What's the perfect winter bike?

In a recommend what you've got approach.....

A hardtail fatbike, with or without suspension forks.  Some comfort from the doughnuts strapped to your rims if you are used to full suss, but without all the bushings/bearings/pivots to get trashed. Stonking levels of traction for the gloop when you get your pressures right. And...and personally I think this important.....markedly less rutting and ****ing up of the trails than with a skinny tyred bike in moist conditions. It also makes less challenging stuff more fun when the actual challenging stuff is off limits because it's lethal.

Added bonus - you've got a bike for winter snow or riding on beaches.

Edit to add.....winter is not born equally. When I lived in the south downs and was faced with clagging clay from hell that only gave way when the slippy chalk of doom or the roots of satan came out to play, the correct winter bike for a mountain biker was a road bike.

Mudguards and a 120-140mm suspension fork?

Definitely a dropper post.

Having done the rigid SS thing in the past,

I would now actually say a Rigid bike with a (cheap) 1x drivetrain, simply because riding in the cold and wet fatigues you more, and having some low gears when you need them can be a godsend.

Other things to consider (not essentials though):

-Rear Mudhugger

-Dropper (For the odd fun, techy bit that's not so enjoyable with the seat up)

-Decent lighting (means you can ride past sunset)

-Foam grips (I just find them comfier)

My perfect winter MTB would be one that could teleport to the southern hemisphere.

Well I ain't going without suspension just 'cos it's muddy (look at the conditions now).

So my current single pivot Oranges are the perfect winter and summer bikes for me.

I would now actually say a Rigid bike with a (cheap) 1x drivetrain, simply because riding in the cold and wet fatigues you more, and having some low gears when you need them can be a godsend.

That's one option I was looking at. The Sonder Frontier frameset looked tempting, I've got a few part worn 11 speed chains and cassettes which could work well on it, basically run them until they die.

This:

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-old-genesis-fortitude-race/

Was the absolute best 'winter proof' bike I've had - Maxxis Shorty trail tyres, unburstable shimano 1x10, masses of mud clearance, super comfy springy steel frame, wide bars and short stem. It was the ultimate bike for plugging round the edges of muddy fields in the depths of winter.

Wattbike and Zwift.. 🙂

Just had my best winter ever (30+ years biking in all seasons) by ignoring the conditions and just riding my ebike. The bike has survived with a quick hose then stored indoors to dry and the biking definitely put the fun back into functional rides

Anything from Nicolai, proper sealed pivot bearings.

For drivetrain, old 11 speed x01 sram or anything from shimano.

Wheels, probably hope hubs or DT, they are the best sealed and easiest to maintain.

Brakes, 2 pots, not shimano. Formula for me are the most reliable.

I love the idea of Singlespeed but it's  a non starter for the muddy ,slippery ,heavy going  and up and down winter mess that are my local woodland  trails. I need all the deep grip and leverage I can to keep riding them so for me that's a pair of mud spike tyres like Hillbilly's or Shorty's combined with  gears.

It does depend where you live, but for Warwickshire a rigid singlespeed has served me well. So well in fact that I am considering getting Meteorworks to build me a modern geo 29er to replace the 26er Sanderson Soloist I'm currently on.

I used to commute off road all year round on a rigid bike with a Rohloff hub. Occasional wipe of the chain and whatever oil was lying around added. One oil change for the hub a year and a new chain and rear sprocket every 3 years or so.

Just had my best winter ever (30+ years biking in all seasons) by ignoring the conditions and just riding my ebike.

I've been thinking for a while that eebs would take the slog out of those muddy winter rides.

But I suppose I'm lucky I can ride up on surfaced tracks and then enjoy the slip-and-slide on the descents.

No need to churn round deep muddy bridleways here.

Something cheap and preferably second-hand that you can ride into the ground and not feel guilty about.

Depending on your local terrain, change of approach and routes taken. Like above, living in the south on chalk/clay, there are areas I just avoid completely as it's no fun in the mud, as there's zero grip and it's sticky, plus i'm not a fan of contributing to trail erosion unnecessarily. A reasonable amount was off limits this winter because it was under flowing water!

