This time of year, the 'interesting' trails near me turn mostly to brown soup. I'm left with gravel or beaches, so revert to the speedball for the former, and Ice Cream Truck for the latter.
Though I'd kind of just like a basic fairly indestructible bike to go smashing through the puddles and slop on occasion.
Whats your weapon of choice for the sloppy season? One-bike-fits-all need not apply, this is a winter bike specific thread! With pics!
Fatbikes are ridiculous. I'd like to have one.
Winter?
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/yWq4vVzs/P1060211.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/yWq4vVzs/P1060211.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
On one hello dave. With all the mudguards!
The MRP fork has been awesome considering the mud its had to deal with. After 1 year 1500 miles it was clean as a whistle inside. Perhaps its the front mudguard, but I've never serviced a fork that clean inside. Not even ones that i've opened after 3 months to change something.
Forks get swapped to rigid, mudguard goes on, it that's about it...
Sorry for the slight hijack.
The MRP fork has been awesome considering the mud its had to deal with. After 1 year 1500 miles it was clean as a whistle inside. Perhaps its the front mudguard, but I’ve never serviced a fork that clean inside. Not even ones that i’ve opened after 3 months to change something.
Is that the Raven? In any case, good to know as I haven't touched mine yet and was starting to think I should.
Back on topic. My winter bike = summer bike with a different rear tyre.
Or something on a turbo trainer.
Well it gets used year round but I built it with winter specifically in mind...
Dirty
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51200193192_6dd5adc693_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51200193192_6dd5adc693_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Clean
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51121082522_bfc672aaae_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51121082522_bfc672aaae_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
This one:
And I wasn't the only fan as per Genesis Fortitude
10 speed deore, tonnes of mud clearance, shortys for 'bite' in the mud. No daft slidy dropouts. Absolutely loved it. Possibly the most versatile bike I've had.
For the slop. Fun in summer too!
Rigid singlespeed. Mudhugger rear guard and an old rear Crud guard tie-wrapped in the fork crown. (bit of a bodge but has virtually eliminated the issue of riding into my own spray off front wheel.)
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/6pMXVRX5/IMG-20211102-194839.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/6pMXVRX5/IMG-20211102-194839.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Love the genesis, you got me looking now!
Fatbikes are ridiculous. I’d like to have one.
This
This thread has me looking at fat bikes and all manner of bikes I do not need but want.
Love that the solutions for a winter bikes range from high tech and expensive belt drive titanium gearboxes right down to single speed rigid steel bikes without even a dropper post. Oh, and fat bikes... 😁
This hardtail is just heading into it's sixth Winter with me,it's performed great so far.The proper winter mud has been late to arrive here this year and I'm grateful for that.
Do tend to ride the Eeb more in the winter.
Don’t have a specific winter bike though, just keep riding either the Eeb or normal bike straight through.
It has to be fat...
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628939936_9fb9fd5ba4_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628939936_9fb9fd5ba4_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/musselburghbikers/J1g2Tv ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/musselburghbikers/ ]Ihr zwei[/url], on Flickr
Rigid 29er, singlespeed.
Modified Crudguards F+R. Rear extended and sugru'd at the bracket weak point. Front is a rear Crudguard, guard section only mounted to the fork.
Spesh Purgatory 2.2 tyres on 30mm rims.
Used in the Chilterns year-round. The bike rides really well in the wet and there's not much to go wrong. Cleaning is a dry brush now and then plus a bit of chain oil. I end a ride with a bit of spray below the knees and that's about it. Easy life = ride more often in winter.
ill use my normal mtb on the weekend as its the only daylight riding i get so want to maximise fun and smash that brown soup. plenty of time/daylight to get it clean afterwards too.
whenever ive scratched the hardtail itch in the past i have a couple of rides then just start to wish i was on the full suss as i inevitably chuck it down the same trails.
as such i plumped for a gravel bike this year, essentially its a drop bar rigid 29er, ie big tyres, dropper etc. this is my solo/ after work/ after dark bike. forces me to stick to the beaten path and makes the beaten path infinitely more fun yet still get to stay 100% off-road. Riding down tracks ive only ever used as climbs in the past and loving it - turns out many of the bridleways round here are much rougher than i ever realised!!
