The need for a winter bike?

Bozabyka

I do not have space available for a winter bike.
Do titanium bike owners ride them through the winter?
If I have a good service each spring I should be ok. right...?

pblakeney

Fit some type of mudguards, maybe lights. Sorted.

Titanium doesn't rust.

ravey1981

As above, but its not the frame that is the main worry anyway. The road salt eats alloy components more than anything else. Just give it a rinse off with clean water after a ride and all will be well.

DAZZ_A

I don't have room for a 2nd bike unfortunately.

Mine has served me for 3 years now, doing about 3/4 rides a week through summer and winter. The frame is still mint, I've needed to replace one headset and the rest has just been general maintenance!

I'd love to retire this frame to a wet weather setup and treat myself to something new, one day...

silverpigeon

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19660920#p19660920]ravey1981[/url] wrote:

As above, but its not the frame that is the main worry anyway. The road salt eats alloy components more than anything else. Just give it a rinse off with clean water after a ride and all will be well.

This. And keep the chain oiled

steadyrollingman

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19660897#p19660897]Bozabyka[/url] wrote:

I do not have space available for a winter bike.
Do titanium bike owners ride them through the winter?
If I have a good service each spring I should be ok. right...?

Move to a bigger house.

Vslowpace

or alternatively don't be so fastidious in the cleaning routine and replace everything in the Spring (my lazy arse method).

If you're riding in a group it would be good form to get a full length mudguard on the rear to keep those behind you dry and one on the downtube to keep your feet dry(er). If you are billy no mates then an arse saver will suffice on the rear.

Bozabyka

In a group is it acceptable to fit a mountain bike style mudguard to my seatpost?

pblakeney

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666520#p19666520]Bozabyka[/url] wrote:

In a group is it acceptable to fit a mountain bike style mudguard to my seatpost?

If they don't like it, sod um.
Why care what others think?

iPete

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666598#p19666598]PBlakeney[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666520#p19666520]Bozabyka[/url] wrote:

In a group is it acceptable to fit a mountain bike style mudguard to my seatpost?

If they don't like it, sod um.
Why care what others think?

Because riding in a group?

Of course if you want to stay dry, don't go outside or ride with a group but full guards are common courtesy on most winter club rides, they don't eliminate spray but they help.

p.s. skip the mountain bike guard, just get an Ass Saver.

On the winter bike conundrum, learn how to strip and re-build your bike. Get a foldable workstand, all the tools you need and getting the bike through winter will be much easier.

mamba80

ass saver ?... a complete waste of money, too small and too high up

get some clip on mud guards and some tape for your frame.

markhewitt1978

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666520#p19666520]Bozabyka[/url] wrote:

In a group is it acceptable to fit a mountain bike style mudguard to my seatpost?

No; because it only keeps you dry and doesn't do sod all for the poor sap who's on your wheel.

iPete

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666718#p19666718]mamba80[/url] wrote:

ass saver ?... a complete waste of money, too small and too high up

get some clip on mud guards and some tape for your frame.

They do offer a longer version now but even the small version is useful. Have it folded under my seat for unexpected showers, does the job in summer and generally keeps road crap off me, better than using a mtb guard. Can't beat full guards for winter though...

markhewitt1978

I use these for the winter http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sks-raceblade-mudguards/rp-prod25796
(just for the back, don't usually bother with the front)

The advantage is that they don't go under the brakes so fit my frame with 25mm tyres, where nothing else will. The disadvantage is that they don't go under the brakes!

chris_bass

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666751#p19666751]markhewitt1978[/url] wrote:

I use these for the winter http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sks-raceblade-mudguards/rp-prod25796
(just for the back, don't usually bother with the front)

The advantage is that they don't go under the brakes so fit my frame with 25mm tyres, where nothing else will. The disadvantage is that they don't go under the brakes!

