[Closed] Keeping a bike ‘good’ - Road bike content

Good bike good.

You tell yourself it's just transmission and bearings, then you remember road salt corrodes STIs, light brackets scratch seatposts, overshoes scuff cranks to buggery etc.

That, and the way a bike feels on a glorious sunny July day is not the same as on a shitty January night with winter tyres when you're cold, miserable and unfit. You'll enjoy the nice bike more if you only use it in nice weather purely because of the association IME.

Fair point, just feels like a bit of a waste spending a fortune and not using it all the time?

My local authority, have at times mixed some form of toxic waste in with their road grit, so the seasonal bike system works for me .I also get a childlike pleasure when I bring the 'good' bike down from the attic for it's first spring ride.

I had one cheaper road bike. It all seemed fine.
Then I got a posher road bike, and it seemed really nice. I kept the older bike for roller duty and grotty days.
I subsequently never rode the older bike because when I did it felt rubbish, slow, noisy, and harsh.
I now use a nice bike all year round. I think it's nice. All year round. Id rather wear it out sooner than ride a bike that's a bit meh.

I have a nice road bike, and a winter/commuter bike (still nice, carbon and disc brakes)

Nice bike its generally a summer going out for fun ride, but if its nice and sunny in winter i won't hesitate to take it out in the winter (or when racing in the winter, when thats not CX)

no point in locking it up for 9 months of the year, when down south we generally have a mild winter with only a few grotty rides

Fair point, just feels like a bit of a waste spending a fortune and not using it all the time?

Yep. Think I used mine 4 times last year. Admittedly would have been more, but used another one for a few events, so also trained more on that one.

It's your money, I've done both, I know that a bike [i]feels[/i] special if you keep it for 'best', but that's quite an emotional response, you're right that broadly speaking you won't actually destroy the bike using it year round. I also still have a pretty decent 'second' bike.

[i]then you remember road salt corrodes STIs, light brackets scratch seatposts, overshoes scuff cranks to buggery etc[/i]

Oh, it corrodes more than that! It also corrodes hubs and worst of all - disc brake calipers... bought my Tripster a few years back, all high end components - I WILL use this for everything! And I do, I commute on it 4-5 times a week, but it is a pain keeping it 'good'. Have had to replace a caliper as the pistons seized. The Dura-Ace bits don't look as nice as they did and the shiny silver Mavic hubs have so many nooks and crannies that will never be shiny silver again.
On the one hand, pah, it's a bike.
On the other... the nagging thought I should get a winter road bike to stop the Tripster getting any more ruined! Luckily Ti frames stay looking nice.

[edit]Ah, yes, there's definitely that 3rd (and probably swaying the decision) hand - if I bought another, would the Tripster get hung up in the garage, covered in dust and cobwebs... that would be worse than replacing a few knackered parts.

I have limited space, so this determines things for me somewhat - but...

I have a custom frame (hopefully, finally) arriving in the next few weeks, to replace my existing road and general use bike.

At one stage, I was going to spend a fair bit more money kitting it out with new Ultegra and other smart parts - and keeping my existing frame as the basis for a singlespeed commuter.

The question I keep getting stuck with is: what's the point of having a nice new bike and then not using it? (I used to have more bikes but did a bit of n-1 when this was previously proving to be the case).

Regular use does wear things out, but this is why I'll probably stick to 105-level drivetrain and be happy to replace parts every few years. I'd rather splash out on the frame itself and the little things like headset, finishing kit etc.

"just feels like a bit of a waste spending a fortune and not using it all the time"

Then don't spend a fortune. Buying something expensive is going to make you happy when you use it but at not really at any other time. Buy something cheaper, it'll do the same thing, make you happy when you use it only you'll use it more.
Part of me would like a nicer road bike but I've kind of come to the conclusion that 105 is perfectly good enough for summer and cheap enough for winter.

No, my rather lovely, expensive, light and fast road bike stays indoors as long as there's salt on the roads and my older endurance bike gets taken out but I wash it carefully after every ride.

I derive great pleasure from riding my best bike and for me that includes using it only when the roads are dry and salt-free, it's warm and I can blast along unencumbered by winter clothing. Riding a clean, shiny, superb-looking bike in perfect order is one of the more subtle joys of road cycling.

