# Reason for having a "winter bike"?



## Chap sur le velo (20 Nov 2020)

Sorry if there's lots of threads on this already but I haven't found them.

Even before coming on here, talking to a few guys (itsalwaysguys), it seemed like you aren't a serious cyclist unless you've made the change to some heavier cheaper bike for the winter!

Why? 

(Hopefully this isn't too provocative. I've just bought a second 'better' bike and can't think why I shouldn't use it with clip on mudguards.)


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## nickyboy (21 Nov 2020)

It's nonsense. In the winter, ride your better bike and give it a clean up every 2-3 rides or after every ride if the roads have been gritted. It'll be fine, it's only a bike


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## vickster (21 Nov 2020)

Recent similarish discussion here
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/no-idea-what-to-do-about-a-winter-bike.268828/


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## Eric Olthwaite (21 Nov 2020)

I like having a reasonably sturdy bike that can take proper mudguards and is not too delicate to worry over.
So much so that I ride my "winter bike" all year round.


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## Nebulous (21 Nov 2020)

I don’t have a winter bike. I have a year round audax bike, which does most miles. I have a summer bike ( it didn’t see much usage this year) which spends most of its time on a turbo. I have a commute bike, which is cheaper and heavier, mainly to prevent damaging a more valuable bike in our bike shed. Oh and I have a secondary cheap turbo bike which has never been outside since I bought it, and probably never will be.


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## Chap sur le velo (21 Nov 2020)

Thanks have asked my questions there.


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## Big John (21 Nov 2020)

Tradition and also an excuse to add yet another bike to the collection. I was always told that it is written and therefore has to be adhered to otherwise all cycling myths will collapse and then where would we be? Anarchy. I'm sure it's there in the Velominati somewhere. Ask the Keepers of the Cog - they'll know.


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## Milkfloat (21 Nov 2020)

I do it for money saving and because I am lazy. My posh bike has a very expensive drivetrain and wheels. In addition I don’t clean my bike after every ride, if my posh bike was as corroded and filthy as my winter bike I would cry. In addition, despite great advances over the years I am yet to find a clip on mudguard that keeps me clean, never mind the poor soul 6 inches from my back wheel.


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## LJR69 (21 Nov 2020)

I have a winter bike, but it's my summer bike in the summer 

Tbf I clean my bikes after every ride (albeit a day or two later sometimes).


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## PaulSB (21 Nov 2020)

Chap sur le velo said:


> Sorry if there's lots of threads on this already but I haven't found them.
> 
> Even before coming on here, talking to a few guys (itsalwaysguys), it seemed like you aren't a serious cyclist unless you've made the change to some heavier cheaper bike for the winter!
> 
> ...



My summer bike - well March to late October - is my pride and joy. I wouldn't want to subject it to the filthy conditions of November to February. For me there is no doubt the muck, grit and water encountered in these months has an impact on the bikes components, especially the chain, cassette and rings.

My current winter bike is 16 years old, I keep it clean but don't worry if it's filthy. It has three mounting points for mudguards which keeps them rigid and me clean and dry. My "summer" bike doesn't have mounting points.

I do feel "summer" bike is a bit of a misnomer. My best bike is a superb machine I'll ride eight months of the year, I simply want to protect it from the harsher winter conditions. I don't own a "summer" bike.


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## cougie uk (21 Nov 2020)

Ignore them. Most people start off with one bike all year round. 

After a few years you know you're hooked and that bike often becomes the winter bike and you get a nice shiny one for the summer. 

If you've got the cash you might buy a dedicated winter bike - one that takes wider tyres and full mudguards. You can pick one up for the price of a top groupset.


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## Domus (21 Nov 2020)

My first bike I bought, when I was 61, is a large frame alloy bike with 28mm tyres, mudguards, rear rack for panniers and a hub dynamo. Having learned over a couple of years I treated myself to a carbon bike with lighter wheels and Ultegra. This became my summer bike and the older one my winter bike. I didn't buy a winter bike as such but my riding evolved.


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## Milzy (21 Nov 2020)

nickyboy said:


> It's nonsense. In the winter, ride your better bike and give it a clean up every 2-3 rides or after every ride if the roads have been gritted. It'll be fine, it's only a bike


I agree but I just use the premium wheelset in the summer & stock wheels in winter. Heavier bikes are good training tools still.


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## 12boy (22 Nov 2020)

I have a winter bike which is a 92 'Dale mtn bike with studded snows, steel 3 chainring cranks and it is for icy and snowy conditions. I also have a Surly Steamroller which I either use as an SA 3 speed or a single speed with studded snows on it as well. The Surly just needs a tire or a wheel change to go from one road condition or another. Studded snows are a lot more work than regular tires and so lower gearing is a good idea. My using bikes set up for winter reflects what the road conditions are and they can change very quickly here. I like the ability to pick a bike from my collection that is good for whatever. I also like single speeds for the simplicity of the drive train. During times that are ice and snow free my go to bike is my Brompton but it sure aint a fat bike. I have a pal whose winter bike is a Surly Pugsley which he rides on deeper snow and on frozen rivers. I think that would be fun but I can't justify one for the little use it would get and the amount of room they take. Still, a Pug wiith studded snows woul be able to go anywhere although I don't think I am stout enough to go very far on one .


