use a cyclocross bike with studded tires
the thinner wheels (compared to a mountain bike) cut thru
the packed snow and cruft easier, and it rolls better once you
are on plowed street
it'll bust through snowbanks
pretty well
for clothing...wear thin wool or silk inner layer, get Lake Winter cycling boots
or Sidi Storms...wool socks.
actually get wool layers as many as you can...and then thin shell for a top layer
to cut the wind. goretex anything is good
the idea is if you are gonna sweat up a storm and need to stop, wool won't letcha down
but the main reason is wool does not stink or get funky after repeated all day use.
synthetics all stink to high heaven after just one sweat session, so you are
forced to wash them constantly ...wool or silk you can get away with riding in it,
setting it aside for the day, getting back into them later on, and riding again
without smelling like a garbage can
Ibex makes awesome wool stuff. look for cross country ski wear, it works great