Do I need a winter bike?

macerello

Having blown my budget (and then some) on a Pinarello FP2 and all the necessary gear this summer, we are fast aproaching winter and I find myself thinking about a winter bike. Now in truth, I could do without the extra expense and dont really fancy the idea of riding a 2nd bike when I enjoy the Pina too much.

I have an MTB which will likely get more use through the winter for mid week training, so my FP2 is only likely to get out once a week for club runs and will be thoroughly cleaned afterwards.

Do I really need to buy a winter bike? Will a good clean after each winter ride keep the FP2 from falling to bits in front of my eyes? I can accept some increased wear on componentry, but wouldnt want to damage the frame. This all hinges on whether I can fit some Crud raceblades as I wouldnt use it without mudguards of some sort.

The shopping list for winter gear is already shocking without another bike? Does anyone else use their best bike during the winter and is their anything I can do to provide some sort of protection (WD40/Bikespray etc.).

Thanks in advance.

Mac

softlad

I will use my best bike in winter occasionally if it's dry - but I have a winter training bike with full guards which gets most use during the sh1tty months...

Lots of people ride one bike year round, it will be fine so long as you keep on top of maintenance....

sheffsimon

Tradition demands that you ride around in winter on a cranky old piece of sh1te. Thick Tester of this parish will maybe be along to advise you of this fact, I believe he or she is a traditionalist on cycling matters.

I'm sure your FP2 will be fine as long as you can fit some decent mudguards on it if you ride with others.

Having a winter bike is a better option though, cos you dont need to clean it, can put proper mudguards on it. I tend to strip mine down once a year, clean it, pack everything full of grease and put it back together. I commute on it every day and have no mechanical problems with it.

As for protective coatings on the Pinarello, I wouldnt, it will just be horrible to handle, unless Hammerite maybe?

father_jack

Tradition demands that you ride around in winter on a cranky old piece of sh1te

I guess my Campag Veloce, Hope Pro Hub 3, Brooks saddle, Steel 520 is a old piece of **** then?

Mad Roadie

buy a winter bike - always seems acceptable to the Mrs, and then you can use your exisiting bike and buy an even better one - result!

sheffsimon

Father Jack wrote:

Tradition demands that you ride around in winter on a cranky old piece of sh1te

I guess my Campag Veloce, Hope Pro Hub 3, Brooks saddle, Steel 520 is a old piece of **** then?

Nope, but neither is it a traditional old school winter bike. Way back when (20+ yrs ago) I had me dads old steel racing frame, handlebars that were too narrow, crap brakes, any other knackered old crap from best racing bike and f00kin great Ever Ready lamps that used a set of batteries per outing.

Group of us who raced cross in the winter used to do a two hr chain gang in the dark every week, on similar sh1teheaps.

Dont know yer born etc etc

cougie

its up to you !

When i began cycling as a schooly - I couldnt afford 2 bikes so it was the one bike all year round. Now I have more disposable income then yes a winter bike is essential. Otherwise I'd be spending hours each week cleaning the best one.

A cheap winter bike (mine is fixed wheel) that you dont mind getting crappy dirty and takes full guards and lights is perfect. It doesnt have to ride like a heap of junk though - all my bikes ride really nicely or I wouldnt bother.

macerello

I wouldn’t want to down grade my cycling enjoyment through using a poor bike which didn’t run smoothly; and I wouldn’t want anything that weighed twice as much as my good bike.

There are a number of S/H Tiagra equipped alu framed bikes for sale for anything up to £600 which would fit the bill and should be easy to maintain whilst giving decent performance. The basic Ribble winter bike is £550ish new fitted with Sora, but I'm thinking that a 12mth old £1000 bike at about £600 might be the better option. Granted, mudguards will be more difficult to fit & I'd have to make sure the Crud ones were compatible.

It still £600 I'd rather not spend, but the thought of knackered hubs and corroding alloy, together with sliding down a greasy winter road on my arse whilst my good bike bounces along beside me, is pushing me towards the sacrificial winter bike.

Any other thoughts? Ribble Winter/Audax vs. S/H Race bike?

Thanks again.

Mac

macerello

Double post

father_jack

What's with the "use a crappy bike for winter" :? My Veloce winter bike looks nice, ok a few bolts have rusted, but inners are spotless, QR levers have corroded finish. Derailler cage has too. But big deal, at least I enjoy riding a decent bike(s) all year round not using POS Trax or something...

Dave-M

What if you only have a cheap Tiagra based bike as your best bike?

:?

father_jack

Dave-M wrote:

What if you only have a cheap Tiagra based bike as your best bike?

:?

Hang your head in shame.

unclemalc

I have an even cheaper Sora-kitted :shock: best bike and its brill!

The winter bike has no gears at all, 25 section treaded tyres, full guards and I still keep it spotless....

Choices, choices.
:roll:

father_jack

My winter bike is actually higher end than my road bike. :shock: Mirage/Vento on the roadie, Veloce/Hope Pro 3 on the winter.

autobahn

I also have a Pina FP2 purchased, and ridden this year. I love it and am not looking forward to the onset of winter.
I think you'll be fine if you look after it well, but will you do that come a really cold day and you just want to get into the shower?
Im putting my bike away and riding a Giant defy 4 with shimano 2200. Its my first bike.
Guys in my cycling club all ride wnter bikes, some steel, a lot with mudguards half hanging off. Some real wrecks and these are guys who are serious racers with expensive bikes.
The reason they recommend a winter bike is for training in the winter and getting the miles in. Winter aint about speed. If you ride a heavier bike all winter, with heavier layers of clothing, the theory is come spring when you take your good bike out, you should be fit as a flea and fly on it. You'll love it all over again. I think it will make you really appreciate it more and you'll be fitter and go faster next spring.
I would go with your theory of buying 2nd hand, you dont even need to spend silly amounts.
I remember last winter and my how my now winter bike took a real hammering from the dirt, salt , and general crap that starts to appear on the road. I dont want to inflict that on my good bike.

