@Steve O 107750 wrote:
This street is quite rideable without studded tires.
Umm, not sure if trolling? If not, isn’t that like saying the Lynn St intersection is quite fine because I’ve yet to get hit there? Rideable to one person doesn’t mean safe or readily accessible for the general transportation rider.
Anyway yeah I’ve taken tumbles in ice before (both on the bike and on foot), and given the way a bicycle operates mechanically and the size of those two contact patches I would not choose to rely on bikes as a primary/daily/reliable mode of transport without studded tires given DC’s climate (nor would I expect others to!). Of course I support plowing of the trails because as others have mentioned, it has improved things a lot – riding on mostly pavement with studded tires is preferable to riding mostly on rutted ice with studded tires.
Part of choosing to bike everywhere (or at least somewhere, regularly and reliably) is taking on self-sufficiency/independence – that’s why we carry patch kits, spare tubes, pumps, lights, etc. As people have cited, in MN (or somewhere else with really wintry conditions) riders mount up studded tires for months. It’s not considered abnormal or a stretch. Studded tires are usually the first thing I mention to people I encounter who hear about my winter snow/ice day commuting (and react like it’s crazy, naturally) – it makes a big difference! If you’re lucky enough to be able to stay home all day, or have clear access to anywhere you need to go, then that’s great. But given that it’s not practical to have every piece of road/bike infrastructure perfectly plowed, I feel it is practical for many daily riders to own studded tires. It only takes a small patch of ice to take you down fast.
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