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## Milzy (22 Nov 2020)

The trouble is with road clubs is that their winter bikes are still high performance bikes so if you turn up on a true winter bike or gravel bike, you’re working much harder to stay on.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (22 Nov 2020)

^Take the extra training where you can, for the past few years my bike has easily been the heaviest on any club run.

I was never last up climbs 🤔


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## keithmac (22 Nov 2020)

I can see the reasons behind having a "winter hack", commuting in salt ridden slush isn't the best!.

Personally I use same bike all year but it was bought for that.


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## a.twiddler (22 Nov 2020)

All my bikes have mudguards, and tyres that can be used all year round. I don't have a collection as such. They are very different from each other and serve different purposes. I don't commute now as I'm retired but I made the effort to ride to work sometimes regularly, sometimes less so over the last few years of work. None of my bikes were new when I bought them, but they clean up well when I get the urge. None of them could be descibed as built for speed. That ship sailed long ago in my case. For a long time I had just one bike which was used for everything all year round. 

The last time I bought a new bike was in 2006-7 and though I kept it clean it didn't get used just in the summer. If I was to splurge £1000 plus on a new bike I might treat it differently but that's not likely to happen. All my bikes together are worth a lot less than that! Replacing them would not be difficult but I expect most cyclists are like me and like to change and improve components to get them the way they want, so I'm a bit careful about parking when I'm out. If I'd spent a lot on something really blingy and up to date I'd be afraid of getting it scratched or nicked and in a way, though nice to have, for me it would take away some of the pleasure of owning it.

Still, it all depends what your inclinations are and if you have a shiny speedster that you want to keep as your best bike by all means go for a more "disposable" bike for the winter. The irony is that the winter bike will probably be with you longer as the summer bike might be part of a chain of incremental upgrades over the years. It's nice to have new stuff but there's something to be said for having an "old faithful" bike with a bit of history behind it. Best of both worlds perhaps?


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## Sniper68 (22 Nov 2020)

I don't have a "Winter" bike as such.I have a Road bike and a CX bike.The CX bike tends to get used more in the Winter.I still use my Road or "best" bike in Winter unless there's snow/ice etc but I do more road/track riding in Winter.
When I was into MTBing a lot of the lads had a HT for Winter which always puzzled me.I had both HT and FS and used which ever I fancied riding at the time


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## Alembicbassman (22 Nov 2020)

I don't have a 'winter bike' per se, but 4 of my 5 bikes are fitted with full mudguards - I use them in spring, summer, autumn and winter, when it's raining or when the roads are wet / muddy (lots of farmers round where I live). I think it's worth having a bike with fitted guards, I've tried the 'elastic band' fit ones from SKS and Crud with varying results, but a set of something like the SKS Bluemels Olympic Racer really do take some beating. You'll need a bike with the fitting points though - which is a good excuse for buying another bike


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## antnee (22 Nov 2020)

Well I used to own only one bike which is a hybrid pannier rack and mudguards too! But after a year of that saw a cheapish alloy road bike ( which I though wasn't that dear at £315.00) that was a must have! But then I came into some money just enough to get a carbon road bike So I fitted mudguards on the heavier alloy road bike which has become the winter bike though am disappointed with this second pair of guards Lifeline I think they are as don't seem to keep much mud at bay but stay on solidley and + don't rattle whereas the pair I ditched were Raceblades which I found fell to bits after two seasons So I only ride the carbon in dry weather and keep the alloy bike for wet roads of which we seem to have quite a few of in the autumn to spring.So having the alloy bike for the winter is a big plus as when its time to wheel out the carbon I seem to fly along! well it seems fast to me lol.


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## PaulSB (22 Nov 2020)

It occurred to me today there's really only one reason to have a "winter" bike.

That's to ride 56 miles on a glorious, chilly Sunday!!


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## Ming the Merciless (22 Nov 2020)

All my bikes are winter bikes. They are there to be ridden year round. But some get precious about bikes and so have a winter bike a bit like some have Sunday best.


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## RoadRider400 (22 Nov 2020)

My 'summer bike' is more than just a bike to me. We have covered many many miles together and I like to look after it.

I dont have a 'winter bike' per se. However I have a very cheap commuter bike that I will also use for my winter recreational rides. I dont have the time to go very far in the winter due to the reduced daylight hours, so for me its makes sense from a _cleaning maths_ perspective. Doesnt bother me leaving a £100 second hand hybrid caked in dirt. But if I took out my more expensive 'summer' bike I would want to clean it.

Spending 60 minutes on a winter ride then 15 in the cold outside giving it a thorough clean does not sound very appealing.

