Drop bar touring bike or 29er as a city winter bike in Chicago?
 

Next fall I will add a winter bike with 700c studded tires and fenders to my quiver of bikes. I live in Chicago which is flat, and the roads are well plowed. However, icy patches are common and I would like to ride daily regardless of conditions. I'll use Schwalbe Marathon Winters in the 700x35 size for the tires.

I've been looking at both rigid 29ers and touring frames and complete bikes. I'd rather have a 29er and use the bike on trails during the warmer months. However, many 29ers make no provision for fenders. So I have begun looking at touring bikes, which accept fenders easily, but would not be as usefull off-road.

I know Salsa has the Vaya and Fargo, but these bikes are way too costly and I would like to find something used if possible.

Any suggestions?

Since 29ers are still kind of a niche market, finding a used one could be tough. Sounds like a monstercross bike would be right up your alley, and might be worth saving your pennies for. I like the Fargo, but some other examples include the Voodoo Nakisi, Vassago Fisticuff, and my personal favourite; the Van Dessel WTF (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot).

a cyclocross bike can do what you're asking. i'm sure you can find one that takes fenders and they can handle singletrack. i know Bianchi Volpe's have mounting holes.

Surly karate monkey with drop bars, or a crosscheck.

Bikes Direct has some very reasonably priced 29ers:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mountain_bikes.htm

They should be able to tell you if they take mudguards if you email them, and you can research the brand on the MTB forum.

I ride a crosser on singletrack. It's fun, but not the same way as an MTB. You have to make sure you hit every tree root right or you'll spill - such are the limits of 35mm tyres. And if you want to take reasonable drops or you can ride fast over rock strewn tracks... well, just get another type of bike that can take fatter tyres and maybe a suspension fork.Otoh, on the terrain it will handle a crosser is tremendous fun - it will zoom along like a rocket, but you'll have to concentrate every moment of the ride.

I'd definitely consider a 29er with Salsa Bell Laps (cyclocross drop handlebars) as a best of all worlds bike. There are ways of getting the gear changing to work.

I wouldn't bother with drop bars unless the commute is long. Flat bars are much better to balance upon and steer with. My touring bicycle is fine in the snow with 32... but it is ****e on anything frozen compared to the mtb and 1.75".

So, get the 29r, particularly since you can use it for some mtb also and it will be equipped with disc brakes.

If you're comparing road drop bars to flats, yes. Dirt drops, like Bell Laps, not really - it's partly a matter of taste of course. Honestly, if drop bars were difficult to balance on in poor traction, cyclocross racing - 35mm tyres in deep mud - would be impossible.

Jacquie Phelan's bike O t t o was possibly the winningest mountain bike in MTB history, btw. See the bars?

http://www.bikecult.com/works/archiv...mJACQUIErs.JPG

Yes, I am comparing road drops to flats.

my personal opinion on dirt drops: don't bother getting them.

some 44cm FSA compact bars are WAY better.

they're not as clunky and bulky as dirt drops, they're narrower and most of all, you can use all the hand positions, unlike drops only with dirt drops.

44cm width is all you really need to steer a bike in snow.

Gee, Michael, for a winter bike - Performance has a Diamondback Hybrid with 40s, for about 300 right now - should work well! or http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...archTerm=trace for 400

You can use all the hand positions on the Bell Laps. They're slightly wider than road bars along the top flare a bit in the drops, so that they get quite a bit wider by the bar ends. Not all dirt drops are as extreme as, say, the Midge Bars you see on monster crossers.

The Bell Laps are a nice all-rounder with quite a bit more steering power and stability than normal drops and few drawbacks. Some people mount them a bit higher than usual so that they spend more time in the drops, because the steering works so well - in this position the slightly raised on-the-hoods position is terrific in traffic - you get lots of look-around.

The LBS wanted more than that for SPD mountain bikes shoes to fit my enormous feet! That does look like quite a deal if the entry Tektro disc brakes are any good and the fork suspension either has lock-out or is at least isn't suicidally poor.

surprisingly, entry level disc brakes are worse than V-brakes with koolstop salmons.
less noticable in adverse weather, but they don't really stop you too well.

the good thing is that you can get a pair of BB7 mtn brakes + G3 rotors for $100.

If fenders are the only issue
 

Get the 29er. I drove one all winter with a couple Zefal plastic fenders. The rear clipped to the seat post - the front attached to the frame tube via rubber O-rings.

I`m currently driving a hybrid with full coverage fenders and the Zefals gave just as good a protection.