Originally Posted by
MNBikeCommuter
For thirty bucks, I'd pick up those tires. Sitting here in a comfortable chair, I'm wondering if the small difference in width would make much difference in snow. (That's an invitation for the experienced to confirm or refute that thought. I'd guess the tread pattern would be more important? :-) Yeah, as mentioned, snow and ice are two different animals. The Greenway last Mon afternoon was all rutted ice, and even a bit hairy with studs. I wouldn't have tried it without, and the only two bikers I met had studs too. Sooo, pick your goals... :-)
I was out there on my knobbies. With the ridges and ruts, I deflated down to about 40 psi on my rear and a little higher on my front and had no problems cruising local roads, the greenway, and the hiawatha bike trail as I rode to my job in dinkytown. It was quite fun and I had a big smile on my face the whole time. The only person I saw on the Greenway was riding a 'cross bike with skinny tires and he didn't look too happy.
Having ridden plain old un-studded tires for years in the winter, I'm quite happy with mtb tires. (Though I am sure studded tires are fine for folks who like them.)
Full disclosure: I did crash once during those icy days: I got back to my place, cruised down the alley and, with the hubris that comes with almost making it safely home, attempted to skid into my back yard. Yeah. I hit the ground.
