I thought I better dig out my winter bike and make sure it’s ready for the task of getting me to work for the next few months (although riding last night felt like a summer’s evening 😆 ) Popped some new Gatorskins on, gave the chain a wipe over and it’s ready to go.
My winter bike is also my commuter so it’s just a case of using that for road rides rather than the “summer” bike. Have now got a singlespeed as well so I’ve a choice this year! 😆
It will be this weekend, the mudguards are being fitted to the Paddy Wagon along with more lights. It’ll need new tyres soon as well but they can wait a few months.
My one and only road bike has now got mudguards on again. I’m gonna be using it a fair bit this winter so it might get treated to some new bits come spring.
No,still faffing about over what to use as my son stole has borrowed my winter bike.Didn’t really need one here last year mind,it was so dry and mild,they only gritted the roads a couple of times.
Yep! Didn’t see the point in waiting for winter either, have been riding it like this for a couple of months now, only thing that might change is to put my Marathons back on if the Vittorias pick up too many punctures (only one so far…).
Spent a lot of time and money getting it just so, chased all the creaks, replaced stock juddery and squeely cantis with mini-vs, got the position just right, found some extra fancy rubber anti-vibration washers to make the PDW guards work with Charge’s weird eyelet positions, even chopped the seatpost down to save that vital extra 30g 8)
Worth it though, easily my favourite bike now and my brand new road bike hasn’t had a look in yet 🙄
The best part is I could easily save half a kilogram just by fitting a spare road wheel I had kicking around (the stock front wheel weighs over a kilogram!) and replacing the mega chunky BMX chain with a 3/32nd MTB chain. Will wait till spring perhaps.
edit: ridiculously pleased with my custom mudflap upgrade also 😀
Was out on the Roubaix last night fitted with Crud guards, the back roads are a mess with water running over, huge puddles hiding potholes and all kinds of debris spread on the road but we came through and made it to the pub in Pendleton for a swiftie before the final race back to Whalley. I use lightweight Veloflex Open Corsas, which ride like a dream and grip like a grippy thing thanks to a soft compound but I don’t get more than 2 or 3 punctures a year.
The Paddy Wagon now has its winter fork and mudguards, the real winter bike is always ready, and the winter cross bike that has no guards is my ride of choice today.
Nope, not sorted one yet. Had been undecided what to do, then decided on a new Kinesis T3 frame with a load of bits I have lying about fitted, and… Every size in stock except for 54cm! So waiting for the 54’s to come back into stock… In the meantime looking around at other ideas, including discs again. Thing is, I’ve got 2 sets of non disc wheels, calipers and a groupset kicking around already if I stick with rim brakes, and if it’s gopping I don’t ride anyway. So it’s more of a “not sunday best” bike than a true winter bike I need if I’m honest but there we go…
Actually humbled by MisterP and Simondbarne’s chainrings, I knew I was pushing a wee gear but didn’t realise how small it looked 🙁 (being cautious of sore knees, often take a hillier route)
Plus, am actually disappointed at the poor selection of ‘winter’ bikes above. I know life is too short to ride a shit bike etc. etc. but just sticking some guards (or not!) on a nice road bike does not a ‘winter bike’ make 😉
OK phew, not as humbling as I thought, I’m 40/16 which is 2% easier 😉
…although I also have half the climbing in my commute 😳
Had been considering going up a tooth on the front ring once I was finished with my spinny intervals that I’m trying to do at the moment (CX training). It’s starting to get a bit sweaty in the waterproofs for that sort of business so a slightly bigger gear and slower leg speed seems in order!
13thfloormonk – Member
Actually humbled by MisterP and Simondbarne’s chainrings, I knew I was pushing a wee gear but didn’t realise how small it looked (being cautious of sore knees, often take a hillier route)
Plus, am actually disappointed at the poor selection of ‘winter’ bikes above. I know life is too short to ride a shit bike etc. etc. but just sticking some guards (or not!) on a nice road bike does not a ‘winter bike’ make
For you, 13thFM.
Wintry winter road bike, taken on a winter road, in winter. With low gearing. 42/12-34. 11T missing off the 9speed block to fit on the 8sp freehub body.
42/16 fixed on my Paddy Wagon, 900ft over 12 miles though that’s almost all condensed into 2 hills. A 17 or 18 tooth cog would be be much more pleasant for the hills but it’d make the rest of the ride too slow and too spinny so I grind up with the 16 tooth and can take a geared bike if it’m feeling particularly unfit/lazy