Dedicated Winter Bike

markgoldstein

After years of using a summer bike with SKS Raceblades or Crudguards fitted, I'm contemplating adding a "proper" winter bike to the stable. So far, I'm thinking that these are must-haves:

- disc brakes, preferably full hydraulic
- mudguard mounts
- rack mounts
- clearance for at least 28mm tyres with mudguards fitted

I'm not too fussed about frame material - it seems to be a choice between cheaper alloy and more expensive steel if you want full mounts. I am struggling to find something with similar geometry to my summer bike (Cannondale Supersix) - most of the manufacturers seem to assume that winter = an armchair ride...

So any suggestions that meet the above criteria? I'm also curious as to what kind of bike everyone else uses once Autumn is upon us again...

Anonymous

kinesis aethin with PDW guards. See signature.

doesn't meet any of those criteria

davebradswmb

Have you looked at the Tifosi CK7? Only if you can forego the disc brakes though. Why do think disc brakes are must-haves for a winter bike? OK if you are already on discs on your summer bike, but otherwise rim brakes are OK in wet conditions.

trek_dan

Its such a niche thing your asking for, a race geometry touring bike I'm not surprised that there aren't any off the peg. Generally rack mounts means a long back end which knocks any chance of a racy feeling bike on the head anyway.
If you willing to sacrifice discs and go down to 25c tyre clearance a Dolan Prefisino or Kinesis Racelight may fit the bill.
If you want big tyre clearance and discs it pretty much means a CX/gravel but don't expect lightweight or road race geometry.

arlowood

Planet X London Road covers all of your criteria except for the aggressive race geometry.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXLDNRIV ... -road-bike

hydraulic discs
mudguard mounts
rack mounts
clearance for at least 35c tyres

It's an alloy frame and the geometry is fairly relaxed but it is no slouch

bobmcstuff

markgoldstein wrote:

I am struggling to find something with similar geometry to my summer bike (Cannondale Supersix) - most of the manufacturers seem to assume that winter = an armchair ride...

As mentioned above the need for clearance required for a rack and guards means that the geometry can't be too close to your Supersix, so there is inevitably going to be some compromise. Sizing down slightly to get a shorter head tube and fitting a longer stem would help you get a more aggressive position (this is how the pros do it).

Popular choices amongst racing friends of mine are the Ribble Winter and Dolan Prefissio as they are cheap, take full guards, and can get a reasonable position. Neither have discs though.

londoncommuter

Here's a bit more on this kind of. I've got the same question but was looking at Ti:

viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=13068446&p=19937620&hilit=titanium#p19937620

svetty

Winter bike that's corrosion resistant:

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/Catalogue ... GF_Ti-DISC

Discs, mudguard mounts, rack, wide tyres.......

teebs_123

I have a Kinesis 4S disc di2 that is just about a perfect winter bike. Huge amounts of clearance

ovi

dawes dont get much of a mention so ...http://dawescycles.com/product/3ima-sentir/ http://dawescycles.com/product/3ima-scion/

luv2ride

Teebs_123 wrote:

I have a Kinesis 4S disc di2 that is just about a perfect winter bike. Huge amounts of clearance

^This is certainly one on my list. As you can see from my signature, I have a CK7, It's a cracking bike, and have never felt I have insufficient stopping power from the rim brakes, but after 3 winters the brake tracks on my Mavic Ksyriums are toast. Discs make sense for reduced wheel wear over winter I reckon.

I also have a Crosslight Pro 6 disc. Racy Geometry, decent clearances for 28mm tyres and full guard mounts. Maybe I'll press that into winter bike duty this year....

meesterbond

You could always have a winter frame built for you... get the exact geometry you want with all the braze-ons you need in whatever colour you'd like...

All depends on the budget really... this is what I did with a similar question...

viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13005295

stueys

Dale caadx.

philclubman

coriordan wrote:

kinesis aethin with PDW guards. See signature.

doesn't meet any of those criteria

How good are the PDW guards on a race bike with normal clearances like the Aethin? Have you found many disadvantages to sonmething like a Kinesis 4s with eyelets?

I race my De Rosa Milanino, but am connsidering something with racier geo and clearances.

bikegangster

-Pinnacle Dolomite 5 - maximum tyre size is 28mm
-Canyon Inflite
-Pinnacle Arkose

angry_bird

PhilClubman wrote:

coriordan wrote:

kinesis aethin with PDW guards. See signature.

doesn't meet any of those criteria

How good are the PDW guards on a race bike with normal clearances like the Aethin? Have you found many disadvantages to sonmething like a Kinesis 4s with eyelets?

