# Winter bike vs Winter wheels vs ???



## SamN01 (13 Jul 2010)

I recently bought a carbon road bike which I love, I have just bought some carbon clinchers to hopefully race next year but currently if there is any rain in the air or on the ground I am not riding the bike. I have also not stuck a load of lights on the bike.

I am considering buying a cheaper bike as a 'winter' trainer. Something I can stick a load of lights on and ride even when conditions arent great. Does that sound sensible or should I just man up and get out in the rain on my carbon bike (which some lights added to ride in fading light!)


----------



## alecstilleyedye (13 Jul 2010)

get a winter bike, maybe a cheap steel framed bike from ebay which can take mudguards and put cheap wheels on it (or at least cheap rims built up with decent hubs).


----------



## Fab Foodie (13 Jul 2010)

alecstilleyedye said:


> get a winter bike, maybe a cheap steel framed bike from ebay which can take mudguards and put cheap wheels on it (or at least cheap rims built up with decent hubs).



Agreed, a winter bike is a good investment.
A winter fixie is good too, that's what I did in my London cycle-commute days, fixed for winter, shiny geary bits for Summer.
Also get slightly fatter tyres on the winter bike... bit more grip but also offer a bit more resilience to potholes unseen in the dark!

The final benefit is when you change from your winter hack to the carbon best-bike... it'll feel like it's made of Gossamer!


----------



## lukesdad (13 Jul 2010)

Heavier bike= good winter training too. You ll fly in the spring.


----------



## DavieB (14 Jul 2010)

Why dont people use carbon bikes in winter? If I buy a bike for 2 grand I expect it to work all year!


----------



## TheDoctor (14 Jul 2010)

You're far more likely to stack a bike when it's dark and slippery. Scuffing up a steel frame is no big deal, but trashing a grands worth of carbon might be.


----------



## battered (14 Jul 2010)

I favour the winter bike approach. My year round bike is a 15 yr old MTB, it's great. I ride it all over and don't have to worry when I park it, it's still a decent ride and it's a handy way of trickling down older components. I run it out of the bits box with wheels and pedals that mates have discarded. As others have said, if you drop it you don't cry, whereas it might not be the same tale if your lovely Ultegra kit got covered in salt, the ally pitted and the lacquer started peeling.

Good idea to fit broader tyres in winter, it gives you a bit more spring when you hit some bomb crater you hadn't seen in the dark.

It pays to be a fan of the oily side of life if you run an older bike as everyday wheels, it's surprising how often things need fettling.


----------



## Rob3rt (14 Jul 2010)

Winter fixed for definate.

In the dark and rain sometimes potholes arent visible or look like water on the road, then you hit them and learn otherwise. Wouldnt enjoy the elevated risk of totalling on your pride and joy whether it be steel, alu, carbon on ti. A cheap hack will leave you to enjoy your ride much more, rather than constantly worrying about the chance of a crash and the amount of damage incurred.


----------



## swee'pea99 (14 Jul 2010)

I've never really seen the point of spending half the year on half the bike. Then again, it depends how and where you ride. Almost all of my riding is the daily commute, so I'm not worried about hitting potholes in the dark and wet - I know every one on my route. If I varied my routes more, I suppose I might feel differently. But no - I ride my #1 bike all year round.


----------



## alecstilleyedye (14 Jul 2010)

DavieB said:


> Why dont people use carbon bikes in winter? If I buy a bike for 2 grand I expect it to work all year!



i do see your point. when i first started off with my £250 carrera virtuoso i has quite happy to ride it all year around and similarly did not get the whole deal about having more than one bike.

however, once i upgraded the components, particularly the wheels, i found that having a spare groupset and other bits lying around was good enough reason to get a good steel frame to put them on for winter. certainly you rarely see club riders on the same bike in july that they were riding in january.

the way to think about it is thus: if i could afford a ferrari, would i drive it in all weathers getting it scratched, chipped and requiring more frequent servicing, or would i also keep something more practical and mundane for everyday and keep the ferrari for weekends.

the analogy to bikes; therefore; is don't buy a fancy race bike and expect it to last very well with all year round use. far better to get a runabout for when conditions are poor or you're commuting to work etc.


----------



## jayonabike (14 Jul 2010)

As a second bike what about a cyclo cross bike like the Specialized Tricross, can take fatter tyres, mudguards and a rack if you need it. I'm thinking of getting one of these as my winter bike.


