Are mountain bikes good for snow?

Drea0bigfat123
Drea0bigfat123 Posts: 11
in MTB general
Hello everyone,
To train the kidneys, I want to buy myself a mountain bike. However, it usually snows where I live. If I buy a mountain bike, can it be used when there is snow or not? Hope everyone can give me the answer.
Thanks everyone.

Comments

  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    If there’s six inches of snow then no. You need a fat tyred bike.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,207
    Hard packed ice, and a bit of snow, okay - if you get studded tyres - loads of fun in fact.

    Anything more than 2-3 cm of loose snow and the tyres won't track well and won't get through to anything hard enough to bit into. At least for me the experience is constantly catching the front wheel before it goes out from under me, and spinning the back wheel.

    I did a fair bit of this over the winter.
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,218
    First.Aspect said:

    Hard packed ice, and a bit of snow, okay - if you get studded tyres - loads of fun in fact.

    Anything more than 2-3 cm of loose snow and the tyres won't track well and won't get through to anything hard enough to bit into.

    2-3 cm overlying something rough (i.e. if it hasn't turned to ice yet) is good fun.
    Hard work but good fun.

  • steve_sordy
    steve_sordy Posts: 2,453
    Mountain bikes are fine, its all about the tyres and the rider.

    I discovered that mud tyres work well in snow. But for ice you need studded tyres.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,207
    steve_sordy said:

    Mountain bikes are fine, its all about the tyres and the rider.

    I discovered that mud tyres work well in snow. But for ice you need studded tyres.

    What if it's mixed (I know this sounds stupid but my snow/ice tyres are hopeless in deepish snow).
  • Drea0bigfat123
    Drea0bigfat123 Posts: 11
    webboo said:

    If there’s six inches of snow then no. You need a fat tyred bike.

    Thanks you
  • Drea0bigfat123
    Drea0bigfat123 Posts: 11
    First.Aspect said:

    Hard packed ice, and a bit of snow, okay - if you get studded tyres - loads of fun in fact.

    Anything more than 2-3 cm of loose snow and the tyres won't track well and won't get through to anything hard enough to bit into. At least for me the experience is constantly catching the front wheel before it goes out from under me, and spinning the back wheel.

    I did a fair bit of this over the winter.

    Thanks you so much
  • Drea0bigfat123
    Drea0bigfat123 Posts: 11
    steve_sordy said:

    Mountain bikes are fine, its all about the tyres and the rider.

    I discovered that mud tyres work well in snow. But for ice you need studded tyres.

    Thanks a lot

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