Winter bike

[GW3]

Do I add Crud MK2s to my 2011 Trek Madone 5.2 or buy a second full carbon bike for winter and add the Cruds - budget would be around £1200.

Have looked at Focus Cayo and Boardman Team Carbon - any suggestions?

 

[Shrimp_Stu]

Boardman Team Carbon will be my winter ride. Crud MKII's fitted by LBS but they professed they were a bugger to fit (this was on the stock Easton wheels as per 2010 model) - I now have Mavic Krysium Elites fitted (on Ultra Gatorskins) - and its a tight squeeze. But I wanted to keep Carbon during winter and I got mine for £900 last Christmas so am happy to see it through as my winter steed.

 

[gaz]

Why not buy a bike which takes proper mudguards?

 

[GW3]

Why not buy a bike which takes proper mudguards?

 

[Iain p]

Why not buy a bike which takes proper mudguards?

+1 or MTFU.

 

[GW3]

Any reasonably priced carbon bikes with half decent kit that take proper mudguards?

 

[galactico]

Do I add Crud MK2s to my 2011 Trek Madone 5.2 or buy a second full carbon bike for winter and add the Cruds - budget would be around £1200.

Have looked at Focus Cayo and Boardman Team Carbon - any suggestions?

i would buy the Crud MK2s. it is about £1175 cheaper than your second option

 

[sabian92]

If you're riding it through winter, it'll be covered in shite from the road - why bother spending a fortune on a carbon bike and just get a cheap and cheerful hybrid?

They'll take mudguards too.

 

[gaz]

Any reasonably priced carbon bikes with half decent kit that take proper mudguards?

Why a carbon bike?
A great thing to do in the winter is to ride a heavier bike. A nice bit of training
Especially as it can be harder to get the miles in during the winter due to the weather and it's not always safe to go as fast.

I would buy a good alu/steel/ti frame which is cheap to run and can take full length mudguards.

 

[monnet]

Why buy 'reasonably priced carbon' for a winter bike when you can get good quality aluminium that will take full guards? I'd recommend a Kenesis T2 - a perfect winter bike.

 

[One Man And His Bike]

I echo the notion of getting a proper winter bike for the job of winter bike.

I rode with Crud MKII's last winter and they do the job but can get annoying and fiddly with any knock or when you eventually suck up so many leaves and road detritus it sounds like you're riding a kiddies motorbike.

Get a proper Winter friendly bike with guards fitted, a wider rubber footprint, if it's heavier than your summer bike, so be it. You''l fly like a bullet come spring when you can get your summer bike out and certainly enjoy it a lot more.

I wouldn't subject my bike to another winter's riding duties (only had one bike last year so had no choice) and will be using a dirt cheap single speed to log miles this winter as last winter was a nightmare of constantly having to clean it and degunge all the gearing and such after each ride. That and the wear and tear on a half decent bikes components really starts to rack up the worse the conditions get.

 

[WychwoodTrev]

I am going back to my heavy mtb for winter better training more control

 

[benb]

I'd like to get a hybrid with disc brakes, hub gears, full guards and the icing on the cake would be integrated dynamo lights.

Any suggestions?

 

[Glover Fan]

Yeah don't bother subjecting your sunday best to roadracers for winter riding. They are excellent for what they are, but they are rubbish in the fact they get gunked up pretty easily.

I'll also be taking to getting the mountain bike out when the weather takes a turn. Get some slicks on it and just won't go as far.

 

[Norry1]

I've got an old fixed bike - but that doesn't take mudguards. Any suggestions for a decent price winter bike?

Martin