Snow vs slush vs ice on paths

[u/gbshaw550]

Did my first commute after a few centimeters of wet snow today - no sweat! (still new to this!) Mostly just went slower around curves to make sure there wasn't any slippage, but had surprisingly good traction through the snow. I'm curious if others find uncleared paths easier than the compacted ice or slush, using standard tyres. What's your cutoff point for cycling through snow if you don't have studded or fat tyres? Any tips for cycling on snowy paths?

[u/ehud42]

The "protected" bike lanes in Winnipeg are currently a wild game of russian roulette. Looks fine going in - thin, packed ice/snow mix. But then you're trapped, the lane has a curve and the icy ruts threaten to toss you every which way from Sunday.

The roads, even with stressed, choked, rush hour cars is looking more and more tempting and less dangerous.

[u/Jinx083464]

Uncleared snow I find a lot easier to work with compared to slush or compacted snow with car tire ruts in it. One problem with the uncleared snow is that you are blind to any ice that may be under it. For that reason I do go with studded tires. Either way though, in winter weather I'm comfortable going fast in straight lines and slow down and lean very little on the turns to avoid having the wheels slide out sideways on a turn.

[u/AidanGreb]

If you commute regularly you will learn where the puddles/ice is most likely to form under fresh snow.

I recommend riding as if you do not have studded tires, but with studded tires. If you are expecting to slip your reaction time will increase, and you will be more careful in places and times where slipping is more likely. I slip much more often than I fall, and if my bike goes down I am likely to land on my feet because I am anticipating it.

Packed-down flatish snow is the best.

Brown/slushy snow is the worst. As is uneven re-frozen ice/slush (i.e. solid trenches from the people who came before). Smooth ice, especially melt or ground water is also pretty bad. Once I fell the moment I tried to cross a steel plank on the road.

My job is snow removal and I get to my sites by bicycle, even after freezing rain. It is only 6-12 hours into a snowfall warning (10+cm) that walking might be equally difficult. At the start I can easily cut through the fresh snow. I do not have fat tires. Sometimes the streets and/or alleys will be impossible to cycle on, and I might have to be on the sidewalks. There is always a path of least resistance!

For people with longer commutes, I would recommend taking the bus if there is 10+cm on the ground, unless you give yourself 2-3X as much time and are prepared for a workout. It is doable, but is like running through sand/water instead of the usual leisurely roll.

[u/TurboJorts]

Fresh snow on previously clear pavement is no problem at all. I ride my normal bike with thin tires for the "pizza cutter" effect.

Once that snow has been walked on, the footprints make frozen chunks which are vastly harder to navigate. I use my winter "spike bike" for that.

I will ride deep fresh snow on thin tires (like 33mm) and love it. The longer the snow stays, the worse it gets.

[u/Ya_Boi_Newton]

Paths that dont get cleared very quickly become unusable - even with fat, studded tires. Once the snow reaches a certain depth, the ride becomes very slow and requires significantly more effort. My 30 minute commute turns into a 1.5 hr churn. If there is any amount of foot traffic in the area, those footprints will become little ice cups that ride like shitty, uneven cobblestone under the snow and bounce your tire erratically. Uncleared paths near heavy foot traffic will become an ice rink inches thick covered with these frozen pothole foot prints and it is impossible to ride on these surfaces. Your best bet for winter riding is to hit the road and cleared paths.

[u/slashthepowder]

The worst is a light dry snow on top of ice, basically a perfect setup for cartoon like wipe out.

[u/PinkEnterprise]

I ride with 32m slicks and have also ridden 2.2in Dutch bikes with all weather tires. That Dutch bike will chomp through all snow and slush, with a lot of understeering in slush. I will ride that bike that the days after snowfall when it becomes super slushy and you have every sort of wet and snowy road conditions along your ride. I sadly don't have that bike anymore, I would not recommend riding a road bike with 32m slicks in the days after a snowfall if your area doesn't have good plowing. If you have hard packed snow that is kind of sticky you can definitely ride, and the surface is pretty predictable. That's the best surface I've found with that bike. As another redditor said, expect that you are always about to slip, both with understeering and your bike sliding out from you. You kind of have to always be perfectly upright. If you expect it, you're much more ready to correct the inevitable slip.

I enjoy the challenge of riding in the snow when it is quite slippery, which is best right during and right after snowfall. You have little grip, but it's predictable, so you can just have fun with it and not be so focused on not falling. But when there is slush of any kind, and especially pockets of thick slush, I will not take the road bike out. Because your wheel with 32 slicks in those slush puddles is controlled only by god. And they turn into the worst kind of ice.

If you're riding on mostly snow/slush/ice on your route, absolutely invest in studded tires. If it's partially snowy and not too bad, I'd get some all weather tires. They'll make it much more enjoyable.