Winter/Summer decision time

ScottyXTUK

I was wondering, I guess many of you here have more than one bike and use one for winter and one for summer?

Also when do you decide that it's time to start using the summer bike? Do you just go by the weather or have a set month, say March? When do you stop riding our summer bike? (I generally stop in October).

I miss cycling in winter as I don't have a winter bike and riding in the dark worries me as it's many years since I tried it.

So over to you guys...and gals if there are any

verylonglegs

I look on them as 'wet' and 'dry' bikes rather than winter/summer. That's what decides which one I take out.

smidsy

As above.

Dry day in January - dry bike.

Wet day in August - wet bike.

Simples! :-)

declan1

My dad just rides his bike (full carbon Giant with Ultegra 6700 etc) all the time. He cleans it almost perfectly after EVERY ride and it's still beautifully smooth. If you take care of them they'll last nearly as long as if you only did dry miles.

Bozman

As soon as they stop putting salt on the roads, water's not the issue.

Bobbinogs

ScottyXTUK wrote:

... When do you stop riding your summer bike? (I generally stop in October).

I miss cycling in winter as I don't have a winter bike and riding in the dark worries me as it's many years since I tried it.

In all seriousness, ride your bike. Fig to the winter. Bikes aren't made of cheese.

smidsy

Bozman wrote:

As soon as they stop putting salt on the roads, water's not the issue.

If it is dry the salt does not get flicked up onto the bike any where near as much (if at all).

ScottyXTUK

Bobbinogs wrote:

ScottyXTUK wrote:

... When do you stop riding your summer bike? (I generally stop in October).

I miss cycling in winter as I don't have a winter bike and riding in the dark worries me as it's many years since I tried it.

In all seriousness, ride your bike. Fig to the winter. Bikes aren't made of cheese.

I am buying a new bike in the next few weeks so it would have to ride that in the winter if I were to do that. I wouldn't want to risk ruining it with the weather as it's a carbon frame bike. I'm really not confident riding in the dark as it's been so long since i tried. The traffic in the dark bothers me.

Interesting that you use dry/wet bikes, might be that I will have to look at getting a second cheaper bike for the wet days.

Mikey23

I have an entry level defy and a comfy carbon spesh roubaix comp which I purchased when my enthusiasm for the sport and my riding ability justified it. on the basis that carbon doesn't melt in the rain, I ride my roubaix all the time now. Had to use my defy over the weekend and I sure did notice the difference. Not nearly as good a ride, achy wrists from the jarring and a tad slower. So I don't have a winter or summer choice only good bike and slightly less good bike

thegreatdivide

smidsy wrote:

Bozman wrote:

As soon as they stop putting salt on the roads, water's not the issue.

If it is dry the salt does not get flicked up onto the bike any where near as much (if at all).

Keep telling yourself that smidsy ;-)

Unless you dust your bike after every ride as soon as it gets wet all that salty powder that covers the rims and coats the inside of bits like your rear mech and brakes goes to work.

Up here on the East coast of Scotland we're due rain from Wed for at least 5 days. It's been dry for about 10 days and the roads have gone white. A good dose of rain should wash the cr4p away then it might be time put the good wheels on the training bike. Not sure when the best bike will come out but I hope it's soon.

flasher

verylonglegs wrote:

I look on them as 'wet' and 'dry' bikes rather than winter/summer. That's what decides which one I take out.

This.

ernestovicencio

I own one bike, a Giant TCR. I ride it in the rain and in the blistering heat. Just dry it off bud. I would just buy a track bike if I was going to have a second bike.

smidsy

thegreatdivide wrote:

Keep telling yourself that smidsy ;-)

Unless you dust your bike after every ride as soon as it gets wet all that salty powder that covers the rims and coats the inside of bits like your rear mech and brakes goes to work.

But the only time the dry bike gets wet is when it gets a clean so that seems to be irrelevant :?:

themekon

I can't be doing with riding a decent lightweight bike in all that winter clobber. So unless I can wear three quarters or shorts and a nice road top with arm warmers and a gilet at the most, it's a winter bike for me.

chrispsmith83

declan1 wrote:

My dad just rides his bike (full carbon Giant with Ultegra 6700 etc) all the time. He cleans it almost perfectly after EVERY ride and it's still beautifully smooth. If you take care of them they'll last nearly as long as if you only did dry miles.

Same here, I didn't spend all that money on my machine to only use it the 3 sunny days of the year we get. Just get a wet rag round your bike after a wet ride and dry it off properly

slowbike

Only difference between my bikes is that the "winter" or "wet" bike can have wider tyres and fixed mudguards. It's a CX so I also use it for family rides or riding trails - I just put suitable tyres on for the activity it's going to be doing ...
2 weeks ago it had 25mm slicks on for the commute ... now it's got 32mm CX's on for the trail ride we did over the weekend ...

If the bike is dirty at the end of the ride it gets washed off - just a hose down to get rid of all the crud ..

Only problem with the CX I've found is that one of the wheel bearings had brown sludge in, I guess it wasn't greased properly when built - it's only done 700 miles ...


