I know... it's FAR FAR FAR from winter, but, I am sure you've all heard about the notorious Chicago winters, and this upcoming one will be my first attempt at full-on commute mode. Snow, debris, the works—I am willing to try and trudge through it on my two-wheel wonder.

I don't have a lot of disposable income, so I need to start a financial plan for my winter bike strategy.

But, which bike to go with? Shall I buy an old vintage beater, strip it down, fender it out, winter tires, etc, OR, go the MTB approach?

I really do prefer road/track style frames and drop bars, but I've never really ridden seriously in the snow before, and I maybe willing to try the MTB approach if it seems more suitable for the conditions. I feel like a road bike with drop bars may not handle very well in difficult winter roads.

See, I have a friend who wants to give me a Schwinn Varsity, and I was planning stripping it and making that my winter ride. However, I may be able to get a reasonably priced MTB, and thought it might be nice when then conditions are pretty rough.

Tread, control, balance, etc. All very important variables.

Suggestions?