Small upgrades to winter bike- worth it?
Discussion
how much can you get for the winter bike as it is now, plus £200 gives you your answer - anything worthwhile to upgrade to in that price range?
If not, keep, upgrade and enjoy, or alternatively suck it up for another couple of months and save a bit more for spending in autumn for the 'new' winter bike. Winters almost over*
If not, keep, upgrade and enjoy, or alternatively suck it up for another couple of months and save a bit more for spending in autumn for the 'new' winter bike. Winters almost over*
- hopefully 8/9 weeks...
I thought you didn't ride in the winter anyway?
In answer to your question, I would think stem, post and bars are among the least noticeable/worthwhile upgrades you can make to a road bike, unless you're changing the size/setback/drop of course, but for performance it won't make any odds. £200 is a fair chunk of cash, why not use that to buy a top end pair of shoes, much better for being bling!
In answer to your question, I would think stem, post and bars are among the least noticeable/worthwhile upgrades you can make to a road bike, unless you're changing the size/setback/drop of course, but for performance it won't make any odds. £200 is a fair chunk of cash, why not use that to buy a top end pair of shoes, much better for being bling!
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Maybe have a look at your strava then as it says you've had 5 weeks of no riding since Nov, must be broken 
Joking aside, no, I would say that was not the best upgrade either. I would have thought £200 would be better spent on a trinket for the other bike personally...
okgo said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Maybe have a look at your strava then as it says you've had 5 weeks of no riding since Nov, must be broken Joking aside, no, I would say that was not the best upgrade either. I would have thought £200 would be better spent on a trinket for the other bike personally...
Define a lot.
Personally when spending money on the winter bike I invested in a set of Ultegra brakes, 28mm 4 Seasons and some Raceblades.
I also invested in a carbon seatpost but omitted to check the diameter of my seatpost tube before purchase and... well... do you want to buy a redundant 27.2mm carbon seatpost?
I wouldn't have thought a carbon stem is a particularly good purchase for a winter bike. Target things which are going to make it more enjoyable to ride.
I also invested in a carbon seatpost but omitted to check the diameter of my seatpost tube before purchase and... well... do you want to buy a redundant 27.2mm carbon seatpost?
I wouldn't have thought a carbon stem is a particularly good purchase for a winter bike. Target things which are going to make it more enjoyable to ride.
Dammit said:
Disclaimer - I have the most ridiculous winter bike in the whole world.
Dizzee said:
As for it being a waste of money, I am not sure anything spent on a passion whatever the reason is a waste of money!
True, but there are better and worse ways to allocate the funds you have available. He's not suggesting you do a KLF with the £200 instead.Portland Design Works Full Metal Fenders are a very good choice if you have not a great deal in the way of clearances to play with - very light and stiff, also.
Charlie the Bike Monger has them in stock for ~£75 I believe.
I'd rather use a couple of lengths of hose-pipe than Conti hardshells, but if you can get round a corner on them in the wet then fair play to you - do cats routinely complement you on your sense of balance and reaction times?
Powermeter - handy if you want to use the data/train in a directed way, not so useful if you just like riding your bike.
Charlie the Bike Monger has them in stock for ~£75 I believe.
I'd rather use a couple of lengths of hose-pipe than Conti hardshells, but if you can get round a corner on them in the wet then fair play to you - do cats routinely complement you on your sense of balance and reaction times?
Powermeter - handy if you want to use the data/train in a directed way, not so useful if you just like riding your bike.
An utter waste of money. What will £200 worth of seatpost/stem/bars actually get you? If it's "bling", it won't be to others (no-one cares) or to yourself (how often do you ride along thinking "Hmmmm, nice seatpost I have here"?)
If you _have_ to spend, then invest in a turbo, a holiday, a thorough overhaul of the summer bike in readiness for "the season", put it towards something nice for said summer bike...anything but seatposts/stems/bars for a winter bike.
If you _have_ to spend, then invest in a turbo, a holiday, a thorough overhaul of the summer bike in readiness for "the season", put it towards something nice for said summer bike...anything but seatposts/stems/bars for a winter bike.
The sensible thing to do is the unblingiest which is go to find a reputable coach or training lab and get a full fitness test completed. You will get a few hours for 200 and should emerge with from the test with accuraye training zones (heart rate and power), aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, far burning efficiency etc etc.... This will give your winter rides greater purpose and make your summer rides faster and more enjoyable. It's not blingy as I said but its by far the best way to spend 200 on cycling stuff.
I think as with some of the other threads, you need to have a good word with yourself and asatain what you want from cycling. Then these dilemas won't plague your mind...
If its to be faster in sumer, then Pablo is bang on. If its just to have a bit of fun with no great focus on being faster, or whatever then it will be perfectly fine to spend out on things that don't really make any odds but are nice to have (like the stuff you're talking about)...
I know it can be quite tempting to buy this that and the other, but I try to be a bit more pragmatic about purchases and only buy if it needs replacing, or if its going to make me better in races. That's why I've got a TT bike that probably retailed for around £10k with the stuff that is on it now, but still have a £20 stem on my road race bike, it won't make me faster and its not broke...
If its to be faster in sumer, then Pablo is bang on. If its just to have a bit of fun with no great focus on being faster, or whatever then it will be perfectly fine to spend out on things that don't really make any odds but are nice to have (like the stuff you're talking about)...
I know it can be quite tempting to buy this that and the other, but I try to be a bit more pragmatic about purchases and only buy if it needs replacing, or if its going to make me better in races. That's why I've got a TT bike that probably retailed for around £10k with the stuff that is on it now, but still have a £20 stem on my road race bike, it won't make me faster and its not broke...
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