Hi All:

I would like to consider a winter bike but this year, the finances aren't there to do it properly (IMO) so right now, I'd just like to gather info.

My bike choice seems to be moving toward an old, shockless, MTB that would be converted to a single speed. Although I love my SPD pedals, I think I'd go with flat BMX style pedals (with the points on the pedals to grip the bottom of the boot) and a hipster/fixie style footstrap.

Regarding winter tires: My feeling is that fatter (45-55mm) tires offer more area to get traction but may float on snow whereas skinnier (32-35mm) tires may cut through snow but offer less traction because of the narrower width. So, which is better: fatter or skinnier? The routes/roads available to me, in this "not exactly bike friendly city" would likely not be good for me to ride on a cleared tire track so I may have to ride either on the sidewalk, the side of the road (there are bike lanes on some parts of the route but last year, they were not fully plowed) or some bike paths (also, poorly or infrequently plowed). Therefore, bike tire decisions should be based on riding on some amount of snow.

Regarding bike position: From the winter bikes photos, it appears that a number of people are using an old MTB but with road bars: does this offer an advantage?