It does take practice and like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get at it.

As long as I can see the ice, I am comfortable riding across it without studs. It gets me once or twice a winter if it is under uncleared snow and I don't know it is there. This almost always happens under difficult conditions at a slow speed. I'd much rather have a thump or 2 than use studded tires.

I also don't like fat knobby tires. The best ones for me year round have been the cheaper ones with some rubber on them, not slicks.