This year was the best year in a decade for ice biking (and skating) on Lake Griffy.
The ice was 4 inches thick, and completely clear and slick. There was a deep freeze, and no snow, sleet, or rain had marred the surface, so it was perfectly smooth. So how does a bike work on smooth clear ice? Perfectly well, thank-you! There are several tricks to biking, and staying on your bike, on ice. First, do not push hard on the pedals! That will cause slipping for sure. Start slow, and keep adding just a small amount of power to your spin till you are going at a reasonable speed, which on ice is usually less than 10 mph. Second, don’t turn quickly, your front tire will slip, and down you will go. Third, be very careful when braking, in fact the best policy is to leave them alone; don’t put yourself in a situation where they are needed, and you will be fine.
About tires: Nothing special is needed, though I assume having studs would give you the ability to move faster as you would have better traction. But this is has not been necessary for me. A couple years ago I had slicks on front and back, and they worked great! More contact with the ice gave me better traction. This is not true for snow, where having tread really helps gain traction. Snow riding is a bit harder than ice riding, but just as much fun, there is no doubt.
After a week or so, a light snow covered the surface of the ice. I could not tell if it was more or less slippery than clear ice, I think it was a combination of factors each way so that it was a draw, though it was just a little harder to pedal.
The snow it did not slow down the intrepid skaters Michael and Jenny, who explored the deep end of the lake with me.