The Snowstorm Challenge

Buffalo had quite a little snowstorm recently.  Four people were astonished I rode the whole 3 miles to work regardless of the forecast and two more offered me a ride home, but slow and steady makes the grade.  For those out there contemplating riding in moderate snow, there are a few things to consider.
Studded tires are a waste in anything but ice and even then they are not 100% helpful.  You still go down on the ice, but since you slide, there is no road rash and fewer bruises.  You can't go nearly so fast, so even if you strike something, it is not a big deal.  The most important things are to not take chances turning in front of cars or being on streets where if you go down you might be hit by a passing car. The cars take a long to stop and on ice, they don't swerve very well.

That is a 15lb bag of cat food on the back rack for traction.  Just kidding about the traction.

Since the summer of 2006, I have vowed to use my car less. I live in a large urban area, relatively flat with long stretches of feasibly bike friendly weather. Yes, I am talking about Buffalo, NY. Unlike many cities, Buffalo is moderately easy to get around on a bicycle, and though it snows, the streets are usually plowed to bare pavement. I have paniers, but am thinking about a used BOB trailer, which has a single wheel. For this reason, they track behind a bike very well, and keep you from sticking further into traffic.
I have been doing a large amount of my shopping via bicycle, though since I only have rear paniers, I also take advantage of a bookbag.

In late summer I managed to purchase a mountain bike to use as a beater in the winter and for bad weather. I paid $35 for a low level Diamondback at a police auction. Amused that the auctioneer ( an officer) stated the chain was shot and the brake broken, I took it home, cleaned it up and reconnected the quick release on the brake. Great find! bikes cycling touring commuting