Spending 120-240 minutes on a summer ride and then 15 cleaning in a warm garden afterwards sounds perfecty fine.


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## Mo1959 (23 Nov 2020)

RoadRider400 said:


> Spending 60 minutes on a winter ride then 15 in the cold outside giving it a thorough clean does not sound very appealing.
> 
> Spending 120-240 minutes on a summer ride and then 15 cleaning in a warm garden afterwards sounds perfecty fine.


This is exactly how I'm feeling about it too. Living in a rural area that has too many large tractors and lorries that the roads really weren't built for, the verges get cut up and mud dragged into the road at this time of year. It's hard enough getting yourself out the door in poor conditions without knowing that the bike is caked with muck at the end of nearly every ride.


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## Flick of the Elbow (23 Nov 2020)

I have an almost permanently muddy winter bike that I ride for 2 or 3 hours 3 or 4 times a week often on muddy lanes, often on offroad tracks. My only weekly maintenance is to keep the chain oiled and to keep an eye on brake wear. Other than that it gets a clean every month or so.


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## Juan Kog (23 Nov 2020)

Milzy said:


> The trouble is with road clubs is that their winter bikes are still high performance bikes so if you turn up on a true winter bike or gravel bike, you’re working much harder to stay on.


This comment reminds of a pre club run gathering last winter .One of the fast group came to speak to our group leader , I said Dura ace on a winter bike "its only old 10 speed ".


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## raleighnut (23 Nov 2020)

There's always an excuse for needing another bike.


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## Mo1959 (23 Nov 2020)

Very wasteful I'm sure, but I often wondered if you would be as well to pick something up second hand for around £100 or less at the start of each winter and just run it into the ground and get rid of it in the spring, thus saving your better bikes.


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## Juan Kog (23 Nov 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> Very wasteful I'm sure, but I often wondered if you would be as well to pick something up second hand for around £100 or less at the start of each winter and just run it into the ground and get rid of it in the spring, thus saving your better bikes.


It's an idea that wouldn't work for me . I don't like parting with my bikes . I would have to buy another larger shed to accommodate all the old cheap bikes I had bought just for the winter.


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## Flick of the Elbow (23 Nov 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> Very wasteful I'm sure, but I often wondered if you would be as well to pick something up second hand for around £100 or less at the start of each winter and just run it into the ground and get rid of it in the spring, thus saving your better bikes.


I half do that in the sense that I replace the chain, casette, brake blocks, jockey wheels, sometimes a chainring, often cables, sometimes a rear mech etc at the end of the winter, all the bits that suffer most from the winter weather and from my lack of TLC.


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## CanucksTraveller (23 Nov 2020)

I've never had a winter bike (or thought about any of my bikes in those terms anyway). My carbon TCR has been known to get out plenty in the winter, it just gets a decent clean afterwards if it was wet or dirty out. All my other bikes are pretty utilitarian, mudguards, rack etc. The Tour de Fer is still the only bike I've ridden in 2020 though, with being a year old I'm still enjoying the novelty and to be fair, it's a perfect bike for poorer conditions anyway.


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## rockyroller (23 Nov 2020)

I don't have a "winter bike". for me it's more of a practicality. I have 3, road, hybrid & MTB. in the winter the road bike only comes out of the roads are dry & clean. cold as heck is OK, but this is not the storm bike. I have studded tires for both the hybrid & the MTB, so one might consider them the winter bikes, but they get used year round


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## 12boy (23 Nov 2020)

Rockyroller....ever been to Harris Cyclery? I had a management meeting in Providence and a friend and I stopped jn there on our way to Cape Cod to eat lobsters. Bought a fixed gear wheel which they mailed to Casper Wyoming where I live. Learned about Harris, of course, from Sheldon Brown. Winter riding here in January and February is really improved with studded snows. The extra work they require helps me stay a bit warmer.


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## RichardB (26 Nov 2020)

a.twiddler said:


> The irony is that the winter bike will probably be with you longer as the summer bike might be part of a chain of incremental upgrades over the years. It's nice to have new stuff but there's something to be said for having an "old faithful" bike with a bit of history behind it. Best of both worlds perhaps?



Off-topic, but I totally agree. I had a beautiful, pristine Ducati and then got a job that involved 200 yards of mud and filth at the end of the commute. The bike was in showroom condition on Sunday night, and looked like a boat anchor by 9 am on Monday. To save the Duke, I bought a ratty old Yamaha trailbike. The Duke got sold, its replacement got sold, yadda yadda yadda, but the Yam still kept its place in my heart and on the driveway. It just stepped up and did whatever was needed, and I often chose it in preference to the latest glamorous stablemate when I needed to go somewhere. When I finally got out of biking it was the last bike to be sold. I had a tear in my eye when it went.

I feel a bit the same about my Raleigh Amazon. Worth buttons, but has seen me through a lot of adventures, and I wouldn't hesitate to go out on it in the foulest conditions. It'll cope.


