It's going to start cooling off soon, by September I'll be wearing a jacket at night. Last year our first freeze came on my birthday in October. Despite the cold we only have snow on the ground for 4 to 5 weeks over the whole winter. We almost always get 2 ice storms. One in January, the second in February. Being out in the cold doesn't bother me and I know how to dress for it. What I am curious about is traction. In a car you just slide around a bit and either hit something or stop because you lost your momentum. What concerns me is going down on the bike in front of a car and the car not being able to stop in time. Also getting a serious injury just from going down. How do car free people handle the winter? Do you put studded tires on? Do you have a beater bike specifically for the winter? Put your bikes away until Spring? Do you walk everywhere or just when the road conditions are real bad? We also have cold and very wet Springs. The roads get oily and slick. We have free buses but I prefer the exercise of walking or riding my bike. Last winter I walked and it sucked because a simple errand turned into an all day trip.