First episode of *real* snow commute this week. We got somewhere around 4-6 inches. As I rode into work in the morning I started to develp the cyclist's definition of "types of snow", figuring that we could easily trump the Native Alaskan number of terms.

Some of the snow I encountered was easy -- fresh up to several inches just disappeared beneath my aggressive tread; hard packed or icy patches were laughed at by my studs; even the 6-8" bumps of fresh plow trails at intersections were but a whimper, but extended sections of losely packed snow of only an inch or two? Arggghhh....

So, to all the snow riders, commuters, mountain bikers, cyclocross, etc riders out there, do you have any techniques for handling loosely packed snow -- like the pearly, marble spray from the plow, the kind that sends your handle bars shimmering, and screams to your bike, "you're going down...NOW!"

Reading this old, saved thread ( http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=30289 ) sort of represents what I was finding...don't tense up; don't try to correct the steer (well, unless you're headed for that car lane); keep pedaling, but....this isn't necessarily a short distance; it can easily go on for a block or more.

Clearly I need to work on my bike handling skills, but....oh wise sages of TE....can you help shorten the learning curve by providing suggestions?!?!?