i like to think of my main bikes that i commute on as my "fair weather bike" and my "foul weather bike" as opposed to "summer bike" and "winter bike" because the truth is that both bikes get ridden to work in all seasons.

fair weather bike: titanium race bike

foul weather bike: and IGH/hydraulic disc brake hybrid with full fenders and clearances for wide tires.


in the warm seasons my foul weather bike rolls with 35 slicks and in ice season it rolls with 35 studded tires. my fair weather bike rolls with 23 slicks year round because that's all it has clearances for. i love having a IGH disc brake bike for crappy weather because braking is just so much more reliable than rim brakes when it's wet and messy. and an IGH is just a beautiful thing for getting through winter's slop with minimal maintenance.

also, if ice threatens, i won't roll without studded tires. i learned that lesson the HARD way in chicago.