Originally Posted by
5teve
But, if you want to ride the bike you have and ride mainly riding for fitness on (sounds like) snow covered roads and pathways, you would be well-served by a set of studded tires sized to fit your hybrid. Something like the Suomi Hakkapeliitta W240 in either 32X 700 or 40X700 size should fit your hybrid fine, assuming it has 700c wheels. (most do)
I second this advice so long as we're talking about paved roads -- because my winter experience is pretty much limited to paved. I'm in the central U.P by Lake Superior, and my go to tires in winter are a set of 700 x 38 studded tires on my commuter bike. I ride mainly paved roads and streets that are eventually plowed. There will be times when the snow building gets annoying, or when the ice melts into slush and I struggle, but in the main the pavement is plowed and I'm able to ride regularly.
My other thought is that buying a good set of studded tires is an inexpensive experiment in comparison to buying a second bike. Even if you end up doing both, you probably wouldn't regret having both options available.