Do I need a winter bike?

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Comments

  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    stronginthesun wrote:
    make your winter bike the gym and running ?

    Gym costs more than a winter bike and runners always look depressed! For a hundred quid, why would you choose a gym and running over cycling?

    I'll use my new C2W commuter road bike over winter except when ice and salt are around - then I'll bring out the MTB which doesn't care about such things!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • acebobby
    acebobby Posts: 95
    What you have to think is will you use it if you buy one, I am just new to cycling and really love it but the idea of going out on my bike when its blowing a gale and the rain/snow is belting off my window, I know what I'm like and that wont happen whether it was on my good road bike or even on an old hack, but what I would do is get wrapped up and go out on a MTB, which you already have, I think they could be good fun in crappy conditions. On the occasional winter days when you get a nice sunny crisp winters day I would be out there getting the miles on the road bike, and fully prepared to wash it down at the end of the day, and for the really miserable winter days, the gym membership will be getting used!

    Bobby
    getting faster, fitter, and skinnier by the day!
  • andy162
    andy162 Posts: 634
    JGSI wrote:
    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.

    The Ribble's come with guards on them. I've got one with Tiagra/Aksiums. Cost about £600. Quite a comfy thing & it's spot on for racking up winter mileage.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    andy162 wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    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.

    The Ribble's come with guards on them. I've got one with Tiagra/Aksiums. Cost about £600. Quite a comfy thing & it's spot on for racking up winter mileage.

    Ta for that info
  • macerello
    macerello Posts: 57
    Thanks for all the responses. Bike monogamy doesn’t seem to rank highly :shock: I want to carry on enjoying my riding through the winter and I won’t be able to keep my fitness going if I miss too many rides by not wanting to take my good bike out in the pouring rain. I think a second hand alu bike off ebay is the way forward. I'll post a pic of whatever I manage to get hold of.

    Thanks again

    Mac
  • sam_m
    sam_m Posts: 61
    Rolf F wrote:
    Gym costs more than a winter bike and runners always look depressed! For a hundred quid, why would you choose a gym and running over cycling?

    Because you can't go swimming in a winter bike? Because a gym offers a multitude of activities instead of just one?

    I'll be riding my one and only bike through the winter. It cost £74 off eBay. The "cool" middle aged chaps on carbon bikes in italian logo'd everything won't like that much, but then they'll be inside polishing everything instead of out in the cold anyway.

    Bear in mind we'll probably get a couple of months of shitty wind and rain, but eventually it'll settle down (hopefully) to be crisp, dry and clear (and bloody freezing) in which case a summer bike will most likely be fine.

    I might stick a set of more wet-friendly tyres on, but that's all the winter prep I'll be needing.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    sam_m wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    Gym costs more than a winter bike and runners always look depressed! For a hundred quid, why would you choose a gym and running over cycling?

    Because you can't go swimming in a winter bike? Because a gym offers a multitude of activities instead of just one?

    I'll be riding my one and only bike through the winter. It cost £74 off eBay. The "cool" middle aged chaps on carbon bikes in italian logo'd everything won't like that much, but then they'll be inside polishing everything instead of out in the cold anyway.

    What has swimming got to do with anything? If you like swimming, fine; swim and make informative posts on the SwimRadar forums. But swimming isn't really cycling though is it.....

    I'll be cycling my new Carbon bike through winter, six days a week, as part of my push for 10,000 miles this year. And it will stay clean - mostly. You need to watch that complex of yours :wink:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • sam_m
    sam_m Posts: 61
    I was merely, as well you know, pointing out that the two aren't really comparable.

    And yes, I went on to generalise wildly and probably unfairly, but it was only meant in jest.

    Now, go and tell everyone on SmugRadar what a clever boy you've been.
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,823
    The diry and grit and muck will get absolutely everywhere, all bolts and fictures are at risk of filth and seizure. Riding your good bike through winter in hte UK will mean things like pedals, brakes, headset, stem bolts, STIs, hubs etc etc on the good bike will need attention or at least cleaning / dismantling and regreasing. Crappy old bike can to a certain extent be ignored or not dealt with so religiously. However good your mudguards are the filth gets through and seeing a nice shiny bike now covered in crap isn't nice. Crudracers (espec the MK II) will help but also be careful to tape up where these mount - fair chance there will be some paint-rub.
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    lol @ ponces. You're so right using a bike for winter will cause it to fall it bits and look horrible. lol

    PIC_0053.jpg

    No problem with the components you said, just chain needs cleaning. But you'd do that on a cheap bike too. No problems with pedals, brakes, headset, stem bolts, STIs, hubs .

