowed fairly quickly.

[ToddEP]

Eden Prairie, MN here.

I have used Yak's for a couple of years. Once you get used to them, they serve their purpose. Sure beats the slipping and sliding, but like the above comment...not to be used on bare pavement.

[divaleh]

Is there anything out there for use on pavement? My weekday runs are in the dark before work, and with the weather getting iffier, I'm thinking I'm going to have to bag them and move inside to the gym (boo, hiss). The cold doesn't faze me, it's the possibility of not seeing an ice patch at 5 am....

[Hippo]

I know a lot of people swear by screws.

My preference for Yaktrax is that they are easy to take on and off. Winter trailruns around here can be mud for lower elevation parts and turn to snow or sheet ice at the top of the hill. Packing the Yaktrax along with an extra layer of clothing in my hydration pack works pretty well.

[Korbel]

thanks for all the feed back gang! the icy conditions this weekend have forced the issue a bit...I survived a speed owrkout yesterday, but had a couple near falls That could have been ugly.

[sb70]

I use the get a grips also but have one complaint, they come off quite often! Yeterday I used them and 3x I had to turn around and back track to find one!! Will they stretch out the more I use them, I bought these in Feb of last yr so they were used at least 10x last winter.......or is it possible I need a different size??

[Shadow38]

I used my Yak Trax yesterday for the first time. I ran in 2-3 inches of fresh snow that was fairly wet. They worked great and fit my shoes perfectly. I have the Yak Trax Pro (with the velcro strap).

[ctxcrossx]

Check out these. I recently purchased them, but haven't used them yet. Most of the comparisons I've read rated these much better than the yaks.

http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.html


Chris

[musher]

I just put hex headed screws around the outside edge of the forefoot and the heel of an old pair of shoes. Worked pretty well o snow and ice. Not so hot on really icy stuff, but what is other than skates? Clicky on pavement. Don't wear on hardwoods :)


I do the same in the Kansas snow.

[RichardC]

I got some Yak Trax pros for christmas I am looking forward to trying thm out on the trails

[arc918]

What is this snow and ice you speak of?

[rtravers]

Yikes, those Microspikes look skeery! I just picked up some YakTrax and am looking forward to running with them in the 4-6 inches coming our way tonight...

--Robin

[RichardC]

Ran 7 miles today in the YakTrax.... Love them!!!! will see how durable they are though..

[VictorN]

Is there anything out there for use on pavement?

Here is a link for screw shoes:
http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm

I do run with these on pavement, but you will have to replace the screws frequently if you run on pavement a lot. That isn't a big deal if you have the appropriate tool. I use something that looks like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-630-3-Nut-Driver/dp/B000BQU7PQ/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1199066379&sr=1-14

I usually replace 2 or 3 screws after each run, less if I am mostly on snow and ice.

Victor

[ctxcrossx]

The microspikes are great, but don't look quite as scary in person. They definitely work as advertised. I wouldn't run long stretches on pavement! With regards to the screws, I have heard of many people losing a couple of screws on a regular basis. I put mine into my road shoes (NB 755) and haven't lost any yet despite many road miles. I think it may have to do with a whole one piece base (compared to smaller rubber nubs on trail shoes) and this keeps them in better. This is obviously a trade off when you get to snow since I may not have all the traction that a trail shoe has...minus the screws.

Chris

[cgerber]

Another vote for the screw shoes. I've only lost a few screws in a few hundred miles of running. Cheap, easy to make, work great... what's not to love? :-)

[rhoon phast]

Hex screws. I actually think they work okay on glare ice as well, at least if they are new screws. I've used them for 5 years every winter. I just choose a pair of shoes to designate as screw shoes every winter and off I go.

[VictorN]

I usually replace 2 or 3 screws after each run, less if I am mostly on snow and ice.

I should note that I replace the screws because they are worn, not because they fall out. I don't think that has ever happened, and I've been running with screws for 4 or 5 years.

The choice of shoes is important. It is best not to use one that has a gel or air bladder because that limits your screw placement to the sole's circumference. I am currently using Mizuno Wave Riders. The plastic wave makes a nice foundation for the screws.

Victor

[rhoon phast]

Agree with the Mizunos making fabulous screw shoes thanks to the plastic plate. I use gel shoes also, because the gel is really just a viscoelastic polymerlike material, not a runny substance that might ooze out. But the gel shoes I use are the old MC+, which have lots of foam as well, so I don't know how many of my screws are in the gel.

[jjketark]

What about the stabilicers? hasn't anyone tried those?
My yaxtrax worked well until they snapped - less than one winter's use.
I then moved to screws which worked ok, and cheap. I'd probably never go for the stabilicers due to price, but I wondered how well they work...

[COcarrie]

This is my second year in Yaktrax (Pro) and I am completely happy with them. When the streets are in packed snow or icy conditions, there is usually only a small fraction of my run that is on dry pavement (maybe crossing a busier thoroughfare) so I haven't had any issues with that. They are easy on and off and give me enough extra traction for some confidence that is helpful to manage a decent 6-7 mile run. I haven't attempted anything longer with them.

As for stumbling on an icy patch, I did that last winter and solved that problem with a Tikka Plus headlamp. I look like a complete dork heading out on a dark and snowy morning, but at least I make it back in one piece!

[divaleh]

Here is a link for screw shoes:
http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm

I do run with these on pavement, but you will have to replace the screws frequently if you run on pavement a lot. That isn't a big deal if you have the appropriate tool. I use something that looks like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-630-3-Nut-Driver/dp/B000BQU7PQ/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1199066379&sr=1-14

I usually replace 2 or 3 screws after each run, less if I am mostly on snow and ice.

Victor

Thanks for the advice...I'll have to check and see if my Brooks have air or gel before I start poking holes in them :) But I'll give the screws a shot before I move onto more expensive alternatives...