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## Paul_Smith SRCC (4 Dec 2020)

If I had penny for every time a customer wanted justification for their N+1 when in the end I have just had to whisper that sometimes I can't reallyyyyyyyy help them justify it over and above them treating themselves . Do you actually need a winter bike, no, if you want then yes for sure you can use your summer bike. If you ride it in all weathers it will benefit from more TLC interms of cleaning and yes you will have to expect more wear and tear, if you don't fit mudguards expect an ear ache from club mates and if you use lightweight summer tyres expect more punctures if used in inclement weather; but it's not a 'Rolex' for special occasions only, it's to be used. Do I have a winter bike? Yes!

I'm 57, back in the day it was common to ride a fixie through out the winter; I was no different and I still enjoy it to this day. Yes you can use your summer bike in the winter but the same applies vice versa. My winter fixie became my go to bike during the summer for what I called my '_Furlough rides_' when I would cycle an hour or so a day to keep healthy, enjoy being outside and if I'm honest to stop my head 'falling off', my bikes are my friends and cycling is my church; I confess it's what saved me last summer!

These days winter bikes are often bought as a new purchase, I've noticed that many buy a gravel bike, fit road tyres and guards and use it to supplement their more expensive summer bike that perhaps they are more precious with; I totally get that. This is where it was a bit different, back then it was far more common that our winter bikes were not an additional purchase and arguably seen as being indulgent, we already had them as they were our older summer race bikes pensioned off and fettled for winter use, perhaps more puncture resistant tyres and mudguards; something I'd recommend on any summer bike used in winter if ridden in all weathers. 

Although I ride the bike below as a fixie the frame is over thirty years old and was my summer holiday bike before I replaced it with a new one, transferring much of the equipment to my Van Nicholas Yukon. Note that actual transition would not be as viable these days, most derailleur bikes can not be converted to single speed fixed quite so easily.

The theory back then was that a fixie taught us to pedal efficiently, would keep us warm, simple to maintain if ridden in all weathers on winter chain gang club runs plus we had more control in slippery conditions. For sure back then brakes were no where as good as they are now, indoor trainers were not a 'thing' and the roads were far quieter; I'd start a club run in the snow! It was also not seen as a negative that these were often slower and heavier than our summer bikes, I would on occasion carry a brick in my Carradice saddle bag; weight training, but on a bike! We didn't have Strava back then of course, our winter club runs and training rides would be based more on time out on the bike than the speed on it. 

Fast forward to 2020 and yes the reasons I chose it then are arguably less valid now, I'm a bit more of a fair weather cyclist these days and modern brakes are far better; but it's still what I use as my winter bike for commuting and '_Furlough rides_', the latter as I'm still back part time only, odd times in the cycle trade! I live in a flat, in a block, my summer bikes live in my bedroom (I'm single ), when I get back with a dirty fixie that bike lives in a garage so I don't have to walk it through a communal carpeted hallway then trash my flat even more than it already is! As far as I'm concerned a fixie still keeps me warmer, it's still simple with a more durable neglect friendly 1/8" chain fixed wheel set up compared to a 3/32" chain and derailleur with two or more chainrings, plus it offers a very different riding experience that still floats my boat after all these years. That last part shouldn't be undervalued as it is what I was alluding to in my first paragraph, I could get away with out it; but I just wouldn't want to.
​


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## Ian H (4 Dec 2020)

It's a competition thing really, keeping your best bike clean & fettled, ready for the racing season.
I tend to use the fixed more in winter, but any of the touring/audax machines are available throughout the year.


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## Juan Kog (4 Dec 2020)

Paul_Smith SRCC said:


> If I had penny for every time a customer wanted justification for their N+1 when in the end I have just had to whisper that sometimes I can't reallyyyyyyyy help them justify it over and above them treating themselves . Do you actually need a winter bike, no, you can use your summer bike, if you ride it in all weathers it will benefit from more TLC interms of cleaning and yes you will have to expect more wear and tear, if you don't fit mudguards expect an ear ache from club mates and if you use lightweight summer tyres expect more punctures if used in inclement weather; but it's not a Rolex for special occasions only, it's to be used. Do I have a winter bike? Yes!
> 
> I'm 57, back in the day it was common to ride a fixie through out the winter; I was no different and I still enjoy it to this day. Yes you can use your summer bike in the winter but the same applies vice versa. My winter fixie became my go to bike during the summer for what I called my '_Furlough rides_' when I would cycle an hour or so a day to keep healthy, enjoy being outside and if I'm honest to stop my head 'falling off', my bikes are my friends and cycling is my church; I confess it's what saved me last summer!
> 
> ...


That Pearson looks to nice to be covered in winter " gloop".


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## HLaB (7 Dec 2020)

I change my wheels and put mudguards on my summer bike and make sure I clean and lubricate after nearly every ride. Its frame I feel is more robust.

I do have a dedicated winter bike but it's in a friends garage as my flat is that small. I built it myself though and I am a bit protective of it anyway.

