Is a dedicated wet weather bike pointless?

Secteur

assuming no major budget constraints etc, would there be any value in having a dedicated wet weather road bike i.e. a cyclocross style bike with MTB style brakes and knobbly tyres whilst still looking like a road bike?

Or - is a standard road bike with slicks and extra-care taken on riding in the wet perfectly adequate?

The Specialized TriCross look like an ideal wet weather bike in theory, not knowing the ins-and-outs about these things.

chris_bass

assuming no budget constraints I'd have a bike for every weather eventuality, whether they were needed or not would be another question!

I dont think you need a bike just for the wet, definitely dont need knobbly tires, just be a bit more careful braking and cornering and avoid iron works (drain covers that kind of thing) and just take it a bit steadier than you would until you are used to the conditions.

I have a MTB for snow but other than that its a road bike all the way!!

Bobbinogs

I stuck my "winter wheels" on today for my 65M spin. It simply lashed it down the whole way but I still enjoyed the ride, whoosed through some huge puddles (not that I had much choice) and did a decent time (for me) too so not sure what a cyclocross bike would have added to the experience. Knobbly tyres? brrrrrr.

unixnerd

I use my tourer in the wet. It has proper mudguards and that keeps my feet and a*se a lot dryer. Plus it has panniers so if it dries out I can stick my waterproofs in them.

cougie

A lot of us have 'winter bikes'.

Typically it would be a previous 'best bike' relegated to winter duties after you've upgraded.

You can buy them off the peg now - the Ribble Blue bikes are all over the place in winter.

Tricross is a bit heavy I think - just fit guards and maybe wider tyres if your frame can cope. Braking isnt an issue really and knobbly tyres would be worse than slicks.

Secteur

cougie wrote:

Braking isnt an issue really and knobbly tyres would be worse than slicks.

Those were the two things that I wondered if they mattered, so if not then that's my question answered!

Cheers :-)

balthazar

As cougie wrote, knobbly tyres are terrible on non-loose surfaces: slicks are ideal for road, wet or dry.

More generally, I think a wet-weather bike makes its foil –a dedicated dry weather bike– pointless. We live in a temperate damp climate and trying to keep a bike pristine and dry is futile and precious, in my judgment.

I have one bike –the most I can ride at any time– and I look after it, cleaning it periodically and making sure the moving bits are oiled and serviced. It's seen many thousands of all-weather miles in seven years with only replacement of worn out items. Everything else is in fine condition. The only difference if I had a relief bike for wet conditions, is that I would have spent less time enjoying the bike I chose initially. And I'd have less space.

desweller

Mudguards will not go on my Nanolight frame, plus it has all the snazzy kit that I would no wish to expose to salted roads on it; ergo, I have a sturdy bike in the shed. I wouldn't describe it as a winter bike though, it gets used all year round.

cyberknight

Slicks are perfectly adequate all year round, i managed all the winter except when the snow had frozen into an ice sheet onto the one bit of cycle path i must use and it did not get above - 10 all day .

If the roads are clear then i will cycle , black ice can be an issue but i find as long as i follow the inner car tyre wear it is normally not a problem.

This was done on a virtuoso with 23 mm gators and crud mudgaurds with a rack.

MichaelW

Full length mudguards are much better than clip-on or removable 'guards. It makes a lot of sense to keep one bike fully rigged for wet conditions if you can.
Wider tyres are useful esp at night in winter. They protect the rim from unexpected bumps better than narrow race tyres.
I like disc brakes for really wet conditions, they maintain their performance after going through puddles.
I managed to ride through all the snow and ice by making studded ice tyres. You need a fair amount of clearance but it makes riding much safer esp on slippery ice.

