Components for a winter bike....

J90

So, I've recently decided on a frame to build a new winter bike around, a Kinesis T2. My main aim for the bike is that it's comfortable (it may have to tackle Belgium next year), I want it to be reasonably light but that's definitely the minor concern.

I've already got a Kinesis DC07 carbon fork and 28mm Conti GP 4 Seasons sorted for it and I've been researching (for quite a while now) different components in regards to comfort, looking at different diameters, materials, systems etc. and reading about rider's experiences with them. I'm not a newbie and understand the general trends people follow in an effort for more comfort, but I've seen quite a few that go against the usual advice, which is intriguing.

Basically, I'd like to get any opinions on choice of components. I know things like tyre pressures, bike fit, etc. are very important, but I'd just like to focus on components here.

Any experiences would be much appreciated!

sloppyschleckonds

Winter components need the balance of being able to be replaced through wear or accident and being reasonably good quality to make sure you aren't riding a clunker.

marcusjb

One man's winter bike is another's summer bike - what sort of budget are you looking at?

Winter is tough on equipment for sure - but I run 6700, take reasonably good care of it all and don't have to spend masses on consumables (chains mainly).

What do you have on your other bikes?

Of course, the true answer for an all-weather bike is fixed wheel. Mine gets treated with no love or attention and whilst I only do about 4-5000km a year on it, it never misses a beat.

alan_sherman

With a Ti frame I have gone for good quality alloy bars and stem. A carbon seatpost, but alloy would make more sense for a saddlebag if you go that way.

For groupset I think you'll need deep drop brakes. If shimano is your brand then 105 seems the sweet spot for price and the black finish looks good against the shiney Ti. They do a black deep drop brake to match (although not sure about the new 11 speed 105)

SKS blumels mudguards in black

I'm assuming you are getting handbuilt wheels - lots of oher info on options here. Do you need lights? A dynamo light is great if you use lights a lot.

A google image search for "kenesis Ti" shows a whole load of photos showing various options for builds.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=kines ... 9#imgdii=_

www.richtreen.co.uk

I have a T2 winter build - the reasonably light thing might be an issue though, even without the mudguards on it felt like a tank! Don't get me wrong - It is a great bike for what it is and mine has had plenty of use even over the summer due to the rain.

With a carbon seatpost, DC07 Fork running on Ambrosio Excellence 32 Spoke handbuilts with 25mm tyres it is pretty comfy even on 80-100 mile rides.

As to the rest of the build mine was built using old parts I had lying around, so a mixture of SRAM, Rival, Red and Force bits - just had to buy some deep drop brake calipers for it. I just keep consumable costs down by using the cheapest SRAM chains and cassettes I can find as it tends to be my highest mileage bike due to weather.

sloppyschleckonds

You may even want to go disc breaks, depends really how much you intend on riding.

MarksMintness

Hi J90 I have just taken delivery of my Kinesis T2 frame and DC07 fork and so I'm keeping an eye on your thread! I'm caught in 2 minds about either putting new Shimano 5800 on it or trying something different and going with Campag Veloce, as the hood design and shape appeals to me. Although it is a stereotypical 'winter bike' mine will only be used when it is reasonable weather! I'm thinking about 25mm Rubino Pro's or Durano etc... good luck with the build!

holiver

Guess I can contribute here. Biggest comfort maker for me was tyres and saddle. I have changed both over the lifetime of my T2.

northpole

Biggest thing for me on a winter bike is a decent set of mudguards, eg Raceblades - doesn't just help keep you dry (and therefore less cold) but also helps protect the drivetrain. And a good quality set of lights are essential - you may already have these. For tyres I'd run with Conti 4 Seasons through winter and beyond.

You might want to have a look at ribble who are advertising discounts on shimano groupsets just now.

Peter

J90

alan sherman wrote:

For groupset I think you'll need deep drop brakes. If shimano is your brand then 105 seems the sweet spot for price and the black finish looks good against the shiney Ti. They do a black deep drop brake to match (although not sure about the new 11 speed 105)

I'm assuming you are getting handbuilt wheels - lots of oher info on options here. Do you need lights? A dynamo light is great if you use lights a lot.

Yep, 105 (5700) full groupset is looking the most likely option, but I might have to test ride a few SRAM Apex equipped bikes as I've heard good things about it. I suppose I might have to add Campy into the mix too, in the interest of fairness....although it's probably against the law to fit a Campagnolo groupset to a winter bike or something

Now, handbuilt wheels is something I've only recently started to look into. Is it an absolute must to go handbuilt? There are a few very good builders within 30 miles of me.

www.richtreen.co.uk wrote:

I have a T2 winter build - the reasonably light thing might be an issue though, even without the mudguards on it felt like a tank! Don't get me wrong - It is a great bike for what it is and mine has had plenty of use even over the summer due to the rain.

I've held the frame and fork, I'm pretty happy with the weight. I'm not coming from a 7kg carbon steed! As said, weight isn't a big issue.

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

You may even want to go disc breaks, depends really how much you intend on riding.

I've looked at a lot of disc equipped machines but none met my criteria. I might look again next winter when they're a bit more established. There only seems to be a handful of manufacturers that have thought in depth about how discs affect certain parts on a bike, Lapierre being one that sticks out.