I race my De Rosa Milanino, but am connsidering something with racier geo and clearances.

After a winter with PDWs last year, I've just got rid of a nice frame because of the clearance and lack of mounts in favour of a CAAD 8 for this coming winter. They're a great bit of kit but aren't on par with proper guards.

FWIW would have gone for a 4S but trying to keep things cheap as spending money other bikes at the moment.

Anonymous

PhilClubman wrote:

coriordan wrote:

kinesis aethin with PDW guards. See signature.

doesn't meet any of those criteria

How good are the PDW guards on a race bike with normal clearances like the Aethin? Have you found many disadvantages to sonmething like a Kinesis 4s with eyelets?

I race my De Rosa Milanino, but am connsidering something with racier geo and clearances.

I have not had any issues. If you set them up right they are fit and forget. They do make a slight rattle over rough roads and you can hear the slightest of rub sprinting up hills when wet, but otherwise they are great and I've set many PBs up hills on it when working hard in the club chaingang and in Kent through the winter.

The 2 main downsides are:
1) They take about 15 mins to take off/put on as it means removing the brakes (fine if you have a dedicated winter bike which I do); and
2) They will only take 23mm tyres but again, i've not really suffered for it. I ride 23mm tyres on my best bike/best wheels and they're great in both cases. Conti Ultra Sport until they wore through and now Scwalbe durano plus.

I'm not sure how a Angry Bird has helped himself by buying a CAAD8 for winter which is again racy frame with tightish clearances and no guard mounts.

Ribble Winter Trainer ticks a few boxes but isn't disc ready.

angry_bird

coriordan wrote:

PhilClubman wrote:

coriordan wrote:

kinesis aethin with PDW guards. See signature.

doesn't meet any of those criteria

How good are the PDW guards on a race bike with normal clearances like the Aethin? Have you found many disadvantages to sonmething like a Kinesis 4s with eyelets?

I race my De Rosa Milanino, but am connsidering something with racier geo and clearances.

I have not had any issues. If you set them up right they are fit and forget. They do make a slight rattle over rough roads and you can hear the slightest of rub sprinting up hills when wet, but otherwise they are great and I've set many PBs up hills on it when working hard in the club chaingang and in Kent through the winter.

The 2 main downsides are:
1) They take about 15 mins to take off/put on as it means removing the brakes (fine if you have a dedicated winter bike which I do); and
2) They will only take 23mm tyres but again, i've not really suffered for it. I ride 23mm tyres on my best bike/best wheels and they're great in both cases. Conti Ultra Sport until they wore through and now Scwalbe durano plus.

I'm not sure how a Angry Bird has helped himself by buying a CAAD8 for winter which is again racy frame with tightish clearances and no guard mounts.

Ribble Winter Trainer ticks a few boxes but isn't disc ready.

Agree with the downsides, and the rattle, which in the UK happens on a reasonable number of roads. On and off is a faff with the PDWs but to be fair, once they were on for winter they weren't coming off!

RE the CAAD8

1) I can get the same fit as the CAAD10 I race on nice and easily, has very very similar geo.
2) It has more clearance than my previous bike
3) It does have mounts for guards

philclubman

coriordan wrote:

PhilClubman wrote:

coriordan wrote:

kinesis aethin with PDW guards. See signature.

doesn't meet any of those criteria

How good are the PDW guards on a race bike with normal clearances like the Aethin? Have you found many disadvantages to sonmething like a Kinesis 4s with eyelets?

I race my De Rosa Milanino, but am connsidering something with racier geo and clearances.

I have not had any issues. If you set them up right they are fit and forget. They do make a slight rattle over rough roads and you can hear the slightest of rub sprinting up hills when wet, but otherwise they are great and I've set many PBs up hills on it when working hard in the club chaingang and in Kent through the winter.

The 2 main downsides are:
1) They take about 15 mins to take off/put on as it means removing the brakes (fine if you have a dedicated winter bike which I do); and
2) They will only take 23mm tyres but again, i've not really suffered for it. I ride 23mm tyres on my best bike/best wheels and they're great in both cases. Conti Ultra Sport until they wore through and now Scwalbe durano plus.

I'm not sure how a Angry Bird has helped himself by buying a CAAD8 for winter which is again racy frame with tightish clearances and no guard mounts.

Ribble Winter Trainer ticks a few boxes but isn't disc ready.

Thanks. Sound good. I'm not the OP BTW - I have no need for discs as I race crits. I was just jumping in on the conversation as was comtemplating a bike with closer clearances than my Milanino, but I like mudguards when it's wet on the road.

