I think he was referring to the “fat” tire that are 26x4.0 and bigger. However, you need a frame with a lot of clearance to accommodate for such a big tire.
Riding in snow can break down to two different scenarios:
=> packed snow: can be ridden with any good muni tire. The more packed is the snow the better. Dropping the pressure can improve the grip.
=> fresh snow: you have no change of going far with a regular muni tire. You can have a bit more luck with a “fat” tire but it isn’t magic.
I had fun last winter in a couple of inches of very fresh snow that was dry with only a 2.4 tire. However, I wasn’t going that far each time before UPD (because I wasn’t gentle enough or having enough grip).
Thanks for elaborating this issue.
I was thinking about sliding down the ski slopes, so I hope it my 2.5" tire will be good enough to have a good grip.
Hi There Muni 365, I also live in Edmonton. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you riding around. I have been riding a bit on some of the bike paths around Fort Edmonton and Laurier park. The city does a great job of keeping them clear. I’m pretty new at this so I’m not ready to commute yet. Where do you commute to and from?
I just got my new winter riding boots! I used to ride my 5.10 all the time, but they’re all worned out and my feet always get really cold.
So, I bought myself a pair of 45Nrth Wolvhammer (the non-spd version). At first they sucked, I couldn’t get any grip on my pedal, it was just aweful, I switched pedals to my Straitlines and it’s much much much better, the pedals have to be really flat to get a good grip. The grip is awesome when you get the right spot, the sole is stiff but I can still feel the pedals. Awesome ankle support, good for someone who rides in the wood, you never know what’s under that snow! They’re hot but not too hot, which is really good. I rode for about 2 hours yesterday on snowshoeing trails, it was -29C yesterday with the windchill, I didn’t get cold as I usually do! Also, there’s like no way snow can get it.
The price tag is really high ($335CAD) but it’s worth it if you ride alot in the winter.
We are supposed to get a little snow here in KC, about 3” tomorrow. This will be my first attempt at “larking” (I don’t know who coined that term but I love it) in the white stuff.
I ride a 20 Nimbus equinox street with a cyko lite tire. Would I be better off in the grass or on pavement? Any tips, pointers or advice would be greatly appreciated?
That depends on the conditions. If you end up with a layer of ice on the pavement you could be stuck with riding on the grass. But if you end up without ice I think the pavement would be better.
I once tried riding on ice covered pavement and it didn’t go too well. The wheel slid out from under me every few yards. And when you fall onto ice it is extremely difficult to stay on your feet because they don’t grip ice much better than a tire does.
That’s a rough breakdown, but really, it’s all about the type of snow and what’s under it. I used to ride in the snow back in the late 70s on Schwinns and Miyatas with 1.75" tires and we had a blast. The first thing you realize is that you actually have more traction than you might think, because there’s plenty of weight on that small contact patch. But as the snow gets harder or more icy, traction goes down.
So, depending on the quality of the snow, you can ride an old Schwinn down a ski slope just fine, or not at all. It’s all in the getting out there and trying it.
I learned to ride in the winter under a carport, basically i learned to ride in the snow, but I haven’t lived in a state that gets snow for over 20 years. I remember riding on my 24" 2 inch wide zephyr through deep ruts, had many falls but snow is soft…
if only they had the unicycle technology back then that they have now
my father was military we got stationed in some pretty crappy places, lots of them were in michigan and new york when i was a kid then they transferred him to california, and then got a government job in south carolina, so I really dont know if i can be called a californian, since i was born in seattle washington…
confusing isn’t it, and my ssn number shows up as new york state or washington dc because my father was militrary, cops run it and it makes my info look like i am lying.
I do consider california where i am from though because I liked it them most of all the places I have lived
That’s ok. Gonna ride anyway. 
“training hard for retirement!”
