How many of you are snowriders? What bike and tire are you using? How long are your rides?

I live near the "tip of the mitt" in lower Michigan. We get hammered with heavy snows off the big lake that makes riding adventurous. My rides are according to my work schedule and try to get 2-3 5 or 7mi rides in on our smalltown streets at night.

There is a surreal feeling to riding in a snowfall with tunes playing and snow in the headlight beam.

I have a year-round commute of 14 miles through urban Boston. I can ride some major thoroughfares (in the reverse usual commuter direction) and the roads are usually promptly plowed. So with Marathon Winter studded wide tires on my Cannondale Mountain Bike I mainly just have to deal with hardpack new snow, or eventually sloppy slush. On those major routes I rarely encounter conglomerated brown sugar snow.

In newly fallen snow, the going gets tough at about three inches, but that occurs only early in a heavy new snowfall. I also enjoy the muffled sounds when there is a lot of snow, especially when auto driving is curtailed.

From the Snowpocalypse of 2015:

I commute (9 miles) and last winter, with the help of studded Suomi (Nokian) 26x 1.9s I returned to snow riding after many (many) years. My main goal was being able to ride on icy side streets, something I had never had success with. The studded tires were a tremendous success and allowed me to easily (and smugly) ascend icy uphills next to cars struggling to gain purchase on the ice.

But I found 3 inches of loose snow to be the practical limit for me. In snow that deep my forward progress was pretty much walking speed. Now, for fun and enjoyment I'm not sure what the limit is, and I remember riding fenderless in snow 5 or six inches in places back in my 20s, but that wasn't commuting.

My "snow bike" is my previous main commuter, a 1997 Nishiki Blazer. Here are some snow rides:

Not a snow rider as I never lived in any snow country locations.
Keep it in the mountains where snow belongs.

Congrats to those who do ride - be safe.

Year round Boston commuter here. Not every day though. 700 x35 hakkapelittas on the winter beater, a fuji royale, somewhat rusted, a 1x8 drivetrain with a thumb shifter on the stem. The rockhopper with 26 x 2.0" nokian mount and ground is a little nicer, 3x9 drivetrain. Disc brakes as well. Newer on the list is the Farley fat bike. 4.8 up front, 4.0 studded tires rear. Determined to do the 17 mile commute on it this year, will need fresh snow and not slush/sand though. Too nice to muck up.

agree completely. hoping to ride in some snow this year, but not deep, & not on the roads. I found some nice, flat, safe, unpaved trails that would be good with an inch or two of snow. I picked up a cpl used hybrids & some fenders for both. also got two studded tires, not sure which bike gets them. depends on the trail. if I were to ride at night I suppose I'd stick to the paved trail near civilization. but I'm more likely to get snowy on the remote rail trails. I used to have a MTB converted to be a winter tank. it could handle anything but it was slow hard work in deep snow. so far, no snow in sight in Massachusetts

We get some snow here, and I ride through it. I use my cross bike with a Nokian A10 on the front, which has very few studs but works ok for me.
The worst thing about my 15km commute is that the first part is downhill into the river valley, so I:
a) don't get warmed up before I start going pretty fast,
b) have some icy hills to negotiate, in the dark, before I'm really completely awake, and
c) it's usually much colder down in the valley.

I agree with the sentiment though, riding in the winter can be lovely.

My primary winter bike is my 2013 Surly Pugsley, this year I'll be riding on 45NRTH Dillinger 4" studded tires.

I'm also going to get one of my hybrids ready to go for better days/pavement conditions, probably back to my trusty Sp. Crosstrail Pro Disc. I have 45NRTH Xerxes 700x30 studded tires for that one.

Finally, I also have a GT Zaskar mt bike I bought last summer with the intention of using it for winter riding - but to date, I've not even put the pedals on it. It's on my "to do list" - just hasn't gotten done.

Yup, it's a really great experience getting out there in a snow squall and viewing the world in a different way from the "usual".