Also, however much I love fixed, it's just not practical for my local terrain, I live in Wales.


Mudguards and lights are a given, they're already sorted.

MarksMintness

J90 - I agree with the weight, I thought my frame box was empty when it arrived! Frame and fork together weigh 2.2kg, that is fine by me!
I did have a question though - I believe the frame requires long drop 57mm brakes, which I don't believe come as standard with a Shimano groupset so I was going to go with Tektro R539's as others have done.
I am siding towards 105 5800 now as it is brand new and 11 speed and also comes with cables and housing. As this is going to be my only bike I may as well get it right and it appears to be the same low price as the outgoing 5700?
For guards I think I'm going SKS Bluemels/Chromoplastic
Cheers

J90

MarksMintness wrote:

I did have a question though - I believe the frame requires long drop 57mm brakes, which I don't believe come as standard with a Shimano groupset so I was going to go with Tektro R539's as others have done.

Yeah, I forgot to mention I already have Shimano R650 deep drops on my other bike, which might be getting fitted to the T2 but they're silver and the bike will be blue and black. They're great brakes, sometimes listed as 'Ultegra R650', they sure cost enough too, but the Tektro R539s are definitely an option (one of few).

Some form of SKS 'guards will probably be the choice in that department but my LBS has some decent lesser known ones which seem solid and fit well too.

www.richtreen.co.uk

R539s here too - they where not great when using the original pads especially in the wet - but with Swisstop greens, stop pretty well wet or dry.

J90

www.richtreen.co.uk wrote:

R539s here too - they where not great when using the original pads especially in the wet - but with Swisstop greens, stop pretty well wet or dry.

Oh yeah, Swissstop Greens are what I currently have fitted on my current setup. So much better than the originals.

J90

What diameter bars would people recommend? Material?

J90

Any more advice?

J90

More help?

cougie

Bars ? Alloy. As light as carbon and a hell of a lot cheaper.

As to groupsets - I stick to the same make - so if needs be you can swap wheels between best and winter bike. You never know when something will break just before a ride.

Bordersroadie

Here's the thread from my T2 a while ago:
viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=12878936

Definitely SKS Chromoplastics or Blumels, don't waste your time with lesser guards.

It's a great bike, quite racy geometry with a small head tube and a relatively long top tube so stem choice may be shorter than you think - all my bikes are 100mm except the T2 which is 90.

As a result, you will get toe overlap but I've never found it a problem.

You have the best brakes, R650. Tektros are less powerful and the pivots etc rust, the Shimano's don't.

All in all it's a lovely winter (or wet weather) bike, very comfy, stable on big downhills and not particularly heavy. If I recall, the frame weighed just over 1.6kg, average for an alu frame of that type. The DC07 fork is very comfortable but also precise-handling I'd say.

Enjoy!

J90

Thanks for that info Bordersroadie. I'm hoping the bike will give me more incentive to get some more miles in through the winter than my Trek does....

passout

Personally I like wider bars on a winter bike and to compensate I generally have a slightly shorter stem than normal. I like the 44cm Planet X strada (compact) bars with an 90mm (rather than my normal 100mm) planet x cnc stem.

I like these as Winter wheels: http://www.hopetech.com/product/open-pro/ or just to a local wheelbuilder.

I agree either 25 or 28mm tyres - like Michelin pro 4 endurance maybe or the contis already mentioned.

SKS full guards.

Lights, such as: http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LISMLU25R1 ... rear-light

Also Koolstop pads like this work for me: http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s104p824

In terms of groupsets SRAM rival or apex would be my top choice. Although there seem to be some great deals on Tiagra and 105 which might well tempt me away from preference for SRAM. At this price I might even give Campag a spin: http://www.merlincycles.com/campagnolo- ... 72536.html Some great deals at Merlin.

rob13

I've got a T2 and its a lovely bike. Really stable, and a very forgiving ride but the geometry is racy. Coming from my Supersix, its longer in the top tube. I had to flip the stem just to get a pretty similar setup to the 'Dale.

I have full Tiagra 10spd on mine, but just upgraded the shifters to 105s as I got a set for £80 new and my old Tiagra's suffered a spill either side scuffing them up. Still useable, but the 105s are slightly comfier for my riding position. I also have the same bars as my summer bike. I dont notice any shifting difference between the 105 on my 'Dale and the Tiagra to be honest. If you've got 10spd on both, like another poster has said, its easier to swap wheels or the like in case of an emergency or failures at the last minute.

I've got R450s with Koolstop salmons. Its the one area where I'm not happy with the performance as braking is poor. I need to address that this winter to get similar braking capabilities to the 'Dale.

SKS are the guards you want, although my first set snapped at the rear stay clamp which was a bit unnerving on a downhill section.

I was tempted to change the bike to a Crosslight Pro6, because I fancied a bit of Cyclocross action, and the disc brakes would probably be more suited for winter. I also love the colour of it.

keezx

passout wrote:

Personally I like wider bars on a winter bike and to compensate I generally have a slightly shorter stem than normal. I like the 44cm Planet X strada (compact) bars with an 90mm (rather than my normal 100mm) planet x cnc stem.

