Who needs a winter bike

[ray j willings]

I confess to being a weight weenie. I have quite tasty bits on my bikes.
I find the winter quite nice to ride in. I don't see any reason to change anything on my bikes. It tends to be just colder, if anything it rains much more in spring/ summer which is when I find myself cleaning my bike the most.
I clean my bikes with baby wipes nothing else. I use white lightening grease on moving parts. This grease is clear and it is as though you don't have any grease on your bike , No grease dirty stains or marks. The only bit of dirt I ever pick up is from my chain. I really think the winter bike is just not needed.
I really don't want to ride around on some heavy dirty bike because I cannot be bothered to clean my bike and as stated it's spring when your bike needs the most cleaning

 

[winkybiker]

Living in Vancouver, I think a winter bike is a real advantage, if not essential. For commuting, something that has lights, obviously. Fenders are essential for our club rides out of repsect for the other riders. I don't want to soil my Colnago with such accoutrements.

The roads here are wet for pretty much 5 solid months. Keeping a bike clean is a real challenge. Bearings, chains and cassettes have a short life. Very expensive to run Super Record through a Vancouver winter! Rims wear out very quickly. Better chew out some $250 wheels in a couple of winters' riding than a $1400 set. And so on. I have no trouble commuting on my C59 in the summer, but switch to a more utilitarian steed for the winter.

 

[Captain Serious]

I suppose it depends what you call "rain" (and road spray), and whether or not you can afford to replace pricey parts.

Heavy road spray sends water in places inside your bike that you might not imagine, such as inside rims, the frame, bottom bracket bearings, inside hubs, derailleur jockey wheels; pretty much everywhere.

People see pro mechanics on tv giving the team bikes a quick wash with soap and hose, and a quick clean and re-lubing of the drivetrain, then assume that that's good enough for them. I wouldn't hose down one of my "good" bikes in a pink fit. The pros only need their bike to look good and function properly for a very short time, so it doesn't matter if hosing is doing longer term damage.

Rain trashes everything. As the above poster suggests, braking a lot in wet conditions can wreck a rim in no time. I once chewed through a front Mavic CXP33 in about 2 months of commuting one Winter. Also, some saddles don't like getting wet too much; the covers can sometimes wear quicker and lose adhesion.

As you may have guessed, I have a dedicated wet day bike, and it's a luxury I'd never give up.
It isn't all that much worse or heavier than my good bikes. It's older aluminium with my oldest groupset and wheels, and I usually run a more durable rear tyre (Continental Gatorskin or Four Seasons) to reduce the chance of puncturing..

 

[ray j willings]

I suppose maintaining your bikes condition is important. My bikes are pretty easy to look after. I never touch them with water just baby wipes. It's not really a big job to whip out your crank and re-grease. That's the main cause for concern after a few rainy rides. I always wipe down my tires and rims as well if they pick up any muck. I live in London It does rain but I do have more free time than most so luckily most times my rides are dry although every now and again I will go for a ride when it's pouring down really heavy because I feel the need for the rain on my face and it makes me man up

 

[elapid]

My winter bike is also my CX bike, but I also have a heavy-duty commuter. I live in Ottawa, so winter means snow and ice, and spring means mud, grit and grime from the snow melt. Baby wipes will not cut the mustard in these conditions, and I'd rather ride my less expensive bikes with less expensive componentry but are equally as fun to ride in the snow, wet, mud and grime. Doesn't mean I care for them any less, but as winkybiker and Captain Serious have pointed out, these conditions can trash a bike pretty quickly no matter how carefully your bikes are maintained.

 

[King Boonen]

I can kind of see both sides. I have one road bike, it's pretty good but by no means the greatest. Reynolds 853 frame running 105 with RS21 wheels. It might even be quite close to what some of you guys run as winter bikes. I don't see any need for a winter bike, I keep my bike clean and running well and I'm a mountain biker in Scotland so I'm used to having to clean bikes well! Sure I'd love a winter/wet weather bike, mainly for the disc brakes, but I can't afford or store one at the moment. If you run the same bike for all four seasons you just have to accept you're going to go through parts quicker than you would otherwise. I'd never run super record or carbon wheels anyway, but certainly if you have the money to but Tha gear you should be running something much cheaper through the winter!

So there is no need for one, your main how will be fine if you look after it, but there are certainly benefits to having a cheaper, more durable bike that you are less attached to for the cold and wet days/months (all year if you live in Scotland!).

 

[winkybiker]

One thing that is relevant here is the usage patterns. If you commute (as I do), then you're on the road rain, snow, hail or shine. If you just "train" you may have more latitude to avoid the wet weather, so a winter bike might not be as necessary.

