Do I need a winter bike ?!
Discussion
So in a moment of madness/man maths, I bought a new bike, slightly more expensive than my old boardman team carbon but 20% off rrp .
It's a cannondale synapse Ultegra disc Himod and its a lovely ride.
To recoup some of the costs was thinking of selling the boardman but also thinking of maybe keeping it as a winterbike, the synapse would be better in the winter though, with discs and I could do with the money.
Would I be mad using my 'nice' bike though out the winter ?
It's a cannondale synapse Ultegra disc Himod and its a lovely ride.
To recoup some of the costs was thinking of selling the boardman but also thinking of maybe keeping it as a winterbike, the synapse would be better in the winter though, with discs and I could do with the money.
Would I be mad using my 'nice' bike though out the winter ?
I have one road bike,I use it all year. I accept the poor conditions will increase wear on the drive train and up the maintenance accordingly.
I bought a single speed charge plug (£300) for the really bad days, it's more fun and easily takes mudguards etc.
Personally I still think discs on road bikes are unnecessary even though the performance increase can not be disputed. I have commuted a lot this year and probably cycled in the rain less than a dozen times.
So sell the Boardman, but a single speed for the winter and use the rest for new kit etc. I was going to say new wheels but the stock ones look nice enough!
I bought a single speed charge plug (£300) for the really bad days, it's more fun and easily takes mudguards etc.
Personally I still think discs on road bikes are unnecessary even though the performance increase can not be disputed. I have commuted a lot this year and probably cycled in the rain less than a dozen times.
So sell the Boardman, but a single speed for the winter and use the rest for new kit etc. I was going to say new wheels but the stock ones look nice enough!
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 29th August 11:13
Personally I'm going to invest in a proper winter bike this year. I've got a decent summer bike but even with 23mm tyres you wouldn't get mudguards on it, if you pick up a leaf on a tyre it gets trapped under the brake bridge.
I used an old 7 speed bike last year, its fine for getting to work and back but its not that comfortable, the front shifter is broken, the wheels are wearing out (its amazing how abrasive wet and mucky roads are) and the front mudguard broke when a stick got flicked into it.
I want something that I just go out and do a 100km ride on, whatever the weather, get up into the Cotswolds and enjoy peaceful, quiet roads.
Hydraulic disk brakes, compact chainset, 28mm+ tyres (maybe a spare set of wheels for off road stuff), proper mudguards, comfortable frame material (carbon, steel, titanium?). Possibly even rack mounts.
I used an old 7 speed bike last year, its fine for getting to work and back but its not that comfortable, the front shifter is broken, the wheels are wearing out (its amazing how abrasive wet and mucky roads are) and the front mudguard broke when a stick got flicked into it.
I want something that I just go out and do a 100km ride on, whatever the weather, get up into the Cotswolds and enjoy peaceful, quiet roads.
Hydraulic disk brakes, compact chainset, 28mm+ tyres (maybe a spare set of wheels for off road stuff), proper mudguards, comfortable frame material (carbon, steel, titanium?). Possibly even rack mounts.
Frisbee, the differences between frame materials in ride quality/comfort are greatly reduced when you start using 700/28 tyres at lower PSI.
You can get a full 11-speed hydraulic disc road bike for about a grand which will accomplish pretty much everything on your wishlist.
Best of luck!
You can get a full 11-speed hydraulic disc road bike for about a grand which will accomplish pretty much everything on your wishlist.
Best of luck!
Barchettaman said:
Frisbee, the differences between frame materials in ride quality/comfort are greatly reduced when you start using 700/28 tyres at lower PSI.
You can get a full 11-speed hydraulic disc road bike for about a grand which will accomplish pretty much everything on your wishlist.
Best of luck!
I'm probably just still riding the comfortable wave of euphoria from my first carbon bike, having previously only had steel. My spine is wary of aluminium.You can get a full 11-speed hydraulic disc road bike for about a grand which will accomplish pretty much everything on your wishlist.
Best of luck!
You don't need one, I've never bothered on a specific one. Though I have been known to go out on my single speed if its REALLY s
t and I can be bothered to get wet.
