Sounds like a horrid question to ask but to be fair, it is my “winter” bike (albeit I don’t ride if it’s horrific anyway)…

It doesn’t have clearance for proper full length guards (nor does it have any mounts for guards so will have to be clip on of sorts) and has regular 49mm drop calipers not 57mm drop, but it does have bigger clearances than most road bikes as it can readily take 28mm tyres. I run 25’s, and to be honest they’re not the biggest 25’s either (look more like a 23 next to a Conti GP4000 25), so there is room for guards in there of some sort.

But what to fit? Don’t like the Crud ones, not even the new Mk3’s, they seem a bit of a bodge still. Don’t mind spending the money on something better if it’s worth it… Have seen Swarf Cycle’s carbon guards which are things of beauty, but suspect they require long drop calipers and full clearance (and guard mounts!) to run?

Any ideas? I’d heard the PDW guards were good, but then a friend who ran them slated them saying they made a right racket!

Would the Giant Speedshield fit under your brakes? Still need to clip on elsewhere, obviously.

Ritchey as a winter bike?

Someone had to say it

Raceblade long?

Ritchey as a winter bike?

What’s wrong with that? Life is too short to ride shit bikes if you don’t have to.

Had those Giant guards on my old Defy a few years ago. First thing to note is that they weren’t the hardiest, the aluminium bracket that mounts behind the brake bolt snapped after maybe a dozen rides. Second thing is I don’t have any guard mounts!

You’d baulk at my summer bike then cynic-al. Which I was still riding only 2 weeks ago when it was cold yet dry.

Will Raceblade long’s fit ok with 25’s and normal drop calipers?

Will Raceblade long’s fit ok with 25’s and normal drop calipers?

Yes, should do

simondbarnes – Member
Ritchey as a winter bike?
What’s wrong with that? Life is too short to ride shit bikes if you don’t have to.

Amen.

OP, PDW’s

Whatever you go with, please stick some pics and an update on here. 🙂

Any ideas? I’d heard the PDW guards were good, but then a friend who ran them slated them saying they made a right racket!

Mine did until I fitted a small rubber pad between rear brake and the top of the guard, they are now silent.
They don’t take 25’s though*. I run schwalbe 23’s on 17mm internal width rims so a bit wider than on old school narrow rims.

*obviously these are the narrow version

And yes life is too short to ride shit bikes (custom Columbus spirit Chesini as a winter bike here)

I run PDWs on my CAAD10 winter bike. The clearances front and rear are tight but it all fits together very well. You’ll have to go to 23mm tyres as they just aren’t made for 25mm or above. As somebody mentioned above, the majority of the rattles can be eliminated by placing a rubber shim just where the rear caliper rests above the ‘guard; this has sorted out my only problem (as it has for friends who run PDWs). Once fitted – which takes as long as Cruds – they are solid and stay put. As they are a ‘proper’ length, the rear flaps ensure that any riders behind you get really good protection from road spray. Add to that, they look beautiful (as mudguards go).

Raceblade long sounds like your best option even though they are a bit rubbish compared to proper guards.

PDW. I’ve tried almost all. The Giant ones were good when fitted but rattled a bit. Eventually one of the plastic clamps failed and they rattled a lot more then!

For a winter bike you should have proper fully fitted guards. The Raceblade Longs are good and I’ve used them on a racebike. But for a Ritchey for winter, PDW would be my first choice now.

Too right life’s too short to ride crappy bikes…

After several years buying cheapo winter bikes during the winter and realising that it’s no fun riding something that has a dead, plank-like feeling like many cheap frames do, these past 3 years I’ve bought a 2nd frame identical to my summer bike and built it up with lesser components -that way I was always riding a great frame that fitted me perfectly all year round.

This year however, I’ve got myself a Ritchey Road Logic for winter and Spring Classics duties. They reputedly ride brilliantly.

Can’t wait to get this thing built up!

I met the European brand manager for Ritchey on Wednsday night. Nice chap, but wasn’t very happy when he was referred to as ‘the Ritchey rep’ 🙂

For those that wanted to see…

I met the European brand manager for Ritchey on Wednsday night. Nice chap, but wasn’t very happy when he was referred to as ‘the Ritchey rep’

😆

After several years buying cheapo winter bikes during the winter and realising that it’s no fun riding something that has a dead, plank-like feeling like many cheap frames do

Quite… Looking at a bike and thinking “god do I have to go out on that piece of ****?” invariably ends up in misery or a ride missed. For me 99 times out of 100, it means a ride missed. So having wanted one for years, and using my trade contacts, finally decided to secure myself a Logic frame to rehome all the bits off my old carbon bike.

This year however, I’ve got myself a Ritchey Road Logic for winter and Spring Classics duties. They reputedly ride brilliantly.

I genuinely don’t think you’ll be upset. I wanted one cos I love the look, I love the heritage of Ritchey, and I quite like steel. Of course I read all the reviews I could, but even having been told “it’s not just good for steel, it’s very good full stop” I wasn’t quite prepared for just how nice it rides! All I can say is I wish I’d got one sooner, I think many carbon bikes may come and go but this one will be staying for long enough for its paint job to fade/chip/crack away and get replaced with a full custom red/white/blue period Ritchey paint job methinks! 😛

I run PDWs on my CAAD10 winter bike. The clearances front and rear are tight but it all fits together very well. You’ll have to go to 23mm tyres as they just aren’t made for 25mm or above.

That’s the thing, I’d genuinely rather get slightly damp than run 23’s again! Sounds stupid I know, but I’m not going back to smaller tyres… That said, I just measured my particular brand of 25 tyres on my rims with a vernier and they’re 24mm wide. So might just get away with the PDW’s…

That said, I could probably just get away with normal SKS Raceblade’s for the level of winter riding I do… Hmmmm.

