You couldn't pay me to ride a 23 in the summer let alone in the winter for commuting. While it is true studded tires maybe overkill for plowed Toronto streets, it depends on which streets you are riding on. If you live on a main artery then great, but if you live on a side street you have to get to that artery. I ride along the waterfront on the bike path from High Park to Skydome and then travel north on the streets. I have yet to use studded tires but there is no doubt I will use them this year. I had two crashes last year and one the year before that on an icy bike path, that I know could have been avoided had I had studs. I used 2.1 tires on my bike but this year will be purchasing a new dedicated winter bike. Toying with the idea of using 700 by 35 studded tires and building a disc bike around that.