Winter Bike

Author
Discussion

Renn Sport

Original Poster:

2,761 posts

208 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
So I am really really into cycling at the moment. I just interests me more than riding my Motorcycle or performance car... who would have thought it.

Anyway.. after spending an age cleaning my Carbon road bike yesterday I have decided I don't want to ride it in the grime of the winter. I'll just ride on those bright clear days.

So I am after a winter hack to be equipped with mudguards, which will get a hose down quick wash and lube once a week if its lucky. We are talking 15 minutes here...

Am I better off getting a brand name Specialized/Trek etc... used bike or plumping for a brand new Claude Butler for £200 notes from Halfords?

I don't want to spend much more than £200 - £250 for a winter bike (not including tyres and mudguards)

Opinions?

HerrSchnell

2,342 posts

198 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
I'd go used.

I'm just about to put my old Trek 1.7 up for £250 which is equipped with 105 / Ultegra kit, carbon seatpost/forks, works fine with a set of XL Raceblades and will most likely fetch the bulk of that £250 when the next owner sells it on.

It's a nicer bike to ride than an entry level special so means it's more likely to get ridden in the cold, wet depths of winter than something which feels like a lump of lead underneath you.

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Used

I got a nice Cinelli for £320 a few months back

Only trouble is there are a fair few people looking for the same now for the same reasons

bakerstreet

4,755 posts

164 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
I'd just buy a spare set of wheels, pair of continental four seasons, mudguards and away you go


okgo

37,857 posts

197 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
As an aside, if you get a proper bike stand, and a decent brush and park tool chain cleaner, you'd be amazed how quickly you can get a bike from totally covered to sparkling. I reckon its about 15 minutes.

Renn Sport

Original Poster:

2,761 posts

208 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice chaps...

HerrSchnell - where abouts are you located? I am in South London and use a 56cm frame.


JEA1K

2,485 posts

222 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Forget the above, stick with a winter bike. Even with the correct cleaning kit, your whole drive chain will suffer, especially when you get salt on the roads. And that's before you start falling off on leaves and or ice

Buy a used bike for a few hundred quid and abuse it during winter without the worry of replacing a whole load of stuff in spring.


okgo

37,857 posts

197 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
JEA1K said:
Forget the above, stick with a winter bike. Even with the correct cleaning kit, your whole drive chain will suffer, especially when you get salt on the roads. And that's before you start falling off on leaves and or ice

Buy a used bike for a few hundred quid and abuse it during winter without the worry of replacing a whole load of stuff in spring.
Your whole drive train will suffer on any bike, £250 on a winter bike (which will likely be in st shape anyway) buys a fair few chains and jockey wheels.

JEA1K

2,485 posts

222 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
okgo said:
Your whole drive train will suffer on any bike, £250 on a winter bike (which will likely be in st shape anyway) buys a fair few chains and jockey wheels.
It will but lower value components are cheaper to replace when they wear. Fall off and a 105/Sora mech/shifters are buttons compared to DA or Ultegra.

Temporary mudguards are gash ... I've run Crudracers and raceblades (only option in standard drop calipers) and neither provide sufficient coverage compared to a set of full guards.

Seriously I don't know anyone who rides the same bike all year round.

okgo

37,857 posts

197 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
I know many that do. Including me, not totally against the winter bike thing, just that most people don't do the miles to make it worthwhile.

Last spring I bought a new chain and a new cassette for my bike, total cost of about £60. Mudguards I agree with you about, if you're worried about that sort of thing, if I'm going for a ride then I accept I may get a bit mucky.

I've got di2 on that bike.

numtumfutunch

4,704 posts

137 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
bakerstreet said:
I'd just buy a spare set of wheels, pair of continental four seasons, mudguards and away you go
This was my strategy until this year when I eventually went N+1

Cruds are adequate although not perfect but a proper winter bike with proper mudguards is what you really need/want
And Sora is cool........

Mine was a ride to work so helps justify the cost, Decathlon had something which previously caught my eye for 300 and another at 450 quid

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
This whole winter bike thing is a myth developed by Ribble.


HerrSchnell

2,342 posts

198 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Renn Sport said:
Thanks for the advice chaps...

HerrSchnell - where abouts are you located? I am in South London and use a 56cm frame.
Thanks for asking but I'm in Brum and it's a 54cm frame, I'm sure there will be plenty of similar bikes more local and the right size.

JEA1K

2,485 posts

222 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
doog442 said:
This whole winter bike thing is a myth developed by Ribble.
smile My mates just snapped ... apparently they've had a batch of them do the same.

