# What do you use as your winter bike?



## night cycler (6 Jan 2016)

Until today, I had not been on any rides this month on my newish road bike-(I don`t like the rain), even though there has been no gritting in my area. I had however been out twice on my old MTB, that I am not really bothered about. I paid less than twenty quid for it some time ago.

I read on here about people referring to their winter bike. Is a winter bike something that is old or not in very good condition etc? How do you decide that a bike is now for winter use where there is corrosive salt etc on the road? What bike do you use specifically in the winter months?


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## Brandane (7 Jan 2016)

One person's winter hack is another person's pride and joy. I have to laugh when I hear some cyclists talking about a "winter hack" or winter training bike costing them what is to me a lot of money. Obviously to them it isn't, so it's all about perception.


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## Saluki (7 Jan 2016)

Planet X XLS CX bike in black and green. He's called Eric. I use him for the grotty weather and for summer trails. If it's not raining I use my roadie. I only have 2 bikes, neither of them are what you might call a winter hack, but the CX takes the rubbish muddy roads a bit better.


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## mrbikerboy73 (7 Jan 2016)

A winter bike to me is a bike that can cope with winter. As long as it has suitable tyres, mudguards, lights etc then it's good enough. If it's looked after then it doesn't have to be an old shed.


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## Accy cyclist (7 Jan 2016)

My winter bikes are also my summer bikes. They just get more washes and more GT85 applied,in the winter.


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## slowmotion (7 Jan 2016)

^^^^^^^^^This...... but it gets the same level of neglect.


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## mattobrien (7 Jan 2016)

I recently bought a new winter bike, the summer bike is carbon, with carbon wheels and it is a well know fact that carbon melts in the rain so I bought an alu bike for winter.

It is not an old shed, but better suited to winter and wet conditions that my summer effort.


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## summerdays (7 Jan 2016)

For me I use the same bike all year round but have an old spare bike that I fit spiked tyres to that becomes my cold weather bike.


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## sarahale (7 Jan 2016)

I ride a voodoo hoodoo in winter, but I also rode it all summer too because it's a great bike


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## arch684 (7 Jan 2016)

I use 3 bikes,a raleigh madale,a specialized hard rock or a carrera vanquish


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## steveindenmark (7 Jan 2016)

My Winter bike is a Koga Roadchamp and is not a cheap bike. It is also my most used bike in the summer. IMO the most important thing to do with a Winter bike is to look after it. At least once a week mine is cleaned and oiled. It takes me 20 minutes at the most.

If it gets snowy and icy I often leave the bike indoors and take my scooter. Having no transmission is a big advantage when there is snow and ice about and its not too far to fall off.

Most used bike Winter and summer.





When it gets snowy and icy


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## Drago (7 Jan 2016)

I use a Pinnacle Dolomite 105 for winter duties. It's every bit as clean and shiny as my summer bike but has proper full mudguards, 28c tyres, slightly lower gearing and is heavily clad in reflective tape.


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## dave r (7 Jan 2016)

Fixed, genesis Flier.


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## Racing roadkill (7 Jan 2016)

I use which ever one is set up for the conditions at hand, on a particular day, on a particular ride. I don't do the 'winter bike' 'summer bike' thing, all my bikes are used equally, during summer or winter. I may differentiate based on the exact purpose of the ride, and where I'm going. For example, if I know I'm riding to somewhere, where I wouldn't leave a rabid dog unattended, I would use my oldest, don't really care if it gets banged into / damaged a bit, bike. If I know I'm not going to be out of sight of the bike for too long, or I'm not planning much of a stop, then the nicer bikes will be used. I also change components on certain bikes to suit the ride / destination / conditions. It's mainly to ensure my safety / enjoyment, than anything else.


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## vickster (7 Jan 2016)

I'm using my steel Genesis, as it has full mudguards and rack so easier to carry kit. I could also use my flat bar PX for the same reasons but I'm trying to have only one bike in the house at the mo! They both run 23mm slick tyres (as do all my bikes)

I'll ride if it's a bit wet but not if there's any risk of ice or even frost on the roads. Not that it's been cold enough down here yet

The bikes are hardly hacks (the genesis cost £1500+ in its current guise), if parts wear a bit quicker so be it, but they get a thorough babywiping if dirty, especially the rims. I even took the wheels off the other day to clean under the mudguards. The bike got v grubby again yesterday morning, clean again now. I'll lube the chain next time out


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## bpsmith (7 Jan 2016)

I use a Giant Defy 1. Wouldn't necessarily have bought specifically for Winter, although it does a fine job.

