I'm not trying to be a pest about this.

Really.

Just trying to understand cycling dynamics a bit better.

Regarding the center of gravity thing: Surely, once you factor in the weight of the rider the slight difference in the where the weight of the bike is has got to be pretty insignificant ?

As to riding in deep snow, the OP will be riding in Chicago, so deep snow isn't really going to be an issue. Salty slushy gunk & hard compacted snow and ice will be the biggest issues. Fortunately, studded tyres do rather well in those conditions