Bike choice for snow commuting

Question

I'm currently living in Holland, Michigan, and we get quite a bit of snow (lake effect from Lake Michigan). I purchased a Giant AnyRoad CoMax this past summer which is great for commuting in all seasons other than winter.

This past week, however, I attempted to commute with 1-2" snow on the ground and dumped it four times in two commutes (ouch! my hip still hurts), so I don't think that's an option for the winter. It's mid-December now, and I'm already getting cabin fever, so here are the options I'm considering for Winter/snow commuting:

1) Snow tires for my spring/summer/fall bike: This is the option I'm least inclined towards for at least two reasons, for one, when riding on my other seasons bike in the snow I got the idea changing the tires alone will not be sufficient for 1+" of snow, and for two, to avoid changing tires often this would require a 2nd set of rims (and 2nd cassette, brake rotors, etc.), at which point I'd suppose it would be better to get a second bike altogether.

2) 27.5" or 29" mountain bike: This seems to be the best option. I don't need something super high end, rather I'd be looking for something mid-range that could be used perhaps 30-40 times a year when there is snow and will get me where I'm going, for example here are some possibilities:

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/revel-2

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/revel-29er

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/atx-lite

3) Fat tire bike: This is the option I'm least considering as these seem to be very expensive, and I'm not sure huge tires are necessary for light snow.

4) Any other suggestions?? (other than moving to California which is not an option at the moment)

I guess the decision really comes down to which size/type of tire is best for commuting in 1-2" snow with possible occasional ice patches, 27.5" or is 29" necessary/suggested?

Answer 1

I've got about 20,000 miles experience commuting in Alaska snow. There are really 3 kinds of snow to deal with: deep & fluffy, hard & icy, and slush.

I have two bikes, a Pugsley with Large Marge tires for deep snow, and a Kona 29er for everything else.

The trick to the Pugs is deflating the tires so they track right. 10psi in front is maybe too much, add a little more for the back. That makes a slow commute. When the snow gets over 2-3" of thick stuff the Pugs comes out.

Otherwise it's the Kona with Nokian Gazza Extreme studs. Pump them up hard and they cut through to the hard surface under the goo. Ice is no biggie, it's like riding on gravel. The springtime deep slush will shoot out through the open deep tread pattern and you can pretty much just ride straight through it without tire deflection. I recommend studs on your boots for ice riding too, when you put your foot down you'll need the traction at intersections.

Flat studded pedals, disc brakes, GOOD bright flashers, and you're set. Saran wrap taped over your helmet vents keeps your head a little warmer too.

Try a camping headlight under your helmet. Look at drivers at intersections and they see your beam, and see you.

Enjoy!

Answer 2

You would probably be alright by adding some studded tires to your existing bike. That will help a lot with control when ice is present. Skinny tires actually handle deep stuff well since they cut through it instead of float on top of it. Anyone who rides a fat bike knows that if the snow isn't compacted, your front wheel can float sideways and put you on the ground. Though, they have impressive traction when snow is packed. Ice still makes fat bike tires (and mountain bike tires) slide.

However, I use a mountain bike for winter commuting sometimes. I also have a fat bike, and I can say, they really are not needed for most winter commutes and they are still affected by icy conditions. Wheel size doesn't really matter much here, they all work pretty well.

If you're going to buy a MTB for winter commuting, you want:

• Disc Brakes - they actually work in the snow, rim brakes kind of suck when it's below freezing, it's not that they don't work at all, they are just less predictable. I prefer to run sintered metal pads in the winter as they are less susceptible to contamination than semi-organic or organic pads. They are also cheap, but not universally available for all brakes.
• Rigid vs Suspension - Rigid bikes are probably better for winter commuting due to low maintenance. Keeping salt out of your shocks is a thankless job, that you'll probably stop doing after a while, and your fork will wear faster. Also, the shocks that come on cheap bikes generally kind of suck anyway.
• Singlespeed? If you don't have a huge distance to commute, a singlespeed MTB can be a lot cheaper in the long run. The drivetrain is cheap to maintain, chains are inexpensive to replace (you'll want to after the winter), and there is less stuff to freeze up and break down (I've had derailleurs fail to shift due to frozen slush buildup). Pick an easy gearing and spin a bit more as it makes it a bit better for control if you're not mashing.
• Tires - Most mountain bike tires would be fine. Studs are awesome on ice, but they provide a lot of resistance on clean, dry roads. It's a tradeoff. You really don't want to be fixing flats though, so get some burly tires that don't flat easily. If you're going MTB, you can go tubeless, which can help a lot (Though, always carry a spare tube or two just in case).
• Flat Pedals - in case you start sliding, it's easier to bail or put a foot down.
• Good Cornering Skills - If you suspect you're on ice, keep going in a straight line. Take turns very slow and be prepared to put a foot down on the inside of the turn if need be.
• You Don't Want: Zip Ties for Traction - Some people put zip ties on their tires for extra traction. You see this a lot on pinterest. It's a terrible idea unless you're riding offroad and you already have disc brakes (even then it's probably not worth it). Don't even think about doing this. It doesn't work with rim brakes at all (unless you unhook your brakes). Buy studded tires or not, don't do this.

TLDR: If you want a separate winter bike, any rigid disc brake MTB will probably be fine. You can add studded tires here too, it's probably not a bad idea if it gets icy frequently. Singlespeeds can be a good, low maintenance option.

Answer 3

Your winters are harsher than mine but I run spiked tyres for the ice that we do get. They have some tread (like a not too agreesive MTB tyre).

• The choice of tyre is more important than the choice of bike. But winter tyres are wider than road tyres (35mm+) so won't fit road bikes and may not fit your frame.

• Bikes suffer in winter (wet all the time + salt) so you're right not to spend a lot. Second hand is a good option as a lot of the depreciation will have already happened (plus winter is a good time to buy 2nd hand bikes from fair-weather riders).

• Whether you get 26" or 29" wheels doesn't really matter so long as the bike fits you, but there's much less choice of winter tyres for 27.5" (for these purposes 29"=28"=700C=ISO622mm. For example the popular marathon winter doesn't come in 27.5"; neither does the cheaper Schwalbe winter but you might not want them anyway)

• You will have to take it easier on bends, as well as where snow can hide potholes.

(This is a bit of an extended comment, I admit, but for the length. Also it wanted formatting)