Discussion: Sounds like you have a good setup

Good thing, because it looks like it might be a while before we get a good fresh coat of snow.

It'll be better when I get the front tire on a wider rim. Still a pretty challenging ride- lots of spinning along in very low gears.
I wonder if your fatty would have ridden over the breakable crust that bogged me down?

I'm not sure. The crust hadn't been frozen yet when I was out Wednesday. I think if the crust is only a cm or so, I'm going through even with my 116mm tire - by recall from last spring.

I found sometimes the low gear I had to run was too low to get the bike moving again in the deep stuff after a stop. I might just need to learn to manage the torque better at startup.

I can see how a Rohloff would rock for winter riding- shifting at a stand-still would be very handy.

I agree. And noting how fast my chain is trying to rust (the salt I pick up from the bit of road I ride home I guess), I'm thinking harder of Rohloff with a Gates drive. Normally I wouldn't use it on my bike but I've started given the drive a WD40 bath as soon as I get back.