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Winter Training Bike / Road Bike - Whats the difference?

MartinGTMartinGT Posts: 475
edited September 2010 in Road beginners
I am looking at buying a road bike. I mostly MTB but I want to increase my fitness and I get a lot more road miles in during the winter.

So, been looking and on some sites there are Winter Training / AUDAX Bikes and some are just road bikes.

Whats the difference? Is it just the fact it has mudguard mounts?

TIA

Posts

  • hammeritehammerite Posts: 3,408
    Usually just mudguards yes.

    Most people who have a winter bike will have a fairly basic spec chainset and wheels (compared to their summer bike) as they stand more chance getting trashed due to the conditions/salt on the roads etc... and so parts are cheaper to replace.
  • MartinGTMartinGT Posts: 475
    Ah good stuff

    Thanks :) My head is sore from looking :?
  • Buckled_RimsBuckled_Rims Posts: 1,648
    Any road bike that can have mudguards fitted or use of a Crud Roadracer if you can't fit them on. Basically a winter bike is a sacrificial lamb. It has to put up with salt on the road, dirt, oil and snow all sprayed up on the bike's crankset, BB and wheels.

    The damage done to a good road bike (through corrosion) makes buying a cheap secondhand or cheap new one more then useful.
    CAAD9
    Kona Jake the Snake
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  • jibberjimjibberjim Posts: 2,810
    Buckled_Rims wrote:
    Any road bike that can have mudguards fitted or use of a Crud Roadracer if you can't fit them on. Basically a winter bike is a sacrificial lamb. It has to put up with salt on the road, dirt, oil and snow all sprayed up on the bike's crankset, BB and wheels.

    The damage done to a good road bike (through corrosion) makes buying a cheap secondhand or cheap new one more then useful.

    Or you could just replace the very few components that are susceptible to corrosion regularly - carbon frame, aluminium alloys etc. etc. don't corrode an awful lot.
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • MartinGTMartinGT Posts: 475
    Im looking to spend about £500 on one.

    I borrowed a Giant Defy 4 when a few of us cycled over to Amsterdam to watch the Giro and really enjoyed the feel of it.

    Anyone recommend anything?
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 28,799
    A Giant Defy 4 :wink:
  • ErudinErudin Posts: 136
    Compared to my road bike my audax/winter bike has cheaper/heavier duty wheels, deep-drop brake callipers, clearance for 28mm tyres with full mudguards and no toe overlap, has some lower gears, is a "springier" steel frame and forks rather than alu/carbon, has rack/pump mounts, spd pedals rather than spd-sl's, can take 135mm mtb rear hubs, can carry up to 15kg luggage, and is a kilo or two heavier.
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