Carbon Bikes - can you / do you ride them all year round

[Boyfrom64]

The topic title says it all.

Still being a naive new comer I am interested to know if it is possible to ride a carbon framed bike all year round and if anyone does, because I see so many people with at least two bikes - a summer bike and a winter bike.

 

[corshamjim]

I don't think the carbon is the problem - typically carbon bikes have high end components too though and it's all the road salt getting on to the drivetrain and such which is the problem. Winter bikes typically have cheaper/simpler components so it doesn't matter so much if they get dirty.

I wouldn't ride my road bike (which isn't carbon btw but the forks are) in the worst winter weather partly for that reason and partly because I'm too woosy to ride on icy roads without studded winter tyres which are too chunky to fit the road bike.

 

[TheDoctor]

I ride my carbon bike all year. I mean, carbon's hardly going to rust!!
The 105 components get a bit of attention, and I don't ride it in the snow.

 

[HLaB]

But surely if you ride in winter there's more chance of rain and the bike dissolving

 

[ianrauk]

I ride my Carbon jobbie in all weathers. Which I know I shouldn't as apparently at the first touch of rain they start to melt or something like that.