Then don't spend a fortune. Buying something expensive is going to make you happy when you use it but at not really at any other time. Buy something cheaper, it'll do the same thing, make you happy when you use it only you'll use it more.

I disagree personally. I'm happy having a 'nice' (relatively, it's not [i]that [/i]nice) bike which I use only when the weather's good. It looks nice hung in my garage, and as I mentioned I have inherently happy memories of using it because I only do so on nice days. I could use it more, I'd probably want different wheels, but I've got a pair I could fit, but I don't want to do that, I would enjoy it less. YMMV.

If you're considering spending "a fortune", divide it by 2 and buy summer and winter bikes. Obviously depends on budget. But a 'summer' bike with rim brakes and 105 will probably weigh less than a all-round/winter bike with Ultegra and disks costing twice as much, and will likely work better too if you actually ride though the winter.

My nice summer bike is no longer quite so nice. But I still don't take it out in the wet over the winter (summer rain is fine, and dry winter is fine though) although I do have a set of not-so-nice wheels and tyres for it.

But...............

Despite promising myself every year that I'm going to do the right thing and get the miles in this winter, I end up just riding off-road instead.

On-road:
Stuff gets ruined, and you resent it
You slide off and crash, and it bloody hurts
Windchill

Off road:
Stuff gets ruined, but you expect it
You slide off and crash, but you expect it
Less windchill (in the woods, lower speed)

I'm kind with njee here, albeit only riding your best bike 4 times in a 12 month period is probably a touch OCD! 😉

Joking aside, I VERY nearly took my Colnago out for "one last ride" before it went away for the winter 4 weeks ago. I decided to think better of it (was about 6 degrees in the evening, wasn't wet but odd damp patch, group ride so would be a decent pace etc.) and was so glad I did. Took my old winter bike and... Well I hit the deck didn't I! Went down at about 15mph on a corner (my mate reckoned there was some very loose gravel there when he went back to look), and though most of the damage was to me and not the bike, I'd still have been very gutted had I caused any damage to my Colnago!

Fair point, just feels like a bit of a waste spending a fortune and not using it all the time?

Remember, a "fortune" is subjective... I know people whose summer bikes have 5 year old 105 on (their winter bikes are held together with sting and gaffer tape and the groupsets a mismatch of anything that physically still works of a fashion), and I know people whose winter bikes have got Dura-Ace on...

"I disagree personally"

Yes but as someone who spends more on bikes than the GDP of 73% of the world's economies your views may not represent the mainstream consensus. 🙂

I'm kind with njee here, albeit only riding your best bike 4 times in a 12 month period is probably a touch OCD!

Not OCD, didn't do much riding full stop, and went to the Alps in September on a different bike, so rode that more in preparation. Bit shit though.

Yes, but before you take note of the above. Njee20 please can you show us the bike you use to commute on all year round? 😀

There are winter bikes and there are winter bikes!

Best bike stays best.
Lives on the turbo trainer during the winter.

No, my rather lovely, expensive, light and fast road bike stays indoors as long as there's salt on the roads

This. Rode home on my titanium cross bike in the slush and salt last night, could taste it. The Defy is tucked up in the cold garage. I do race my nice Propel all year, but it gets a rinse off after every winter race.

And anyway, bad wet salty slushy days are for bikes with mudguards!

My best road bike only goes out now on very dry days, the Wazoo is the winter sacrificial lamb, less than £20 to replace the 8-speed chain and cassette and the extra weight intensifies the hill training ready for next spring.

Might be different if Cube re-released their mudguards for the Attain, that got recalled ~12 months ago.

Yes, but before you take note of the above. Njee20 please can you show us the bike you use to commute on all year round?

Commuter bike... 😳

[img] [/img]

Yes but as someone who spends more on bikes than the GDP of 73% of the world's economies your views may not represent the mainstream consensus.

😆

Really ought to do some riding, the MTB's been out once this year, and I've not ridden anything in over a month!

I think my best bike purchase to-date was to buy a decent winter bike (4S disc), rather than just a hand-me-down converted to winter duties. I now have a winter (or rather, wet weather) bike that I actively enjoy riding and if the roads are wet I'll happily ride that rather than my summer bike.