I imagine there are plenty of winter bikes that get very little use .... so yes, if you don't do the miles then you can live without or do with temp guards. We do some long club runs up in the Moors and the Dales during winter so you need something that won't be totally hammered in stty weather.

frisbee

4,956 posts

109 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
JEA1K said:
It will but lower value components are cheaper to replace when they wear. Fall off and a 105/Sora mech/shifters are buttons compared to DA or Ultegra.

Temporary mudguards are gash ... I've run Crudracers and raceblades (only option in standard drop calipers) and neither provide sufficient coverage compared to a set of full guards.

Seriously I don't know anyone who rides the same bike all year round.
I've actually used my winter bike all year round (apart from a couple of days when I broke a spoke).

Proper mudguards, big tyres and SPDs make a very comfortable bike and there is almost nothing in it speed wise.

gazza285

9,780 posts

207 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Shouldn't winter bikes be fixed gear with full length chromoplastics?

ClassicMercs

1,703 posts

180 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
JEA1K said:
It will but lower value components are cheaper to replace when they wear. Fall off and a 105/Sora mech/shifters are buttons compared to DA or Ultegra.

Temporary mudguards are gash ... I've run Crudracers and raceblades (only option in standard drop calipers) and neither provide sufficient coverage compared to a set of full guards.

Seriously I don't know anyone who rides the same bike all year round.
I'm guilty of trashing the bulk of an Ultegra drivetrain in 12 months - dirt is a killer despite lots of cleaning - as is not buying a chain measuring device early enough and thinking it still looked ok. New components to hand but I'm driving the old stuff into the ground over this coming winter.

Just put the mudguards back on tonight. SKS Raceblade Long - the brackets allow fitting when the design and geometry don't otherwise permit. Clever and a little fiddly - but strong and on the whole do a very good job. One downside especially at the rear is dirt gets up around the fitting brackets and can clog in the brakes - good cleaning is needed here. The other is the rear again as the mudguard doesn't go all the way to the bottom bracket and dirt / water hits your ankles and front derailleur. Good quality overshoes are needed and having tried a few I have found the Gore work best for me - although I have just bought some of the Aldi waterproof socks the other week.
I would recommend the Raceblade LONG over the crud or shorter Raceblade.

Frame - Ti. Just changed back to the original Ksyrium Elite from the recently acquired Exalith SL's. The next issue of running throughout the year - the different alloys etc. During a recent service where an attempt was made to take out a very minor truing issue some spoke nipples were found to be well and truly stuck ! The SL's are not seeing bad weather !

Lights - just ''lost'' my Volt 700 - left in a holiday cottage. So trying out some cheap eBay Cree lights. Less focused but good brightness and battery life.

troc

3,740 posts

174 months

Tuesday 25th October 2016
quotequote all
This is why my year-round commuting bike has a belt and hub gears (plus proper mudguards, disc brakes and dynamo lights) all up still only 11.5 kg and practically maintenance-free.

JEA1K

2,485 posts

222 months

Tuesday 25th October 2016
quotequote all
ClassicMercs said:
I'm guilty of trashing the bulk of an Ultegra drivetrain in 12 months - dirt is a killer despite lots of cleaning - as is not buying a chain measuring device early enough and thinking it still looked ok. New components to hand but I'm driving the old stuff into the ground over this coming winter.

Just put the mudguards back on tonight. SKS Raceblade Long - the brackets allow fitting when the design and geometry don't otherwise permit. Clever and a little fiddly - but strong and on the whole do a very good job. One downside especially at the rear is dirt gets up around the fitting brackets and can clog in the brakes - good cleaning is needed here. The other is the rear again as the mudguard doesn't go all the way to the bottom bracket and dirt / water hits your ankles and front derailleur. Good quality overshoes are needed and having tried a few I have found the Gore work best for me - although I have just bought some of the Aldi waterproof socks the other week.
I would recommend the Raceblade LONG over the crud or shorter Raceblade.

Frame - Ti. Just changed back to the original Ksyrium Elite from the recently acquired Exalith SL's. The next issue of running throughout the year - the different alloys etc. During a recent service where an attempt was made to take out a very minor truing issue some spoke nipples were found to be well and truly stuck ! The SL's are not seeing bad weather !

Lights - just ''lost'' my Volt 700 - left in a holiday cottage. So trying out some cheap eBay Cree lights. Less focused but good brightness and battery life.
Had Raceblade longs last two winters .. broke 5 x rear brackets last winter alone and impossible to run anything but 23mm tyres on my bike (Kinesis Aithein). Have a Kinesis 4S frame now which fits full guards and larger tyres. I will go disc next winter though ... if nothing else, less cleaning! smile

paulmon

2,127 posts

240 months

Tuesday 25th October 2016
quotequote all
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.