 

[OffTheBackAdam]

I bet your clubmates love riding behind you without any mudguards!
Not everyone gets the chance to wash their bikes after every ride and some of us are in countries where the roads get salted in winter too.
As for babywipes to clean your bike? I think you're taking the **** matey!

 

[ray j willings]

I bet your clubmates love riding behind you without any mudguards!
Not everyone gets the chance to wash their bikes after every ride and some of us are in countries where the roads get salted in winter too.
As for babywipes to clean your bike? I think you're taking the **** matey!

Nope. I do indeed use baby wipes. Both my bikes [ one I am now rebuilding with a few changes] are naked carbon no paint. Ax lightness orion [old lighter ones just over 100grms] brakes, tuned sram red rear mech [85 grms ] handbulit clinchers [1180 grms] sanded down Stiletto ums fork [ 230grms] seatpost combo not a Berk but made by Ed at London carbon. Just crazy light parts that I just wipe clean with baby wipes. Virtually the same spec on both bikes except si sl cranks on the Guru Photon. They are very easy to clean and keep clean. No water involved at all.

 

[wrinklyvet]

Nope. I do indeed use baby wipes. Both my bikes [ one I am now rebuilding with a few changes] are naked carbon no paint. Ax lightness orion [old lighter ones just over 100grms] brakes, tuned sram red rear mech [85 grms ] handbulit clinchers [1180 grms] sanded down Stiletto ums fork [ 230grms] seatpost combo not a Berk but made by Ed at London carbon. Just crazy light parts that I just wipe clean with baby wipes. Virtually the same spec on both bikes except si sl cranks on the Guru Photon. They are very easy to clean and keep clean. No water involved at all.

If you came out riding in a group on a country roads in winter you would soon be needing more than baby wipes, whatever you bike is made of.

And as OffTheBackAdam says, you would be expected to have mudguards or you can spend your time at the back. In my neck of the woods, it's impolite not to have an extra custom mudflap on the back as well.

Having a winter bike saves the best one(s) from general dirt, grit, salt (sometimes), mud off the fields and unnecessary wear on components. We love the dry days but don't always get them.

No baby wipes would sort this lot out.

I can only assume that your riding is not of this kind and not on such roads.

 

[King Boonen]

One thing that is relevant here is the usage patterns. If you commute (as I do), then you're on the road rain, snow, hail or shine. If you just "train" you may have more latitude to avoid the wet weather, so a winter bike might not be as necessary.

Yeah, I do commute but I've cut down due to the weather and the fact I don't have the money to replace drive chain and rims. In that case a winter bike makes perfect sense (although I'd probably use a £40 heap if I was going to do it!).

In my neck of the woods, it's impolite not to have an extra custom mudflap on the back as well.

The current Crud Road Racer MK2's have a very long tail, works perfectly for group riding.


For what it's worth you should also have mudguards if you ride on your own in the wet, especially up front unless you want your jacket and face filled with mud.



In terms of cleaning, my road bike goes in the shower after any wet/winter ride

 

[ray j willings]

If you came out riding in a group on a country roads in winter you would soon be needing more than baby wipes, whatever you bike is made of.

And as OffTheBackAdam says, you would be expected to have mudguards or you can spend your time at the back. In my neck of the woods, it's impolite not to have an extra custom mudflap on the back as well.

Having a winter bike saves the best one(s) from general dirt, grit, salt (sometimes), mud off the fields and unnecessary wear on components. We love the dry days but don't always get them.

No baby wipes would sort this lot out.

I can only assume that your riding is not of this kind and not on such roads.

I live in London so a lot of my riding is in and around. There are country roads but they are roads/lanes etc Essex way or up to the St albans area. Worse time would be after snowing and dirty slushy conditions. I do ride in Scotland once a year up in the highlands to work on my climbing and then over to France to ride the usual stuff, Huez etc if I get a chance. Plan on going to Italy this year. living in London we don't usually get any real long spells of wintery conditions mostly just wet roads. Like I said even in the worst of conditions I just use a few baby wipes and my bike is as good as gold [ carbon] but I appreciate living in harsher conditions a winter bike would make sense.

 

[winkybiker]

The current Crud Road Racer MK2's have a very long tail, works perfectly for group riding.


For what it's worth you should also have mudguards if you ride on your own in the wet, especially up front unless you want your jacket and face filled with mud.

They're compulsory on our group rides, including the extension at the back. When I'm riding by myself, I don't really care about the back, but you shoes stay drier with a suitably extended front fender/mudguard. Of course if it really raining, you will be completely wet anyway, so who cares? Just enjoy it. And it's only water, it washes right off. A wet day on the bike is much, much better than any day in the car, and even better than any day on the bus.

 

[richwagmn]

Totally depends on what winter is for you.