Just built this up for winter riding
Just got an ex-demo Ragley BigWig (thanks Tri_Sports_Resort *cough*Wiggle*cough*) off ebay and that'll do for winter fun on local trails (big bike is overkill). Overwise the CX/Gravel bike might come out, but it's a bit unloved at the moment and the road bike is a very sensible Kinesis with big mudguards and Campag (coz it wears in rather than out innit 😉 )
The horror of a full mudguarded mtb.
The optics are hateful, but I remain clean from the knees up and the service interval on the fork doesn't take a dive.
This means the admin of muddy winter riding is reduced and this helps to keep the CBA factor at bay.
“ The horror of a full mudguarded mtb.”
I’ve just inflicted these same mudguards on my Levo. God, it’s hideous. I do prefer the ebike in the mud, it’s just more amusing.
My regular bikes just get a change of tyres and a rear MudHugger fitted (front all year) so for my general riding they work fine. For proper mud-fests and random exploration though I bought a Voodoo Hoodoo as a winter/hack bike a few years ago and it's been great for just not caring about it. The forks died last year though so it got treated to some upgrades from a bike that was being retired, it now has Rental Carbon bars, RaceFace Turbine cranks and a set of Fox 32's with Fit4 damper.
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/6QSQr89b/20210626-194934.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/6QSQr89b/20210626-194934.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
It's got a MudHugger on the back now for the winter. So liberating to have a bike you just don't care about getting filthy!
The Bardino2 in fully 'uglyguard' mode. Crud Catcher XL on the front, MH on the rear. I could probably run less than 2.6 tyres in winter but I pretend it's a fitness thing (really I just can't be bothered to change them).
All SLX so only a single re-mortgage to replace the drivetrain 😉
Having been bearing phobic on winter bikes a proper kit and £35 on bearings every 2 years has dispelled those fears.
I have 4 winter bikes. This is the best.
Fatbike gets ridden more, largely because it has the best mudguards. But tbh I just ride the bike I want. The difference in running costs for a full suss is pretty trivial.
My Camino in full winter mode. Last winter I stuck a shorty on the front of my Tarn, but the 29er wheels are on the Evol this year, so that'll be my winter mtb I guess
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51558110034_ea591f4763_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51558110034_ea591f4763_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2my1MRC ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/le_grande_momo/ ]Matt Cotterill[/url], on Flickr
the nice fs goes to bed for muddy midweek rides and gets replaced by the hardtail. i ride a very muddy delamere midweek so very knobbly front tyres (WTB Verdict Wet) and industrial deore drivechains are the order of the day.
Unfortunately, it tends to be Zwift for bikes in the winter. However, in the spirit of not actually following the thread instructions here's my fat winter gear.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/1690/24636775192_cce9d1ac1a_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/1690/24636775192_cce9d1ac1a_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
What I've learnt to appreciate in the last couple of years is winter means very different things depending on where you live.
South Downs winter meant ****ing horrible claggy mud that coated clogged, and destroyed everything it touched, greasy as **** roots and if you were really lucky nice frozen bits of chalk.
Now in the Highlands it unnervingly drains beautifully with loamy rides not being that different to the summer. And then there is the snow with the added advantage that cold actually means cold so you don't get the melt and refreeze icy bits quite the same.
But to answer the question (sort of).....fat bike and touring skis for the win nowadays.
For me its between the Moxie Ht for steep terrain and a Pinnacle Lithium 3 flat bar hybrid for everything else.
Haha same for me Moxie is my only bike, so just fit rear mud hugger and front stays on year round and about now go to single speed! Oh it’s a blast!! 😁😁😁
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51654055847_4817965118_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51654055847_4817965118_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mGuxcM ]IMG_5550[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85556236@N06/ ]markwsf[/url], on Flickr
I’ve always just ridden the same bike all year. Never seemed the point of a special winter bike. If a modern full sus has bearings/hubs/suspension that dies just because you’re riding it in winter then you probably need to have a think about whether it’s fit for purpose. I used to switch tyres for winter as well but since going tubeless years ago it just became a PITA so I stopped bothering and now just get on with it.
Although I actually like riding fast in rubbish conditions
@samhay my hardtails fork is an MRP ribbon. I've no idea how similar that is internally to the raven.
It was also easy to strip. No more complicated than a rockshock.
On one hello dave. With all the mudguards!
Batman called, he wants his bike back.