Defy was first road bike, bought using C2W. Instantly fell in love with cycling, then bought a Bianchi, which is what I really wanted to start with. Ironically, the Defy has done about 30% less mileage.

Like above, it gets kept well and cleaned regularly and is spotless as a result!


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## Joffey (7 Jan 2016)

My winter bike is my Principia RCS S6. It's about 12 years old and still going strong. Using some old Mavic Cosmos wheels on it which are bullet proof, and of course Gatorskins. Pretty hard getting guards on it but finally found some that fit and they kinda do the job!


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## grumpyoldwoman (7 Jan 2016)

As (at the minute anyway) I only have my trusty Raleigh Vixen,she's my winter,spring,summer and autumn bike. Looking to get another one in the next couple of months though!


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## Jimidh (7 Jan 2016)

I use a Giant Defy 0 fitted up with mudguards. I still want to ride a good bike over the winter both for my commute (31 miles round trip) plus club and training rides.

Just need to keep it clean and well lubed.


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## Racing roadkill (7 Jan 2016)

Jimidh said:


> I still want to ride a good bike over the winter both for my commute (31 miles round trip) plus club and training rides.
> 
> Just need to keep it clean and well lubed.


That's the key, make sure you don't let anything seize up.


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## ScotiaLass (7 Jan 2016)

I don't have a specific 'winter' bike.
I use my MTB for trails and mud and towpaths and my hybrid for going to the shops....on towpaths and mud and.... 
I suppose it depends what I'm doing as to which bike I use, but either way, in the winter they get a good clean down afterwards.
I think most on here will agree I'm a bit OCD when it comes to cleaning my bikes 

Edited to add pics





My hybrid






The MTB heading to some local trails


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## martint235 (7 Jan 2016)

I've got a commuter bike and a distance bike. The commuter has mudguards, disc brakes and a rack for the carradice. It's not what you would call cheap. The distance bike comes out at the weekends although I haven't done much distance at any time of the year for the last couple of years. It'll be out this coming Sunday though.


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## ianrauk (7 Jan 2016)

My winter bikes are my summer bikes and vice versa.


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## youngoldbloke (7 Jan 2016)

The well known Ribble 7005 winter/audax (the blue one!). Surprised no one's mentioned it before. For me it's more a 'wet weather bike' as I'm quite happy to use any of my bikes if the roads are dry, anytime. Equally I'll use the Ribble in the 'summer'. IMO the main requirement for a 'winter bike' is that it takes mudguards!


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## raleighnut (7 Jan 2016)

I did use most of my bikes in winter apart from the 531 Raleigh and the 653 TT bike (tyres too skinny/slicks) but the Saracen is set up for snow and the Ridgeback and the Equipe both have mudguards.
Since the start of last winter though I've been waiting for snow and ice to see what the Trike is like but here in Leicester we still haven't really had anything to speak of yet.


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## Arjimlad (7 Jan 2016)

Having had to replace wheels due to winter rim wear, despite using salmon Koolstops and wiping the rims and blocks down very regularly, I decided to go over to disc brakes for winter commuting. I now have the luxury of a nice Giant Revolt with SKS mudguards for bad weather/winter use. It is also used for family riding and towing a tagalong.

If it is fine and roads are dry I still ride my Defy, but that is now being kept for "best".

The Revolt is a bit of a tank compared to the Defy. It cost me £550 on a 20% discount deal which I don't think is too bad. I don't think it is a £700 bike really.

As the Revolt is mostly used on the road, I have fitted 700x32 road tyres to it and kept the more knobbly CX tyres which it came with, for use in the snow and on trails.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (7 Jan 2016)

Disc brakes proper mudguards fat tyres (28mm) lights comfortable


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## Milkfloat (7 Jan 2016)

Another Defy here, it was my summer bike but I winterised it and bought a new summer bike.


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## Elybazza61 (7 Jan 2016)

Saluki said:


> Planet X XLS CX bike in black and green. He's called Eric. I use him for the grotty weather and for summer trails. If it's not raining I use my roadie. I only have 2 bikes, neither of them are what you might call a winter hack, but the CX takes the rubbish muddy roads a bit better.



Same here(It's not called Eric though)
,although it's really an all-year bike;






Running it as a 1x10 speed set up with a 105/xt mix plus TRP Spyre slc brakes;wheels are hand-built Archetypes on Novatec hubs with 32 randonneur pros plus some Axiom mud-guards.

