3 chains, 2 cassettes, 2 middle chainrings, 8 pairs of brake pads, 8 bearings purchased in the last 3 weeks. Also looking forward to buying a new set of bearings in the headset, and a new external BB. This summer's riding had better be worth all this ball ache.
Bike Forum
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Winter riding, just what is the **** point.!
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Posted 1 year ago #
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is your bike made of cheese?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Shouldn't be such a mincer then Mick, get yourself a SS
Posted 1 year ago # -
If you still need to ask, then your mad.
Winter riding is ace.
Posted 1 year ago # -
3 bikes, made of brie it would seem. And Lowey, I wouldn't mind if all my riding was as photogenic as your pics, instead of the somme like conditions I seem to attract.
Posted 1 year ago # -
come on you've got to love it - the feeling of no toes???
Posted 1 year ago # -
Rode all through the winter,nowt needs replacing. If you wait for decent weather in this country,you'd either,a)never ride,or b)be so unfit,that you'd be unable to ride.
Posted 1 year ago # -
It's because you get days like this:-
Posted 1 year ago # -
Maintain your bikes and buy good components.
A good few miles this winter - maybe a thousand? maybe more? A set of brake pads at the puffer - thats it for replacements.
Hope brakes with OE sintered pads, chains lubed with putoline motorcycle chain wax
Posted 1 year ago # -
not long in from a 5 hour night ride - winter riding rocks - feet went numb though - silly here thought it was summer shoe time - how i dont know
this winter ive replaced 4 sets of brake pads - at the puffer
ss for winter is the way forward !
do need to replace my cassette and chain from last summers riding though
Posted 1 year ago # -
One of the many reasons I do more DH in the winter. Little additional bike wear and the steeper trails drain better. Slogging along slowly in draggy mud is a fools game.
Posted 1 year ago # -
One HT winter hack.
Mix of LX, XT and SLX.
1x rear casette, 1x chain, 1x front ring plus 1x pair of pads, 1x tyre, 1x Candy pedals (£20 CRC at present).In early May, ahead of races and events, then it's another change back to XT kit.
The full sus' has XTR kit and will come out from Easteer onwards for the Trail Centre w/ends away.
PS Mic: where are you riding, around a sand pit perhaps?!
Posted 1 year ago # -
The OP sounds like a proper rider, not like you lot. He wears stuff out because he rides hard. I understand where he's coming from. Me and him should talk.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm with Samuri and the OP. Well maybe not the OP cos I get the point and love it but I have done 3 chains since Dec. They keep snapping on me. Also the 11,12,13 rings on my rear cassette slip now and my middle ring is warped. It was brand new in Nov. Down to lugging a fat knacker uphill in deep snow I reckon. Mono M4s seized up in the "clamp rotor ridiculously tight" position too. Good job I have a SS to play on while it gets fixed again!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Well, I'm not with the OP, samuri, DeVs or any of the other whingeing gits who've complained about the winter/snow etc
Although I enjoy all the seasons, I always look forward to snow & ice riding in winter, and the last 2 winters have yielded far more such rides than previous recent years. This ride near Ingleton last March sticks in my mind:
click pic for bigger
although it was a hard frost -4C, I was never cold, and the snow had such a sensuous, yielding texture it was almost sexual
The challenge of riding snow in its wide variety of textures is endlessly engaging!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Snow is never going to eat your components such as we've been told by the OP.
It has to be someting else entirely.
Where he's riding will make a big difference.
Can we therefore maybe assume he's not washing his bike down after every ride and oiling the working parts correctly?Posted 1 year ago # -
Riding all year round is the business. Enjoy the differences!
Posted 1 year ago # -
i tried it and hated it....
i much prefer the conditions now with it drying up and sunny days.
not because i dont like the cold, because its cold here!!! its just i dont like riding when i have to always be cautious. i like to ride and go for it, not pootle about because i might get covered in snow!
so from now on i ride 3 seasons and winter i stick to ski-ing.
Posted 1 year ago # -
SFB, not all of us have the pleasure of living close to such great riding as you do. In the south it is vastly different, the winter bolt hole; swinley, is now a morasse of mud and knee deep puddles, and if I ride locally on the South Downs, then i have to pedal hard to go downhill, as the chalk turns to treacle in thismuch rain. Mojo is hiding behind the turbo trainer. But I agree with y'all, single speed is the way to go fir the winter!
Posted 1 year ago # -
There is no such thing as one set of winter conditions. I think we can all agree that anyone with a bike, even if it's normally put to bed for the winter, would enjoy a crisp snow clad ride - day or night. But that is not the point of this post or even a typical picture of what ALL winter riding is like. If your idea of riding a bike is taking it out half a dozen times over a period of months and you can pick and choose your weather conditions and terrain then maybe every ride is a winter wonderland but I have a feeling the op rides more frequently than that.
Where the op lives (and therefore rides on a day to day basis) is I suspect very much like where I ride - heavy clay soil which drains poorly. Any ride that leaves from my house at this time of year would be in if not axle deep mud, mud thick and sticky enough to coat every component in minutes and render derailleur gears dysfunctional within half an hour. Many tracks are too deep with heavily rutted mud for any sort of forward movement to be possible and need to be walked. For some of you that live on better draining land "winter" riding might be something totally different.
