Winter bikes- or lack of?

Burt25

Just wondering how many on here don't have a 'winter bike' and ride a single bike year long? I for one can't afford to own a second road bike - am I in a minority group? I read a lot about using different wheels etc in winter because of state of road surface, but where I live the road surface quality doesn't change from season to season - its always poor!

damov2

I've only got one road bike so your not alone, I will see how I get on over this winter and next summer before I decide if its worth stumping up for a new bike.

k3vinjam3s

I only bought my first road bike this year and after a few weeks of cleaning all the gunk off it after commuting in wet weather I decided I needed a second bike. I found a used hybrid on eBay and although its a good bike in its own right I don't need to be as thorough in its upkeep. Oh and the fatter wheels feel a lot safer in the snow and ice we had.

Mikey41

I have just the one bike, so it will get used and kept clean. If I decide to add something "better" later, this one will be turned into a light tourer.

chrisaonabike

Just one bike here too. Since putting the cruds on it, it doesn't get anywhere near as mucky - but I do rub down and rinse off the forks and stays every couple of rides at the moment. I doubt I'll be able to afford another bike for a long time, so this one will need to last.

Bozman

The only times that I've fallen off have been in the wet or Icey conditions(winter), plus I don't want to cover my Look in salt and grit every time I go out through the winter months, it's bad enough being out in the rain and having to listen to the grit being ground into my wheel rims, without the thought of salt attacking every exposed peice of metalwork.
I've got an Izalco as a second bike and in the winter i put a pair of Fulcrum 7s on it and I'm away without a care in the world.

arthur_scrimshaw

Burt25 wrote:

Just wondering how many on here don't have a 'winter bike' and ride a single bike year long? I for one can't afford to own a second road bike - am I in a minority group? I read a lot about using different wheels etc in winter because of state of road surface, but where I live the road surface quality doesn't change from season to season - its always poor!

I think a lot of people who have second or winter bikes started off not sure how much they would get into riding, then got bitten by the bug and over a period of time either got to a position where they could buy a new bike and then relegate the old bike to winter hack or had enough bits left over from upgrading their original bike to consider buying a frame to create a bad weather bike?
Not essential to have a bad weather bike but if you can then why not? All part of the n+1 experience.

Burt25

I use my bike only at weekends over the winter and not if there is ice or the weather is really bad- I do though thoroughly clean the bike after every ride, spray everything with Muck Off frame spray and lube the chain to hopefully keep my bike running sweet for years to come- i think if i was commuting though, i would have to consider a second bike.

I'm toying with buying crud racer mud guards but love the look of my bike without them- have others struggled with this decision or is it a no-brainier?

arthur_scrimshaw

Burt25 wrote:

I use my bike only at weekends over the winter and not if there is ice or the weather is really bad- I do though thoroughly clean the bike after every ride, spray everything with Muck Off frame spray and lube the chain to hopefully keep my bike running sweet for years to come- i think if i was commuting though, i would have to consider a second bike.

I'm toying with buying crud racer mud guards but love the look of my bike without them- have others struggled with this decision or is it a no-brainier?

I've fitted some to my daughters bike (Allez), she was a bit reluctant but was sick of getting filthy every time she went out. She likes the look of them, they fit so closely to the wheel that from some angles it's hard to tell they are on there at all. They work really well, keep the rider and the bike (and anyone your riding with!) clean.

simona75

I turned my old Allez into a winter bike this year with the intention of using it throughout the horrid weather. However I've ended up putting it on the turbo and using my good bike for rides instead. This is more to do with time rather than anything else (cant be bothered changing the rear tyre every time I want to go out)

dashik

Since I'm now working for a company that does Cycle to Work I'm planning on taking advantage of that and getting a new carbon fibre framed bike at the beginning of summer.

I will then upgrade the groupset on that at the end of the year and transfer the original 105 groupset to my Allez and it will become a very nice winter ride for next year.

Other wise I would have just kept the Allez and upgraded that. But to be honest the thought of 2 bikes

The new one can then go on the Turbo for the winter with a proper Turbo tyre on it.

nik6158

I only bought my 1st road bike this year to see if i'd like it (which i do) so when i upgrade next year my trusty carrera will become my winter bike.

ademort

I,m fortunate that i own 5 bikes, 4 racing and one hybrid. The hybrid has disc brakes and is fitted with Schwalbe studded snow tyres . I only use this bike for work in the most extreme weather. I use a Giant Defy 4 as my all year round commute bike. Sometimes when i get home its so caked with mud but i only clean it once a week. I know i should clean it more often but the last thing i want to do having cycled home in the rain is to stand outside in the rain and clean it for maybe 10 minutes. My best bike only gets used in good weather and on the few occasions i,ve been caught out by the weather the bike gets cleaned thoroughly as soon as i get home. Thats the beauty of having more than one bike. I dont mind if my Giant doesnt get cleaned for a week or that the cables or cassette might wear out quicker. Just for the record all my bikes are kept in the house all year round so are dry and warm . To clean i put the bike in the garden and give it a blast with a hose pipe to get the worst of the dirt off and then revert to a large bucket of warm water to clean the bike thoroughly afterwards.If i only had one bike then i probably would clean it on a daily basis and that would really be a pain in the @rse.

