Winter and summer bike?

davey.davey

So, I've been looking for my first road bike, had a budget in mind of around 2k so wanted to get as much bike for my money as possible. Having done a bit of research, I like the Tarmac, Emonda, and maybe the synapse.

Been to 3 local bike shops, told them what I wanted out of the bike, budget, etc and they have all talked me out of spending so much on a bike and tried to sell me a bike of around £900 ish, for winter, and wait to buy a more expensive bike next summer. Do they not want my money haha! Or are they maybe talking me out of the wanting a bike they probable can't get hold of due to low stock!?

I understand that winter is more harsh on a bike, do most 'roadies' have a cheaper winter bike and more expensive summer bike?

devonboy

Buy a gravel bike e.g. Specialized Diverge.Use the stock wheels with fatter tyres for offroad or winter.Next buy a lightweight set of wheels with fast tyres for road and summer use.

One bike,two seasons.

StillGoing

davey.davey wrote:

So, I've been looking for my first road bike, had a budget in mind of around 2k so wanted to get as much bike for my money as possible. Having done a bit of research, I like the Tarmac, Emonda, and maybe the synapse.

Been to 3 local bike shops, told them what I wanted out of the bike, budget, etc and they have all talked me out of spending so much on a bike and tried to sell me a bike of around £900 ish, for winter, and wait to buy a more expensive bike next summer. Do they not want my money haha! Or are they maybe talking me out of the wanting a bike they probable can't get hold of due to low stock!?

I understand that winter is more harsh on a bike, do most 'roadies' have a cheaper winter bike and more expensive summer bike?

Two bikes here. A decent summer road bike rarely has room for mudguards for those that use them in winter. Certainly none of my summer bikes have been able to take mudguards. But the biggest consideration is the groupset. A higher end bike will possibly have a more expensive groupset than a winter bike, but so long as you ensure that you clean it down whenever it gets crudded up, it shouldn't be too difficult a problem.

davey.davey

[/quote] Two bikes here. A decent summer road bike rarely has room for mudguards for those that use them in winter. Certainly none of my summer bikes have been able to take mudguards. But the biggest consideration is the groupset. A higher end bike will possibly have a more expensive groupset than a winter bike, but so long as you ensure that you clean it down whenever it gets crudded up, it shouldn't be too difficult a problem.[/quote]

Yes, they did mention about the mudguards not fitting on a higher end bike. Think I've seen some that clip on to the seat post to sort of help with that problem.

The shop I visited today also said about the higher end groupsets getting covered in s**t in winter.

I just find it really odd how they all don't want to take my money and sell me a bike I really want to ride. I think it is down to that most of the bikes I like they can't get hold of like unlike the bigger shops

keef66

First bike was an all year round one with room for 25mm tyres and proper mudguards. Then I bought a bargain carbon frame set and built it up with a second hand groupset. So now have a dry weather bike and a wet weather bike, whatever time of year it is

MiddleRinger

Do you plan on riding it through the worst of British winter weather?

If it's your first road bike then I'd suggest getting something that will take guards, even if you don't plan on fitting them now. Later down the track it might become your winter hack or commuter bike or poor weather club run bike. Clip on guards are okay, but do not compare to proper full length ones.

If it's a fair weather fun machine, screw it and spend the dosh! :-)

fat daddy

It's summer now, buy the nice bike.

If you decide you like riding in crap weather then when the winter comes buy yourself a second hand winter bike for a lot less that you can abuse

w00dster

Completely agree with fat daddy. Why start on a "winter bike" now. Get the best bike your budget allows. If you really enjoy riding and want to ride through the winter then make the choice then, either buy a second hand bike (or a discounted one in the sales) or clean your bike regularly.
Hosepipe and washing up liquid after every winter ride, takes me 10 minutes.
The 3 bikes you mention are all good bikes, I have an emonda. Really enjoy it, light, racy geometry and great fun to ride. I also have a winter bike, heavier, not as good a group set but still decent fun to ride. I don't really like the option of buying a single bike, been there and done that. End up with a Jack of all trades master of none.

yiannism

I also use 2 bikes, a road bike and an MTB that i use also for commuting. The 1st one i bought it brand new, the 2nd one 2nd hand, so in general i agree with the other commenters.