I also have a Triban 500, a great bike for the money, although it is not far off, it's not quite fast enough for club runs after you add a hill or two. So it's a winter bike but not a club winter bike if that makes sense.


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## rockyroller (7 Dec 2020)

12boy said:


> Rockyroller....ever been to Harris Cyclery? I had a management meeting in Providence and a friend and I stopped jn there on our way to Cape Cod to eat lobsters. Bought a fixed gear wheel which they mailed to Casper Wyoming where I live. Learned about Harris, of course, from Sheldon Brown. Winter riding here in January and February is really improved with studded snows. The extra work they require helps me stay a bit warmer.


yes! several times! in fact my last employer was located in West Newton, MA a 3 minute walk away!


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## SkipdiverJohn (8 Dec 2020)

Juan Kog said:


> That Pearson looks to nice to be covered in winter " gloop".



My thoughts exactly, that Pearson would definitely be in my "best" bikes category if it was mine. I only consider a bike as a hack if it was both cheap to buy when new, and is also battered and scruffy in appearance. That one is not a cheap frame and it's obviously well looked after.


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## Ming the Merciless (8 Dec 2020)

Juan Kog said:


> That Pearson looks to nice to be covered in winter " gloop".



It won’t be, it has mudguards. So yeah wheels can get dirty but the rest will stay fairly clean.


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## NorthernSky (8 Dec 2020)

i've never had a winter bike but i'm due a new bike next year and will likely keep the one i have for the bad winter days
the state my bike was in after saturdays ride, it would break my heart to get a new bike clabbered like that 😩

on a side note, when does the though of getting back and having to stand in the cold to wash your bike start to depress you on your ride (a mile or two from home for me 🚲)


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## kingrollo (8 Dec 2020)

I really like mudguards ! - but not those strap on rattlely things. My first winter bike was a used giant defy with MGs - great for the purpose. I have since got a Ribble cgr as my winter bike.

It's by no means essential - pre covid you get a decent used bike for around £250. For many years I got by just using 1 bike - then I strapped mgs to it - which was a revelation! But hated the rattling .

From time to time - it's also handy to have a spare - you come downstairs all dressed and find out you have flat - or it's in the repair shop for a few days !


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## Ming the Merciless (8 Dec 2020)

Mudguards shouldn‘t be rattling. Probably just need a bit of a fettle to sort


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## yo vanilla (8 Dec 2020)

I think if the naysayers were exposed to a Wisconsin winter they might think again  . The non-salt chemicals they use here (in alarmingly abundant quantities) to "salt" the roads make you think twice about driving your car let alone your expensive bike. And it's always so cold there's no way to wash the bike if you can't do it indoors.

I admit I'm a fair weather cyclist myself; I've got other (indoor) activities to keep me tip-top over winter. If I were to brave a winter ride, there's an old Trek MTB in the basement


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## Juan Kog (9 Dec 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> It won’t be, it has mudguards. So yeah wheels can get dirty but the rest will stay fairly clean.


I’m sorry to disagree, I’ve just cleaned my steamroller there was mud and gloop all over . Maybe that’s because I am guilty of extended periods between cleaning


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## Juan Kog (9 Dec 2020)

kingrollo said:


> I really like mudguards ! - but not those strap on rattlely things. My first winter bike was a used giant defy with MGs - great for the purpose. I have since got a Ribble cgr as my winter bike.
> 
> It's by no means essential - pre covid you get a decent used bike for around £250. For many years I got by just using 1 bike - then I strapped mgs to it - which was a revelation! But hated the rattling .
> 
> From time to time - it's also handy to have a spare - you come downstairs all dressed and find out you have flat - or it's in the repair shop for a few days !


Which Ribble cgr do you have , how do you rate it as a winter bike .


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## kingrollo (9 Dec 2020)

Juan Kog said:


> Which Ribble cgr do you have , how do you rate it as a winter bike .





Juan Kog said:


> Which Ribble cgr do you have , how do you rate it as a winter bike .



I have the Tiagra alu CGR - with cable disk brakes

The tyres that come with it - make the bike feel very sluggish - although Ribble had put oversized tubes in, which probably didn't help. I went back to GP4000'S 25c - much better. It is a heavy bike - but in terms of weight no more heavy than other bikes at this price point.

Its a very stable bike - and the guards that came with it don't rattle at all. For me the the big appeal was the size of tyres it could take, I can ride through a park to get to work, which would mean my commute is 80% of road. unfortunately with COVID, Ive been WFH since march so it never got used for that purpose.

The other bike I considered was a giant giant contend, I opted against it as with mudguards you could only go up to 25c. Were I considering an "on road" only winter bike I think I would go with the contend.


