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  • More road bike chat- Spec your ideal titanium winter bike
  • ads-b
    Free Member

    So I am going to give these cheap titanium winter frame jobbies a go. £465 is pretty good value. Just not sure what I want. On the list of possibilities so far is:
    1. Mudguard mounts
    2. Panier mounts
    3. Disk tabs
    4. Hose tabs for said disks
    5. Di2 battery mounts and cable route
    6. Caliper brake fixings
    6. Internal cable routing for gears/brakes

    Now I could get it all, but it seems overkill and may look a bit odd. I am not sure I will even get disk brakes but just thinking about it as something I may want at some point in the future. I dont want to spend much more than the cost of the frame and just move over my old winter hack bits over. Anything Ive missed? Anything you wouldnt put on it?

    Shibboleth
    Free Member

    You’re missing the ethos of a winter bike… Cheap as chips and cobbled together out of leftover parts. If you’re never going to fit discs or Di2, why bother with all the braze-ons?

    Build it basic, ride it, wash it sparingly and stop worrying. I’m actually looking forward to getting “Doris the Dolan” out of the bike room and lubing her up!

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    I am not sure I will even get disk brakes

    See ,that is top of my list for my next winter/tourer/commuter.
    Ti might be stretching it a bit,I have been looking at a Shand .

    Not too bothered about internal cable routing .

    FuzzyWuzzy
    Full Member

    Def not internal cable routing, more hassle than it’s worth on a bike that you shouldn’t be caring about how it looks. I wouldn’t bother with Di2 mounts either.
    The rest of your list makes sense, I’d just add to make sure it can take 28mm tyres along with the mudguards.
    Will be interested though if you get it done and what the final cost is as I need to change my winter frame and Ti makes sense but I don’t want to spend a grand on the more common options.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Hub dynamo.

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    What’s your summer bike? Be careful not to spec you winter one better than the summer.
    When spring comes round again you want to feel the zip of getting on a lighter, slick shifting summer bike so there needs to be a difference.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    My titanium winter bike is also my titanium tourer, commuter and CX bike. Discs, mudguards, panniers mounts are all present and there’s enough clearance for 35c (and probably larger) tyres.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Erm.. Winter tit bike… Erm… Nope.

    Buy a Boardman Carbom Team and ride it to death, get it muddy, gritty and grimy then jet wash it.

    T’is what I did a couple of years ago and it’s still going strong.

    All in it was £1000 IIRC.

    Bargain.

    Edric64
    Free Member

    Winter bike should be the old 7 speed crap from the back of the garage chucked on your once pride and joy 70s race frame !

    bails
    Full Member

    It’s not a proper winter bike if you can’t fit spiked ice tyres to it 😉

    And get discs.

    messiah
    Free Member

    Same bike as the rest of the year just covered in crap 😳

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    commuter bike becomes winter bike

    roadrat ,hub gear , mudguards , drop bars , pogies , lots of reflective stuff , rack , cable disks (pistons on hydros dont like lots of salt spray) and ice spikes from the first sign of frost full length greased and sealed cables.

    ti with that spec is far too posh.

    jameso
    Full Member

    Nowt wrong with a ti winter bike, may as well enjoy it if you’re doing lengthy winter miles? Rust/corrosion free is good. Just my 2p,
    1. Mudguard mounts – certainly, 100%. P35s and 25c at least.
    2. Panier mounts – not vital, especially if it’s a compact frame with caliper brakes. Tubus Fly type of 3-point racks work well for small bags.
    3. Disk tabs – one or the other ideally but why not – may be a faff with racks/guards tho
    4. Hose tabs for said disks – not a make or break, but if you’re going for discs may as well do it properly from the start. How much wet-weather riding will you really do?
    5. Di2 battery mounts and cable route – not on a winter bike for me.
    6. Caliper brake fixings – disc or calipers, I’d choose one and commit
    6. Internal cable routing for gears/brakes – Not on a winter bike that I had to maintain.. how much time do you have for spannering?

    cr500dom
    Free Member

    Where are the frames from ?
    got a link ?

    ads-b
    Free Member

    Chinese titanium

    I am not spending much on it. Just frame and forks for now. Got my old Planet X to rob all the bits off. Old 105 all around, cheap shimano wheels, planet X finishing bits.