As for riding at night - I was concerned about that at the beginning of winter. I went down to my LBS and bought a Cateye Nano Shot+ for the front and one of the Cateye rear lights to accompany my other 2 rear lights. I also bought some reflective strip and ensured I had a bright yellow jacket with reflectives on.
My commute is along a fairly quick A road for 7 miles, then I turn off onto lanes for the last 4 - so I need to ensure I can see (no street lighting) as well as be seen.
The NanoShot+ is excellent - most of the time used in 1/2 power - I can see where I'm going even down the dark lanes. Riding with 1/2 power meant that I could up the power for extra visibility - for both myself and other drivers - I had to do one ride back on full power as it was a bit murky - on coming drivers were dipping their headlights before they came around the corner... I may add one of those Cree lights for next winter!

3 rear lights are just in case one fails - one evening I lost one rear light (it fell off!) and another one failed to turn back on after I stopped at some shops - fortunately I had the 3rd!
The reflective strip adorns the rear mudguard - it's about 10" long ...
I've ridden all my commutes with the yellow jacket on since November - I use it during the day too.

But - the concern is really the traffic - well, it surprised me - they actually gave more room when it was dark than in the light - still get the odd plonker who must squeeze through, but overall I was given extra space ...
This is country riding though - not through town ...

FWIW, my advice for anyone wanting to ride in the dark is just to ensure you're appropriately lit and have suitable reflectives on both you and the bike. If you're riding lanes then extra light up front is preferable - not only for you to see, but for others to see you.

Slo Mo Jones

themekon wrote:

I can't be doing with riding a decent lightweight bike in all that winter clobber.

You consider your winter bike to be a bit crap?

Why would you choose to ride a bike you don't consider decent?

keef66

I have one bike. It's pretty light and with lively geometry, so I enjoy riding it whatever the weather and whatever I'm wearing. After a wet ride I'll wipe it down, and if it gets really mucky I'll wash it first. Most of the time it has full mudguards, but on those rare occasions when we get a spell of warm, dry weather, I'll take them off. (Feels somehow different, but I can't really explain it)

So my decision is really mudguards off yet? Usually it's the end of April-ish. Last year they never came off!

themekon

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

themekon wrote:

I can't be doing with riding a decent lightweight bike in all that winter clobber.

You consider your winter bike to be a bit crap?

Why would you choose to ride a bike you don't consider decent?

Not a crap winter bike at all, it's a very decent winter bike, just not a summer bike. It has wintry things on it like deep mudguards, heavy tires, fixed gear and a slightly different riding position to allow for the extra layers. I don't think now, short of winning the lottery I will ever be able to afford a nice new summer bike so I just want to look after the one I have.

dwanes

??? If you didn't go spending money on winter bikes, then in future you could afford a 'nice new summer bike' (that you can ride in winter also)

Not riding your nice bike for 6 months of the year just seems crazy to me.

bobones

It's not crazy. Anyone who does a decent amount of miles in winter or rides with a club will know that a winter bike is the sensible option.

You're much more likely to crash in winter when the roads are wet/icy. Better to have a crash on a less expensive bike than your good bike.

You will wear components and rims much more quickly riding in wet or salty conditions so it's sensible to have the wear occur on cheaper components. It doesn't matter if you clean your bike after every ride: the wear occurs while you are riding it. Even if you do clean your bike after every ride, some salt/grit will remain and do damage.

If you ride in a group in winter or on a wet day then mudguards are appreciated by fellow riders even if you don't care if your backside or feet get soaked. Even during summer it's handy to have a bike with full guards ready to go rather than pfaff about adding/removing guards to your good bike. Fixed guards on a bike with mudguard eyelets are always superior to ones designed for bikes with no eyelets/clearance. I've ridden with cruds before, but they're flimsy, noisy and generally a pain to keep well adjusted. You need to apply tape to stop the paint work getting damaged which looks crap on your good bike.

During winter, the good bike is set up for turbo use so it's not exactly sitting doing nothing for months.

I doubt I'll be taking the good bike outside until all the salt is washed off the roads, and even then only if it's likely to be a mainly dry ride.

themekon

dwanes wrote:

??? If you didn't go spending money on winter bikes, then in future you could afford a 'nice new summer bike' (that you can ride in winter also)

Not riding your nice bike for 6 months of the year just seems crazy to me.

I'd have to buy a hell of a lot of winter bikes to equal the cost of my best summer bike. Like I've posted I have no desire to ride a best bike in all the crap that winter throws at you. That is one of the reasons I ride fixed, no gears to faff about cleaning.

pride4ever

Bozman wrote:

As soon as they stop putting salt on the roads, water's not the issue.

They dont really put salt on the roads anymore do they? Nah I dont see the point in having two average bikes when you can have one awesome bike. I look after my bike like it was made of gold, I call it Salma Hayek and I ride it all year round. Had a Specialized bike for Winter but when I was out on it I just wanted to be on my Bottecchia. Its been relegated to work commute now and honestly thats all Im happy using it for.

