This will be the seventh Toronto winter I've biked. The last six winters, I rode all year without changing my bicycle tires. Here's how I've been doing it, but this year, I've made a significant change. I've gone out and bought a set of winter tires for my bike.
I put them on while the snow fell yesterday, and this morning, I gave them a solid test. I biked through snow, ice and slush to a TMDS gig at Bay and Front.
The round trip was a little over 30km, and the vast majority was on the Waterfront Trail. Most of the trail between Norris Crescent and Bay Street was already plowed and salted by 9:30am, but there were some portions, including the bridges, where I was very glad to have these winter bike tires. They made a big difference.
As any winter cyclist will tell you, traction is everything, and that's what I felt the entire ride. I didn't slip once. So far, I'm very pleased with this investment.
