When to cycle your race/good bike?

davoj
davoj Posts: 190
edited April 2014 in Road general
On our Sunday group spin the question arose "When do you cycle your good/Race bike?" I still had my winter bike but as the weather was good yesterday a few had there good bike out. So a debate started over coffee of when is the right time...

1. Do you cycle your good bike from April/May regardless of rain/training etc...?
2. Do you just use it for races?
3. Do you still continue to train on your winter bike all year?

Let me know what you think.

Comments

  • arran77
    arran77 Posts: 9,260
    Nothing to do with time of the year for me and all to do with the weather.

    If it's wet or the roads are in a bad state then I ride my older bike regardless of what month it is, similarly if the weather is decent then the best bike comes out, again regardless of time of year.

    I have a 'wet bike' and a 'dry bike' rather than a 'winter bike' and a 'summer bike' :wink:
    "Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity" :lol:

    seanoconn
  • ManOfKent
    ManOfKent Posts: 392
    arran77 wrote:
    Nothing to do with time of the year for me and all to do with the weather.

    If it's wet or the roads are in a bad state then I ride my older bike regardless of what month it is, similarly if the weather is decent then the best bike comes out, again regardless of time of year.

    I have a 'wet bike' and a 'dry bike' rather than a 'winter bike' and a 'summer bike' :wink:

    +1, except I now have a 'wet bike', a 'dryish bike' (which I'll also use for commuting once the days are long enough not to need lights) and a 'dry bike' that's done a solitary shakedown ride so far but should get some use when I go to Italy. :)
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Its up to the individual.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    cougie wrote:
    Its up to the individual.

    Really? I thought it was set down in law ....
  • blu3cat
    blu3cat Posts: 1,016
    With only 1 bike, it's always time to ride the good one :)
    "Bed is for sleepy people.
    Let's get a kebab and go to a disco."

    FCN = 3 - 5
    Colnago World Cup 2
  • davoj
    davoj Posts: 190
    arran77 wrote:
    Nothing to do with time of the year for me and all to do with the weather.

    If it's wet or the roads are in a bad state then I ride my older bike regardless of what month it is, similarly if the weather is decent then the best bike comes out, again regardless of time of year.

    I have a 'wet bike' and a 'dry bike' rather than a 'winter bike' and a 'summer bike' :wink:

    i like that "Wet bike or dry bike"
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,467
    Slowbike wrote:
    cougie wrote:
    Its up to the individual.

    Really? I thought it was set down in law ....
    In practice there are very few convictions however. Even if the police see you riding a team issue Pinarello Dogma in January, how can they know that it's not your winter bike? Your best bike might be a Lamborgini edition BMC Impec with Super Record EPS.
  • mpatts
    mpatts Posts: 1,010
    It all depends really for me.

    If the weather is perfect I'll take the raleigh out, because it just makes me feel good riding it. If it is teaming down, frosty, or wet under tyre, I'll take the Genesis. If I feel like it I'll take my race bike (and I usually do one ride before races to make sure everything works ok). In general, I adhere to the wet/dry principle rather than anything else.
    Insert bike here:
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    Wet and dry bike here too
    - Old Condor has full SKS mudguard, and is ridden if its wet/dirty and also on commuting duties
    - Rourke is used if its dry and won't get too dirty.
    - I also now have a CX bike with full mudguards, not actually riden it yet(!) so will be interesting to see how/when I use it other than for the odd pootle.
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
    Find me on Strava
  • If you plan to compete on the good bike, it is as well to ride it as much as possible, whilst keeping to the spirit of the "wet bike/dry bike" principle.

    So in dry weather, choosing reasonably good roads, I make a point of taking the good bike out for interval sessions and for level 2 sessions.
  • 964cup
    964cup Posts: 1,362
    It's more complicated than that. For example, yesterday was the fourth Sunday ride of the year for my good weather hilly routes bike, but the first for its best set of wheels (carbon tubs). If it's likely to rain next weekend, I'll probably still take that bike, but on its second-best wheelset. If it's absolutely chucking it down, then I'll take the better of the bad weather bikes instead. Unless it's dry and the chosen route is flatter, or we do laps of the park, in which case I'll take the good weather flatter routes bike. Or it mysteriously pours with snow, or rains mud, which would call for the really bad weather bike instead.

    I may have too many options...

