Winter Cycling - Friggin' weather!

There is only one thing I can say about MN at the moment, it is cold. But by MN standards, it isn't even COLD yet. We have had some snow, not a lot, and there are still chunks of ice and crud on the roads, especially where bikers ride. There are some bike paths cleared of snow. My problem is I'm commuting in this stuff with my studded tires, which is effecting my commute, with a larger tire, it slows me down and I feel like I am push through oatmeal. Everytime I think of changing the tires to a slick or a semi slick I'll see we are going to get snow or worse, so I don't. And everytime I don't it, there is no snow, and I would have faired better with slicks. My fear is being stuck at work needing the tires, and they are 23 miles away, through a driving snow storm.

I know people keep their tires on from Thanksgiving through May, but that seems a bit much, especially when the roads are essentially dry. I don't know what the solution to the problem is, but for now I guess I'll keep the studs on, cause it's got to snow some time.

I don't know what the solution to the problem is, but for now I guess I'll keep the studs on, cause it's got to snow some time.

My plan (it's getting a little late for implementation, though) is to put quick release axles on a couple of old wheels I have and put the studded tires on them, run the spare bike with knobbies most of the winter and change to the studded tires when icey out. I'll keep the slicks on my usual bike for days with no snow in the forecast. I missed very few days of riding last winter and just used slicks. There seemed to be very few storms during my commuting, and they use a lot of salt around here and get it on the roads early, so light dustings of snow were usually just wet and salty rides to work.

I know people keep their tires on from Thanksgiving through May, but that seems a bit much, especially when the roads are essentially dry. I don't know what the solution to the problem is, but for now I guess I'll keep the studs on, cause it's got to snow some time.[/COLOR]

I ride on skinny( well touring) tires through much of the winter because I'm not bothered by even a couple inches of snow, as long as it lands on frozen ground. Then snow will stay snow and not turn into bumpy ice. Well, thats true much of the time. Salted snow can turn into mush that gets hard when it gets cold enough. To me, ridinging efortlessly over a fresh snowfall is one of the finest delights of this winter wonderland! And I'd much rather do it on skinnyish touring tires.

My solution was to build another pair of wheels for the studded tires. I already had the hubs and cassette so all I needed were the rims and spokes which cost me only about $60. But I messed up. I didn't measure the width of my old rims and thought they were 24mm. So when I found some 22mm rims cheap on eBay, I snatched them up. But when I got the wheels built up and put them in, I realized that the difference was much more than 2mm. The old rims are 28mm! So everytime I swap, I have to adjust the brake shoes (cantilever brakes) so they don't hit the tire or go under the rim. But I've gotten pretty good at it and it only takes a couple of minutes now.