All rounder/winter bike or road bike?

schlepper

Decided to get a bike. Haven't been riding for years, but want to use it as much as possible. I'm looking to purchase now and just get on the damn thing and start riding.

Have test ridden a Giant Defy 1 and fell in love. Have test ridden a Cube Peloton Pro, didn't enjoy it as much.

I've been reading the forums recently and started to see all these posts about winter bikes/all rounders. Now I'm wondering if I'm bonkers going for something as sporty as a Defy and should go for something more all round.

I'm getting back into cycling because I loved it; health and to go out with the kids.

I'm looking for something in the C2W range, so thinking:

Genesis Equilibrium
Ribble 525
Condor Fratello (I know it's more)

Too much choice...

ai_1

The whole "winter bike" thing is really just for guys with an existing bike they don't want to ride in bad conditions because of one or more of the following:
- They want to keep it clean
- Want to avoid the higher wear you can get in wet and cold weather with salt and grit coming off the road
- Want mudguards or different tyres that they can't or won't fit to their nicer bike.

If you're just getting the one bike and you can resist being overly precious about it, forget the whole winter bike concept. However I would suggest your one bike should be suitable for riding in bad weather anyway. So I'd get one that can take mudguards and at least 25mm tyres regardless.

SoSimple

The Defy is a great bike and always does well in reviews, so if you really liked it, just go for it and get riding.

Agree with comments regarding mudguards and 25mm tyres and it can take both.

Only things you may need to upgrade in time are the stock wheels and saddle but plenty of people are happy with them as they are.

Gazzetta67

When they start putting salt on the roads, Dont leave your bike in the garage after a run on a sat or sun. get your bike washed and lubed right away or you will end up with a Block & Chain and any other silvery bits the colour of Irn -Bru

ai_1

Gazzetta67 wrote:

When they start putting salt on the roads, Dont leave your bike in the garage after a run on a sat or sun. get your bike washed and lubed right away or you will end up with a Block & Chain and any other silvery bits the colour of Irn -Bru

That's a bit of an exageration in my experience.
I rarely do much with my bike over winter. If it gets particularly grimey I'll give it a wipe and I'll give the chain an additional few drops of lube and wipe of the excess after most wet rides but that's about it. Never had anything dramatic go wrong.

jordan_217

I got the Ribble 525 on the C2W scheme a few months ago. I can't reccommend it enough; lovely to ride and the finish of the frame defies its bargain basement price. Service from Ribble was also excellent.

Dippydog3

I started road biking in a summer, so the issue of winter bikes never really hit me. I bought a superb bike and used it. When winter came and the roads were always wet, gritty and slippery I struggled a bit, but did lots of turbo time instead.

This summer I went even further and bought a bike that was even less suited for winter. Small tyre clearances, white frame that looks dirty before I reach the end of my driveway, carbon rim wheels and expensive components that I do not want to trash. I do love it though.

With winter approaching and the first bike heading off overseas, I decided to buy a bike that would be suited to wet gritty roads, could take mudguards (although I will probably never fit them), has disc brakes so I will not worry about wheel rim damage and wider tyres so I could hit the occasional cycle track that was not Tarmac. This is important where I live as it is the only way of avoiding a big hill on the way home. Sometimes this is VERY important.

The funny thing is that the new bike, with its 32mm tyres, is probably my most comfortable ride, and is possibly faster than the others. I would like to say this is down to my awesome fitness improvements, but that would be exaggerating. I really don't think there is anything in it for normal riding.

That's the long story. My advice is therefore this. If you want one bike that will do all year, all weathers, and rides of both long and short duration, get something that is suitable for winter.

The bottom line is.....

A winter bike is a tiny compromise for summer. ( you might be a tiny bit slower, but most can't tell the difference)
A really good summer bike is not suitable for winter.

Of course, the best solution is to have the number of bikes that is perfect for every situation. My life long task is to determine what this number is. I think it is more than 10.

stueys

I'd agree with the last post. Probably the best do it all bike is a CX/winter bike, very little compromise but go anywhere and do anything. If you're going to ride in the wet proper guards are essential.

housemunkey

Dippydog talks a lot of sense me thinks. I got an Equilibrium in the spring, rode it all through summer and now it has full guards on for the winter. Never once did I feel held back during the summer and now the full guards are a revelation, its helping me get out in conditions I would have previously turned my nose up at.

So I'd have to say that any of those 3 bikes would serve you really well. One question through, can the Ribble take 25mm tyres with guards? If not that would rule it out for me.

