Winter Rides?

jamsop
jamsop Posts: 51
edited November 2009 in Road buying advice
Mmmm I've noticed that a fair amount of you have a separate winter rides.

Just wanted to understand why do we really need a winter bike or is this just an excuse to buy another one :wink:

How many of us have separate winter cars for example or is this winter bike thing a bit OTT ?!?!

Is this just a roadie thing as I've never heard of people buying winter mountain bikes.

Wonder if my road bike will melt if I use it through the winter :)

Just like to see your views.......

Comments

  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    I prefer to ride a full-mudguard bike at this time of year - especially when the weather is really nasty. Nothing worse than having a wet ar5e for four hours in the middle of winter.
  • Slow Downcp
    Slow Downcp Posts: 3,041
    +1 for mudguards in the wet.
    Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    jamsop wrote:
    Mmmm I've noticed that a fair amount of you have a separate winter rides.

    Just wanted to understand why do we really need a winter bike or is this just an excuse to buy another one :wink:

    How many of us have separate winter cars for example or is this winter bike thing a bit OTT ?!?!

    Is this just a roadie thing as I've never heard of people buying winter mountain bikes.

    Wonder if my road bike will melt if I use it through the winter :)

    Just like to see your views.......

    ooh heaven forbid eh? Road bikes imo are so much more necessary than pointless 'mountain bikes' but I am biaised. It's good having a seperate road bike for winter use of course. Some people don't bother and hose their dirty bikes down after wet rides etc, but I've always liked the idea of a different bike for another season myself. Makes sense imo.
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    jamsop wrote:

    How many of us have separate winter cars for example or is this winter bike thing a bit OTT ?!?!


    Believe it or not, when I lived in Scarborough for a short while, I worked with a petrol head
    who had a small Fiat Panda 4x4 for winter. :shock:

    Yeah but really, who only buys one of everything? Women with lots of shoes (and handbags
    to match). Blokes (me inc) with lots of watches (6 if you include my hrm). All good fun though. :)
  • ju5t1n
    ju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    The decision to ride with mudguards in winter because of the weather is often made on the false assumption that it rains more in winter. Take a look at average rainfall in the UK and you’ll see that it’s a lot wetter in July and August than it is January and February.

    http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/dat ... +0367201G1
  • Zendog1
    Zendog1 Posts: 816
    Mudguards are for wet (and mud) on the road. This tends to evaporate quite rapidly in summer - no so in winter :(
  • Squillinossett
    Squillinossett Posts: 1,678
    I think I now understand why people have a winter bike.

    I crashed my bike yesterday, now, if it was a £3k bike, I would have been in tears.

    Now, as there is a higher chance one will crash in the winter, they want a cheaper bike, so not to risk their pride and joy!
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    It`s not that it rains more in that winter it`s that the roads take much longer to dry than in summer so they seem to be permanently wet.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • MikeWW
    MikeWW Posts: 723
    Just a roadie thing I think :D
    Easy enough to put blades or crud guards on.
    www.lichfieldccc.org.uk
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    Amazing that the MTBers complain about this when they have about 4 different types of MTB to go up and down the same bloody mountain.

    :lol::lol::lol:
    x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
    Commuting / Winter rides - Jamis Renegade Expert
    Pootling / Offroad - All-City Macho Man Disc
    Fast rides Cannondale SuperSix Ultegra
  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    ju5t1n wrote:
    The decision to ride with mudguards in winter because of the weather is often made on the false assumption

    there's a big difference between being wet in summer and wet in winter!
    Manchester wheelers

    PB's
    10m 20:21 2014
    25m 53:18 20:13
    50m 1:57:12 2013
    100m Yeah right.
  • MikeWW
    MikeWW Posts: 723
    gabriel959 wrote:
    Amazing that the MTBers complain about this when they have about 4 different types of MTB to go up and down the same bloody mountain.

    :lol::lol::lol:

    4!!!!!! :D
    Think most of us only have 3....and anyway.......that's different :D
    www.lichfieldccc.org.uk
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    Squillinossett wrote:
    I think I now understand why people have a winter bike.

    I crashed my bike yesterday, now, if it was a £3k bike, I would have been in tears.

    Now, as there is a higher chance one will crash in the winter, they want a cheaper bike, so not to risk their pride and joy!

    :shock: It was not cheap! :evil: Just essential :wink:
    Amazing that the MTBers complain about this when they have about 4 different types of MTB to go up and down the same bloody mountain.

    Well said Gab.... :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Take a look at average rainfall in the UK and you’ll see that it’s a lot wetter in July and August than it is January and February.

    Yeah, but there's salt and mud mixed in with it in winter. Even if you wash it after every ride your bike'll be much less pristine after a winter of riding.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/

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