Modern cyclo-cross bikes with disc brakes and threaded mudguar/ rack eyelets make ideal winter bikes that you can also use for touring, shopping and most off-road riding. You can switch the CX tyres to something more suitable.

pottssteve

I recently bit the bullet and got a second, "dry weather" bike (Van Nicholas Euros). My original bike (Specialized Tricross) had been used in all weathers and is set up with full mudguards and 28mm Conti 4 Seasons tyres. It's now my winter/wet weather bike.Having 2 bikes does make things easier, if your funds will stretch.

Incidentally,it's the middle of summer, but guess which one I've been riding during the beautiful weather this week? :roll:

Steve

rozzer32

Are you sure you want another bike? What happens if it starts making noises?

paggnr

i built a dedicated wet weather bike and I've never riden it because I hate riding in the wet!

Secteur

rozzer32 wrote:

Are you sure you want another bike? What happens if it starts making noises?

that did cross my mind!! :roll: :roll:

Jason82

It has got to be more useful than a hot sunny bike in england .

rolf_f

balthazar wrote:

More generally, I think a wet-weather bike makes its foil –a dedicated dry weather bike– pointless. We live in a temperate damp climate and trying to keep a bike pristine and dry is futile and precious, in my judgment.

I'd disagree. I keep my commuter pretty spotless and never let the weather stop a commute. After a mucky ride, it just needs a fairly quick wipedown because it was clean to start with. If I leave it so that it gets gunky, cleaning becomes far more time consuming.

I did go for a longish wet ride on Saturday so I put the crudracers back on. Might leave them on for a bit longer seeing as summer is over.......

Besides, it does depend where you are. The rainfall in some parts of the country is typical of semi-arid areas and even Yorkshire is dry most of the time. If you live in Lancashire on the other hand......

gkerr4

i'm not so much bothered about a "wet" bike - my best bike gets wet in the lovely summer we have, as Rolf has pointed out, in Lancashire!

But i do object to using my record groupset and expensive wheels in the winter - when the road is ALWAYS wet with that lovely salty-gritty grinding past that accelerates oxidisation!

for that purpose, I have a 'winter' bike which has cheaper components, and cheaper wheels plus heavier, wider and more puncture resistant tyres - oh and full mudguards!

mowflow

I currently only have one road bike, it's the common spotted blue Ribble that everyone uses during winter. I got the bike for next to nothing to dip my toe into road cycling. Turns out I enjoy it so I'm about to buy a nice new bike.

The blue Ribble will still get used but it won't be treated with the same TLC as the new bike. At the end of last winter I full stripped the Ribble, replaced parts and salvaged what I could with cleaning/rebuilding. After seeing the grit and grime that came out of most moving parts I can see the point in trying to keep at least one bike good given the cost of initial spend and possible upkeep of mid ranged parts.

I also see value in having bikes with different purposes in mind. Something race specific and something more comfortable for distance etc. I guess that depends more on the individual though.

balthazar

Rolf F wrote:

balthazar wrote:

More generally, I think a wet-weather bike makes its foil –a dedicated dry weather bike– pointless. We live in a temperate damp climate and trying to keep a bike pristine and dry is futile and precious, in my judgment.

I'd disagree. I keep my commuter pretty spotless and never let the weather stop a commute. After a mucky ride, it just needs a fairly quick wipedown because it was clean to start with. If I leave it so that it gets gunky, cleaning becomes far more time consuming.

I did go for a longish wet ride on Saturday so I put the crudracers back on. Might leave them on for a bit longer seeing as summer is over.......

Besides, it does depend where you are. The rainfall in some parts of the country is typical of semi-arid areas and even Yorkshire is dry most of the time. If you live in Lancashire on the other hand......

My comment was minded more toward those who preserve a bike for sunny days only, rather than those who clean their well-used bike regularly. I doubt your regime is enormously different from mine. A "winter", "beater", or "pub" bike is a different matter, and those have their uses (that's the only kind of second bike I'd have). But I still think a "wet weather" bike makes a mockery of the "dry" one.

Point taken about the varying weather though. I live on the western seaboard..!

pdstsp

OP - no bike is pointless.