Originally Posted by tjspiel

Slicks are best on pavement, wet or dry. Tire advertising for cars has convinced people they need tread. At least one bike tire manufacturer has gone as far as to admit that on some of their tires the treads only purpose is to appease the customer and has no practical function.

Slush, snow, mud, dirt, etc. are a different story.

Studs only help on ice and "hard pack". They have little value in fresh snow and probably lead to worse traction on bare pavement. They aren't so bad on bare pavement that I worry about it at all. However, riding a studded tire on a wet steel plate that you sometimes find in construction zones requires some care.

Since a lot of winter riding is on bare pavement anyway, I question the value of studded tires in areas where you only occasionally see a small icy patch or two.