Forward thinking for riding through winter Yes I know it is mid-August and Winter is not here yet, far from it.

I am just thinking way forward on how I will be able to do my daily 18 km commute in the Winter weather of Paris (yes, it's not a very harsh winter, but there will be some negative temperatures some ice etc,...).

I ride on a trekking bike tranformed into a touring one (Trek FX 7.2) with skinny tires (23 mm) which I love for their reactivity when starting and their speed thanks to their low weight (I know skinny tires are debatable but that what I do and love it).

What should I do to ride all winter long? I'm pretty sure I will need spiked tires for ice and snow, however little of it there is in here, but still,..

And since they do those only in fat version (which completely makes sense, obv.) I will need a new set of wheels. I think I will go cheap on that part, a fully built set of 700c wheels for trekking (which will fit my 135mm axle on the rear).

Remaining wonderings are following:


Should I buy 2 pair of tires? one spiked and one non-spiked? changing according to the weather? if so what would be a good choice for the non-spiked tires (the spiked ones would be Schwalbe's Marathon Winter in 700x40c, 35c or 2.00)?
My mudguards are 35 mm wide. Can I keep them on with these changes? I know they will be mostly ineffective but will they leave enough clearance for the large tire?
The brakes will need adjustments, does the fact that the pads will "meet a new rim" against which they have not been worn will reduce efficiency of braking? and can a brake cable be adjusted back and forth between several large adjustments the like of this without the need of replacement?
Any other thought to be had?
I would go for the equivalent Marathon non-spiked.
Look online for 'crud catcher' instead of mud guard - offers great tyre clearance
During the winter its best to run full length inner and outer brake cables so you reduce the amount of moisture inside. Just readjust to the new rim and make sure that the pads aren't worn out. Otherwises just replace the pads.