Whatever you like

I like these as Winter wheels: http://www.hopetech.com/product/open-pro/ or just to a local wheelbuilder.

I agree either 25 or 28mm tyres - like Michelin pro 4 endurance maybe or the contis already mentioned.

I would never use 25 or 28 mm onm a narrow rim like the Open Pro, these tyres give a lot more grip on wider rims.


In terms of groupsets SRAM rival or apex would be my top choice. Although there seem to be some great deals on Tiagra and 105 which might well tempt me away from preference for SRAM. At this price I might even give Campag a spin: http://www.merlincycles.com/campagnolo- ... 72536.html Some great deals at Merlin.

I woul never use anything new on a winterbike.
Mine is built from leftovers.....prob. worth a 200 or so.....but it has wide rims with 25 mm tyres

passout

Keezx wrote:

passout wrote:

Personally I like wider bars on a winter bike and to compensate I generally have a slightly shorter stem than normal. I like the 44cm Planet X strada (compact) bars with an 90mm (rather than my normal 100mm) planet x cnc stem.

Whatever you like

I like these as Winter wheels: http://www.hopetech.com/product/open-pro/ or just to a local wheelbuilder.

I agree either 25 or 28mm tyres - like Michelin pro 4 endurance maybe or the contis already mentioned.

I would never use 25 or 28 mm onm a narrow rim like the Open Pro, these tyres give a lot more grip on wider rims.


In terms of groupsets SRAM rival or apex would be my top choice. Although there seem to be some great deals on Tiagra and 105 which might well tempt me away from preference for SRAM. At this price I might even give Campag a spin: http://www.merlincycles.com/campagnolo- ... 72536.html Some great deals at Merlin.

I woul never use anything new on a winterbike.
Mine is built from leftovers.....prob. worth a 200 or so.....but it has wide rims with 25 mm tyres

Never had any issues with using 25mms on Open Pros - never actually used 28mms on that particular rim so can't say.

Left overs are great on a winter bike, if you have them but I would argue that discounted groupsets are a good value way forward, depending on your budget.

Bordersroadie

I agree, I have Open Pro with 25c tyres, I'd use 28c on them happily.

If your "winter" (ie wet weather) bike does as many miles as your dry bike then why not have it specced with decent gear?

J90

Thanks for the replies everyone. We do live in the UK, it likes to rain here, so I'd guess a lot of people like to have a decent winter bike instead of a junker as it will be used more than the best bike realistically. I'm not about to go out and buy a SRAM Red groupset for it, but it's got to be at least 105/Rival standard.

What are people's experiences with carbon bars for any added comfort? After researching a lot, it seems to be very even, some people can notice the difference, some can't. Just marketing BS?

I already have a carbon fork, which I think will make the bigger difference.

Bordersroadie

Honestly, mate, that DC07 fork is very good and coupled with a 25c front tyre you should have no worries about comfort with an alu bar. Having said that, if you fancy a bling carbon bar then go ahead but I'd spend the money elsewhere personally.

alan_sherman

I had a minor spill last week so thought I'd update this thread off the back of that! My front tyre slid out going round a corner I do every day. I blame it on a bit too much speed for the combination of road, rain and horrible (in the wet) vittoria rubino pro tyres that had squared off, and perhaps aided by a heavy pannier load.

Wet roads have poorer grip so you are more likely to come off. Therefore go for the cheapest kit that you are happy with for the job!
The place not to skimp is tyres. Even a little off with no real personal damage has caused damage to nameplates on STIs, bar tape, and a hole in my pannier! I see you already have contis which have a good reputation (although aren't my favourite).

J90

alan sherman wrote:

Wet roads have poorer grip so you are more likely to come off. Therefore go for the cheapest kit that you are happy with for the job!

I couldn't put up with the lower performance of cheaper components for the rest of the year though when realistically this will be my most used bike.

stueys

J90 wrote:

Thanks for the replies everyone. We do live in the UK, it likes to rain here, so I'd guess a lot of people like to have a decent winter bike instead of a junker as it will be used more than the best bike realistically. I'm not about to go out and buy a SRAM Red groupset for it, but it's got to be at least 105/Rival standard.

What are people's experiences with carbon bars for any added comfort? After researching a lot, it seems to be very even, some people can notice the difference, some can't. Just marketing BS?

I already have a carbon fork, which I think will make the bigger difference.

Re carbon bar, I've an enve carbon bar on my R5, can't tell any difference between that and the Alu bars I've had. Plus if you ever crash you need to swap the bar, I wouldn't put one on a winter bike. Personally my winter bike runs Alu frame, carbon fork and rival 22 (normally a shim man but i like double tap with gloves). For a bike that's getting ridden through muck and poor grip conditions I think that's the right level of kit. Plus you really appreciate the best bike when the sun comes.....

1_reaper

Ride a Domane 2.3 in the winter with 105 all round & Bonty race wheels shode with Durano plus & guards. Plenty comfy me personally not the lightest but it is a winter bike after all. The summer bike an SLR with Sram red so a totally different beast