summer bike

[country joe]

When should you change from your winters bike to your summers?

 

[Pottsy]

April 4th.

 

[ajb]

I dont have a "summer" bike, its a "best" bike
I use it when the salt & grit has gone.
I used mine last week, mostly dry roads but gave it a good clean when I got back.
And it was lovely to be on the "best bike" again.

Alan.

 

[jayce]

ive used mine for the last month just clean it every time you use it

 

[Pottsy]

Actually I remember someone posting on a similar thread a while back and his argument was just use your 'summer' or good bike all the time. The cost of a winter bike could be used on the slight increase of replacements required through all year usage. Plus you get the enjoyment of the good bike more often, perhaps increased familiarity with it and save on storage space of course as you have one bike less. This all seems to make good sense to me.

Only downfall I can see is the potential requirement for mudguards in winter which your summer bike might not have fittings/space for.

Just another view on the subject.

 

[jayce]

yes you could do that but i ride a carbon framed bike the salt on the road would kill it

 

[Pottsy]

yes you could do that but i ride a carbon framed bike the salt on the road would kill it

Really?

Does salt damage carbon? I wasn't aware of that. There's carbon bits on mountain bikes, winter bikes and even aeroplanes I would think so it surely can't be that much of an issue?

 

[jayce]

yes the salt is a killer if a bit of laquer peels off or the salt penatrates the frame it could do alot of damage.if you dont clean it mind

 

[Chris James]

Mmm. Salt damaging carbon fibre? Perhaps you would care to give a scientific explanation as to precisely how this damage woudl occur?

I would be more worried about all the aluminium alloy parts on your bike due to localised corrosion, general corrosion of the chain (pretty easy to keep in check, using wet lube) and the erosive effects on your rims of grit from the road.

 

[roadiewill]

I have used my carbon specialized tarmac all year so far (not really bad conditions or too wet) and its fine

**touch wood**

 

[Neilwoo123]

Actually I remember someone posting on a similar thread a while back and his argument was just use your 'summer' or good bike all the time. The cost of a winter bike could be used on the slight increase of replacements required through all year usage. Plus you get the enjoyment of the good bike more often, perhaps increased familiarity with it and save on storage space of course as you have one bike less. This all seems to make good sense to me.

Only downfall I can see is the potential requirement for mudguards in winter which your summer bike might not have fittings/space for.

Just another view on the subject.

Thanks Pottsy I didn't think anybody agreed with my comment on that one!

 

[jay clock]

I only had a "winter" bike this year for the first time. A Trek 1.2. It takes mudguards and a rack, and to be honest I never expected much of it, but it rides almost as well as my much more pricey "summer" bike

I will probably get the summer bike out in April. Except I plan to sell it....

 

[ajb]

It's a good point about having just 1 bike,

BUT

I would'nt get that great feeling of riding a "good bike"

Alan.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

yes you could do that but i ride a carbon framed bike the salt on the road would kill it

Not to mention the extra amounts stones/debris washed out on the road by rain and snow, that flicks up and whacks your frame causing a stress fracture you later find by 'accident' when you least expect it... Ouch!!
Nah, keep your 'best' bike for nice hot sunny days when the roads are dry and you can avoid all those nasty bits of carbon wrecking cr@p.

 

[jayce]

Mmm. Salt damaging carbon fibre? Perhaps you would care to give a scientific explanation as to precisely how this damage woudl occur?

I would be more worried about all the aluminium alloy parts on your bike due to localised corrosion, general corrosion of the chain (pretty easy to keep in check, using wet lube) and the erosive effects on your rims of grit from the road.

i used a carbon bike all year and with salt, grit and all sorts on the road after a while it looked like shoot it started peeling and lost its shine so dont tell me that grit and salt dont effect carbon it effects everything on a bike