I have those too. The front one isn't great though (which if you don't use it is probably fine for you!) as there is no guard in front of the brakes so when going at any speed you get spray over the front which is very annoying! I have crud road racers on my designated wet bike and they are much better but less removable.

as for the need for a winter bike? you don't need one but then you don't need a remote control for your tv but they do make life a little easier!

markhewitt1978

To be fair a lot of people say their winter bike is actually just a bad weather bike. That being the case I wouldn't have had much use out of my 'good' bike this year anyway.

davep1

I'm thinking of winterising my son's bike because he doesn't use it very much. Although I have never worried before about wet weather damaging the bike, I had two crashes on ice last winter, one of which resulted in a broken wrist, and I really don't want to be going through that again. I can't face a turbo trainer in the garage, and I don't want to stop of 3-6 months of the year. The ability to put grippier cold weather tyres on the bike (presumably you can get them?) is almost more important to me than mudguards.

pblakeney

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666664#p19666664]iPete[/url] wrote:

Because riding in a group?

And??????
That is a good reason to use full mudguards, and you deserve derision for using guards that are ineffective to those following, like ass savers.
But if they are the kind of people who will deride someone for using "Mtb" guards instead of "roadie" guards then they are not worth spending time with.

iPete

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666986#p19666986]PBlakeney[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666664#p19666664]iPete[/url] wrote:

Because riding in a group?

And??????
That is a good reason to use full mudguards, and you deserve derision for using guards that are ineffective to those following, like ass savers.
But if they are the kind of people who will deride someone for using "Mtb" guards instead of "roadie" guards then they are not worth spending time with.

Did you not read on..."Of course if you want to stay dry, don't go outside or ride with a group but full guards are common courtesy on most winter club rides,"

I merely suggest an Ass-Saver as they are probably easier than buying a MTB guard (you can fold it under your seat and they don't obstruct lights) but neither are suitable for winter group riding. Nothing to do with a bizarre mtb/roadie mud guard snobbery..

proto

Just use one bike all year round but I would suggest two pairs of wheels.

supermurph09

I'm sure you have room for another bike? By a cheap bike bag and break the one not being used down over winter imo. Having said that I used my Canyon Ultimate through all weathers. All I do is make sure it's dried off properly, give a few bits a squirt of GT85 and then relube the chain when necessary. Spare set of cheap wheels £150 max for winter will do nicely. Cassette's and chains can be replaced quite cheaply.

kajjal

I use this on my road bike in the wet and it works well enough. It fits easily and close to the wheel. Also is very easy to remove and refit. Not tried it in a group in the pouring rain etc.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sks-s-blade-rear-mudguard/rp-prod104734

iron-clover

No-one needs a dedicated winter bike. However, many people find them very useful to have. I currently have only one road bike, with a TT bike and a hybrid.
My road bike can also take full guards come the winter time which is very useful, and in fact it would be nice on some of the damp summer days to have them fitted still- clip ons don't really fit as well and are far more fiddly, plus guards don't slow you down all that much.

However, it depends how much you ride your bike. When I eventually upgrade to a good road bike, I will keep my current machine as a winter bike as the drivetrain will be cheaper and easier to service and I won't have to worry about clipping guards on and off.
A cyclocross bike would also make for a good winter trainer if you can get the geometry right- although I will probably get a 'cross bike soon as well for riding cross and commuting, I will still retain the winter bike so I can get into a similar position as on the good bike though.

A second road bike is also invaluable when the miles have taken their toll and your main machine has to be taken off the road for a bit waiting for a replacement part as mine has for nearly 2 weeks now. Doing chaingangs on a hybrid that normally doesn't do any more than 6 miles at a go really loses the novelty factor after the first 15 minutes.

simon_masterson

There are 2 kinds of winter bike, the kind that's basically like your nice bike but slightly less fancy, and something that's optimised for bad weather. The former category is a bit of a luxury, fine if you can afford it, and if going for the latter, I think in addition to proper mudguards, having sufficient clearance for spiked tyres (and generally wider tyres) will let you go out on it when it's icy, and components and consumables that are more durable (good bearing seals, sturdy chains, shifters that don't need too much attention, fixed wheel, etc) for when you can't be bothered to clean it... If you stick a rack on it too, you basically have an all rounder utility bike. A couple of hundred or less can get you a nice old 531 bike that ticks all of those boxes.