Also has a spare wheelset(old Mavic rims + XT hubs)with Challenge Grifo cross tyres on.

Also have an old Weigh frame as a single -speeder,although it hasn't seen a lot of use yet.


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## Jody (7 Jan 2016)

Winter, Summer, wet or dry, 1 bike suits all for me as I don't have room for (or a missus that will understand) an N+1. Spare set of wheels with slicks on if wanting to do some road riding and even though its a full suss its still nice to ride on tarmac.


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## DWiggy (7 Jan 2016)

My Summer bike....with mud guards!


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## potsy (7 Jan 2016)

I'll use my Tricross more than any other bike over winter, mainly as it has full guards, discs and can take either wide slick tyres or my studded ones if it gets icy.

The only one I probably won't use will be my Caad8, I like to keep that in pristine condition for summer riding


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## summerdays (7 Jan 2016)

potsy said:


> I'll use my Tricross more than any other bike over winter, mainly as it has full guards, discs and can take either wide slick tyres or my studded ones if it gets icy.
> 
> The only one I probably won't use will be my Caad8, I like to keep that in pristine condition summer by not riding


FTFY


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## mickle (7 Jan 2016)




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## potsy (7 Jan 2016)

summerdays said:


> FTFY


I'll have you know it was last ridden on the 10th and 11th of July..

Oh wait..


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## Markymark (7 Jan 2016)

What is this 'winter' of which you speak?


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## mrbikerboy73 (7 Jan 2016)

I also run a Defy 1 and it's a fantastic bike for all weathers. I've fitted some Crudracer 2 mudguards and some lights and its perfect. I look after it and winter hasn't destroyed it yet! The MTB is a different matter. My full sus cost too much to wreck it on the filthy South Downs during winter, so I bought a cheap secondhand hardtail which serves its purpose nicely.


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## BorderReiver (8 Jan 2016)

My Granny had a beautiful (to her- it was a bit flowery for my tastes!) set of china which was too good to be used except for "best". I think it cost her about a month's pension and came out of the sideboard on two occasions before she died.

With that in mind, I use my Trek Domane 6.9 Disc all year round. I bought it precisely because I could use it all year- it takes mudguards and has discs. I'm not about to spend £6,000 on a bike I can only use when the sun shines. It does get more tlc when the roads are wet and especially when the roads are salty (then I rinse it off after every ride). I can't commute by bike so I don't _have_ to ride it everyday but I still get out a lot in bad weather.


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## Andrew_P (8 Jan 2016)

Mine has full mudguards - bit fugly but lovely to ride.


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## Sbudge (8 Jan 2016)

Same as many people here, I don't differentiate. I have two and which one I use depends on where I am and what the conditions are on the day. I enjoy riding them too much to limit their use by season.


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## Globalti (8 Jan 2016)

I use my summer bike and I wash it afrer the ride, especially if the roads have been salted. With the wet weather we've been having I have fitted mudguards.


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## gavgav (8 Jan 2016)

My bike is Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn proofed....I only have one!


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## NorthernDave (8 Jan 2016)

DWiggy said:


> My Summer bike....with mud guards!



^^^ This for me too.


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## russ.will (8 Jan 2016)

My RT-58 with Crud Catcher mudguards and more frequent washing/lubing, is my winter bike. I have an MTB, but I've found that as the weather got worse, I preferred the simple equation of wet, over upside down and muddy - Apparently, I'm not a natural off-roader, unless it's dry. Ho hum!

That said, this years road summer bike will be next years winter bike, because I've nearly stashed the bunce for some more exotic summer plastic which will, ironically, have disc brakes.

Russell


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## ELL (8 Jan 2016)

Current winter bike is a kineses racelight T2. Soon to be replaced with a giant defy 0 or a trek domane 2.3


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## Fab Foodie (8 Jan 2016)

This mostly as I built it for winter .... it is also my 'Best Bike' but not my summer bike:







Or else this:


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## Hacienda71 (8 Jan 2016)

I have a wet weather bike. My aero carbon road bike with deep section carbon wheels still gets ridden in the winter, but if the ground is wet or rain is forecast,my bike with guards is used. It is still a carbon frame but has an old bullet proof Tiagra groupo on it and alu wheels.