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## Ming the Merciless (9 Dec 2020)

Juan Kog said:


> I’m sorry to disagree, I’ve just cleaned my steamroller there was mud and gloop all over . Maybe that’s because I am guilty of extended periods between cleaning



Sounds like we need a picture of your stream roller


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## Teamfixed (9 Dec 2020)

Work bike/hack/winter bike. When a bike was your main transport and recreation/competition. Riding in all weathers most days, a rough old thing with a fixed and mudguards that you slathered with oil was a godsend. It just kept the nice one(s) nice.
I wouldn't go and buy a new one though, they were usually the bike that got the hand me down bits and always had a certain charm for that reason.


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## Juan Kog (9 Dec 2020)

kingrollo said:


> I have the Tiagra alu CGR - with cable disk brakes
> 
> The tyres that come with it - make the bike feel very sluggish - although Ribble had put oversized tubes in, which probably didn't help. I went back to GP4000'S 25c - much better. It is a heavy bike - but in terms of weight no more heavy than other bikes at this price point.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the review. It does appear to tick all the boxes for a versatile winter bike .


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## Juan Kog (9 Dec 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Sounds like we need a picture of your stream roller








Too late to take a picture now , here’s one I prepared earlier


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## derrick (9 Dec 2020)

I have two road bikes, but my best one gets ridden most of the year, the second bike comes out if i have a problem with the best bike. If you have a nice bike ride it,


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## Ming the Merciless (9 Dec 2020)

Juan Kog said:


> View attachment 562544
> 
> Too late to take a picture now , here’s one I prepared earlier



Front mudguard somewhat short. Needs to come right down and that should stop spray from wheel hitting frame.


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## Juan Kog (9 Dec 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Front mudguard somewhat short. Needs to come right down and that should stop spray from wheel hitting frame.


The mudguard has been very carefully cut to that length to prevent toeclip / mudguard interface . Oh ok it was a mates chuck out and came like that.


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## Paul_Smith SRCC (10 Dec 2020)

Juan Kog said:


> That Pearson looks to nice to be covered in winter " gloop".









SkipdiverJohn said:


> My thoughts exactly, that Pearson would definitely be in my "best" bikes category if it was mine. I only consider a bike as a hack if it was both cheap to buy when new, and is also battered and scruffy in appearance. That one is not a cheap frame and it's obviously well looked after.





YukonBoy said:


> It won’t be, it has mudguards. So yeah wheels can get dirty but the rest will stay fairly clean.


To be fair that's spot on* YukonBoy*, the single speed transmission minimises what I need to clean plus it's just easier to access everything. It does indeed stay fairly clean and because it's not much of a chore I am inclined to keep on top of it; rather than let it deteriorate to a state where it takes longer to resurrect it back to where I want it. I ride it on average 4/5 times a week, when I wash the car, normally every couple of weeks I clean and lubricate the bike at the same time, it literally takes a few minutes; it's the perfect winter bike for me.

I get what you are saying* SkipdiverJohn*, although I would not say this is my winter *hack bike;* it's my winter *best bike *. Yes it was not a cheap frame thirty something years ago and it is well looked after, although it is showing it's long life. When I give it a proper service, BB out kind of service, rust tumbles out of it from inside, quite a bit of it to be honest and it was one reason I pensioned it off from being my holiday bike.

But, if we are talking using a *hack bike* during the winter bike then I can still be a member of your gang . I've been in the cycletrade a long time, it is a right of passage where ever I've worked that staff can make a *hack bike *(aka pub bike ) out of recycled/upcycled bits, the more broken they had been the better! My Raleigh Pioneer frame was broken and repaired by none other than Cliff Chrubb!


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## SkipdiverJohn (10 Dec 2020)

Paul_Smith SRCC said:


> But, if we are talking using a *hack bike* during the winter bike then I can still be a member of your gang . I've been in the cycletrade a long time, it is a right of passage where ever I've worked that staff can make a *hack bike *(aka pub bike ) out of recycled/upcycled bits, the more broken they had been the better! My Raleigh Pioneer frame was broken and repaired by none other than Cliff Chrubb!
> View attachment 562642



Another Raleigh Pioneer owner comes out of the closet!  There's quite a few of us on here who seem to have a Pioneer to call on when they need a no-nonsense machine.
What frame size is that one? Mine are 23" but my top tubes don't slope like that. The head tube length is similar though. I've had a frame failure on one too, O/S chainstay at the dropout. I rebuilt the mechanicals on to another cheapo Pioneer frame.


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## Paul_Smith SRCC (10 Dec 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> Another Raleigh Pioneer owner comes out of the closet!  There's quite a few of us on here who seem to have a Pioneer to call on when they need a no-nonsense machine.
> What frame size is that one? Mine are 23" but my top tubes don't slope like that. The head tube length is similar though. I've had a frame failure on one too, O/S chainstay at the dropout. I rebuilt the mechanicals on to another cheapo Pioneer frame.


I think mine was what they listed as 21" although in effect the equivalent of a horizontal top tubed 23". If I recall my model was known as the _Pioneer Elite_ with Reynolds 501 Chromalloy main tubes; the Elite range all had sloping top tubes like mine, I recall a rather lovely model in purple! The Pioneer had a long life over many years but again from memory during the same era as mine they also had a range with steel 18-23 tubes known as the_ Pioneer Classic_, these had a more diamond shape frame with horizontal tube; often in white with a darker front section, I recall two tone blue and two tone brown.

