Selecting the kind of bike to ride depends perhaps a bit too much on context—how much snow, whether and how quickly the snow is plowed, etc.

Last winter I've taken the road bike on trails soon after lighter snowfall. I rode on trails only and avoided proximity to cars since I didn't want to bet my well-being on whether nearby motorists were fully in control of their vehicles, plus the side of the road ends up being the plowed-snow-cum-slush zone.

[![light snowfall](https://i.stack.imgur.com/00Re5.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/00Re5.jpg)

Once the snow falling was heavier, I didn't quite dare cycle at all, but that's partly because I hadn't found a way to keep my fingers from freezing. Now armed with winter cycling clothing and a couple of options for winter cycling gloves, I think this may be a bit easier.

[![medium snowfall](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lyf1k.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lyf1k.jpg)

Oddly, the most tempting time to go cycling is right after heavy snowfall (typically called a "snowstorm", even though it's really nothing more than a lot of snow in one day).

Hikers do a pretty good job of tamping down the snow on pedestrian and cycling paths with their boots, and so a fat tire may not be absolutely essential. Perhaps studded 700-38mm tires might do on either a mountain bike or a cyclocross (?).

[![heavy snowfall](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3VSRy.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3VSRy.jpg)

What is the smallest collection of bikes you would maintain to be able to ride on these three types of roads—as well as on clean summer paths?

**Related**

* [Is there an all-in-one bike that I can use for several types of riding?](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/q/2285/48599)
* [When are studded tires necessary?](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/q/2281/48599)
* [Fat or Skinny Tires for Winter Riding?](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/q/7722/48599)
* An excellent answer that I missed so far: [Bike choice for snow commuting](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/44316/48599)