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## ozboz (9 Jan 2016)

Ive got a '97 GT XCR 4000 idrive for off road and severe weather , I had a GT hybrid for good weather and town riding , but my Son has that now , so I got myself a Surley CC for Xmas , that does everything I need , perhaps back on the fattie tyres for severe weather if it comes to Surrey , at the mo I'm building up a Vintage frame , as the rear dropouts only takes single speed (or maybe fit as sturmey ) , that will be my bike for the summer , flatfish roads only ! , hope to have it ready for April ,


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## sackville d (9 Jan 2016)

About 14 months ago decided I wanted something a little more comfy than the Diamondback alloy frame I was using for winter and bought a frame from @biggs682 ,rummaged around in the spares box, and bought some new bits and batts and came up with this.
Much too good to be described as a hack, and serves as a winter/wet weather bike

Racelight Gran Fondo (Scandium) with Ultegra 10 speed running on Mavic OpenPro with Hope hubs.


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## Mrs M (9 Jan 2016)

I am really a fair weather cyclist, not adverse to a bit of rain though as long as there's no wind as well.
Not been out much lately due to awful weather up here
I just ride my road bike and put on two sets of lights and a rear mudguard.
Sometimes ride Mr M's hybrid with full mudguards.
Collecting my new bike next week, full mudguards and chain guard but don't want to get her dirty .


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## the_mikey (9 Jan 2016)

Kinesis T2 road bike with mudguards, inexpensive, heavy, 7075 aluminium, perfect for the winter.


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## biggs682 (9 Jan 2016)

sackville d said:


> View attachment 115301
> About 14 months ago decided I wanted something a little more comfy than the Diamondback alloy frame I was using for winter and bought a frame from @biggs682 ,rummaged around in the spares box, and bought some new bits and batts and came up with this.
> Much too good to be described as a hack, and serves as a winter/wet weather bike
> 
> Racelight Gran Fondo (Scandium) with Ultegra 10 speed running on Mavic OpenPro with Hope hubs.



@sackville d that was a nice frame as well shame i never got round to actually using it myself


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## Cyclopathic (9 Jan 2016)

I use my summer bike as a winter bike but I put on some gloves.


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## Rickshaw Phil (9 Jan 2016)

The famous knockabout bike:






As with a few others it's not exclusively for winter, being a general runabout and my pinciple commuting machine.

The roads round here can get extremely muddy and in the low lying areas it's mostly a sandy soil so wear and tear on rims and drivetrain in a wet winter can be very high. Because of this I prefer this one over my best bike as the components are very cheap to replace

In addition it has very generous clearance for tyres so it'll take knobblies or winter tyres as required with no problem.


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## cyberknight (9 Jan 2016)

My winter bike is my all year commuter bike , built up from a second hand frame with bits and bobs , currently claris groupset with r501 wheels , rack and gaurds or when its OMFG snow/icy i use a rigid mtb for commuting.


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## bpsmith (9 Jan 2016)

So far this Winter, I have done 75% of my riding on my "Summer" bike. Going to strip it down for a thorough clean just to stop me riding it in foul weather like this morning.

Seriously thinking of getting mudguards for the Defy. Hate the look of them, but saves the spray up the back. Maybe an arse saver might be an option. Anyone use them?


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## ianrauk (9 Jan 2016)

bpsmith said:


> So far this Winter, I have done 75% of my riding on my "Summer" bike. Going to strip it down for a thorough clean just to stop me riding it in foul weather like this morning.
> 
> Seriously thinking of getting mudguards for the Defy. Hate the look of them, but saves the spray up the back. Maybe an arse saver might be an option. Anyone use them?


Arse savers do not stop you getting spray up your back. They just stop the worst of if from your arse.

For crap weather riding I attach race blades. Much better then an ass saver.


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## bpsmith (9 Jan 2016)

ianrauk said:


> Arse savers do not stop you getting spray up your back. They just stop the worst of if from your arse.


That was my assumption, but thought I should ask in case I was wrong.

Going to have a look at mudguards instead then. Arse Saver sounds pointless unless used on a bike that you refuse to stick guards on, by the sound of it.


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## sackville d (9 Jan 2016)

biggs682 said:


> @sackville d that was a nice frame as well shame i never got round to actually using it myself


Shame indeed mate, loved it from the start.
A great mix of comfort and speed....and lighter than the Ti version or so I read on`t web!


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## biggs682 (9 Jan 2016)

sackville d said:


> Shame indeed mate, loved it from the start.
> A great mix of comfort and speed....and lighter than the Ti version or so I read on`t web!



and this steelie is my winter bike , weighs best part of a half a ton but a real gem to ride


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## Cuchilo (9 Jan 2016)

bpsmith said:


> So far this Winter, I have done 75% of my riding on my "Summer" bike. Going to strip it down for a thorough clean just to stop me riding it in foul weather like this morning.
> 
> Seriously thinking of getting mudguards for the Defy. Hate the look of them, but saves the spray up the back. Maybe an arse saver might be an option. Anyone use them?


