What should I use to commute in the winter?

DonDaddyD
DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
edited August 2008 in Commuting chat
In the cold of absolute winter I think I may have to revert back to a hybrid/mountain type frame - slippery roads, better braking and more agile..

I'm looking for a Giant M2 style hybrid with 700's and yes I know they make the R2, which is the exact thing, but having already had the M2 I'm looking for a change of manufacturer.

So Fast Hybrid commuter street bike type thing with 700x32 for about £200 - £300 any suggestions?
Food Chain number = 4

A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game

Comments

  • chuckcork
    chuckcork Posts: 1,471
    Wider tyres will definitely be a help on an slippery road, e.g. one where it has been snowing, but given how infrequently roads are like that, is it worth it for a few days off the bike? Besides if they're that bad you'd be more worried about the cars that are likely to run into you.

    On the route I was doing to work I just walked the few hundred metres to the nearby gritted street and then cycled from there, on my normal everyday road bike, and just took it slower from there.
    'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze....
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative have a variety of tourers, cyclo-cross and courier/MTB machines which may be of interest. Good value bikes. If you want to spend a bit more then Planet X are good - the Kaffenbach for example.

    Personally I'd but wider tyres on a racer - unless you do stray from the road (like me). How about a ribble winter trainer for £409?
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    I use the same bike all year - just maintain it well!
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    I commute on 700x23's all year round. Unless it's snowing in which case I take the bus (learnt the hard way)... never had any probs since.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    If it is snowing then out'll come the 456 with trailrakers on... it is great, drifts beautifully and goes better than the cars...
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • abbots_mike
    abbots_mike Posts: 280
    i wish we had more snow, simply so i could have an excuse to buy (and use!) some spiked snow tires
    http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/1679217/
  • cycledad2
    cycledad2 Posts: 50
    I have a ~2000 drop handlebar dawes sardar. Eats the bad icy hilly roads round my way for breakfast.

    The sardar is based on a mountain bike frame and wheels with a wide drop handlebar for stability. Its slow compared to a road bike but it does offer all round robust handling and cornering (which i just cant do on a flat barred bike) and retains some of the advantages of a road bike eg great descender, good on flats and in the wind. Flat bars just kill you on a windy day!

    I fitted an adjustable stem so i can have it dropped low for speed or high for comfort.

    Its an old bike and i dont think dawes make a drop handlebarred one anymore, but i think there are several tourer\commuter bikes with a similar design concept.
    http://cycledad.blogspot.com/
  • andrewc3142
    andrewc3142 Posts: 906
    When I was living in Poland it was an MTB for winter, great fun in the snow, but in short doses when it was -20C. Here, a road bike is fine all year round, but it needs frequent cleaning especially when there's salt down.

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