Originally Posted by
arsprod
Rutted ice is why I have side-studded tires - we get it a lot. 25F this morning, more snow than ice
I've got studded tires on my other winter bike. They work pretty well for smoother ice, but when it gets really rutted like this I don't notice much difference between them and the 5" wide fat tires running low pressure. The fat tires will bend and conform to the ruts, whereas my studs will slide off the sides of the ruts to find the low spots. Either way, I have to ride slow and careful through spots like this.
Consecutive bicycle work commute number 890:
15F today with a 15 mph headwind. We got a dusting of snow, but not enough to really affect the commute. Went slow between the wind and the ice, but I made it. Wind isn't supposed to shift, so I should get a nice push on the way home.
I notice someone must have gotten sick of the rutted ice on the MUP as much as me, because on my way home last night I saw a few areas where someone had attacked it with an ice chipper. They cleared out a narrow path through a few spots. In the grand scheme of things it didn't make much difference, but I certainly recognize and applaud the effort.