Ademort

ianbar

i had aimed on buying a winter bike...full mudguards etc aiming to spend around £1200 but this was just the start as i started to feel i was spending roughly same amount on what would be my mucky bike as main bike so now i have ordered and enigma echo, this will be my best bike for best conditions and use my cannondale in everything else...yes new bike is way more than £1200 lol

stueys

Kept my allez when I upgraded to run as a turbo/winter hack. Having ridden on Christmas Eve and this am, both of which were on gritty, muddy, crap filled flooded roads in the pouring rain it feels a lot better to be grinding crap into my cheap mavics and components. It's not essential but personally I think it's worth spending 300 or 400 quid on a second hand winter hack if you haven't got one.

@Burt25 - YES. I managed to break my rear mudguard this am crossing a flooded section of the road. 40 miles riding with a wet arse reminded me how much nicer mudguards make winter. They are essential, keeps you and the bike clean. Plus people can ride with you without the 'shower' effect...

phreak

I use my old Giant as a commuter and turbo bike after I upgraded to a Focus. Just easier to put mudguards and slightly wider tires on that and leave the Focus a bit slicker.

MichaelW

If you only have room or budget for one bike, then you need one with the versatility to cope with lots of uses. A competition road-race bike is great for racedays, sunny leisure rides and commuting in nice conditions but if you depend on your one bike, you need something more practical. The classic winter trainer style can be stripped back to be an acceptable raceday bike or equipped to protect you from dirty road splash. Equipped with a rear rack its makes a decent bike for shopping and light-touring duties. Some professionals race the Paris-Roubaix on a winter-trainer style of frame, with more generous tyre clearance (obviously no mudguards).

When I had one bike, it was an old steel Audax style that I used for everything inc parts of the South Down Way.

Gizmodo

I only have the Trek at the moment and have used it summer and winter. But I do have a new bike on order which will become my summer bike, leaving the Trek for the filthy wet and cold weather.

dave35

Nothing wrong with having a good all rounder, I use a cyclo cross bike now-big chunky tyres for the forest quickly swapped to road tyres for the obvious road riding. Do have a pinarello for the summer but will more than likely out that and use the cross for an all round toy..and gives me a few quid in the bank aswell as brownie points with the mrs
All depends on what you want to do on the bike,commute/train/race or just ride to keep fit.

CRAIGO5000

I was using my carbon Ribble for a while during the wet season with Cruds but they were just a PITA to get on with. They rattle over bumps, don't keep other riders dry on club runs and were just not up to scratch compared to proper guards. They can also remove all the paint at the mount points (stays and forks) so use plenty of heli or electrical tape to protect your frame!

My other issue with running one bike was that when I got home from the commute and it was filthy, I then had to clean it down and wait for it to dry if I wanted to do a turbo session indoors - It just wasn't feasible. The answer was to treat the Carbon bike to a nice set of wheels (well when the missus is as understanding as mine, it's great!), remove the cruds and buy a nice Winter bike for the hack to work.

I now own a Dolan Preffisio with full guards which is great. It runs the same make of GS as my nice bike too which is great when transitioning between both bikes. I now have the carbon bike cleaned up to showroom spec and since it won't go on the road until the Spring/Summer, it remains spotless for indoor use and means I can come home on the wet and dirty Dolan and drag out the clean bike for indoor turbo sessions. Win/Win!

jgsi

You'll be upsetting the crudfiends (who apparently can find nil fault with the godawful things) then...

CRAIGO5000

In terms of a marketing gimmick they are great. The developer must be rolling in it. At a push I'd class them as a temporary fit at best. The main problem being that it takes around 3 hours to fit one.

There seems to be a huge "stiff upper lip" attitude in this country where it can rain for 29 days in July and only 8 in December but if you run proper guards on your bike you're classed as either a nodder or not as hard the guy running no guards - I just don't get it? Get the right tools for the right job. Proper roadies won't think less of you for spoiling the look of your bike.

chrisaonabike

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

... Cruds ... rattle over bumps, don't keep other riders dry ... can also remove all the paint at the mount points ... got home from the commute and it was filthy,

Maybe you didn't put them on quite right

But for the record, I'm not one of

JGSI wrote:

the crudfiends

... despite disagreeing that...

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

The main problem being that it takes around 3 hours to fit one.

3 hours?? What utter rubblish.

4 hours*, I say - the back one. And a bit longer still for the front one.

