Originally Posted by
chipcom
you knew you were gonna get a 'studs or nothing' fest, right?
Define your concept of winter riding...it isn't the same for everyone. If you are wanting to ride on icy roads, I'd recommend studded tires, but I've managed to survive (barely) on inverted tread tires too. For snow, studs are not going to help much unless there is an icy base and they can bite into it through the snow, otherwise you'll want something knobby and low pressure (though opinions vary on whether wide or narrow work better). If you are only riding on clear roads, or light snow, the diamond treads might be ok.
Personally, if there is a chance of snow and ice, I'm usually on my bike with the studded tires, but my regular commuter with the Top Contacts get plenty of clear, dry day mileage in the winter too.
Chipper, (maybe I should call you "Chippy" after some of those cross-gendered avatars ...), that is exactly the point. Studs needed on ice, I can figure that out. Ann Arbor's probably a little colder than the south of Toledo, so ice happens but is not that common. What is common is all our little hills becoming slick because of spinning car tires, but I can usually take to the sidewalks in those cases. Plus most of my expected commuting can be done on sidestreets where tire ruts in snow are pretty likely - I don't see studs helping with that at all.
But unless I want to deal with changing tires back and forth, sounds like I should add some studliness to my fredliness.
Re width, my frames can take bigger widths, I just don't have any wheels set up with wider rims at this point. I have caliper brakes, so a super-wide tire needs to be deflated for removal, or a brake shoe removed.
Ghettocruiser, I recall commuting through a winter or two (Chicago, not much hill) on a Suzuki 550, but I've gotten way wimpier in these several decades since. Somehow I survived - used some kind of Continental or other, but a standard road and highway tire.