----------



## vorsprung (14 Jul 2010)

I have 3 bikes

A Ti wunder bike that I use for events and weekends. It's too expensive to leave locked up while I do the shopping
A all year round hub geared bike with full mudguards and tyres that weight about a ton. This is the main commute bike
An Orbea Aluminium framed racing bike. This is for summer commuting, bit of training. At a push it can substitute for the other two bikes

My advice would be get a heavy cheap bike to ride in the winter. Don't grind your gears to paste in the mud and wet


----------



## shrew (14 Jul 2010)

I spent 2k on a bike this summer and damn right am i riding it all year around, would you buy a porshe for the summer and drive a robin reliant in the winter? no no no (in my opinion).

i could be dead in a year, enjoy the now, enjoy your bike and just maintain it more regularly over the winter, clean the salt and muck of as regular as possible, cleaning the bike front to back every week is a must.

a nice bike is a joy but dont be afraid to use it )


----------



## DavieB (14 Jul 2010)

alecstilleyedye said:


> i do see your point. when i first started off with my £250 carrera virtuoso i has quite happy to ride it all year around and similarly did not get the whole deal about having more than one bike.
> 
> however, once i upgraded the components, particularly the wheels, i found that having a spare groupset and other bits lying around was good enough reason to get a good steel frame to put them on for winter. certainly you rarely see club riders on the same bike in july that they were riding in january.
> 
> ...





I do get that, but if I had a ferrari I would have an Audi RS6 for pottering about in..... So when I get my new bike about a grands worth, I dont want to be jumping about on my Virtuoso it will be given to my dad lol. If it snows I may use my MTB


----------



## cyberknight (16 Jul 2010)

I do not have a 2 k bike just a virtuosso but to me its my best bike and i was loathe to put a rack on it but i like to use it as much as possible.

For winter i use my subway 1 (slicked) and find it great for commuting in the dodgier weather.I am really considering looking out for a cheap roadiy off ebay to use as a winter bike but truth be told i am happy enough with what i have atm.


----------



## John the Monkey (17 Jul 2010)

My best bike is an SCR2.0 that's been upgraded over time - for about two years, it was the only bike I had, so it was the commuter, summer bike and winter bike.

Once I had the money I did get some slightly fancier wheels for the weekend ride (nowt too swish, just Aksiums), and kept the other wheels for wet days & commuting.

Once I'd built up my tourer, I moved the SCR further in the direction of speed and impracticality, and used the tourer for commuting & load carrying errands.

One bike can do it all, but you'll compromise in some areas by doing things that way - having a bike you can load, stick big tyres on, leave your lighting on year round &c will avoid those compromises. Thekey really is to think about whether those compromises annoy you enough that you feel another bike is the only way around them.


----------



## potsy (17 Jul 2010)

lazyj said:


> As a second bike what about a cyclo cross bike like the Specialized Tricross, can take fatter tyres, mudguards and a rack if you need it. I'm thinking of getting one of these as my winter bike.



This is my thinking too,Tri-cross or similar with guards,rack,and 32mm M+ tyres for winter/wet weather stuff.Keep changing my mind on which to go for though,one day it's the Tri then it's the Croix de Fer,or even a nice light Sirrus.


----------



## Globalti (19 Jul 2010)

shrew said:


> I spent 2k on a bike this summer and damn right am i riding it all year around, would you buy a porshe for the summer and drive a robin reliant in the winter? no no no (in my opinion).
> 
> i could be dead in a year, enjoy the now, enjoy your bike and just maintain it more regularly over the winter, clean the salt and muck of as regular as possible, cleaning the bike front to back every week is a must.
> 
> a nice bike is a joy but dont be afraid to use it )




Agreed. I don't have the funds or the space for more than the road bike and the MTB. I fitted some lightweight mudguards to the carbon bike last Autumn and made sure I didn't ride it in salty conditions. I always hosed it down and dried it off after a wet muddy ride and it seems to have survived OK.


----------



## 2Loose (20 Jul 2010)

Globalti said:


> Agreed. I don't have the funds or the space for more than the road bike and the MTB. I fitted some lightweight mudguards to the carbon bike last Autumn and made sure I didn't ride it in salty conditions. I always hosed it down and dried it off after a wet muddy ride and it seems to have survived OK.



Last winter I ended cleaning and lubing my bike every couple of days and the drivetrain still took a hammering from the salt and road crud. Fitted a pair of very untrendy SKS guards and then only needed to clean it once a month, with the chain getting weekly attention. Guards are such a useful thing for crappy weather I wouldn't be without them now.


----------



## HJ (20 Jul 2010)

DavieB said:


> Why dont people use carbon bikes in winter? If I buy a bike for 2 grand I expect it to work all year!



It might melt in the rain 

Personally I agree with DavieB, if had a £2K bike I would use it year round, but then I am not a bike snob.


----------

