How good does the weather need to be to use your summer bike?

[chris667]

I had to take the mudguards off my Dawes this winter; I was using it as a mountain bike as my old MTB died, and I got sick of having to remove the front wheel to get the crap off the mudguard so the front wheel turned.
But it generally gets used in all weathers. I might get a respray in a couple of years, but it's still ok and because I clean and grease everything, it's still shiny steel inside even though it was built in 1991.

 

[gbb]

Your all mad!

Use your best bike all year round come rain or shine, just keep it clean.
I may be weired but I find it very relaxing stripping and cleaning my bike and leaving it in the lounge winking at me. All the more fun cause it drives the wife mental!!

Why spend money on two bikes, lights and maintenance when one nice bike will do!
Just my twopence worth.

There is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes!!!

It's quite simple Niel...choice.
You're quite right, keep it clean and cherish it, it's not likely to fall apart (although i refer you all back to the corrosion on my Bianchi which was used over part of the winter).

But i didnt want to do that again. I got enormous pleasure from getting an old 531 frame and building it up from scratch. It kept me occupied for weeks, obtaining bits from here and there, bits from ebay...it was all very 'entertaining' and a very very worthwhile excercise from the bicycle mechanics point of view. I learned more in that few weeks than i have in the last 20 years.
Now i have a strong bike, ideal for winter rigours, and my good bike is guaranteed to stay...just that.

Either choice is good.
1 bike, use it all year and look after it
2 bikes (maybe more ) keep the good bike good and have some extra pleasure in a different bike

 

[Chris James]

It is interesting the number of people who run steel frames over winter, given that one of the drawbacks attributed to steel (in the recurrent 'which frame material?' threads) is that it rusts!

(FWIW I think steel is fine for winter - in fact all my bikes have been steel)

 

[tyred]

All my bikes are steel and I have no hesitation in using them in the winter (none are expensive right enough). My grandad used his Rudge in all weather for about 40-50 years and it never fell apart and is currently sitting in my garage in one piece after all this time.

 

[gbb]

It is interesting the number of people who run steel frames over winter, given that one of the drawbacks attributed to steel (in the recurrent 'which frame material?' threads) is that it rusts!

(FWIW I think steel is fine for winter - in fact all my bikes have been steel)

IMO, steel is better for winter use.
If you expose steel to the elements (scratch the paint etc), it will rust, but comparatively slowly, and is easy to repair.
If you expose bare aluminium to the elements, what tends to happen is it furs up and blisters much more quickly, the paint around it will blister more, and is more difficult to make good.

All things being even, if the bare metal (steel or alloy) is protected by paint, you should have no problems. Its when that metal gets exposed you'll get problems...particually with alloy.

 

[wlc1]

I've read this thread and I agree. Dry, sunny conditions, no dirt on roads etc.

This has got me thinking - I think we all suffer from OCD with our bikes. Amazing really, cos I'd run a car into the ground - miss services etc but, oh god, not with the bikes.


It's a strange world we live in

 

[RedBike]

Your all mad!

Use your best bike all year round come rain or shine, just keep it clean.
I may be weired but I find it very relaxing stripping and cleaning my bike and leaving it in the lounge winking at me. All the more fun cause it drives the wife mental!!

Why spend money on two bikes, lights and maintenance when one nice bike will do!

Just my twopence worth.

There is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes!!!

It doesn't work out cheaper.
If I was to run my best bike through winter come summer come summer I would probably want a new set of wheels (£300), chain and cassette (£100). Thats a lot more than my winter bike cost! This is why the summer bike only makes an appearance for competitions or when the roads are clean / dry.

My winter bike will cost me £50 for a new set of R500 wheels and £25 for a Tiagra chain/ cassette. Still expensive but nothing like as costly as the summer bike. BTW, the winter bike is used all year round whenever the conditions are bad.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i keep the steel winter bike (see sig) for winter use, and also as my commuter in the summer sans guards and lights. the alu summer bike (which has better wheels now than in the sig pic, the old ones are now on the winter bike) is for any other riding when the weather is other than grotty. used it today, although it did need a hose down afterwards.

 

[ed_o_brain]

I just don't have time to keep cleaning a bike in the winter.

And I'm darned if I want to exacerbate the wear on better quality components designed to help me ride quickly and efficiently by riding in conditions that see me slowing right down anyway, as if riding a clunker.

As it so happens, these days all my bikes have mudguards and what not anyway. I'll just ride the dirtiest that's still actually working!

 

[RSV_Ecosse]

Pinarello FP1 owner here.

All year round user, if it gets filthy out on a run I just rinse of the worst of it once I get home and make sure I clean it properly.

If I could afford another "hack" bike, I would. It's something I might look into at some point later this year but for now I just use the thing whenever I can.

 

[beanzontoast]

I have one summer bike that I don't take out in the rain much - generally if it's wet, either the trail bike or my tourer gets to experience it. I can't say that my 'best' bike is anything special, but like shoes, it's nice to have a pair you keep for best!

 

[dodgy]

I'm a fairly recent convert to having seasonal use bikes. I bought a new carbon Dolan in Spring last year which meant my old Giant TCR2 would either be sold, or gather dust. I was surprised and delighted to find that I could put full length SKS Chromoplastics on the TCR2 with a bit of fiddling, after that, I was sold. The Dolan hasn't been out since early November, and the TCR2 doesn't get as messed up now due to the guards and my gear stays cleaner and my feet stay dryer, too.
Up until November 2008 I only ever had one road bike which I used all year round and of course the MTB which gets used all year, too. I wouldn't have gone out and bought a hack bike, but in my case it was an obvious thing to happen.