I have been winter riding for years, but four years ago my wife started riding with me on are Cannondale mtb tandem with studded tires. Some rides are 28 miles, others are a hard 6 miles. We just ordered a Quiring fat tire tandem last week. Going to be hard waiting for the frame. Planning on doing the build myself. Im luck that my wife is crazy enough to go out with me.

Snow's fine as long as the roads are clear and not iced over. Single speed and 23mm tries aren't a good combo for slippery roads

I ride year 'round on city streets and country roads. It helps tremendously that I'm on a trike!

I have no problem riding on snowy roads, especially if they are not frozen stiff with icy ridges everywhere, but even if there's ice, my Manitou shocks take care of it.
I just put a new set of IRC Mythos XC II (2.1") on the M80 and a new set of Topeak fenders. Whenever there is a storm, it calls to me, and I have to go out riding (or walking) in it.
Olds, have you gotten any snow, yet? We might get a drift over the weekend.

A lot of "cool" photos in this thread. Post some ride reports when the snow hits, too.

I looked up the fat tire tandem and found this build report. Very interesting.

I've been known to ride throughout the winter, but I prefer it when the street have been cleared. Unfortunately, the weather doesn't always cooperate...



I've been using some Avocet Cross tires that I purchased a long time ago. Nice deep tread pattern... too bad they aren't made anymore.


Steve in Peoria

Love the pics and posts! I just installed a set of new tires on the Trek 820 tonite. They are the Kenda Dart 26x2.10's compared to a narrower tire last winter. Here is a shot from last winter:

[IMG][/IMG]

Not a flake here, yet. Long range forecast still showing nice weather. Today was 65+deg. Unreal warmth.

Snow? On the road, no. On the trails, Oh yes! Up to about 3 inches is OK on a now outdated MTB and 26x1.9 Nokian Extreme studded tires.

[QUOTE=Jim from Boston;19182062]I have a year-round commute of 14 miles through urban Boston. I can ride some major thoroughfares (in the reverse usual commuter direction) and the roads are usually promptly plowed. So with Marathon Winter studded wide tires on my Cannondale Mountain Bike I mainly just have to deal with hardpack new snow, or eventually sloppy slush. On those major routes I rarely encounter conglomerated brown sugar snow.

In newly fallen snow, the going gets tough at about three inches, but that occurs only early in a heavy new snowfall. I also enjoy the muffled sounds when there is a lot of snow, especially when auto driving is curtailed.

From the Snowpocalypse of 2015:[/QUOTHey Jim, looks like you need a Fat Tire bike.

Yep, Mother Nature changed her mind: No snow in the forecast for Mid-coast Maine. Highs in the low 50's for the next week.

Olds, do you (or anyone else) go to a wider handlebar for snow/ice season? Mine is only 58cm, but the bar ends help a lot when the going gets rough.

Awesome pic, Steve. I can see why you like those tires!

the amazing thing is that there was no snow when I started this bike ride!

It all fell in the span of about an hour, and it just stuck everywhere. Remarkable!


Steve in Peoria, and definitely no snow in the forecast!!

From what you have described, Steve, I would not put too much creedence in the fore-cast!
I hope you're right, though. Cool bike!

I love to ride in the winter. If I want to go "fast" or far on the road I have a 1976 Nishiki International that I switched over to 700c with fenders and 32mm studded tires. I have a Kona Wo fat bike with 4.5 inch tires for everything else.

I ride in the snow as long as I can force the bike through it. I'm in northeast Ohio, just on the edge of the lake effect snow belt.

I ride mountain bikes, even on pavement. My main winter bike is a Gravity Bullseye Monster fat bike with 4" tires. It lets me get out in the woods quite a bit longer than my regular mtb, but it doesn't handle all types or depths of snow (or maybe that's just me that can't handle it).

https://imgur.com/4VdCR23

Steve Z