    The internal routing on the planet x has done me proud over many winters. Not changed the cables once. Hence that.

    I do think it daft have disk + calipers- but just going disk means new wheels and brakes. Was just going to replace the wheels when ive ground the rims down and then swap the brakes at the same time. Bite the bullet now?

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Wouldn’t fit Di2 on my winter bike. Find it quite tricky to operate with thick winter gloves. Yet to be sold on discs on the road, would need to give them a try. Swiss stop salmon do a good enough job of winter braking for me. Don’t care about panniers either, winter bike not a commuter. Mounts for proper guards are essential though. Not that fussed about internal cables either, some of the sealed kits work very well and internal can be a faff. Would like to give a hub gear a go though.

    birdage
    Full Member

    Hey Scotroutes what’s your bike? Sounds nice.

    mcboo
    Free Member

    Dont get discs. I did on my Genesis. Heavy, ugly, you dont need them on a commuter.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Van Nicholas Amazon


    2010-04-13 23-45-11 by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

    tinribz
    Free Member

    My Xacd arrived this week. Added a disc mount for when if it ever gets relegated to a winter bike, the Kaffenback serves that purpose now and really appreciate dbs in the wet. Not sure I’d bother with internal routing, panniers & mudguard are a good idea.

    I spent more time worrying about the size and angles though.

    Bez
    Full Member

    Mudguards are a must for a winter bike.

    Rack mounts, might as well have ’em IMO: a rack lets you mount a rack pack which is a versatile option for extra long rides and mini tours; and a rack is also the best mounting for a rear dyno light.

    Discs, yeah. I hate the constant coating of brake sludge on my winter bike, especially when I had to fix a puncture on a tight bead in the middle of the night. Ugh. That alone makes discs worth it for me.

    I’d avoid internal cabling. I’ve always found under-BB routing reliable and low-maintenance.

    If I was looking at other fancy options I’d be thinking about sliding dropouts to allow room for studded tyres (or panniers) whilst allowing a shorter back end in the summer (and maybe a front mech braze-on to allow a shorter back end with mudguards); and maybe some dyno wire routing, not that I expect Chinese Ti has anything for that. And I’d be tempted to add a third cage mount under the down tube for big rides, not that it’s often required.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    My Yukon is perfect for me, as a commuter/light tourer/winter trainer.

    The only unusual/specific things are Sturmer Archer drum/dynohubs (not as strong as discs but long lasting) and high power led lights, Tubus rack.

    oldgit
    Free Member

    I’d just go pretty standard ‘audax style’. Close mudguard clearance. Rack mounts. Standard routing. Regular geometry, not sportive. In the winter you spend a lot of time in the drops fighting the wind, I’d not want to be sat bolt upright a la sportive short TT and high HT.

    gonetothehills
    Free Member

    I’ve just build my ideal titanium winter bike!

    I found my “winter bike” does about 10 times as many miles as my “summer bike” – as it’s also my commuter, trainer, tourer, go to bike. Which is why when I was looking at adding a really nice bike to the fleet, I replaced that, rather than the high days and dry days one. I’ve not ridden anything else since my Kinesis Tripster ATR landed at the end of last month. It’s not cheap, but then it is very good – and ticks all the boxes bar the Di2 / internal cable things you’re after.

    For donkey’s years I’ve been of the opinion that a winter bike should have cheap kit on it, in case you damage it or wear it out, but it seems crazy when you’re doing so many miles on it, not to have it nice. With 28mm Conti 4 Seasons on, some P35 mudguards, your 105 groupset and some decent mechanical discs (have a look at the TRP Spyres) you’ll be laughing year round – not just when it’s dark and grey 🙂

    Mine’s got an Ultegra 6700 groupset, Halo Aerotrack rims laced to some lightweight, cartridge bearing Novatec hubs (easy maintenance and reliable), Deda bars, stem and post, Flite Gel Flow, Hope BB (as before), Crank Bros Candys, the new TRP Spyre disc brakes and it’s just shy of 20lbs.

Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)

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