looking to buy a winter bike - advice please

[SpydieNut]

Hi all

Well, after years of making do with my MTB, I got a very nice summer bike. However, it's too nice to wreck on the crud-covered winter roads.

So I'm after something (new or 2nd-hand) around £500 (less is OK too) that will do the job of training in the wet. I would like it to be decent quality road bike (but not so good that I don't want to take it out in the wet ) that is capable of taking mudguards.

I'll be keeping the MTB for the really severe winter weather.

Many thanks for your thoughts.

[Disco You]

Ribble winter trainer.

[Engineer1]

I'd say fixed or singlespeed, potentaily try and find a cheap second hand bike that you can do the conversion on yourself.

[The Stiglet]

SpydieNut said:

Hi all

that will do the job of training in the wet.

What's your summer bike to give an indication of geometry?

[GhostDriver]

I got a 2010 specialized tricross for my winter bike, its excellent. With skinny 23 road tyres its a decent racer. Takes full mudguards, pretty light. very strong. I got mine used for £350 or new £650.

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/specialized-tricros...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized-Tricross-com...

Edited by GhostDriver on Monday 16th September 19:48

[SpydieNut]

Thanks all for your thoughts and esp to BR for the offer. It's very tempting and the perfect size-I'm afraid I'm up in Manchester though. I will PM you and see if we can work something out.

As regards my summer bike, I managed to get a blinding deal on a Trek Madone 4.7. The chap who bought it did a few hundred miles on it and realised it was 1 size too large, so stripped the groupset off it and built up another bike. I bought another Ultegra set, new, from Merlin and then built it up myself. Much too good for me, of course, but at a price I really couldn't refuse . I haven't been able to do many miles so far, but am keeping it for good weather rides. What it has shown me however, is how different a roadbike feels to my old MTB, even though it's a decent one (Kona Explosif) and I'll keep it for the really grotty stuff through the winter.

I didn't really *get* the n+1 idea, until I started doing some more miles on the MTB . The next thing I have to do is read up on the threads on winter kit

Thanks again

Edited by SpydieNut on Monday 16th September 21:16

[The Stiglet]

SpydieNut said:

As regards my summer bike, I managed to get a blinding deal on a Trek Madone 4.7. ]

Why don't you stick with the same sort of set up and go for a Trek Madone 2.1 from eBay? Example: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trek-Madone-2-1-Road-Bik... At the moment it's even under budget

105s are great especially as they don't have the annoying thumb levers for gears on the side of the hoods like 2300 or Sora.

You can add SKS Raceblades, which do a very good job of protecting you from the road water.

I'd also recommend a Specialized Allez.

[Gizmoish]

Look at CX bikes such as the Boardman Team, and winterised road bikes like the Kinesis.

[vvill]

To be honest you can't really go wrong with a Ribble Audax/winter bike. I got mine for £250 second hand and loved it, yes it's not that comfortable, and very traditional geometry wise, but it served a purpose.

I only sold it because I was doing mega miles and getting through drivetrains, so now run a SS winter bike.

[Roman]

Gizmoish said:

Look at CX bikes such as the Boardman Team

Seconded - having recently bought one!

The roads in my city are awful for cycling but it's surrounded by lots of great bridleways and traffic free cycleways you can use to get out into the countryside and the Boardmans perfect for this.

Edited by Roman on Tuesday 17th September 13:28

[BGarside]

Would suggest something with disc brakes & clearance for larger tyres (say 28mm) with full mudguards. This rules out most so-called 'winter' trainers like the basic Ribble frame.

Discs will give more consistent braking in the wet and you won't be wearing out rims and needing wheel rebuilds every couple of years...

I'm about to buy a disc-braked, hub-geared bike for the winter to cut down the maintenance required.

[SuperHangOn]

grab another set of wheels & road tyres to whack on the mtb?

[SpydieNut]

Many thanks for all your thoughts guys, there are some great ideas in there.

If I was going to go with an extra set of wheels for the MTB, could you recommend some decent ones please. This option would also leave me some extra funds for winter riding gear

Many thanks

[Jimbo.]

BGarside said:

Would suggest something with disc brakes & clearance for larger tyres (say 28mm) with full mudguards. This rules out most so-called 'winter' trainers like the basic Ribble frame.

Discs will give more consistent braking in the wet and you won't be wearing out rims and needing wheel rebuilds every couple of years...

I'm about to buy a disc-braked, hub-geared bike for the winter to cut down the maintenance required.

If it's a winter hack, then who cares about rims that wear away ever couple* of years? Use SH/cheap stuff that you don't care about, and at the same time retain parts interchangeability with your summer bike: very, VERY handy for some "oh crap" last minute Sunday morning spare parts.

• a winter won't grind a set of wheels into oblivion, so you'd easily get a good few years out of a set of wheels.

[Theoldfm]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

^^^^ This

I bought one a few years ago and it is great.

[SuperHangOn]

I bought a pair of Shimano wheels from Merlin (as advised on here!) for £70 about a month ago. They came with rim tape fitted and new skewers. They look strong and so far so good.

They ones I got can be used with rim & disc brakes (splined fitting) which is nice.

[SpydieNut]

SuperHangOn said:

I bought a pair of Shimano wheels from Merlin (as advised on here!) for £70 about a month ago. They came with rim tape fitted and new skewers. They look strong and so far so good.

They ones I got can be used with rim & disc brakes (splined fitting) which is nice.

Wow-thanks for that. That's a lot better than I was expecting, as I know a good set of wheels can be hundreds of pounds. I don't need fantastic wheels for a winter trainer, especially on the MTB, just decent quality, so those Shimano ones sound perfect.

[LotusMartin]

I'm considering one of these;

www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXKAFF2TIA/planet_x...

ticks all the boxes £799 though

Edited by LotusMartin on Thursday 19th September 06:35

[WeirdNeville]

BGarside said:

Would suggest something with disc brakes & clearance for larger tyres (say 28mm) with full mudguards. This rules out most so-called 'winter' trainers like the basic Ribble frame.

Discs will give more consistent braking in the wet and you won't be wearing out rims and needing wheel rebuilds every couple of years...

I'm about to buy a disc-braked, hub-geared bike for the winter to cut down the maintenance required.

After 5 years daily use with only a front caliper brake, my Mavic open pro rims were just fine. That was 12-15 miles a day. I went through a few brake blocks though.