Where I live (in the midwest of the US), winters are cold (often below 0C and sometimes way below) and snowy.

Once the snow starts falling, a lot of de-icing chemical gets applied and isn't gone until spring after a few good rains.

There's no way I'd ride my road bike in such conditions (both for the bike and for my safety).

So I ride a cross bike during the winter with studded tires. It's not fancy and is no way lightweight. But I have so much gear on (insulated cycling boots for instance), that bike weight is a non-factor for me. Studded tires are simply necessary. You have no idea when you might hit ice or snow and it's so easy to go down in the winter.

If I lived somewhere where it was only colder and roads weren't subject to snow/ice and de-icing chemicals, I doubt I'd ride a different bike.

 

[King Boonen]

De-icing chemical? Do they not just use rock salt in the US like over here? I'm guessing you experience much lower temps than us so probably not, I'm curious what is used though?

Sounds like you need a fat bike

 

[richwagmn]

De-icing chemical? Do they not just use rock salt in the US like over here? I'm guessing you experience much lower temps than us so probably not, I'm curious what is used though?

Sounds like you need a fat bike

No, it's mostly rock salt. New bridge decks have automatic deicers that spray a liquid solution (still guessing it's a salt brine of some sort).

I've been thinking about a fat bike...

It does get quite cold where I live. Next week's high temperatures will be -17C. We get much colder than that.

 

[King Boonen]

No, it's mostly rock salt. New bridge decks have automatic deicers that spray a liquid solution (still guessing it's a salt brine of some sort).

I've been thinking about a fat bike...

It does get quite cold where I live. Next week's high temperatures will be -17C. We get much colder than that.

Sounds like a fatbike is exactly what you need then. Too many people buying them over here to ride bog standard trails.

 

[simo1733]

Nope. I do indeed use baby wipes. Both my bikes [ one I am now rebuilding with a few changes] are naked carbon no paint. Ax lightness orion [old lighter ones just over 100grms] brakes, tuned sram red rear mech [85 grms ] handbulit clinchers [1180 grms] sanded down Stiletto ums fork [ 230grms] seatpost combo not a Berk but made by Ed at London carbon. Just crazy light parts that I just wipe clean with baby wipes. Virtually the same spec on both bikes except si sl cranks on the Guru Photon. They are very easy to clean and keep clean. No water involved at all.

Naked carbon!I am suprised you dare go out in the rain.You know it absorbs water.

 

[ray j willings]

Naked carbon!I am suprised you dare go out in the rain.You know it absorbs water.

I use aero 303. Its a bit like furniture polish. You wipe it on every now and then and that's it.
It gives the carbon UV protection which is more of a concern.
I think it's parlee or giant "not sure" include a bottle of 303 when you buy one of their nude framed bikes.

I would say the main concern if anyone out there is not aware of is galvanic corrosion. I have no alloy contacting the carbon. It nearly ruined one of my bikes. I use plastic screws for the water bottle and ti bolts on my ax lightness brakes. Alloy and carbon don't mix well. Just a tip, If you have to use a alloy seat post then make sure it's well greased and take it out on a regular basis.
Carbon seatposts are very cheap so much safer to use one instead.

 

[Archibald]

"horses for courses" innit?

I've done London for several years and the "rain" there is nothing like it is in Sydney. It may be regular, but there's never really the torrential downpours that are constantly here in Sydney.
The other thing I've noticed is that when it rained in London, it seemed to almost clean the streets. Here in Sydney it seems to make them worse with all sorts of sh*t on the roads after the usual downpour. It is more of a challenge here to keep your steed clean in the wet.
I have a 'cheap' roadie for commuting and chewed through a sora groupset in just on a year, having ridden through it all. And that's after looking after it reasonably well...

I rarely use the commuter on a weekend, but have occasionally used it for weekend rides when it's been wet.

I look at it this way, if you have the nice jag/merc/etc for weekends, then why not use the cheap sh*tbox car for day to day commuting, and keep the good car in good nick?

 

[simo1733]

I use aero 303. Its a bit like furniture polish. You wipe it on every now and then and that's it.
It gives the carbon UV protection which is more of a concern.
I think it's parlee or giant "not sure" include a bottle of 303 when you buy one of their nude framed bikes.

I would say the main concern if anyone out there is not aware of is galvanic corrosion. I have no alloy contacting the carbon. It nearly ruined one of my bikes. I use plastic screws for the water bottle and ti bolts on my ax lightness brakes. Alloy and carbon don't mix well. Just a tip, If you have to use a alloy seat post then make sure it's well greased and take it out on a regular basis.
Carbon seatposts are very cheap so much safer to use one instead.

I must have misunderstood what you meant by Naked.You have gel coat but no paint?