Fixed for winter commuting
graeme_s-2
Posts: 3,382
I started commuting about 18 months ago on a hybrid. A couple of months back I bought a road bike, and have been commuting on this since then, but always planned to switch back to the hybrid (with its full mud guards) for the winter.
My road bike's in the LBS at the moment, so today I road in on the hybrid. I absolutely loathed it. It felt like riding a fairly uncomfortable sofa, it was slow and clunky and awful. Every time I leaned into a corner I felt like I was going to end up skidding along my arse. I hated the flat bars, and I hated the upright position.
I really don't want to ride this bike all through the winter, but I'm not that keen on riding my road bike all winter either, so now I'm thinking about getting a fixed with drop bars for riding through the winter. The problem is money's a bit tight and I don't want to spend too much, so what are my options, and where should I start looking? I quite like the look of the Specialized Langster, but am I right in thinking that it won't take full mudguards?
My road bike's in the LBS at the moment, so today I road in on the hybrid. I absolutely loathed it. It felt like riding a fairly uncomfortable sofa, it was slow and clunky and awful. Every time I leaned into a corner I felt like I was going to end up skidding along my arse. I hated the flat bars, and I hated the upright position.
I really don't want to ride this bike all through the winter, but I'm not that keen on riding my road bike all winter either, so now I'm thinking about getting a fixed with drop bars for riding through the winter. The problem is money's a bit tight and I don't want to spend too much, so what are my options, and where should I start looking? I quite like the look of the Specialized Langster, but am I right in thinking that it won't take full mudguards?
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It'll take Raceblades, though they aren't a patch on full guards.
The Pompino'll take full-length guards and a rack and all that commuter salad.Wanted: Penny farthing. Please PM me!
Advice for kilted riders: top-tubes are cold.0 -
Not bothered about a rack. I've been fairly happy with the race blades I've used on my road bike during our "summer", but my main problem with them is they seem to move around too much and I find myself having to reposition them every couple of rides.
I quite like the look of the Pompino, but it's £500 + tyres isn't it? That's maybe a bit more than I would have liked the spend.0 -
Genesis Flyer £425 ?0
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Old frame (horizontal d/o) = £20
Cheapo no name screw on hub wheel = £25
Old Chainset = £20
Other bits = £50
Bike shop build = £50
Result: perfect winter bike for less than £200 - it's wot I did!0 -
good luck on finding a £20 fixable frame nowadays. Fixed lark has spewed forth a veritable army of mock courier types and a steel frame can go for 150 quid on ebay. World gone mad!0
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Just been chatting to LBS, they can do me a fixed based on an alu Qubic frame for £550, and my employer has just started bike 2 work with Cyclescheme, so I could get it on that. Very tempted to do that...0
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Pearson Touche takes full guards, a bit over budget at 550 (+25 for guards) is all.
http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/index.html?action=97
Has rack mounts as well should you want to go that route.0 -
There's also Spesh's other fixed offering, the Tricross for £450. Has rack and mudguard fixings. Anti theft paint
Saw one in LBS's window this'avvy. I thought it looked good but then, I'm suffering a fixed drought after destroying my hack back in Feb.
It was next to a Langster, defo better than that.
I'm tempted.
John0 -
hangsheadinshame wrote:good luck on finding a £20 fixable frame nowadays. Fixed lark has spewed forth a veritable army of mock courier types and a steel frame can go for 150 quid on ebay. World gone mad!
A frame with track ends might go for £150 on ebay. A frame with horizontal dropouts is easilly had for under £20. Better yet go for the whole bike, I got an '87 Raleigh Crit 12 for £5.50. All it took to get right was a wheel, a sprocket, some single ring bolts, a BB and a chain. I added a few other bits like brake blocks, tyres and brake cables. It didn't actually need them as such, but they didn't break the bank. The whole build including the new rear wheel cost me a whopping £105.
Take a look at this.
The hardest bit of finding the right bike on ebay is finding one the right size that's close to home.
[url][/url]"Swearing, it turns out, is big and clever" - Jarvis Cocker0 -
i use raceblades through winter, more through a lack of choice, and they are fine. it doesn't rain all that much during my commute.0
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As long as there is clearance P clips and a bit of bodging will usually see a set of full length guards mounted on most bikes. I managed it on an '05 Langster even though loads of people told me it couldn't be done."Swearing, it turns out, is big and clever" - Jarvis Cocker0
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One of these
They're most often used for attaching piping to walls, but they're also handy for attaching things to tubes, like on bikes. Most LBSs have a box full of them.
Their most common use in bikes is for attaching racks to bikes that don't have rack bosses.0 -
Another option, which I've just done, is to convert your hybrid to thin wheels and singlespeed, which you could do for less than £100, then ride through the winter and see if you like it-before lashing out on a fixed for £400+.
Ive just done it and am very pleased with the result, having used a spare set of 23x700 wheels from my road bike (free) and the on-one conversion set (£10) and other doofer (£12). Before, my hybrid was just as you descirbe yours- I really hated it, now I love it.
Regards
Skewer0
