winter bike

redvision

is it worth spending money on a winter bike?

i know winter can destroy bikes unless cleaned on a daily basis, so is it really worth spending on a new one?

i have an old road bike (raleigh 200 with sora)which i used last year but was thinking of maybe buying something a bit more comfy to use on those cold wet winter days (when the weather is bad and an uncomfy bike makes you want to stay at home in the warm).

Pross

It's worth having one that you can fit mudguards on and it is also quite nice to go back to your best bike in the spring. Is it worth it? I'd say if you get something cheap then yes but obviously the more expensive the winter bike the less sense it makes.

skyd0g

A new winter bike won't make it warmer or dryer - invest your cash in mudguards and suitable winter clothing.

redvision

cheers for the opinions. pretty much what i was thinking.

if i do use my current second bike it will need a new bottom bracket. i would like to try and change this myself, i have my zinn book to guide me, but any tips on how to do this?

desweller

It depends to some extent on how comfortable you are, both technically and financially, with regularly replacing parts on your good bike. If it's going to cost a lot of money, either because you have to get someone ele to do the work or because the parts themselves are expensive, then it's worth investing in a cheap winter hack with mudguards IMO.

I tend to think that, as road shifters are so expensive, flat bar bikes are better winter bikes as they're more likely to be crashed as well (low light, poor road conditions, sleep drivers etc).

My winter steed cost the grand sum of £160 new. It's had a lot of parts replaced on it over the years due to weather-related decay, but they've all been cheap (the rear mech was something like £6 new!).

John.T

Winter bike is for using up all the bits you removed from the best one when you upgraded. A few years down the line you end up only buying tyres, chains and the odd cassette for it. Until the rims start wearing out. Better the old ones than the best ones though. Mudguards are essential both for keeping you dryer and riding partners.
The bits on the best bike then last for ever and only get changed when something better (more bling) comes along. Just get used to the idea that everything on a winter bike does not need to match, just work well.

redddraggon

John.T wrote:

Just get used to the idea that everything on a winter bike does not need to match, just work well.

That's my motto too:

Every bit has been rejected from another bike, I have a mix of grey, black and red outer cables, dodgy white crashed saddle, mismatching tyres, etc It'll probably get proper SKS guards for the winter too.



Doesn't need to be anything flashy.


(I just happened to have a white scuffed saddle and some white tape lying around that I wasn't going to use otherwise - I wouldn't normally have gone for white)

John.T

Looks very similar to mine Red. All my 9sp stuff went on after going 10sp on the Trek. Now using my only Dura-ace shifters on the winter bike, doooh. The Ultegra works fine though so not too bothered.