I know people whose summer bikes have 5 year old 105

Until last month, that was me (actually it was 7 year old, and it's still only the groupset that's changed). My summer bike actually cost less than my winter bike, but it's still nice to have a bike that stays clean, ready for use on both sunny days each year.

Fair point, just feels like a bit of a waste spending a fortune and not using it all the time?

Then buy a good bike and use it when it's dry.

I have a "dry" road bike and a "wet" one, the latter with fixed guards.

The dry bike gets much more use and is showing no signs of premature wear at all. I'm amazed how well the components have lasted TBH.

Commuter bike...

No mudguards!

Never thought of the falling off scenario, not that I do that much on my road but sure as dammit I’d take a header on the first outing in questionable weather. I would be devastated to scratch / damage it.
Think i’ll go somewhere in between then, only out on the new bike in winter when’s it dry, sunny and no chance of falling off (which may only be a day or two) and my old bike until the roads stop getting gritted.
It’s funny, my most expensive bike is my mtb and I treat it like utter shite, throwing it and myself off drops far too high for it and my ability and yet I don’t seem to mind so much when it gets beefed and covered in all manner of mud etc!

What do you all do? Keep the good bike good or get your monies worth out of it and use it all year round?

My good bike definitely stays safe and warm indoors until at least March.

I love it, and wish I could ride it all the time, but I tell myself that by having it inside, it's like having an extra work of art to look at.

For everything else, there's my trusty old Trek, and my CX to handle.

No mudguards!

That was summer. It now has Race Blades on it! Yes some Chromoplastics would be better, and it's not a "proper winter bike", but life's too short for shit bikes!

Njee20- I take it that the 4 season tyres are what makes that an all year round bike??
That’s better specced than my new one ffs!

Even in rainy NW England it's surprising how many dry & sunny rides you get in over winter.

Though I do often have the luxury of being able to do weekday rides when the weather looks good.

Njee20- I take it that the 4 season tyres are what makes that an all year round bike??
That’s better specced than my new one ffs!

Well the fact I ride it year round is what makes it a year round bike 😉 , but yes, the concessions to that are the 4 Seasons tyres, the discs and the Di2, no cables to get gummy, plus the compact chainset for those winter months when I'm less fit!

It was also less than £2k. Gotta love Chinese carbon.

My 'posh' bike is currently sat on a turbo trainer. It only goes outside on lovely sunny, warm*, dry days. Probably 4 or 5 times last summer.

*ok, I did the Fred on it a few years ago and that was quite cold and cloudy.

I got a good winter bike, a Mason definition, but I run it with 105 drivetrain so the consumables are not too expensive, chain and cassette are £45 from CRC. It was important to have something appealing to ride in winter. I would be left for dead in summer on it so I have an even better summer bike i.e. Carbon, Dura Ace..

My 'posh' bike is currently sat on a turbo trainer. It only goes outside on lovely sunny, warm*, dry days. Probably 4 or 5 times last summer.

I've got a turbo bike for that! Recently downgraded from Dura Ace to Ultegra, as DA seemed overkill on a bike I never take outside (it doesn't even have a front tyre 😳

I just have a bike and I ride it. I am a simple man though.

I've got a turbo bike for that! Recently downgraded from Dura Ace to Ultegra, as DA seemed overkill on a bike I never take outside (it doesn't even have a front tyre

I considered taking the Dura Ace chainset off so that I didn't wear out the really expensive outer chainring. I've solved that by only using the inner one 🙂

I definitely keep my good bikes for dry summer days, they get used from about April through to September/October. The winter bike then comes out, for the salt and crud covered roads!

But

njee20 - Member

life's too short for shit bikes!

Absolutely this, my 'winter' bike is a relatively heavy 8kg with Chorus, and I use GP4000s all year anyway!

Best bike for summer nice weather use and a dedicated winter bike.

But......

My single speed winter bike is better/nicer than my best summer bike so I’ve done things a bit arse about face, however my plan is to at some point upgrade my summer bike so that will be the ‘better’ of the two or on par with the SS winter bike.

Two nice bikes just different jobs really.

When I build the new ‘summer’ bike it won’t be going out in the crap weather.

Plus a mountain bike that seems to rarely get used these days.

If you ride your good bike all year round it'll just be your bike.

