MTB as a winter bike....

porker33

As I am clearly a tart, I choose not to use what I consider my "best" road bike over the winter months.

I was considering a winter road bike, but instead have put city tyres on an old Stumpjumper.

I have covered about 500 miles over the last month or so and have to say I am very impressed.

With the wet leaves about and worsening state of the roads the ride and grip feel better than my 23mm tyred road bike.
As the ride is more compliant, i really do not have any problem keeping up with road bikes over a 50mile run, I am putting the effort in and I tend to overtake far more than the rare occasion the bike is passed.

I wondered, how many other road riders are using an MTB over the winter months with suitable tyres?

I am not sure it will be too many, i have noticed I get acknowledged far more by roadies on the road bike and blanked on the MTB, even when it goes past!

Am I breaking any rider codes or standards by riding such a machine, I do not see many others out on training rides. Is it just not done?

simon_e

TBH the kind of people with 'rules' like that aren't people I'd waste too much of my time and energy on. But then I'm a contrarian, and if someone says it's just not the done thing I'm more likely to try it.

I ride an old Kona rigid MTB kitted with Tortec full length mudguards on wet days and through the winter. It seems to plug on through the rain, mud, cowshit and road salt. Schwalbe City Jet 1.5" tyres were good, now using Specialized all condition 26x1" (because they were cheap).

Took it to a training session the other night. Couldn't keep up with the quicker group but still did my own thing satisfactorily. The only thing I don't like about it is that the single hand position of the flat bars gets tedious, I miss the variety of hoods/tops/drops.

porker33

Simon, glad to hear I am not the only outcast!

With respect to the hand position, I have some cheap bar ends, apart from the advantage of various hand positions, they do offer some protection.

SBezza

I do alot of riding on my cyclo cross bike with knobbly tyres on, but rarely use my MTB, the position would just be too uncomfortable for me over any extended distance.

I wouldn't worry about what other people ride to be honest, just get out there and enjoy yourself.

porker33

Sbezza, I am not so worried about what others ride and as stated I have ridden 500 miles on it in the last month.

What is interesting is the bike marketing thing.

On a sunday run, there are countless riders out on winter bikes, many of these are Ribble, planetX, Focus etc, equipped with crudcatcher guards, while their "best" bike is safely stored at home. (as is mine!)

I have a mate who has spent a fortune on colour coded winter gear and shoes and has yet to even try it out, sometimes it just seems as if bike riders have to conform to their chosen stereotype rather than just get the miles in on whatever ride is available.

noginn

I'm currently riding my one and only road bike (a steel framed fixed wheel) and planning to build up a fixed/single-speed cross bike with wide nobly tyres for the winter.

Apparently Chris Boardman used to ride a mountain bike sometimes during the winter, so must be something to it. I imagine it would be good training on easy paced club rides with the wide tyres.

Tom

meanredspider

I use an MTB throughout the winter months if only because you can't (yet) get ice tyres for a road bike and, with ice pretty much a permanent feature up here in the winter mornings, I'd never ride otherwise. It's much slower over my commute mostly, I'd think, because of the very knobbly Ice Spikers (I sound like an army Land Rover at speed). I don't get acknowledged on either bike mostly because I never see another bike on most of my 30 mile (round trip) commutes.

I think all the extra effort is great training.

dickydoodah

Last year camping in france, I didnt have room for the road bike and mtb because of the kids bikes, so I took my Scott scale 30 with spare road tyres. Out in the mornings, I managed to keep up with local 'old boys' on their road bikes often doing up to 30mph. All in all, made for 2 weeks of some decent summer training.

Seems sensible to me.

Rouge Penguin

I was about to post something similar.

Id won Halfords vouchers and bought an MTB on a whim a couple of months ago. Thought it would be ideal to pull the kid around the park in his little taxi. Went out on it Saturday and was astonished how hard it was.

Went on the usual route i take the road bike and made it about 1/3 of the way round. Hard work, but that suits me, i like to punish myself. Hats off to the MTB brothers, thought it was a lot easier.

Oh, and you're right, roadies seeing an MTB arent even worth a glance over at. Miserable gits.

SteveR_100Milers

I use an MTB for variation and an old rusty trek as a winter road hack. I'm lazy, and have no interest in endlessly cleaning and polishing bikes, so owning several bikes is because of a practical requirement. I wouldnt ride the carbon bling in the winter in the wet because I know it would curtail its life by doing so. One of the reasons why the track is so appealing is there is no rain and mud. As for colour cooridnated kit - isn't that what cycling clubs are all about??!

dieselgeezer

Ive used a Kinesis MB with Specialized 26 x 1" slicks on & off throughout the year. Used it for sportives & the local bashes. Because it has a very short seat tube it means there's loads of post showing & this gives it an awesomely comfy ride. Bar ends are a must.