I got around the problem by building up a Alfined 29er winter bike which helps a bit and by driving to better locations when time allows. Tbh though in the winter I do tend to train and ride on the road more or run when it's too icy to ride safely on the road.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Winter riding this year has been excellent, think moving to the other end of the country has helped as my local used to be Swinley now it's most of the 7Stanes
Had some great night rides and ridden more at night than ever before not as much as I would have liked but plenty all the same.
I've not as yet changed any components though the Ae trails last night were a bit gritty so think that may take it's toll, the trails are all weather though some are a little muddy in places with the snow melt but certainly no where near bog like which is cool, I can only imagine what Swinley is like and have riden there when it's running slow and boggy it can be hard going.
Roll on the spring and summer, but all season riding is where it's at.
ETA - had I been still south I suspect I would have spent the time in the gym, do sympathise with the OP though that is a lot of components to go through, still nearly spring
should get better from here on in.....
Posted 1 year ago # -
I ride with Mic, areas we ride are either too claggy to ride from home (clay based soil just clogs everything up so not an option), limited mostly to night riding due to work and family commitments so long drives to 'better' areas isn't an option, areas that are driveable are all gritty mudfests this time of year so are hard on components.
Anyone else that knows Mick will also vouch for his cleaning and lubing (and general faffing) with his herd, you should see the state of his drive where the bikes are washed!!!!
He just needs to mtfu and get on with it though, unless of course Mrs Arms has seen the credit card statement and then he needs to worry
Posted 1 year ago # -
knowing Micks riding i'm suprised he's not worn out more stuff and i think he commutes at least 30+ miles a day to work
Posted 1 year ago # -
MicArms / votchy ~ LOL
Posted 1 year ago # -
sp - you know what we're talking about!!! What's the meaning of getting out before the end of May anyway, grapevine tells me you were out this week
Posted 1 year ago # -
TandemJeremy - Member
Maintain your bikes and buy good components.
A good few miles this winter - maybe a thousand? maybe more? A set of brake pads at the puffer - thats it for replacements.
Oh course, silly me, I'm just buying spares for the hell of it. Deore cassettes, deore steel middle chainrings, sram p970 chains. Utter shite the lot of it.
TJ Ive also ridden the pffer solo a few times, and as i know you're a 'sweaty sock' I'll assume your local riding would possibley be in similar soil conditions. Good for you only needing such limited replacements, hwoever as it has been pointed out , not all mud is created equal.
Posted 1 year ago # -
It's great all round exercise, you ride, you push. Total body work out! Then you clean your gear but that must be such a chore for some!
Roll on the long wet summer...Posted 1 year ago # -
Had a great winter so far, pretty little wear pads six, canti pads one, rims one, jockey wheels one. All cassettes and chains due a change in April.
Last night went out expecting gloop from the weekends flooding only to find it bordering on dry and dusty?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Winter riding is great but it can take it’s toll on the bike, if you have the choice leave the bouncer at home, as wonderful as they are mud/rain + bearings never really works well, a crud catcher and a neo guard or bit of inner tube reduces that Somme like feeling, do what you can to weather proof the bike, lower HS race cover, silicone spray where appropriate, sintered pads all help a little to extend the bikes crap weather operating capabilities
Just give the chains/rings/cassette a good clean and re-grease every ride, no point replacing it until “summer” rolls round, just run Deore/Alivio rings and a cheap chain and ride them into the ground for now…
Posted 1 year ago # -
I second Hopes with their own organic pads - there simply isn't anything out there as long lasting.
I live by the mantra that if you want to ride all year round with any degree of regularity, and you want to a) not be poor and b) not wash your bike non-stop - you need to own a singlespeed, and the cheaper and nastier the better!
Posted 1 year ago # -
singlespped for off road
road bike for the road
Replacements costs this winter nil - though I did get two punctures.Posted 1 year ago # -
Blimey, things must be pretty harsh up in deepest Worcestershire if Mick(MTFU)Arms is complaining.
Mick - I think you really know, deep down, that the only true solution to this situation is involves one gear only Posted 1 year ago # -
SS Inbred, old Coil Forks, SS cogs front & rear.
Hose off gently, not jet wash.
And agreed, correctly bedded in OE Sintered pads do seem to last longer.Posted 1 year ago # -
Well, I'm not with the OP, samuri, DeVs or any of the other whingeing gits who've complained about the winter/snow etc
well just to clarify, I didn't complain about riding around in the snow. I love it and I've done plenty this year, I merely symapthise with the OP on wearing kit out fast.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Er, you ride bikes, things wear out. In winter things wear out faster. And if you don't ride in winter you miss some indescribably beautiful moments.
I'd swap any number of Deore cassettes for this.
Posted 1 year ago # -
wearing kit out fast
I do wear out pretty fast, I'll admit to that
Posted 1 year ago # -
Mic - my point is unless you are riding thousands of miles the amount of wear you describe is unreasonable and clearly avoidable. Lube chains better - IMO you cannot beat putoline chain wax - I am certain using it has quadrupled chain life over finishline and hope brakes with OE pads that don't wear out.
Using cheapo pads?
Posted 1 year ago # -
its just i dont like riding when i have to always be cautious. i like to ride and go for it, not pootle about because i might get covered in snow!
gosh, you're making me cry now
What utter, utter tosh :o)
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm with Solamanda.
if you like pedalling that much get a toad bike.
winter Mtb riding for me is more about getting sideways and having fun rather than spending hours pedalling through shit at 3mph.
<EDIT> I'm just gonna leave that "t" in
Posted 1 year ago # -
edit: pants
Posted 1 year ago #
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