Leebo

Some more bike details for when you start riding and still healing. What studded tires? Front suspension? PSI is very critical for fat biking. Got some mt bike skills. Flat pedals for really quick foot to ground moves? Practice on ice and dismounts?

Daniel4

Would you need our help evaluating your car sliding in the winter? It will be high. Snow tires. Give yourself twice the braking distance when following. Do not weave or get over-confident.

That walk to the bus stop can be pretty treacherous too. Wear yaks. Take a hiking pole. Don't stand too close to the curb. Make eye contact with motorists before stepping off the curb to cross the street.

BobbyG

I don't know, and I know you asked, "what would be the relative risk of a wipeout on a fat bike with 4" studded tires in the winter versus on a road bike with 700x23c slicks in the summer?"

Of course growing up as a kid and in high school I rode pretty recklessly and had a couple of bad falls, but I will share my experiences after commuting for the last 25 years. First, dry pavement. I have never fallen while in motion. I have had some close calls but have either caught my balance on the bike, or managed to dismount. However, I do use toe clips and have fallen a few times when I was unable to extricate my foot. And one time last year I was stopped at a light talking to a fellow commuter and took my hands off the bars (and brakes!) to help express a point. (What is wrong with my brain?) Anyway, none of these misadventures resulted in anything worse than a skinned knee or elbow, however, the potential is there for broken bones and joints, not to mention head injuries if not protected properly.

I bought my first studded tires last winter and I haven't fallen in either deep snow or on ice. I have lost control momentarily but have been able to put a foot down as when things get slippery I pull my feet out of the clips and ride on the flat side of the pedals. The only real challenge is getting caught in deep icy tire ruts.

However I have fallen on ice three times while riding smooth street tires. Once a few winters ago I was flying down a dry road and cut through a shaded parking lot by a boat launch and hit a sheet of ice. The bike slid out from under me to the right and my right foot was caught in the toe strap. My left foot came loose and I found myself sliding like a motorized dirt bike racer with my left foot flat on the ground, left knee bent, handlebars pointed right and the bike on its left side sliding to the right. About 25 yards later I hit the dry pavement on the far side of the ice, the tires caught, the bike righted itself and I found myself rolling straight ahead in complete amazement.

Two winters ago before I bought studded tires I tried to ride on hard-packed snow. I used to do it with with some difficulty on unstudded knobbies in the distant past, so I thought, how much more difficult would it be on street tires. Well the first time my bike just slid out from under me without warning. I fell on my left leg and rolled onto my shoulder and came to rest on my hip with my feet still strapped in. I was just a little sore. I thought it might be a fluke and proceeded. A block later the same thing happened but this time I was going downhill and there I was, on my side, feet strapped in sliding to the end of the block. I realized this could be potentially fatal if there was any traffic around. So I walked my bike back to the house and drove to work.

rumrunn6

rode on sheer ice yesterday. the only time the studded tires gave a hint at any slide was when I was pushing them on off-camber, tilted, uphill turns. & that was intentional testing. normal riding straight & flat was flawless

FBinNY 

Part of what follows depends on your age.

The chances of falling are obviously higher on snow and ice, but the consequences are much less. It's cold out so you're well padded with extra layers of clothing. Also, while ice is about as hard as pavement, snow makes for softer landings. Plus, there's no road rash.

I've spent many winters biking on snow and ice, and since this was long before things like studded tires, fell plenty, so I speak from experience. When you fall on pavement you stop and check for injuries, on snow you just laugh and continue riding.

Snow and ice offer great opportunities to practice your bike handling skills. Once you overcome the fear of falling, you can explore the limits of traction and learn what it feels like as the tires let go, and how to recover and/or crash well. So relax and go for it.

One caveat - when riding slippery roads, the danger isn't in the fall, it's in the ability of cars to avoid you, since they're on the same ice patch that put you down. So save the handling practice for open fields.

fietsbob

Bookies calculate odds , and sell bets based on those odds, but there has to be money changing hands
to matter to them.. in that gaming..

Start a risk pool. ? some people will bet on anything..