Winter Bike

[okgo]

paulmon said:

Life's too short to be riding crap bikes, why put yourself through the pain and ridicule. Use the best bike through winter and use its deterioration over the winter months to justify a new bike in spring.

My main problem is that whenever I consider looking at winter bikes, the budget always seems to end up in the thousands, as I would only want hydraulic discs, titanium and di2 - might aswell just stick with what I've got then, and then do as you said above.

[Usget]

okgo said:

paulmon said:

Life's too short to be riding crap bikes, why put yourself through the pain and ridicule. Use the best bike through winter and use its deterioration over the winter months to justify a new bike in spring.

My main problem is that whenever I consider looking at winter bikes, the budget always seems to end up in the thousands, as I would only want hydraulic discs, titanium and di2 - might aswell just stick with what I've got then, and then do as you said above.

Or: buy an awesome winter bike thus equipped, then realise it's actually better than your summer bike, and THEN buy a new bike in Spring. Then you end up with two new bikes. Which is better.

ETA: This doesn't have mudguard eyelets but you can fit Raceblade Longs, and it's otherwise everything you'd want from a winter bike. Size L equates to a 56. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-road-bike-b...

Edited by Usget on Tuesday 25th October 17:03

[TwistingMyMelon]

Depends where you live as well, when I lived in and around London and Reading I never felt I needed a Winter Bike

When I moved out to Wilts the roads are filthy, proper filthy, slippery and nasty in places, even after changing the wheels & tyres my best bike feels like a liability in the winter!

Just a cheap bike that's still light with 4seasons does me proud in winter

A few years ago I bought a nice steel bike with inbuilt mudguards as a winter bike but it was too heavy really and relaxed geo'd for fast club rides, so its my commuter now

I can see why others do and dont get a winter bike

[okgo]

Roads around London are pretty well fine if you go west out towards windsor etc, but surrey hills are grim for sure.

[yellowjack]

okgo said:

Roads around London are pretty well fine if you go west out towards windsor etc, but surrey hills are grim for sure.

Riding up Leith Hill on Abinger Road, and then down Tanhurst Lane a few years ago after heavy rain was an "eyeopener" to say the least! The whole road surface runs like a river with the water draining off the hills, and the underlying surface is pretty terrible too. Little wonder that the infamous 'wet' RideLondon cut that area out. Grim is definitely the word for it.