Winter/ 2nd bike ideas??

bulluke23
bulluke23 Posts: 48
edited March 2011 in Road buying advice
After reading Cycling Plus 'best bikes' guide i am confused as too which bike wuld be best.
People have mentioned Kinesis Racelight TK, Tifosi and Kona Honky Tonk. I want a nice solid bike for the bad weather so mudguard's availibilty is a must!!

Any ideas or recommendations
Summer: Condor Classico
Winter: Genesis Ather

Comments

  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    How wintery do you want to go?
    The Kinesis is a good winter training bike for wet roads.
    If you want to ride on snow or ice then consider clearance for studded ice tyres and you may as well include disc brakes.
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    For winter read RAIN. So full guards etc a must. The Kinesis is a good winter bike. Anything that needs Crud Roadracers is NOT a good winter bike.

    I like my Focus Variado as a second bike but it is just a good second bike. It is compromised as a winter bike.

    It also depends on the distance, when I change to a proper winter bike next it will be a Kinesis, Genesis Cross bike OR Boardman Hybrid.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • chris281192
    chris281192 Posts: 189
    i'm completely in love with my Bob Jackson Audax club, actually come to like it more than my summer bike :D
    It's not the will to win that matters...everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.
  • bulluke23
    bulluke23 Posts: 48
    i managed to get out a bit over the winter and actually dont mind the rain apart from the wet bum issue. Hence why i want mudguards.
    Any feelings on the Kona bike? Did think about a cross bike but i want to use this bike in the summer aswell so i dont damage my summer bike!!
    Summer: Condor Classico
    Winter: Genesis Ather
  • dboden
    dboden Posts: 349
    Ribble winter training bike, good value, and takes a full mudguard, a few in our club has em.

    http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuild ... BRW&bike=1
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I love my fixed for the winter. So much less to clean/go wrong and its a great feeling riding fixed - so different to my best bike so it never feels 'second best'.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Racelight TK for me. It's like a race bike but with proper mudguards. If it ever stops raining for more than a couple of hours, the mudguards come off in 10 mins or so.

    Cannondale's alu Synapse now comes with mounts and clearance for proper guards. Had that been the case 3 years ago I think I'd have had one of those instead because the fit is so good for me.
  • navrig
    navrig Posts: 1,352
    dboden wrote:
    Ribble winter training bike, good value, and takes a full mudguard, a few in our club has em.

    http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuild ... BRW&bike=1

    +1
  • badhand
    badhand Posts: 115
    I've spent the last two weeks on a Genesis Croix de Fer that was bought for my birthday, (it was a big birthday!) It's a great versatile bike and has so far coped with the completely rubbish weather we've been having., as well as the odd off road detour. Could do with mudguards though...

    On the road it is massively quicker than my stumpy MTB, (does that count?) but in a few weeks I intend to put thinner slicks on and call it my summer bike. :D

    I'd recommend a look!
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    dboden wrote:
    Ribble winter training bike, good value, and takes a full mudguard, a few in our club has em.

    http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuild ... BRW&bike=1

    +2
  • Canny Jock
    Canny Jock Posts: 1,051
    I have a Ribble which is great, but it won't take full guards and 25mm tyres, however the Cruds are great, especially in mk2 version.

    The other option is a second hand Alu frame which will take Cruds.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    There are plenty of cross bikes that have suitable guard mounts and bottle cage bosses - the option to fit wider tyres of even head off road gives an option that sticking with a road bike can't give. The Planet-X Kaffenback is very versatile in this respect and rides like a road bike.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • moonshine
    moonshine Posts: 1,021
    cougie wrote:
    I love my fixed for the winter. So much less to clean/go wrong and its a great feeling riding fixed - so different to my best bike so it never feels 'second best'.
    I bought a kona page wagon for just over £400 for winter fixed training & commuting & it is ace

    http://www.cyclelane.co.uk/products.php ... 0s220p3691

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