I confess I love all my bikes, my pub bike included, the picture above was the summer just gone as I still use it for social rides with friends; rides that in many ways I enjoy just as much as more focused rides on more expensive bikes; I guess I just love cycling and bikes of all varieties!


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## Paul_Smith SRCC (11 Dec 2020)

SmithAdrian said:


> Hey mates,
> I would want to ask you which kind of bike you would recommend me. The max I would pay for a new bike is around 1.5k. Hope you can help me, and wish you all a nice day


Well as this is a "reason winter for having a winter bike" thread and you have previously posted in a "road bike owners..." thread, then I'll pretend I'm Sherlock Smith and deduce that you are looking for a winter drop bar bike at upto 1.5k? You also mentioned that you live in London, so I'd potentially be considering the following. You may be aware that bikes are in extremely short supply at the moment and this looks like it will be an issue into the New Year; well into the New Year infact! As such I have based my potential considerations on a selection of bikes that as at today you at least have some chance of being able to get!

In no particular order:

A few of us in this thread choose to ride a single speed, championing their simplicity, one other advantage is that you are not paying for features it doesn't have. The Genesis Flyer RRP £749.99 currently on offer at £449.99. For sure single speed bikes can be a bit of a 'Marmite' bike that you either love or hate, especially when used as a fixed as opposed to single freewheel, but if my Red Fixed referenced up thread finally gives up I'd definitely ride that very bike; I personally much prefer it to the replacement as it has evolved into a different style of bike although in fairness that may also appeal to some. At that reduced price it looks like they will be dropping that model so if that is a consideration then they will not be available much longer; sadly!





For something with gears that can be weather proofed with guards and even take light luggage is a style of bike I also use which is what many call an 'Audax Bike'. Genesis make a bike called an Equilibrium the bike below has an RRP @ £1599.99, there is also a disc version although that is over budget RRP @ £2399.99. Bikes like these are often showcased without guards they can be set up similar to my Van Nicholas Yukon and in effect would be a bike I'd also choose as a good budget version of that style of bike for potential long distance comfortable weatherproof road miles.




If you would like something even more versatile with larger volume tyres with even more robust set up then Gravel bikes are a valid choice and in normal circumstances the most readily available. Like the bike above most will be showcased without guards or rear rack but nearly all will accommodate them perfectly.

Note being more popular and even though more would be manufactured these are in extremely short supply, most dealers are receiving their forward orders but struggling to obtain replacements from now on. The Bike below is the Trek ALR4 @ RRP £1700.00, the entire production run is presold so unless your LBS has one on order they may not be able to get you one! Fortunately most dealers will probably have at least some that have arrived and some that have yet to arrive that are already on order and is why I have referenced it here.


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## simongt (11 Dec 2020)

Often puzzled why folk need a so called 'winter bike'. A colleague at work bought himself a 'winter bike'; much the same as the bike he already as, but just with mudguards & basic lights. He only rides it on the occasional club run at weekends. 
I don't have or see the need for a 'winter bike'. My 22 year old GT Outpost is permanently kitted out for all weathers, my Brompton M3 deals with all the local commuting and my Dawes Fox is my summer fun bike - !


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## yo vanilla (11 Dec 2020)

In Wisconsin, a winter bike falls into two categories:

expensive fat bike





because snow

OR

cheap old bike




because salt. I have one of these, same color, in the basement actually


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## fossyant (11 Dec 2020)

Always had a race bike and a training bike - the training bike would get mudguards for the winter. Main reasons usually are you aren't wearing the rather expensive best bike's components out. 

I also had a work bike - that was my commuter made for guards and a rack.

I'm currently alternating between two MTB's. Anything that involves proper off road, then the full sus is out, and it's been used loads this year (and an expensive whole drive chain replacement - 2 x chainrings, cassette, chain and jockey wheels). If it's not a 'difficult ride', then my old MTB is being used with full mudguards - I just fitted some 2.0 tyres rather than 2,4's - main issue is to ride without getting completely full of mud, not just on the bike, but me too. Drive chain components are cheaper on this one being 8 speed, but it's getting a struggle to get chain rings.


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## SkipdiverJohn (12 Dec 2020)

I wouldn't consider a Trek 850 Mountain Track to be just a cheap old bike in one sense: you might have picked it up cheap but they seem to be pretty decent machine not something close to a BSO. I bought two of those a while back for peanuts, one 16 1/2" way too small, the other 18" a bit small - but the mechanicals all look good quality as does the cro-moly frame.


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## T4tomo (12 Dec 2020)

simongt said:


> Often puzzled why folk need a so called 'winter bike'. A colleague at work bought himself a 'winter bike'; much the same as the bike he already as, but just with mudguards & basic lights. He only rides it on the occasional club run at weekends.
> I don't have or see the need for a 'winter bike'. My 22 year old GT Outpost is permanently kitted out for all weathers, my Brompton M3 deals with all the local commuting and my Dawes Fox is my summer fun bike - !