Keep going on the trails less impacted by horrible mud, and front and rear mudhuggers  plus a crud catcher keeps the worst at bay. Rigid fork works best for me, I found a sus fork on a hardtail added nothing in slow sloppy conditions. Keep the drivetrain clean-ish and if you're going to hammer it then put a cheaper 1x transmission on. Just try and wash and re-lube without leaving it too long/to rust. Also, decent trousers and long waterproof socks also work for me. Winter usually involves a higher percentage of road riding (on the gravel bike with full guards of course), which on claggy back lanes with little beaches of run-off soil/stones, feels close to off-roading anyway.

crossed

What else does the perfect winter MTB need?

Gears, 'cos I'm most likely staying home if winter biking involves trying to slog up a muddy hill on a singlespeed in the rain

TBH, my winter bike is my  summer bike with maybe a change of front tyre, not like the summer is all that dry, and I'm riding the same trails

Another “recommend what you have”

My single speed Surly with 2.4 rubber and rigid fork has become my go to s#%* weather bike (it’s actually become my most ridden bike for everything)

set up with 17 x 32 gearing is perfect for winter and crap weather rides within the flat plains of Essex

minimal moving parts, minimal maintenance, minimal fuss

and just for the hell of it…obligatory picture…

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That’s one option I was looking at. The Sonder Frontier frameset looked tempting, I’ve got a few part worn 11 speed chains and cassettes which could work well on it, basically run them until they die.

I looked at the Mk1 frontier years ago and was close to getting it, but it used "Boost QR" at the time (do any other frames use that now?).  In the end I bought an old (QR/135mm) Commencal Supernormal frame for £50 which did a stint with an angle set and some Rebas and then eventually got rebuilt in it's current incarnation with some old wheels, cheap rigid fork and a cobbled together 1x10 drivetrain which is great for winter/mucky weather use and saves the big bike from wear and tear doing Cheeky woodland hacking and local loops... It owes me nothing.

But yeah, a Cheap Al frame and rigid forks (new or used) make great sense as winter hack bikes, so long as there are no weird standards involved so that at least some of the parts you rummage in the parts bin and pull out will fit.

Certainly not a fat bike. The tyres are lethal.
10 speed hardtail with Maxxis shorty's and full mudguards.

I really like that Surly, which in no way tallies with what I said earlier

Part of me is thinking I should just stick with my current hardtail for winter duties.
It’s running T-Type AXS but I should be able to take that off and stick some old 11 speed stuff on that I have in the spares box.

The only other thing I’d probably want is a rigid fork but I’ve not seen anything that’s a suitable replacement for a 130mm suspension fork.

I really like that Surly, which in no way tallies with what I said earlier

thankyou, sir, I got really lucky first time round with the gearing, not perfect at all things (which singlespeed is?!?) but manages road and off road to a decent, relatively even level,

I have since built up an 11 speed gravel and have my 12 speed “big bike” but STILL grab the Surly more often than either of them

Certainly not a fat bike. The tyres are lethal.

Odd, you must be doing it wrong. Or I'm a riding god. It's probably that.

"Genesis Fortitude Race"

I should never have sold mine.  It was spot on for canal towpath commuting in all conditions.  Regrets?  I've had a few!

Just had my best winter ever (30+ years biking in all seasons) by ignoring the conditions and just riding my ebike.

Same here

Nothing with electricity.

Something from Nicolai, proper bearings and proper seals.

Hope hubs, shimano gears, oneup dropper. All stuff thats going to last.

Forks and shock, pick what works for you and maintain it.

Still miss riding my Wazoo fatbike, still need to see if I can get a replacement crank that doesn't cost me a kidney, sheared through driveside pedal threads four years ago. Sitting in garage since.

Fun on the Jumbo Jims, but also had a 29er set for either ice spike tyres or slicks.

Rigid single speed. Low maintenance and less parts to wear out.

Also, the yers I rode SS I was in the best shape Ive ever been in. Will probably give it another go this winter.

Hardtail, massive mudguards, 160mm fork, 2.6 tires.

160/130mm full suss with massive mudguards and 2.6 tires.

Anything with mudguards, ideally massive mudguards.

came here to say " just riding my ebike" though we do have "deep muddy bridleways"... I ride with a very fit friend whose on manual bike, he's just about ready to give up mtb-ing after this wint-mer

My theory on winter bikes is the one you have but with mudguards and appropriate tyres and ride trails that can withstand being ridden in winter.

I do live in the south west so snow isn’t a problem, just rain and mud

I'm pondering this at the moment - my current winter bike is my old 26" full sus but a) I don't enjoy riding it that much any more and b) the carbon is in a shocking state and the bushings wobble. I could do another year on it, but I'm keeping half an eye out for deals on something like a 120mm hardtail with decent geometry, 1x11 and mudguards.

