Originally Posted by TransitBiker

This is what most of the residential roads look like right now:





It isn't solid, there is a bit of snow (or snow remnant?) underneath, but the height of that bit underneath is like 1/8th inch and in a few spots its pure ice but very granular in the tire tread marks. I liken it to a graham-*******-pie-crust kind of ice. now on the other hand, some of the ice on solid surfaces like car windows etc is pure frozen rain coating with the signature multitude of icicles hanging off.

I would use studded tires on this, but it happens so rarely, and is salted/plowed so quickly in most instances that it isnt remotely a responsible purchase to ride a few hours a year, especially when i can wait till the plow comes and clears it from pretty much every street in town by sunrise.

- Andy