Your GT Outpost is your winter bike, you just happen to ride it in summer too.


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## simongt (12 Dec 2020)

T4tomo said:


> Your GT Outpost is your winter bike, you just happen to ride it in summer too.


Precisely my point - !


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## yo vanilla (12 Dec 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> I wouldn't consider a Trek 850 Mountain Track to be just a cheap old bike in one sense: you might have picked it up cheap but they seem to be pretty decent machine not something close to a BSO. I bought two of those a while back for peanuts, one 16 1/2" way too small, the other 18" a bit small - but the mechanicals all look good quality as does the cro-moly frame.



Well I just grapped a quick pic from a search for an old bike  but you get the idea! That one isn't mine; mine is a little rougher and I picked it up for $40.


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## SkipdiverJohn (12 Dec 2020)

yo vanilla said:


> Well I just grapped a quick pic from a search for an old bike  but you get the idea! That one isn't mine; mine is a little rougher and I picked it up for $40.



Mine were definitely a bit tatty but I bought the pair from the same vendor for £15 and I only wanted them for the mechanical bits, which, rusty chains aside, looked to be in fairly good condition. From memory, the seatpost diameter is an odd size on these, not either the standard 1 inch hi-tensile job or the common sizes found on Reynolds frames. I think the headsets are also 1 1/8", again rather uncommon for a quill stem, although I do have a Raleigh MTB with the bigger headset. Trek seemed to size their MTB frames small, rather like Saracen, although the top tube lengths are not that short.


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## 12boy (13 Dec 2020)

Today I went for a 14 mile ride on my 92 'Dale in -6C. The 1.95 studded snow tires were slow but had great traction on the icy bits. Not a long ride but still a workout with those tires. Winter bike good. Mongo like winter bike.


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## SkipdiverJohn (13 Dec 2020)

Paul_Smith SRCC said:


> If I recall my model was known as the _Pioneer Elite_ with Reynolds 501 Chromalloy main tubes; the Elite range all had sloping top tubes like mine, I recall a rather lovely model in purple! The Pioneer had a long life over many years but again from memory during the same era as mine they also had a range with steel 18-23 tubes



I must admit I never even thought of the Elite variants. What a fool!  Those 501 frames are good, my "best" Pioneer is a horizontal top tube 23" "Trail" model in deep red with a 501 frame. It's my go-to flat bar bike, rides very nicely. I've also got a scruffy hack one for pub use in 18-23 with a two tone paint job. A bit heavier though.


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## Paul_Smith SRCC (13 Dec 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> I must admit I never even thought of the Elite variants. What a fool!  Those 501 frames are good, my "best" Pioneer is a horizontal top tube 23" "Trail" model in deep red with a 501 frame. It's my go-to flat bar bike, rides very nicely. I've also got a scruffy hack one for pub use in 18-23 with a two tone paint job. A bit heavier though.


Makes me smile that I can remember trivia from back then yet completely forget I have walked into to kitchen for


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## NorthernSky (16 Dec 2020)

i have this simple little mudguard 
basically stops you getting mucked up your back and can be taken on/off in seconds

https://www.sks-germany.com/en/products/s-blade/


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## yo vanilla (16 Dec 2020)

That's interesting, I don't know if I've ever seen a mudguard to mount like that!


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## Gunk (16 Dec 2020)

I don’t have a winter bike, I just have lots of bikes, they don’t need to have designated roles, I just ride the bike I’m in the mood to ride


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## Rickshaw Phil (16 Dec 2020)

Probably similar to others on here I have a cheap knockabout bike for use in inclement conditions rather than it specifically being a winter bike. I'll admit to being a bit precious about my good bikes so the knockabout bike comes out when I need one to lock up in town, do a bit of mud plugging or to use once the roads start to get salted in the winter. It's heavy and slow but strangely likeable to ride and makes me appreciate the better bikes when the spring comes round again.


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## Gunk (16 Dec 2020)

Rickshaw Phil said:


> Probably similar to others on here I have a cheap knockabout bike for use in inclement conditions



I've tried that, and knockabout bikes are just horrible to ride, so all mine are quite nice which makes using them in and out of town tricky, luckily we have a secure indoor cycle hub in the city, so it is possible to take a decent bike into town.


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## Rickshaw Phil (16 Dec 2020)

Gunk said:


> I've tried that, and knockabout bikes are just horrible to ride, so all mine are quite nice which makes using them in and out of town tricky, luckily we have a secure indoor cycle hub in the city, so it is possible to take a decent bike into town.


Hmmm, good point, perhaps I should say mine _was _a cheap knockabout bike. At this point, ten years on, the only original parts are the frame, fork and headset. Some bits like the drivetrain and wheels have been replaced multiple times.


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