Sadly, in my experience, the Road Logic will NOT readily take 28c tyres…

Tried Schwalbe 28c Pro One tubeless tyres and whilst the frame was fine they rubbed on the forks. Last time I looked at it Ritchey say it will take ‘many’ 28c tyres – alas not all!

Ah, white saddle and bar tape I see, who’d you get that idea from? 😉

simondbarnes – Member
What’s wrong with that? Life is too short to ride shit bikes if you don’t have to.

You just love having a go at me don’t you. Even after I poke humour at my own point.

Who said winter bikes must be shit? Having worked on so many inappropriate bikes with barely working, bodged on mudguards etc…I like mine to do its job well… fitting decent mudguards is easy peasey.

As a sideline it does give me a giggle, the reverence Ritheys get here (and yes I have owned one).

Just fitted set of these in stealth black(£29.99) at probikekit…

http://road.cc/content/review/192758-sks-raceblade-propro-xl

Having broke a few sets of previous incarnation I was sceptical but these do adjust/fit very well and plastic feels less brittle 🙂

Sorry OP you shouldn’t be allowed such a bike. It’s not a winter hack. Buy a Genesis and return it for a refund.

Hang on hora, didn’t you sell yours because it was “too nice”? 😉

I hated riding it in the rain and needed an all-rounder that I could also commute on. Hence I realised I wasn’t the right careful owner for such a beaut.

Abit like buying a beautiful classic car and driving through road salt daily.

It’s a £600 Taiwanese steel Road frame not a custom made beautifully painted thoroughbred, there are thousands like it being ridden on shitty roads by fat biffers in baggy Lycra. I bet they have mismatched tyres and rattle saddlebags filled with squashed malt loaf too.

You are trying to romanticise a mondeo.

Just because you shop in the higher echelons of bling and craftsmanship doesn’t mean the serfs can’t live to dream 🙄

Just fitted set of these

Am rapidly coming to the conclusion that these are the best option for me.

It’s a £600 Taiwanese steel Road frame not a custom made beautifully painted thoroughbred

£950 RRP but who’s counting. It’s not custom no, but it was designed by Tom himself. At 1750g for the frame (mine’s a 53cm) it’s giving away 1kg to some of the lighter carbon options, and 500g to even the cheap carbon frames, but it’s lighter than the Genesis Volare 953 stainless frame! Those who don’t get them write them off as an overpriced equivalent to the cheap steel Ribble Audax frame. Those who do get them understand that despite the dull paint job and the un-named tubing that it really is a rather nice bike to ride!

You are trying to romanticise a mondeo.

More of a 2 seat open top sports car like a Z4 IMO… Those who don’t get them think they’re hairdressers cars, those who do have a big grin on their face! Sure it’s not a Ferrari or a Porsche, but then it’s not Ferrari or Porsche money either.

A Trek Domane with 105 on… now that’s a Mondeo!

Ah, white saddle and bar tape I see, who’d you get that idea from?

Was genuinely trying to build the bike as cheaply as I could, already had the white saddle which saved buying a new one, and the white bar tape was a freebie… I’ll admit does look quite good though!

Nice bike.

Having bought a Swiss Cross a few weeks back I am currently refusing to ride anything else. I’m pretty convinced I now need a p29 but can’t tell the Mrs yet 🙂

Those who don’t get them write them off as an overpriced equivalent to the cheap steel Ribble Audax frame. Those who do get them understand that despite the dull paint job and the un-named tubing that it really is a rather nice bike to ride!

Sorry, there’s nothing magic about it, its a nice frame for sure, but it’s well overpriced (unless the name is worth a few hundred) the truth is somewhere in between.

I didn’t say it was magic! But you can’t argue with Tom Ritchey’s experience at making nice frames.

Anyway back on topic. Ordered myself some of the new RaceBlade Pro XL’s…

You just love having a go at me don’t you

Sorry, should have put a 🙂
Nothing personal, very much enjoy your forum contributions.

🙂

you can’t argue with Tom Ritchey’s experience at making nice frames.

No, it’s a pretty simple thing done very well by many, even Ribble!

Here’s my Ritchey Road Logic new winter steed freshly built up (steerer tube will be trimmed next week):

Nice one Digger90! What size? 53cm?

Fitted the RaceBlade Pro’s the other day… WOW, sooooooo much better than the previous model! Took about 10 minutes to fit. Rode it that evening, and didn’t rattle at all and gave brilliant coverage. Those behind me didn’t get any spray in their face etc. and me and the bike were a whole lot cleaner than we would have been otherwise.

You have a good eye – Yes, it’s a 53cms.

5th ride on it today – gotta say I literally couldn’t be more pleased. It’s a very well balanced bike, precise steering, good handling, is a great climber and rolls extremely well along flat and rolling terrain. In short, a very good bike indeed! 🙂

Merry Christmas all…

Digger – out of interest how tall are you?

I’m 5’9 and a bit… I like road bikes with a 55cms (ish) effective TT.

My summer bike is a Colnago C59 in 52S

Saddle height in the pic is 73cms from BB centre to top of seat

Pdw full metal fenders. I have some stock left… just.

Linky linky

You have a good eye – Yes, it’s a 53cms.

Could tell cos mine is too!

I’m 5’9 and a bit… I like road bikes with a 55cms (ish) effective TT.

5ft10 here and 54.5-55cm ETT with a 110mm stem is my preferred setup on a road bike.

Saddle height in the pic is 73cms from BB centre to top of seat

I’m 74cm so pretty damned close!

My summer bike is a Colnago C59 in 52S

You sir have taste!

Just got a new Wilier Cento 10 Air to replace the Zero 7 I was running this year. Not taken it out yet, and doubt I will til March to be fair!