Bought a pair for winter commuting in Minneapolis as well as a single Xerxes. My commute consists of cleared streets, mostly cleared paved paths, and rumble strip-esque sidewalks. Currently, I have a Gravdal up front and the Xerxes in back, which seems like a great combo since you have most of your weight on the lower rolling resistance of the Xerxes and the stability of the Gravdal. Personally, I like the noise. It's a nice reminder that I have hundreds of little carbide-tipped friends helping keep me upright. It sounds like biking through that little bit of syrup that's left on the plate after pancakes. Combine that with dehydration and hunger and there could be issues with delicious mirages - you've been warned.
I was anticipating my commute today so I could try these tires out. I try to commute year round but ice and snow have always sidelined me. I ran the same set up as the previous reviewer because my cyclocross would not take the Gravdal in the rear, it would rub on the front derailleur. These tires are great on smooth ice but you better have a Zamboni out in front of you. They are terrible if there are ruts or any amount of snow on the road. My rear end was fishtailing all over the place and my front was turning where ever the ruts pointed. I cannot count how many times I nearly hit the ground today. The Xerxes barely grab the ice once the tread fills with snow and the Gravdal is not nearly wide enough to make it through most snow deeper than a couple of inches. I found that I loss about a dozen studs in the front and a handful in the rear. Many of the studs still left in the Xerxes seem to already be ground down half way. I bought enough of these tires for three of my bikes and am thankful I waited to mount the other two sets so I can return them. My hopes for these tire were so high and they really let me down. I guess the one set I rode on will look good hanging on my garage wall.