Now from your choices 2 are racing bikes and one endurance (synapse), so before decide the bike decide the type. Since you like Specialized check also the Roubaix. Great endurance bike. From Trek, check the domane

fenix

It's not good for their sales but it's the best option for most of their customers. I'm sure they've seen hundreds of people wanting to drop a couple of grand on their first bike which will turn out to be overkill for them.

Any bike north of say £500 or so will be fine for what you want. It's not like 2k gets you a bike thats 4 times as fast.

You want to look for a bike that'll take 25mm tyres at least as well as mudguards. That'll be great for getting you started and fit the guards for next winter.

Then come the summer you'll have a better idea of what you want. Campag/SRAM/Shimano - Standard or Compact ? Alu or Carbon ? Red or White ?

You'll not be giving up any noticeable speed - its the rider that's the limiter not the bike on any decent ride.

Two bikes is bare minimum for me. And I'll keep them as compatible as possible so if you have an issue - you can swap wheels over for a ride.

keef66

It made sense for me to buy a winter compatible bike because I honestly thought I'd never be buying another one and it was September. Give or take a couple of sunny rides I was heading straight into autumn then winter. I had it kitted out with 25mm GP4 Seasons tyres and full chromoplastic mudguards.

That was a Kinesis Racelight Tk, road bike geometry but designed as a winter trainer. (Todays equivalent is the Kinesis 4S)

If it ever stopped raining I'd take the guards off in the summer. Some years they stayed on. It was my year round bike for 7 years

Now you have so many more bikes to choose from for a winter bike, and they can take much bigger tyres and many have disc brakes.

But I'd echo the comments above. It's May, so get yourself a bike you'll really want to ride in the summer and think about how you feel about winter riding in another 6 months.

fenix

If you don't ride through the winter - you'll waste so much time getting fit for the summer. Cyclings a year round activity ;-)

svetty

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svetty

Fenix wrote:

It's not good for their sales but it's the best option for most of their customers. I'm sure they've seen hundreds of people wanting to drop a couple of grand on their first bike which will turn out to be overkill for them.

Any bike north of say £500 or so will be fine for what you want. It's not like 2k gets you a bike thats 4 times as fast.

You want to look for a bike that'll take 25mm tyres at least as well as mudguards. That'll be great for getting you started and fit the guards for next winter.

Then come the summer you'll have a better idea of what you want. Campag/SRAM/Shimano - Standard or Compact ? Alu or Carbon ? Red or White ?

You'll not be giving up any noticeable speed - its the rider that's the limiter not the bike on any decent ride.

Two bikes is bare minimum for me. And I'll keep them as compatible as possible so if you have an issue - you can swap wheels over for a ride.

^ this.

Credit to the LBSs for giving you sound advice.

If you get a half-decent mid-range bike that will take full mudguards now you will get to enjoy riding it through the rest of this year without mudguards. You can then ride it with guards through the winter and get a seriously nice summer bike (with a high-end groupset if you wish) for next summer. Sorted!

meanredspider

I'm an all-year bike guy. Don't ever use full guards for proper cycling - just a Zefal Swan or Ass-saver. Disc brakes so no wheel or braking issues and plenty of room for big tyres. Apply some anti-dirt spray to help keep it clean. Hose it off once in a while.

mrb123

I've got 2 bikes like a few others have said.

The winter/bad weather bike has mudguards permanently attached, plus brackets for lights and a rear rack. It has some robust 35mm tyres and disc brakes.

My summer bike is a carbon frame with rim brakes.

I'd definitely advocate having 2 bikes. Another advantage is that you've then always got a bike if one is off the road for some mechanical problem or other.

g00se

Another benefit if waiting until next year to get the posh bike is that you'll have a better feel for what sort of riding you like. If you like hitting the flats fast and fancy a try at some local races, then you could look at something a little aero with deeper section wheels; if you like climbing, then a lightweight or you may enjoy taking the roads less travelled and need something a little more compliant and able to take some knocks.

Getting a more general purpose bike now will mean you can learn a bit more about how you ride and delay the choice until later.

fenix

I kind of get the feeling that the OP wants to spend the 2 grand now - which is his option - it's his money - but we've all seen newbies splash a huge amount on a bike that's on ebay for less than half price a year later.

For me - the best bit of buying a bike is the planning of it - what kit you'll get on it - what colour - what frame - etc etc etc.

Then when you buy the bike - its nice - but you forget how nice it is after a ride or two - it's just a bike.

