Winter bikes?

spankone

Who here runs a winter bike? I know its spring but I've just serviced the bearings on my storck adrenalin and thought for next winter, a winter bike would be a great idea. Although more regular servicing on my storck over winter may be a cheaper.

stupid,clever or just an excuse for another bike?

The idea is to buy all second hand gear to keep the cost down

nicklouse

why bother. what is the difference between a muddy winter ride and a muddy summer ride'?

so you will be doubling your costs. Mmmm

but N+1 rule does apply.

cooldad

As summer often lasts a total of two days, seems pointless.

.blitz

I don't have a winter bike as such but I have a sh1t conditions bike that is cheap enough not to care about but at the same time sorted enough to ride pretty well.


It used to be a GT Chucker

TommyEss

I think the idea of a winter ROAD bike is well founded - so you can fit fatter tyres and mudguards primarily, but as everyone else has mentioned - off road riding can be muddy at any time of year, so where's the benefit? Unless you mean one of those giant Surly Pugsley etc. snow bikes?!

Mental Mickey

I use both my bikes all year but one of them is geared while the other single speed.

Cleaning a single speed chain takes a fraction of the time it takes to get mud off geared properly.

So it makes sense to single speed more through the winter.

stanny_uk

ive not long started this game and am out all the time (cannock) i've got a shiney 2012 TREK hardtail 6500 which is soon to become shit weather bike when i get my CANYON full susser!!! winter bike was my excuse in my own complex mind to have both lol!!

El Zomba

There is a logic to it, and I know a few Roadies that run a winter bike so that they don't trash their Dura-Ace with the grot that winter throws on the roads, but as Nicklouse points out, mountain bikes get covered with crud all year round so it won't make much difference. That said, if you do fancy a bike that sits somewhere between pub-hack and 'proper', then apply n+1 and go for it.

.blitz

ive not long started this game and am out all the time (cannock) i've got a shiney 2012 TREK hardtail 6500 which is soon to become shoot weather bike when i get my CANYON full susser!!!

It makes sense esp if you are riding round Cannock a lot. Pointless taking a good bike out several times a week in Cannock's diarrhea mud it will soon become a tired old dog.

delcol

i ride a hardtail through winter and through the summer if the weather is wet.. i find it easier to maintain and clean than any of my full sussers..

bartimaeus

spankone wrote:

clever and an excuse for another bike. The idea is to buy all second hand gear to keep the cost down

FTFY

Exactly this... and a good idea if you can keep it cheap. I just got a cheap GT Avalanche from eBay. The problem is sonic has now very nearly persuaded me that I should really put some Revelations on it - which would more than double the cost. It is very tempting!

.blitz

Bartimaeus wrote:

I should really put some Revelations on it

Fail - no component can cost more than £100

I've got some Toras if you want them

spankone

Bartimaeus wrote:

spankone wrote:

clever and an excuse for another bike. The idea is to buy all second hand gear to keep the cost down

FTFY

Exactly this... and a good idea if you can keep it cheap. I just got a cheap GT Avalanche from eBay. The problem is sonic has now very nearly persuaded me that I should really put some Revelations on it - which would more than double the cost. It is very tempting!

now thats a deal

craigw99

spankone wrote:

Who here runs a winter bike? I know its spring but I've just serviced the bearings on my storck adrenalin and thought for next winter, a winter bike would be a great idea. Although more regular servicing on my storck over winter may be a cheaper.

stupid,clever or just an excuse for another bike?

The idea is to buy all second hand gear to keep the cost down

if you have a storck just use n+1 you can afford it!

spankone

I'm not an audi driving orange rider!

I'm a modest mondeo driver that has a liking for uncommon bikes. I'm still paying the credit card off on this one

tarbot18

I use my old hardtail giant as my commuter hack nowdays as it goes round the coast to work in all weathers and gets covered in sand , saltwater etc. I use my full suss all year round on trails and the road bike has just emerged from its hibernation.

ilovedirt

I have a winter bike. It's the same as my summer bike, but muddier.

ricardo_smooth

^^^^^^^
THIS

spankone

What?

Mojo_666

spankone wrote:

What?

They use the same bike :roll:

As do i....

craigw99

spankone wrote:

I'm not an audi driving orange rider!

I'm a modest mondeo driver that has a liking for uncommon bikes. I'm still paying the credit card off on this one

this made me i used to sell audi and knew a few who had 5's as well

tbh im just jealous my LBS has a storck but if my flexy friend gets used im for the divorce courts - i've been warned more than once on this....

The Spiderman

Interesting thread,this because this week I have been pondering whether to keep my old XTC hardtail as a winter bike.

If I keep it I can save some wear and tear on my Anthem,plus I can put flats and slicks on it to use as my commuting bike.

It`ll also benefit from the cast offs from the Anthem as it gets upgraded.

However having got the Anthem I`m now thinking about the upgrades the XTC would buy for the Anthem it if I sold it........

Not entirely convinced about keeping the winter bike to save money,because whilst you may prolong the life of components when you spread the riding over 2 bikes,even winter bikes need upgrades!

spankone

my last bike was sold to fund this one regrettably. That was a rolhoff hub'd dmr switch back hard tail, Which would have been a perfect winter bike but oh well it had to go.

EyesintheSky

I spend enough on my current bike it just seems pointless to buy another one, I love my current one enough to ride it all year round, whatever the weather be! 8)

delcol

you can never have enough bikes...

jehosophat

No, you can never have too many bikes! I have a hardtail I use as a winter/road bike. I flogged my old Ti hardtail as it had no disc mounts and I was not doing it justice, and this winter built up a new Kona Kula Lisa 07 frame that was peanuts on CRC. It's a "women specific" frame that seems to have almost the exact same measurements as the normal one (ironically, my wife has a "men's" Kula!!) ... With Avid BB7's, and a pair of Pace RC39's and some old XTRM950 gear I already had kicking about, ideal for the job.

When the going gets at all quick I switch to short travel full suss... A nice simple Superlight that I can't really sell as it has a dent in the rear triangle does the job of "winter full suss bike" for anything other than the total quagmires or road rides the hardtail gets used for.

snotty badger

I've started using my single speed off road more recently. TBH I'm really enjoying the SS at the moment, I think it's going to be making regular appearances.

And it's a damn sight easier to clean than the Pitch.

Mental Mickey

jehosophat wrote:

No, you can never have too many bikes!

Amen to that. 8)