Ben6899

Single speed.

jgsi

Ben6899 wrote:

Single speed.

Useless around here...
Does anyone know if the Ribble Audax/winter bike is delivered with mudguards?
Its nice little promo pic shows them applied.
I would ring but have had enough of being on the phone today.

Radioactiveman

Put the carbon away.

The combination of rain,road salt and low temperatures form some sort of carbon dissolving organism.

It is a well known fact that only cheaply made ribble frames painted in toxic blue can survive this harshness.

Velonutter

I have a nice summer bike and the last thing I want is to ruin it riding through the winter, not too mention that I need mudguards to keep myself dry and to not offend club riders on our Sunday rides, when you have ridden in a group who have no mudguards you know how horrible it is.

Last year I built myself up a Ribble winter, but this year I wanted something that could handle crap days in the summer, handle some very quick rides with the club and be soooo comfortable that all that freezing Cold frost doesn't affect you.

So I asked around and was recommended the Kinesis Granfondo, made from Scandium, with carbon front and rear stays, very light and ohh how lovely it is to ride, I have had it built about 5 weeks now and have already done approx. 700 miles on it, I love it: -



Here's my review: -

http://www.velonuts.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2 ... 1281536719

BTW my old Ribble frame is for sale, check out the classifieds.

taz3611

I feel that I should have a winter bike but I tend to use my only road bike all year round but only if it's not too crappy weather-wise. I use Crud Road Racer mudguards and heavier tyres but that's about the only changes I make. I do use my trainer a lot either in the garage, or in the coldest weather, in the bedroom. For a bit of change, I use the mountain bike a fair bit, for fresh air. I think I'd be constantly comparing the winter and summer bikes and would feel disappointed a fair bit.

Not Another Hill

I ride all through winter in all weathers and because of time pressures do not have time to clean the bike after each ride in the c**p. I managed to get a free 1987 steel framed Raleigh race bike of a club mate. It only has 12 gears; is heavier than the carbon summer bike; and has down tube shifters, but it takes full 'guards and I don't have to worry cleaning it. I am actually quite fond of its 'Old Skool' charms. I definitely wouldn't run my summer bike through winter. Rim wear increases markedly.

salsarider79

I thought you were only a real cyclist when you have a bike for everyday of the week, plus a spare.....

I personally would look to an old alu framed thing. Would you want to be using the best bike in the gritty wet weather? Think about it. What about an old bike with a 3speed hub? Could a cheap project and would cost next to nothing to run. Why not build a bike as a commute bike...double as a winter hack...

louthepoo

i've just built up a winter/commuter bike. Decided on a cheap aluminium frame with carbon forks, the bits from my summer bike before its upgrade. Didnt want to ruin the campy stuff as it cost too much. But didn't want to get something i didn't want to ride. Aeron frame, tiagra groupset, R500 wheels and all in all didn't cost too much and i like riding it, if i didn't i probably wouldn't!

zedders

Do you 'need' a winter bike? No. Like others have said clean and maintain your bike and it should see you through winter OK.
Do you 'want' a winter bike? By the sounds of it yes!

Consider, you are more likely to have a fall or off in the winter with wet/greasy roads etc. Do you want to risk damaging the PF2? Also if you have repairs to make to one of your bikes, you'll have a back up bike whilst you wait for spares etc.

e999sam

Don't buy a new winter bike buy a new summer bike then you old one becomes your winter bike.

batch78

Like your thinking e999sam!

Just picked up a Bianchi Pro Team with Campag Mirage for £75, quite old, litle small for me and full ally, but much happier knowing I'll not be ruining thousands of pounds worth of equipment during the winter months, don't tell the missus though it now brings my bike count to 5, I'm possibly becoming obsessed!!

Mad Roadie

e999sam wrote:

Don't buy a new winter bike buy a new summer bike then you old one becomes your winter bike.

exactly!

mike549

Do what i did ( and you will find them about). I was driving back from shopping and there at the side of the road, for sale, was an old raleigh winner still with original tyres and in pretty good nick( not after this winter) !! 25 year old bike( my mid 20's) for 35 quid and i thought that will do for winter training. Heavy as hell but makes you work hard pushing all that steel about but when i get back on my other bike wow i ride like the wind!!!

kettrinboy

i take my my CR1 off the road at the end of October just when as happens every year the roads start to get covered in crap, and in Nov-Feb when theres ice about i,m not gonna risk dropping a bike thats stood me the thick end of £3000, most people knock their speeds right back through winter so you dont need a fast carbon bike, so i use my hybrid and MTB, bothof which can shrug off a drop better than my road bike, plus use cheaper components in the event of a breakage.

silverpigeon

Do you need a winter bike? No.

But what has need got to do with it. Remember the number of bikes you need = n +1. Where n is the number of bikes you already have.

Seriously, if not having a winter trainer is going to stop you going out when it's all a bit mucky for fear of ruining your pride and joy, then get yourself a winter hack.

It might be a bit heavier but it's a training bike right? It'll be good training and you don't need to spend £600 - even though that will get you a very nice bike. As others have said, go second hand. A mate of mine has just bought a Marin ALP off ebay for £200. Tiagra equipped flat barred/bar end road bike. Great training bike with 52/42 chainset!

Winter miles = Summer smiles.

stronginthesun

make your winter bike the gym and running ?