Of course being a bike tart as we all are means I'll still be rebuilding my Look frame for next summer. But the Genesis will still get plenty of use through 4 seasons.

jordan_217

HouseMunkey wrote:

So I'd have to say that any of those 3 bikes would serve you really well. One question through, can the Ribble take 25mm tyres with guards? If not that would rule it out for me.

Yes, I use 25mm Conti 4 seasons. Plenty of clearance

marcusjb

jordan_217 wrote:

HouseMunkey wrote:

So I'd have to say that any of those 3 bikes would serve you really well. One question through, can the Ribble take 25mm tyres with guards? If not that would rule it out for me.

Yes, I use 25mm Conti 4 seasons. Plenty of clearance

Typically, and certainly in my own experiences, 4 Seasons size quite small - so you may find the a different 25mm is tighter. Though the 4 Season is a great tyre for winter miles.

I know plenty of people who ride Equilibriums and Fratellos and love them, and the ribble has a great reputation and is hard to beat on price.

I have a Fratello (and a Tempo - same frame but for fixed wheel) and it is a fabulous year round frame. Super comfy for big miles. Whip the guards off and out on some fast wheels and it's no slouch.

Mudguards really are the key for getting the miles in over winter - preferably 'proper' ones. Not only do they keep you drier (and those you are riding with), but they keep the very worst of the muck off the drivetrain etc. and increase the life of everything.

cougie

If I had to have just one bike out of my stable it would be my Planet X Uncle John Cross bike.

Its got gearing for the road with great clearances so I can have guards and road tyres on, or take them off and have fat cross tyres on and still have mud clearance.

The cross with road tyres on is 99% as fast as my road bike I reckon.

IanRCarter

jordan_217 wrote:

HouseMunkey wrote:

So I'd have to say that any of those 3 bikes would serve you really well. One question through, can the Ribble take 25mm tyres with guards? If not that would rule it out for me.

Yes, I use 25mm Conti 4 seasons. Plenty of clearance

Add Vittoria Rubino 25c to that list, with SKS mudguards.

I was sceptical of the weight of steel at first, but decided I wanted to check it out and I've fell in love with my Ribble 525. If you only plan on having one bike, and, like most people, can't afford Ti, then I'd strongly recommend steel. It's heavy but as long as you accept that you won't be the first over the top of every hill, then it's great.

bobmcstuff

Worth noting that my Defy (a 2012 model) will take 25mm tyres with the Giant close fitting mudguards. So it's possible to use it as a winter bike.

MichaelW

Don't think "bike" or winter bike". Instead think "bike" or "summer bike"
Do you want/need a summer bike? Then get one.
Otherwise, get a bike which is suitable to ride in the UK without resorting to fugly hacks using velcro, elastic bands or clamps.

Why does the Defy need special mudguards? Can it fit narrow SKS chromoplastics?

dj58

[quote="
Why does the Defy need special mudguards? Can it fit narrow SKS chromoplastics?[/quote]

SKS P35 narrow? No it can't because there is not enough clearance under the rear brake caliper, (also it has no chainstay bridge), and a lack of clearance under the front aero fork/brake caliper. That's why Giant make a specific set.

keef66

My first road bike I knew I could only afford one bike but I'd want to ride it all year round, so I went for something designed as a winter trainer. Road bike geometry / handling, but clearance / mountings for full mudguards and 25mm tyres.

That was 7 years ago, and at the time the choice was quite limited and I was drawn to the Kinesis Racelight Tk. This has proved to be an excellent bike, has indeed been ridden year round in all kinds of weather, and is still pretty much still running all the original kit (bartape, tyres, chains etc have been renewed as required). With the acquisition of a CR1-SL courtesy of Westbrook's sale a year or so ago, the Tk now keeps it's mudguards on all the time and has become my wet weather bike.

Kinesis evolved the Tk into the Tk2, Tk3 and now the 4S. I believe the front end was raised a bit in the process, and it gained a beefier tapered headtube / steerer but apart from that I image it would still make an excellent year round choice.

Now I have 2 bikes I just take out whichever one the weather forecast suggests will be needed. Some summer rides have been very wet and I've appreciated the mudguards. Some autumn / winter / spring rides have been cold but dry and I've welcomed the chance to get out on the carbon bike. According to my Garmin there's no appreciable difference in performance; once I did the very same route a couple of days apart and recorded exactly the same time on the CR1 and the Tk!