An ass saver is good to have tucked under your saddle incase you get caught in the rain . If i think the roads might get wet i just stick a seat mounted rear mudgaurd on .
Defy 5 BTW
EDIT : I wont be fitting mudgaurds to some bikes so assgaurd is great for those .


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## youngoldbloke (9 Jan 2016)

Big advantage of full guards is that they keep crud off the brakes and the bottom bracket area.


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## Pumpkin the robot (9 Jan 2016)

I use my Wilier, with dura ace and ultegra DI2. Contrary to popular belief it does not melt in the rain. My LBS are surprised that anyone uses di2 to commute in the winter, but I have found it to be pretty reliable. 
The only concession to winter I have, is to remove the deep section wheels and put a cheaper, lighter smaller section wheel on as the crap on the roads destroys the rims even when you clean them after every ride.


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## Jack Velo (10 Jan 2016)

Trek SS200. Simple and works.


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## HLaB (10 Jan 2016)

My summer bike with winter wheels.


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## martint235 (10 Jan 2016)

A very, very, very dirty Ti bike by the looks of the conservatory at the moment....


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## EasyPeez (11 Jan 2016)

I ride a steel Genesis on 25mm slicks all-year round, but only when the weather is fine, and a Boardman Team CX on 35mm Marathons or knobblies all year round, when planning to leave the tarmac and/or if it's wet out. 

I think most people would see my 'fine weather bike' as a perfectly good winter steed and just stick mudguards on that, but I think it's too pretty to get covered in winter road gunk, and as I 'need' a second bike for off-road rides I can justify (just about) the 'poor weather' bike to myself, and more importantly Mrs Peez, that way.


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## Karlt (11 Jan 2016)

Work is nearly 15 miles away so I'm buggered if I'm going to add too much time to my commute. My Summer/good weather bike is only a Triban 500SE (what most dyed in the wool roadies would consider an entry-level Winter bike); my crappy weather bike is a steel Raleigh Eclipse from the late 80s which I've modernised with a wide range 8sp on the back to cope with the standard double up front (it's hilly here), dual pivot brakes which actually stop rather than slow the bike down a bit, and some second hand Claris brifters because I did't like reaching down to the downtube shifters in traffic. The Raleigh has the clearance for permanent mudguards; the Triban has raceblades for when I have to use it on wet roads (i.e. when I've broken the Raleigh, as for example now - needs rear brake servicing). I much prefer the fixed mudguards though; the raceblades seem to need fiddling with every few miles as they move and start to rub the tyres.

The only component I have made of soot carbon is the Triban fork.

I have a MTB but have very rarely used it for the commute because it takes so long.


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## TheJDog (11 Jan 2016)

CAAD8 - SRAM Rival, Fulcrum 5s - not a good winter bike at all and hardly cheap, I guess. Tight clearances mean 25mm tyres and mudguards is a very very tight fit, no rackmounts on the back, so I use one of those seatpost rackmount combos, and I have big feet so pannier to heel clearance isn't the best. It's ok for bombing a few laps in the park on the way home or whatever, though... Roll on summer, say I.


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## Karlt (11 Jan 2016)

I have a seatpost mounted rack for the Triban because the mounting lugs whilst present tend to foul the back brake. Nevertheless I hate the seatpost rack with a passion so I'm looking for a proper rack that doesn't foul the brake. The problem with the seatpost mounted rack is (a) it's too high, it puts the top of my rack bag well above the saddle and makes mounting harder; besides it looks preposterous, and (b) the QR lever tends to touch my legs and I don't like it.


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## Dogtrousers (12 Jan 2016)

Karlt said:


> I have a seatpost mounted rack for the Triban because the mounting lugs whilst present tend to foul the back brake. Nevertheless I hate the seatpost rack with a passion so I'm looking for a proper rack that doesn't foul the brake. The problem with the seatpost mounted rack is (a) it's too high, it puts the top of my rack bag well above the saddle and makes mounting harder; besides it looks preposterous, and (b) the QR lever tends to touch my legs and I don't like it.


To add to your list of dislikes about seatpost mounted racks: They can tend to swing over so the bag isn't directly over the wheel, which looks even more preposterous and may affect balance a little bit, and add to the the QR sticking out, etc.


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