    To copy from mpatts sig:

    Hills, dry roads and sunshine: Cervelo R3 on TC24 tubs
    Hills, damp roads and drizzle: Cervelo R3 on DA C24 clinchers
    Flat routes and laps in the dry: Cervelo S5 on Cosmic Carbone SLs
    Wet roads and commuting, not left outside: Felt F3X
    Biblical downpours and locked up outdoors: Genesis Croix de Fer
    Snow, ice and mud: Genesis Croix de Fer on Schwalbe Winter Marathon
    Indoors on the turbo: Specialized Allez
    Abandoned in the shed: Specialized Sirrus Pro, Pinnacle Evo 1
    Fast rides in France, whatever the weather: Mekk Poggio 2.5 on Mavic R-SYS
    Slow rides in France, waiting for my kids: Carrera Subway Ltd
  • I like wet bike; dry bike...what about chain gangs in spring unpredictable weather? I noted full guards, race blades and no guards on club chain gang blast on Saturday..
  • Hmm 964 cup must have a lot of dosh..the decision making and changing wheels must take longer than the ride...on your own its a matter of wet arse; dry arse...
  • mpatts
    mpatts Posts: 1,010
    edited March 2014
    Hmm 964 cup must have a lot of dosh..the decision making and changing wheels must take longer than the ride...on your own its a matter of wet ars*; dry ars*...

    The name "964cup" would indicate expensive tastes!

    here I am (I assume this is where the 964 comes from, and PS, it's rented!)

    29644_104522826264070_8201557_n.jpg

    /offtopic
    Insert bike here:
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    drlodge wrote:
    - I also now have a CX bike with full mudguards, not actually riden it yet(!) so will be interesting to see how/when I use it other than for the odd pootle.
    Handy for when it's freezing - or close to it - or when you want to ride with family/friends or on trails ...
    It's also handy to have if you have family/friends visit who don't have or bring a bike ...
  • arran77 wrote:
    Nothing to do with time of the year for me and all to do with the weather.

    If it's wet or the roads are in a bad state then I ride my older bike regardless of what month it is, similarly if the weather is decent then the best bike comes out, again regardless of time of year.

    I have a 'wet bike' and a 'dry bike' rather than a 'winter bike' and a 'summer bike' :wink:


    +1

    :mrgreen:
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  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 7,977
    I have two bikes, a very good one and a reasonably good one.

    The very good one doesn't like to go where the reasonably good one does, and the reasonably good one would be scared shitless if I showed it the playground of the very good one.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    Slowbike wrote:
    drlodge wrote:
    - I also now have a CX bike with full mudguards, not actually riden it yet(!) so will be interesting to see how/when I use it other than for the odd pootle.
    Handy for when it's freezing - or close to it - or when you want to ride with family/friends or on trails ...
    It's also handy to have if you have family/friends visit who don't have or bring a bike ...

    That's exactly why I bought it:
    - pootling on rest days down trails, canal paths, disused railway lines
    - when I'm out with Boyzee round places like Alice Holt Forest.
    - and with a rack fitted, I can use it going into town or other logicstics duties (with a good lock!)

    Hadn't thought of using it when its freezeing, nice one!
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
    Find me on Strava
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    drlodge wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    drlodge wrote:
    - I also now have a CX bike with full mudguards, not actually riden it yet(!) so will be interesting to see how/when I use it other than for the odd pootle.
    Handy for when it's freezing - or close to it - or when you want to ride with family/friends or on trails ...
    It's also handy to have if you have family/friends visit who don't have or bring a bike ...

    That's exactly why I bought it:
    - pootling on rest days down trails, canal paths, disused railway lines
    - when I'm out with Boyzee round places like Alice Holt Forest.
    - and with a rack fitted, I can use it going into town or other logicstics duties (with a good lock!)

    Hadn't thought of using it when its freezeing, nice one!

    Bought a CX bike (aluminium) as (among other things) a winter road bike, but its not really up to the job (I find it too heavy).

    Slowbike has hit the nail on the head :wink: and I will now refer to it as my 'Deep Winter Bike' and feel completely justified in buying a new carbon, plain old 'Winter Bike' :D

    The CX is a great drop bar commuter bike, whizzing down forrest trails bike, Center Parcs/Bluestone Kudos bike, and spare visitors loan bike though :P