However I find it easier generally to stick with one bike with different wheels and accept that I'll have to replace a few bits here and there before season starts, but I do generally alter my routes depending on weather, so I tend to stay out of Surrey Hills most of the winter unless its been dry for a fair while as they're filthy!
t and I can be bothered to get wet.However I find it easier generally to stick with one bike with different wheels and accept that I'll have to replace a few bits here and there before season starts, but I do generally alter my routes depending on weather, so I tend to stay out of Surrey Hills most of the winter unless its been dry for a fair while as they're filthy!
okgo said:
You don't need one, I've never bothered on a specific one. Though I have been known to go out on my single speed if its REALLY st and I can be bothered to get wet.
However I find it easier generally to stick with one bike with different wheels and accept that I'll have to replace a few bits here and there before season starts, but I do generally alter my routes depending on weather, so I tend to stay out of Surrey Hills most of the winter unless its been dry for a fair while as they're filthy!
Good luck tomorrow Rob what are you aiming for?t and I can be bothered to get wet.However I find it easier generally to stick with one bike with different wheels and accept that I'll have to replace a few bits here and there before season starts, but I do generally alter my routes depending on weather, so I tend to stay out of Surrey Hills most of the winter unless its been dry for a fair while as they're filthy!
Dammit said:
You need a race bike, a decent weather training bike, a poor weather/winter training bike and a commuter. That's the minimum - then add CX bike, MTB, tandem, folder etc.
Plus a spare race bike, a self built single speed, a hard tail MTB, full sus MTB, a tri bike, plus enough spare parts to build another two bikes. The a few more. It's a scientific fact that you always need at least one more bike. My wife disagrees, but then it's not her that has to ride a CX bike on trails that are really suited to a hard tail MTB...
Since buying a S-Works my old Roubaix has only been ridden on holiday as the other bike was getting a DI2 service, I have used it in all weathers as it is simply much much better.
It will probably get ridden again over the winter but after a 105 upgrade. Chains and cassettes are cheap as chips so as long as it's clean I am not fussy about getting wet and dirty.
It will probably get ridden again over the winter but after a 105 upgrade. Chains and cassettes are cheap as chips so as long as it's clean I am not fussy about getting wet and dirty.
My winter bike didn't get out of the garage last year but then we didn't have freezing temperatures and therefore very little grit laying.
A whole spare bike is nice if you set it up with mudguards but a spare cheaper wheel-set will do the job if you don't want to risk expensive hubs and rims.
A whole spare bike is nice if you set it up with mudguards but a spare cheaper wheel-set will do the job if you don't want to risk expensive hubs and rims.
If you turn up in winter for a club ride you'll get a fairly rough ride if you don't have mudguards - painting a stripe up your club-mates chests and face with muddy water is considered impolite!
Seriously, a bike that is set up with 'guards and lights (dark mornings, overcast days, our delightful weather etc) means that even when it's dreadful outside you can still get out on the bike.
I've got to the point now where my feet still suffer when it's around zero degrees, but everything else is fine, even if it's driving with rain- and the bike is no small part of that.
If you are more likely to get out on the bike in the depths of winter you'll be in much better shape to enjoy the good weather when it arrives.
Seriously, a bike that is set up with 'guards and lights (dark mornings, overcast days, our delightful weather etc) means that even when it's dreadful outside you can still get out on the bike.
I've got to the point now where my feet still suffer when it's around zero degrees, but everything else is fine, even if it's driving with rain- and the bike is no small part of that.
If you are more likely to get out on the bike in the depths of winter you'll be in much better shape to enjoy the good weather when it arrives.
rs4al said:
Think I will sell my boardman, and find some clip on mud guards.
I'm in an uncannily similar man-maths induced boat. And thus also considering clip-on mudguards to fit a disk braked carbon Synapse (non HiMod in my case though). Initial investigations suggest the lack of a traditional brake bridge and disk calipers in places the clip-on mudguards' designers didn't envisage might both be hurdles... I'm intending to use the C2W scheme to pick up a winter training bike. If there are non-discounted bikes out there with hydraulic discs, proper mud guard mounts and can take a 28 tyre please point me in the right direction! I've been looking at an aluminium Cannondale Synapse with mechanical discs.
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