I've done a few winters on my Stooge Mk4. Rigid forks, a 3" Minion up front and a regular 29" tyre out back. Cheap 1x10 drive train (Advent is ideal as it's cheap and good). Just remember to periodically grease the seat post & EBB and you're golden. Mine's also got an XL crud catcher front guard which does a reasonable job.

The perfect winter bike is the one you actually want to ride.

SS is great but it's a very specific kind of build, e.g. you can't sit and climb technical trails, and they're not very sociable, meaning there's basically one speed that you can climb at, and it's usually faster than sitting and spinning, or slower so you're off and walking.

I have a road bike, a steel 130 hard tail (was single speed for a year, now 11sp) and a fs.

Apart from occasional turbo trainer spins with the road bike, I ride the fs, because it's safer on sketchy trails, set up perfectly, and more fun.

I would (and have) spent money on making sure you can easily keep your main bike running, e.g little pressure washer and cleaning stuff in boot, good wet weather gear

But it sounds like you want to buy a bike, so fill yer boots ?

eeb in winter for me.

i ride a rigid singlespeed (plus sized tyres) in summer when its fast and fun.

I've spent the last 8 winters on Cotic Solaris's in 11 speed format - a couple of chains and a bb per year. And a fork service here and there. Bomb proof.

I think the perfect winter bike is much easier to find when you have three youngish children and any opportunity to get out and ride a MTB, whatever the conditions, is taken and appreciated!

I’m liking my singlespeed hardtail a lot in the winter. A rigid one would work almost as well and be less expensive to run. My ebike is great in the mud, as I only wash it if really really have to (it’s been owned for more years than the number of times it’s been washed!)

I found out, from trying to live with a single speed bike, that I love the idea, and hate the reality.

Hardtails are nicer to look after in the winter, expensive drivetrains get ruined in wet mud, tyres will probably get destroyed too through winter as you're far more likely to find stuff in a puddle that'll do damage that you didn't expect.

For them reasons, I'm building a bastard bike up from an old Charge Duster frame, keeping 26" wheels, going 1x9 using parts out of China, so I won't be too upset if it gets absolutely destroyed.

My thoughts are basically, the other bike will feel absolutely lovely when the weather improves, and any time riding is better than not riding.

Stooge MK4 in the classifieds. Utterly adore mine.

“tyres will probably get destroyed too through winter”

Actually I find tyres last ages in the mud because there isn’t enough friction to wear them out!

Gearbox belt drive hardtail with full mudguards

For me some kind of HT with basic 1x10 gearing and other durable unfussy build kit, a well sealed rear hub is a must. Whatever front suspension travel suits where you mostly ride. Some decent mud guards that fit the bike well and I don't mean gigantic commuter type things. Tyres toothy ones for mud!

I'd also go for a light but robust frame (which will most likely be Alu) as it's going to be a relatively heavy build. In winter when it's slow going a reasonable weight helps to make it feel a bit less of a chore. Let's face it morale is everything in winter!

Decent waterproof clothing you can hose off and mistreat without falling to bits goes without saying.

Don't really think this is what the OP is asking but... a gravelised CX bike, i.e. with slightly fatter tyres and more gears (or not! I would singlespeed mine if I could be bothered and thought I was robust enough...).

You will end up actively seeking out the muddiest trails, dog walking trails around the outskirts of villages become your playground, you'll go sideways around every corner, you'll pedal your tits off and tarmac linking sections are just an opportunity for a breather.

I actively plan routes for the winter now, typically with lots of singletrack that's choked with nettles in the summer. I avoid anything crazy hilly right enough, that's not what it's really about for me in winter

Just used my Genesis Fortitude race to ride the Dorset 330. Such a great and versatile bike, perfect for winter bimbling.

Stooge mk4 with Microshift 12-46 8 speed gears.

*Edit - what's happened to the insert image function? Not working at all!

Something cheap and preferably second-hand that you can ride into the ground and not feel guilty about.

Guilty about - WTAF?

Just ride the bike(s) you own, end of.

Good shout, although mine is singlespeed and without a dropper for ultimate simplicity (and means I can ride it hard and put it away dirty but retain a clear conscience!).

Best bike I've ever owned, and has outlasted plenty of more fancy, bouncy bikes in my garage.

29er 1x10 11-46 hardtail/rigid with a dropper, decent brakes & shorty/hillbilly up front