Today it's finally snowing in eastern Iowa. Not sure how many years since we've had a "white Christmas", but it's still weird for me.

Anyways, that means studded tires (Suomi W160) and lower gearing (59") to better propel them. And now I'm trying Soma Portola bars -- real bar tape is waiting until I'm happy with the position:



My old handlebars had a lot of drop and reach. Great for speed in the summertime, but all that weight on the front wheel caused it to dig into snow and mud, making it hard to control before halting my progress entirely. The Portola bars made a noticeable improvement, allowing my front wheel stay on top of all but the slushiest snow.