Snow vehicle choices

As I mentioned the other day, Jenn and I are considering replacing my aging pickup truck, or adding a gas-powered something, or otherwise augmenting my ability to get to work when it snows. As also mentioned, I'm considering just buying a bike that I can outfit with studded snow tires for days when there is ice on the roadways.

One bike I'm contemplating is a Specialized Crosstrail Disc. I like that it has the 700c wheels and will accept wider tires like the 40mm Schwalbe Marathon Winter. I can get off the side of the road if traffic gets really stupid. It doesn't have the fanciest brakes or fork, but I don't figure it makes sense to buy a more expensive rig for the little bit of mileage I'm likely to put on a winter bike. The rear drive is seven-speed, rather than the higher-end nine- or ten-speed drivetrains I maintain for customers, but I also ride a '74 three-speed, for cryin' out loud!

A very similar bike that is also in the running is the Specialized Hardrock 29 Disc. Aside from some minor differences in geometry, these seem similar enough that the choice comes down to color. Since the Crosstrail's wheelbase is longer, it would probably serve me better on the road (the primary use for this bike being transportation).

In either case, I can use the Ergon goodies I'm scheduled to receive soon as part of my being on the Ergon Commuter Team on either bike. 

Part of my interest in Specialized bikes at this point is that I work for a Specialized dealer, and can get better pricing on their products as a result. As it happens, if one is going to get a wedgie bike, as I sometimes refer to non-recumbent bicycles, Specialized makes a wide variety of very good ones, suitable for many applications.