Quote:
Originally Posted by BrokenVert
Do you live in the snowiest city in the Continental US? My tested data is that of me living several winters there.
Snow sticks to snow better than it sticks to rubber, thats the principal that winter tires are designed around. This is why they have all of those narrow channels and groves, its to catch snow, so that the tire can have grip.
Once the snow gets too deep to cut through, then youre cutting into more snow, at that point its all about foot print, and thats where wider tires are better.
If skinnier is always better than why do snowshoes exist? Once the snow gets too deep you begin to mire yourself on skinny tires. You end up with a higher chance of being stuck at that point.
Like I keep saying. Its entirely dependent on how deep your average snow is and what type of snow it is. You have to figure out which is best For You. Thats the entirety of my point.
So again, driving home this point for the third time now, for shallow snow, a skinny tire is better, because you can break through the snow to the asphalt and in deep snow (For me that line is 3") youre better off with a wider tire, to stay on top of the snow and reduce your chances of digging in, which is a threat if you get a bit too excited with your right foot.
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Well, you can keep repeating the same thing over 10 times, but it won't make it true.
What works "for you" works for some things, usually things related to opinion. But, physics is not opinion based regardless of what those flat earth people think.
The snow shoe thing is about distributing your weight over a larger area, precisely for the reason that your narrower foot digs down and into the snow.
So, which actually gives you the ability to apply more forward torque, the snow shoe or your foot?
It's your foot, because it actually has traction as it can push against the snow. The snow shoe rides ON TOP of the snow.
Now, less we get confused here, a snow shoe is purpose built to get a person above the snow so that you need less force/power to walk around.
The comparison only works for demonstrating how width relates to digging into snow. The snow shoe works better for a human being.
A better argument for wider tires might be when we're dealing with compacted snow, where there is a lot of snow under the hard top layer.
At that point, the snow surface is more like lightly snowed over road.
In that condition I could see a wider tire possibly giving more traction.
But, in fresh snow that's 2" or 8" a narrower tire will dig in better and give better grip.
To answer your initial question, I live in the Chicago area south and east of the city, right under the finger of Lake Michigan.
Do we get a lot of snow?
Yeah, I'd say. Is it the snowiest area in the US, no.
BTW, as I said, I'm open to reading testing that shows otherwise.
Learning is a life long process.