Take Your Nice Bikes Out in Winter?

samsbike

Actually I only have one bike and confess that I didn't buy this summer/ winter bike thing. However, i had a pretty bad fall on Friday. This damaged my only road bike and I felt gutted. I would have been a lot more gutted if it had been my dream bike. So now I buy the rationale for 2 bikes.

simon_masterson

Just so I don't sound callous, I hope you're alright!

But you can't base your bike purchases on hypothetical accidents. You can fall off all year round. Unless there's sheet ice (and I begrudge nobody for not wanting to cycle on that!), you're no more likely to fall in winter than summer, if my experience is anything to go by. Buy the bike that you want and hope for the best.

If there are reasons to have a 'winter' bike, I would identify the following: Firstly you won't need to worry quite as much about keeping it clean and secondly you can keep your 'summer' bike optimised for summer. If you've really gone the whole hog with your best bike and it has a Dura Ace/Red/Record group and tubs, you probably won't want to cover it in road muck and salt, and it won't be much fun if you puncture! That's not to say that you SHOULDN'T, but having a bike with a cheaper transmission that matters less, much hardier clinchers on tough wheels, and full mudguards, makes a lot more sense for winter riding. If you can afford the bike described above then you can afford to spend a couple of hundred on a nice old steel racer or tourer, if not something much more expensive! My rationale behind buying multiple bicycles is that it reduces compromises. Let each bike be what it is.

ForumNewbie

There is more chance of puncturing on wet and muddy roads in winter when you can't be sure what your are riding through. I therefore would rather use my heavier Audax bike with Conti gatorskin tyres in bad weather than risk puncturing on my 'summer' carbon bike with narrower and lighter tyres.

Chris James

CiB wrote:

For me the clincher is the reality that it doesn't rain every day from October to April and the council doesn't dump a load of grit & salt on the road every day for 5 months.

You don't live in Huddersfield do you?

kingrollo

in extreme weather - yes the MTB comes out.

But in general i ride my best bike all round - change the tyres for winter - its all down to choice - but an expensive bike needs to be riden imo. If this means a new chain spocket earlier than saving it for best - Im happy to take that hit - its better than having a £2k bike sat in the garage IMO.

TakeTurns

My carbon bike is my only bike...however, during winter I change the wheelset. The grit and dirt can really plummet the lifespan of carbon wheels. This is because of the grinding between the pads and braking surface. What I do is just stick on a cheaper set. As for the drivetrain, just clean it when I can be bothered. which is after 2-3 rides. On the otherhand, the frame is basically bombproof.

FSR_XC

5Thumbs wrote:

I've just bought my first road bike principally to improve myfitness for mountain biking and one of the things I had planned was to stick with it through the winter when the mud really becomes a pain for off-roading. . . . .

Surely riding your mtb in the mud will get you fitter.

I tend to ride the mtb more in the winter.

Wobblehead

Just bought a really nice summer bike, will be kept as that though as the roads round where I ride i.e. Dales / Forest of Bowland are always sh1t up. Been out on it twice and love it, will be a long winter looking at it though. Twice I have been on it it got very dirty, and that was on dry days so if the weather / conditions get worse then I am afraid that's it.

Managed to keep my old road bike which I will use until it gets really bad, wont feel too bad if that one gets a bit of hammer, just put some sks blades on.

Used to do mtb in winter but have totally fallen out of love with it, just made another mad purchase on impulse, a cross bike which is great fun, will tackle most of the stuff I used to do on mtb (except trail centres). Got some road tyres and guards so it can also be used as proper winter bike also.

Can't wait for cold, frosty clear nights when I can get out into the hills on the crosser

essexeagle

samsbike wrote:

Actually I only have one bike and confess that I didn't buy this summer/ winter bike thing. However, i had a pretty bad fall on Friday. This damaged my only road bike and I felt gutted. I would have been a lot more gutted if it had been my dream bike. So now I buy the rationale for 2 bikes.

+1 Thats one of my main reasons for having a winter bike - doing club rides during the winter means the odd spill especially when its icy. No need to have a f##cked best bike as well as road rash and torn clothes.

Wobblehead

Been out on crosser three times, fallen off three times and had two punctures.

Entered first race tomorrow, Rapha cyclocross at Skipton, god knows what to expect...

saprkzz

I have a "best" road bike and also a "best" MTB as well.

The ONLY reason why i dont take the bests out in horrible weather i dont want to crash and ruin them.
The "best" MTB doesnt really get used in the winter, I have a winter hack hardtail which if i crash it, smash it into rocks i am more worried about me than the bike.

fudbeer

Don't have a "winter bike"

Just a normal bike and a pub bike.

Joeblack

Regarding the issue of salt, doesn't this depend on if its also wet?

I can't see the problem riding on roads that have been gritted when its dry as the salt won't stick to the bike will it?