Alex99

I feel a bit different about the best bike / winter bike thing. I'll ride the winter bike more hours than the best bike. It's in hard conditions that I'll appreciate something nice. I'm not so sure I'd spend more cash on a race / nice summer bike, it's just that it's a different bike. Besides, if it's too expensive, I'll be bricking it that I'll wreck it in a crash in a race.

geryben

I wish had two bikes. Only summer one...

kajjal

I ride my diverge through winter on road and once it dries out a combination of my diverge and my xc mountain bike.

The roads our way are fairly rural and not gritted so have little impact on the bike.

Anonymous

fat daddy wrote:

It's summer now, buy the nice bike.

If you decide you like riding in crap weather then when the winter comes buy yourself a second hand winter bike for a lot less that you can abuse

This is the advice you should take.

You want a nice road bike, so buy a nice road bike!
All this advice to get a poorer quality or CX bike is BS.

A 2k road bike is just a road bike FFS
Its not 'too much of a bike' for anyone lol

Not sure why the shops are trying to take less of your money.
What do you look like/weigh?
Its a very odd, and quite rude thing for a shop to suggest IMO.

Another option would be to spend £1500, ride the bike through the summer and poss winter, and either:

A/ Spend the £500 on a set of summer wheels next spring.
B/ Spend the £500 on a winter bike (if you really feel you need one) when you need one.
C/ Put the £500 towards a new summer bike next spring and demote the £1500 bike to the winter one.

I would not get hung up on mudguard mounts, and I certainly would not buy a CX bike if you want a road bike.

simon_masterson

Just get the nicest bike you can and worry about a winter bike later. Unless money is no object, a winter bike need only be cobbled together on the cheap.

veryslowtwitch

In reply to OP most year round club riders have winter and summer bikes and spend a fair bit on both. Full mudguards essential for comfort and it is good to have quality components that don't rust and rot. Little clip-on mudguards are a very poor substitute.
If you are planning on any riding after September then I think your LBS is being very honest. You'll ride more if you have a dry bike.
If you live in a dry, hot country then you can disregard all the above:-)

agentorange88

veryslowtwitch wrote:

most year round club riders have winter and summer bikes and spend a fair bit on both. Full mudguards essential for comfort and it is good to have quality components that don't rust and rot

That seems to make most sense to me, ive never understood why you would spend upwards of £2k on any type of bike and only use it for maybe 5 months before switching to a much cheaper bike so it doesnt wear out components.

totally get having 2 similar bikes set up for the diferent conditions IF you can afford/justify it.

cougie

There's not a huge difference in performance between decent winter and summer bikes. You have the guards and more clothing and the air is denser when it's cold.

There's often salt on the roads and mud and you're more likely to come off. That's why we ride cheaper winter bikes. They're still decent but not as expensive as the summer bike.

jolmes

After riding my carbon Domane through winter last and commuting aswell, going through a set of rims, several sets of brake pads, two ultegra cassettes and a few chains. It could have seen better days...

I've just purchased my bike for the winter (kinesis racelight t3) and will be sourcing SH parts for it to keep the build cheap and manageable. Still going to be a decent bike but no where near the replacement cost on the Domane.

singleton

I've got 2 bikes and would certainly recommend getting a winter bike for riding through the bad weather and getting the winter miles in.
But, I wouldn't agree with getting any old banger for winter duties. I like cycling and if I had a real old shonker I'd probably struggle with motivation to get out and ride it in the winter - so get something decent.

davey.davey

Thanks for the helpful replies.

I absolutely love my new bike, I hate it when it even goes through a bit of a muddy puddle, let alone getting soaked haha!!

I've got a spare half decent set of wheels, full 105 gear set and brakset. So an option for me would be to get a new frame, saddle etc to build me a half decent bike for the poorer weather and road conditions of winter.

Does a frame come with bars, stem, seatpost or is that all extra?

Or would it be just as cheap to buy a whole new bike!?

Cheers

fenix

Usually all extra.

Have a look at something like the Ribble Winter bike - that seems very popular. Not sure how much it is.

What you do want is big clearances so you can run mudguards and wide tyres to soak up the winter potholes without getting the guards jammed with mud.

Hendrix2430

Not sure about winter/summer bike, but it's nice to have 2 : a racy bike and one with more of an endurance geometry for longer rides and commuting.