964cup

I only have one "fun" bike - full carbon, full ultegra. I still ride that on a Sunday ride out, whatever the weather - I just wash it afterwards. I was commuting on a hybrid, but since January I've been using the carbon bike for that too. I just wash it more often. I don't really get the whole wet/dry bike thing; it's like people who claim their cars have never been driven in the rain. Does that mean you stop riding when our fabulous climate pulls a reverse on you after you've set out?

As for wear, I have good wheels for every day use (Ksyrium Elite) and best wheels for Sunday riding (R-Sys). I've not been using the R-Sys over the winter, but only because the tyres aren't ideal for wet greasy roads. Otherwise, bike components - the wearing parts - are pretty cheap, really. Ultegra front mech about £30, cassette £45, rear mech about £60, chain £25, outer chainrings about £53 (K-Force super). So even if I replaced the entire drivetrain once a year (I do about 6k km) that would be £213/year, or about 3.5p per kilometre. And I bet I won't *need* to replace it all in that time.

Should I be worried?

slowbike

I wanted the wider tyres for ice/snow riding - couldn't do that with my road bike ... so I had to buy another.
That bike is currently out of action - but I've still got a roadbike to commute on ...

That's the good thing about having 2 bikes - one is out of action so just use the other ... simple!

bobones

964Cup wrote:

Should I be worried?

If you don't care about the costs of crash replacement, replacing worn parts, using mudguards for your own or others' benefit, then no, just carry on as you are.

Slo Mo Jones

I suspect people want to own two bikes, but they're too insecure to do that without justifying it to themselves, and maybe their wife, with an excuse.

There's nothing wrong with having two bikes, or twenty bikes, if you want to. But all this "I won't be taking the good bike outside until all the salt is washed off the roads" is just waffle. Until all the salt is washed off the roads? There's also the argument that if you can't afford to use the bike, for fear of breaking it, you can't afford the bike.

thegreatdivide

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

I suspect people want to own two bikes, but they're too insecure to do that without justifying it to themselves, and maybe their wife, with an excuse.

There's nothing wrong with having two bikes, or twenty bikes, if you want to. But all this "I won't be taking the good bike outside until all the salt is washed off the roads" is just waffle. Until all the salt is washed off the roads? There's also the argument that if you can't afford to use the bike, for fear of breaking it, you can't afford the bike.

Eh? :?

themekon

thegreatdivide wrote:

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

I suspect people want to own two bikes, but they're too insecure to do that without justifying it to themselves, and maybe their wife, with an excuse.

There's nothing wrong with having two bikes, or twenty bikes, if you want to. But all this "I won't be taking the good bike outside until all the salt is washed off the roads" is just waffle. Until all the salt is washed off the roads? There's also the argument that if you can't afford to use the bike, for fear of breaking it, you can't afford the bike.

Eh? :?

Eh? Indeed.

964cup

bobones wrote:

964Cup wrote:

Should I be worried?

If you don't care about the costs of crash replacement, replacing worn parts, using mudguards for your own or others' benefit, then no, just carry on as you are.

If I crash hard enough to damage the bike, sod the bike - I'll be worried about me. I don't have a winter me. So I'll ride more carefully. I thought I'd made the point about worn components - or is everybody else rocking 11-speed Di2 on their "summer" bike? I'm sure if I had a £10k bike, I might feel differently (doubt I'd go much faster, mind).

As for mudguards, having sat behind someone else the other day sucking up Belgian toothpaste for a good part of 50k, that's a more relevant point, but I guess it's about whether anyone in your group cares. I'm pretty careful about how I ride around strangers, so I'd never cut in front of them close enough to spatter; if they want to draft me then they can just suck it up too, I guess - it's not hard to drop back, or offset yourself a little.

Pross

ScottyXTUK wrote:

Bobbinogs wrote:

ScottyXTUK wrote:

... When do you stop riding your summer bike? (I generally stop in October).

I miss cycling in winter as I don't have a winter bike and riding in the dark worries me as it's many years since I tried it.

In all seriousness, ride your bike. Fig to the winter. Bikes aren't made of cheese.

I am buying a new bike in the next few weeks so it would have to ride that in the winter if I were to do that. I wouldn't want to risk ruining it with the weather as it's a carbon frame bike. I'm really not confident riding in the dark as it's been so long since i tried. The traffic in the dark bothers me.

Interesting that you use dry/wet bikes, might be that I will have to look at getting a second cheaper bike for the wet days.

The frame really isn't an issue, it's the components that get the battering in wet weather / salty roads but even then a good clean will mean most parts last for years and those that don't are parts that you have to replace regularly anyway such as the chain. I do have two bikes now but only because I kept my 20 year old bike when I treated myself to something new. 20 years of being raced, ridden all year, stored in a shed for 14 of those years and outside covered in a tarpaulin for one of the other years and that bike and many of its original components are fine (other than the normal wear and tear items only the rear mech, gear levers, chainset and front mech have been replaced and the latter two were due to human damage!). The steel frame has some tiny bits of rust where the paint is scratched but that isn't an issue with carbon.