Originally Posted by Burton

Yeah - being a winter commuter myself, I rapidly came to the conclusion that people that talk about skinny tires 'cutting through the snow better' are probably talking about driving on plowed roads. Even with Nokian 240's in a 700x40 size, I found riding ruts and churned snow more of an adventure than a commute. Heavily treaded 26x2.5" tires actually offered more stability.

And there's always the 'Hot Wheels' fun factor anyway!

Originally Posted by Ferrous Bueller

Not always. I've been on an organized cycle tour over a high mountain pass on my 23s. 6" (15cm) of wet heavy snow had fallen overnight and the road was closed to cars and plows. None of the very fit MTBers could move through it. They'd only bog out. There was no ice or packed base underneath. My tires found pavement and I could ride it all. It was a revelation.