When in late spring I finally switch from my winter bike (mudguards, discs, heavy 28mm tyres etc) to my nice light bike it suddenly feels like I've got an extra 100W.

And I revel in my commuter being as sh1t as possible while still vaguely safe/functional 😀

I had this dilema and now have a good bike, a winter bike, and a good-winter bike in the middle. The good-winter bike is identical to the good bike except it has slightly not so good wheels and I managed to squueze guards on. That way I can effectively feel like Im out on my good bike, when in fact Im not....and its not getting ruined.
To be honest though the winter bike gets most use, and next year Im thinking of selling the lot plus my "its snowing" salsa fargo and replacing with a Mason Definition for summer and a Bokeeh for winter/fargo touring duties. I think those two cover 90% of the riding I do with less decision making needed when trying to decide what to ride.

I'm doing the 'one disc super bike for everything' approach

Have picked the build kit to make sure cassette/chain/chain rings aren't silly money and can be consumable.
Key benefit of disc for me is running carbon wheels and my nice bike all year round
Got one of these on order
[url= https://www.filamentbikes.com/bikes/disc-road ]Filament [/url]

Following this thread
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-road-disc-dream-bike ]http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-road-disc-dream-bike[/url]

Crikey titusrider - what paintjob you going for??

never mind lifes too short for shit bikes ....

lifes FAR too short to **** around with raceblades.

a product made to make people feel like/Show they have tried to make an effort to be group ride compliant but they may as well have done **** all .

I have a Kinesis 4S as my commuter/rain bike which is nice to ride, as well as my Kinesis Aithein as my best “summer” bike.

Don’t get a shit winter bike, just get something nice that you will enjoy riding.

For me winter bike = mudguards

I got a nice to ride winter bike a couple of years ago since I calculated that I did most of my miles on it!

Although the best bike (Storck) has done some rides in appalling weather this year where I would probably be better off with the mudguards bike! Strada Bianchi in the pouring rain, LEJOG in 7 days of rain etc...

DezB - Member
Crikey titusrider - what paintjob you going for??

Probably a pearl white base with a splatter of black and bright blue but still tbd

Hardest decision of the whole process!

I have done it both ways, I ran my pegoretti with dura-ace all year round, I did clean it and look after the drivetrain, though I did trash a pair of DT mon-chasseral rims in one winter ride (a bit of gritty rag got caught in the brake and wore off the corner of a rim on one grim winter ride)
I had it re-painted, a new fork fitted and a new campagnolo groupset plus some HED Ardennes so that is now for summer and dry days.
I have a custom chesini with sram force that is for winter and have fitted PDW guards has some nice zipp finishing kit and Easton wheels so it's still a £4K bike but I'm less attached to it than the peg, I do look after the drivetrain and clean it regularly.
I tend to ride more in the winter as I'm less busy so don't want a dull heavy bike to ride, life is too short for 105 and rubbish frames 😀

I've got my custom built Reilly stainless steel rig for "best/summer" bike….then a rather posh Ritte Ace carbon bike for "winter" - it's a full on race bike but bought it secondhand for a bargain price so i don't mind that getting a hammering

- then I have a 50 year old steel framed bike that I've just re-built as a bit of a neo-retro build with full winter guards that I'll use for really bad days….it's just come back to me after being with my brother in law for 30 years - he was going to tip it but I've rescued it and had it powder coated and brought back to life (it was my Uni bike in the '80's, and my Dad's race bike in the 70's before that!!! so some emotional attachment)

Having a "nice" bike to take out of storage and start using again is a welcome sign the shitty weather is over and it feels great to ride easily in nice warm, dry weather.

Putting the "nice" bike back in storage is a not-so-pleasant reminder that winter is approaching 🙁

On balance, it's nice having something to look forward to. Similarly, driving a Ferrari all the time would soon lose its novelty value...

a product made to make people feel like/Show they have tried to make an effort to be group ride compliant but they may as well have done **** all .

Have to disagree, they’re not bad at all in the newest incarnation, but as I don’t do group riding and they keep my feet/arse dry I’m struggling to care too much!

I bought my "good bike" a Scott CR1 with 10 speed Campag many years ago, it's still mint and still nice to ride despite many thousands of miles. I've been through several winter bikes in the that time. Just saying.