Just so you know, there are nuts that you can buy that make taking the guards on and off much easier. These are what I use https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brakes/problem-solvers-sheldon-fender-nuts-10-13-mm-per-pair/

To the OP, how about a Kinesis GF Ti Disc? Asuming it's not for racing as you want discs - This looks like it would be nice for club runs and sportives. What type of rides will it be for/do you do?

Anonymous

Angry Bird - where are the guard mounts? Just looked at a pic of the 2016 frame and they're not there? (EDIT: Found them). As for the guard rattle, the little rubbery things you get do quite a good job of stopping the rattle, but I fitted them all pretty poorly so they've worn off.

Phil - those look pretty ace and could have saved me buying a second bike, but it's nice to have something different to ride in the sunny days, so not all bad.

dodgy

I have a Kinesis Tripster with hydraulic brakes and PDW guards. It's just lovely. I think it fits up to 42mm tyres, but I find it just right with 28mm Michelin Pro Race 4 Endurance.

angry_bird

coriordan wrote:

Angry Bird - where are the guard mounts? Just looked at a pic of the 2016 frame and they're not there? As for the guard rattle, the little rubbery things you get do quite a good job of stopping the rattle, but I fitted them all pretty poorly so they've worn off.

Phil - those look pretty ace and could have saved me buying a second bike, but it's nice to have something different to ride in the sunny days, so not all bad.

The mounts are on the inside of the seat stays, hidden away nicely and at the front just on the back edge of the dropout.

In the end I superglued a thick tube patch to them which took some of the rattle away but couldn't eliminate all of it.

markgoldstein

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions everyone!

So far, I've got a shortlist of two bikes...

https://www.orrobikes.com/bikes/road/te ... 105-discus
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/roa ... um-disc-30

cookeeemonster

Cannondale are replacing the Caad 8 with this apparently: https://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/canno ... oCVIXw_wcB

if it has mudguard mounts then its perfect...takes the geo from the caad12

Camcycle1974

markgoldstein wrote:

After years of using a summer bike with SKS Raceblades or Crudguards fitted, I'm contemplating adding a "proper" winter bike to the stable. So far, I'm thinking that these are must-haves:

- disc brakes, preferably full hydraulic
- mudguard mounts
- rack mounts
- clearance for at least 28mm tyres with mudguards fitted

I'm not too fussed about frame material - it seems to be a choice between cheaper alloy and more expensive steel if you want full mounts. I am struggling to find something with similar geometry to my summer bike (Cannondale Supersix) - most of the manufacturers seem to assume that winter = an armchair ride...

So any suggestions that meet the above criteria? I'm also curious as to what kind of bike everyone else uses once Autumn is upon us again...

Have a look at Mason bikes. Maybe not racy enough but fit your other criteria. A club mate has one and it's lovely. Coincidentally he rides a Supersix as his summer bike.

jgsi

Personally, I'd build up from a cheap PX or Ribble frameset . set a max budget of 300 -400. ride it in winter... it's going to get ruined basically.. but sell it on in 2017 . get some money back and repeat.
Lashing out on an expensive setup for a British winter is .. well, I can think of better ways of p1ss ing your money away.
You dont need discs... you dont need gears... you cant be precious about a winter hack.

londoncommuter

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Cannondale are replacing the Caad 8 with this apparently: https://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/canno ... oCVIXw_wcB

if it has mudguard mounts then its perfect...takes the geo from the caad12

Interesting. Can't see mounts on that photo but you can't zoom in very much. Still not sure why anyone who wants discs wouldn't want guards.

gpgiant

Spesh Diverge or Trek Crossrip cover all the bases.....job done.

antfly

The Tifosi CK 7 has a similar geometry to the Supersix if you get the smaller size, it is what I am planning to get this winter as a frameset and I also ride a Supersix. Tried the pdws on a Roubaix and they rattled horribly on rough roads, the sticky pad would move or fall off when it got wet and any bigger than a 23mm tyre wasn't possible.

tim_wand

Same Geometry as Evo Six ( what I ride )

Caad 8 or Caad x ( if discs are a must )

Why do you need rack mounts? You want a winter trainer not a commuter or tourer!
My winter bike is a Caad 8 with full SKS 35 gaurds and no clearance issues, I could fit a rack it I wanted.

napoleond

The optimo does have rack and mudguard mounts.

I bought a Ribble winter bike a few years ago, enjoyed riding it so much I sold the summer Cervelo R3.

It's still going strong and I love it!