    When I changed BB it was tricky to remove, but that's to be expected wasen't removed for at least 3 years and used in wet weather.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    I think I have just wangled the go ahead to buy a Ribble winter trainer (with Campag) and making room by erbaying the hippo like mtb I have been using as runabout getme_t'work
    :wink:
  • clx1
    clx1 Posts: 200
    Mad Roadie wrote:
    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!


    This is the best and only real reason to buy a Winter bike, otherwise ride your Pinarello all year, as long as you clean and maintain it properly it will be fine. Otherwise what's the point of having a lovely bike and only using it for part of the year? In the really bad snowy/ slushy weather you are not likely yo use your bike anyway.
  • stronginthesun
    stronginthesun Posts: 433
    my gym costs £ 25 a month thats a lot of months before you can buy a half decent bike . lots of activities in a warm gym to improve your summer cycling .
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    stronginthesun wrote:
    my gym costs £ 25 a month thats a lot of months before you can buy a half decent bike . lots of activities in a warm gym to improve your summer cycling .
    Disagree. Totally.
    But accept your right to state your opinion.
    Have a trawl thru Training and a few gifted knowledgeable ones in there will back up that to be good on a bike you need to be on a bike.
  • stronginthesun
    stronginthesun Posts: 433
    true but there are days when you cant go on your bike unless you are really hard . so gym is secondbest . but better than nothing ?
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    sam_m wrote:
    I was merely, as well you know, pointing out that the two aren't really comparable.

    And yes, I went on to generalise wildly and probably unfairly, but it was only meant in jest.

    Now, go and tell everyone on SmugRadar what a clever boy you've been.

    I would do but they banned me :(

    But you might like to join me on GeneralisingwildlyRadar as I post on that a lot as well :lol:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • CyclingBantam
    CyclingBantam Posts: 1,299
    sam_m wrote:
    I was merely, as well you know, pointing out that the two aren't really comparable.

    And yes, I went on to generalise wildly and probably unfairly, but it was only meant in jest.

    Now, go and tell everyone on SmugRadar what a clever boy you've been.

    Will you then go on troll radar and tell everyone how cool you are 'winding people on the Internet up because you clearly have nothing better to do?!
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    stronginthesun wrote:
    true but there are days when you cant go on your bike unless you are really hard . so gym is secondbest . but better than nothing ?

    turbo or rollers - going to the gym is literally a waste of time, IMO...
  • acebobby
    acebobby Posts: 95
    softlad wrote:
    stronginthesun wrote:
    true but there are days when you cant go on your bike unless you are really hard . so gym is secondbest . but better than nothing ?

    turbo or rollers - going to the gym is literally a waste of time, IMO...

    How can going to the gym be a waste of time, thats the daftest thing I've ever heard especially in winter, I'd go mad stuck in my flat all winter using a turbo or rollers on my own!
    getting faster, fitter, and skinnier by the day!
  • pbt150
    pbt150 Posts: 316
    It's not a waste of time, but the best way to get better at cycling is by spending time on your bike. And if you go to the gym, do cardio, not weights.

    Bike/turbo > gym > nothing.
    FTT
    Specialized Allez
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/49364032@N03/4820302085/
    Steel bike http://www.flickr.com/photos/49364032@N03/4656318147
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    And I am just justifying my purchase of a CAAD8 with full mudguards as my winter trainer :wink:
  • bluedoggy
    bluedoggy Posts: 285
    Is it possible to buy a descent old winter bike for £100? A bike that is road worthy obviously. I spent well over £2500 on my carbon bike and now completely skint. What makes to look for or am i in a dreamland?
    Wilier cento uno.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Nice old steely off ebay. Might need some work, but will do the trick. I want one!
  • bluedoggy
    bluedoggy Posts: 285
    coriordan wrote:
    Nice old steely off ebay. Might need some work, but will do the trick. I want one!

    Was looking on ebay and the like. What key words should i type. I'm not sure what to look for?
    Wilier cento uno.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    search road bike.

    Filter by cost (£200 max) in cycling, go used, then that should leave not much left.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Bikes-/33503/ ... &_udhi=200

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