On most midwestern winter days I maintain that bicycle commuting can actually be more comfortable than driving. No shivering while your car heater warms up. The heater is you. And what's good for you is also vital to the environment. For most people, the short drive to work is by far their most polluting act of the day, especially winter cold starts.
Cars are the single largest producers of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons.
University of California researchers estimate that this ground level air pollution from cars causes up to 30,000 deaths per year in this country. Winter ice, snow and above all, salt will eat a high-performance machine alive. The wider and the knobbier the tire, the more traction you'll have on wet, icy or snowy roads. Studded tires provide excellent traction on ice. There is nothing more uncomfortable than a soaked, cold and gritty backside.