you guys really have been very helpful. today i came to the conclusion for my winter commuting and at the end of the day i think i made the right choice for me.
I decided to add fenders to my surly cross check and use that for this winter. only thing left to figure out is if i should try the continental touring plus tires 700x28 that already are on the bike. the manager of my LBS uses these to commute during the winter and likes them alot.
I have concerns that they dont have enough tread and are too thin for me. this is my first winter commuting so I dont have the experience to figure this one out on my own. I have a set of rictchey tires that came with the cross check in 700 x32 and are more nobbie. they are basically brand new as i switched them out within the first week of owning the cross check. would i be better off with the ritchey 700x32 or the conti's tour plus 700 x 28?
I would probably switch out my slicks from my SS and us the conti's if i was too put in the ritcheys in the CC (confusing right...) that way I would also have more treads in my SS and I could use that on those nice and dry fall / winter days.
otherwise I am considering getting a pair of studs for the CC. do they make studs 700x32? i dont think i want to get too wide of a tire. are studs needed in chicago? is it a hassle to run studs when the conditions dont really warrant them? i dont want to have to change the tires too often this winter.
thx for the help!