__________
* though I was quite pissed at the time :oops:

CRAIGO5000

Haha. Nice. I can assure you I did. After a full 12 months of use (thousands of miles later) any owner will realise that elastic bands pulling plastic supports into the frame will slowly damage the paint and/or surface. The fact is, the support isn't strong enough, hence the odd movement and flex over bumps (rattles anyone?) which allow water run or grit to pass behind the awesome rubber pads that are supplied. You may as well fit some 80 grit sand paper between the forks and stays to speed things up.

Luckily for me, it only damaged my Allez which I had no care for. I'd be mighty pissed though if this was the case on an expensive frame.

arthur_scrimshaw

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

Haha. Nice. I can assure you I did. After a full 12 months of use (thousands of miles later) any owner will realise that elastic bands pulling plastic supports into the frame will slowly damage the paint and/or surface. The fact is, the support isn't strong enough, hence the odd movement and flex over bumps (rattles anyone?) which allow water run or grit to pass behind the awesome rubber pads that are supplied. You may as well fit some 80 grit sand paper between the forks and stays to speed things up.

Luckily for me, it only damaged my Allez which I had no care for. I'd be mighty pissed though if this was the case on an expensive frame.

which is why they tell you to wrap insulating tape around these areas on the fitting instructions! You did read these right?

chrisaonabike

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

Haha. Nice. I can assure you I did. After a full 12 months of use (thousands of miles later) any owner will realise that elastic bands pulling plastic supports into the frame will slowly damage the paint and/or surface.

Yes, I'm sure this is right. In fairness, they do say put on insulating tape to protect the frame at the mount points. Which I did before I started.

However, I don't get any rattles though. The worst I find is that a) since I cut the back one about 5mm too short, crap builds up in the angle between the chain stays and the seat tube, so I need an old toothbrush to clean that out every few rides, and b) the mount for the front stays tend to slide very gradually down the fork, so they start rubbing a little every few weeks, and I need to slide the mounts up about an inch again.

Other than the complete PITA that they are to fit (the first time anyway), it's a small price to pay for a *much* cleaner bike overall.

And for frames that don't have guard attachment points, is there even an alternative to Cruds?

CRAIGO5000

Odd that as my instructions didn't mention wrapping up mount points? I'm wondering if there is a difference in the Crud mk's? Anyway, they are still crap imo

Another suggestion would be raceblades. They have metal stays right? I'd imagine they wouldn't flex as much as Cruds?

If you run the full tail end on the rear of Cruds they simply don't have adequate support to protect other riders whilst not flapping around like a dogs tail and rubbing. That's a lot of very flexible, unsupported plastic at the rear and when it waggles, it rubs.

Mikey41

Burt25 wrote:

I'm toying with buying crud racer mud guards but love the look of my bike without them- have others struggled with this decision or is it a no-brainier?

The Mk 2's work well. Fiddly to fit though, take your time. They keep muck off you, and off the drivetrain (particularly the front mech). I was doubtful at first, but it only took a couple of damp commutes to get over "spoiling" the bikes looks by fitting guards. Once the summer weather rolls around again, I can take them off as I don't see them as a permanent-fit item.

Grill

I bought my GT to be my winter road bike, and I couldn't be happier. I had to take the Foil out for 3 days at the beginning of the month (GT was in the shop being repaired after a big crash), and even though I only did 175 miles over those 3 days the amount of crap/grit/salt/etc. between all the components was amazing. My LBS had to do a full tear down and clean to get it back to spec. The peace of mind alone is worth double what I paid for a winter hack.

Cool4catz

I've got a heavy cruiser for the winter a Claud Butler Dalesman Touring Bike, heavy, softer tyres and the joy of mudgaurds. Good way to get the muscles working in the winter and then get onto the lite bike in the spring, Spesh Allez Sport.

simon_masterson

The 'winter bike' is a bit of a misunderstood item. It is NOT a 'must have' accessory that the cyclist must own; it just appears that way because there are lots of people who are new to the sport in places like this...

I.e. if you have a cheap aluminium road bike with cheap wheels, and it has pretty ordinary inexpensive tyres with some puncture protection, and you use this bike for club runs, commuting, etc, then you do not need a winter bike (and if you have the money, why didn't you spend it on one good bike? ). If on the other hand you have something expensive and specialised with featherweight silk tubs, fancy wheels, high-end groupset (with expensive consumables that are nonetheless ironically likely to last longer!), etc etc etc, then the purchase is more warranted...

Whilst I do accept (as a cyclist who mostly rides on 27x1 1/4 (32mm) tyres) that having wider, tougher tyres and full 'guards is often preferable for the time of year...

A) if you can't handle inclement weather you're in the wrong country,

this is assuming that you don't stay inside when it's cold and wet as many seem to, and

C) the best winter bike is the vintage steel that every cyclist should own anyway. £50-300 can buy a stately vintage steed that can take racks too, for any and all commutes and epic voyages...