I just got a new job within easy cycle commute distance (about 7 miles each way).

I have a road bike and a MTB. There is secure bike parking onsite (very secure, like restricted access – Security has to take your bike down and bring it up for you) Road bike fine in good weather, but thinking when it gets more wintry, would I be better commuting on the MTB, or considering something like a CX?

Just musing (ok, maybe I’m thinking about the next Cyclescheme purchase….)

I’d be looking at something that either has guards or has fittings to take them.

Mudguards make the world of difference to a winter commute.

I commuted all last winter on an mtb with crud catchers fitted, but it was nowhere near as nice as being on a bike with full mudguards.

Mudguards plus the ability to take spiked tyres would be my advice.

Very much depends on your journey. Anything stop/start and mixing it up in traffic then I’d prefer some sort of MTB, though that would run skinnier tyres and rigid (OK – I really mean a hybrid). If the roads are going to get well salted then consider the ongoing damage to your shiny bits and work out whether a low cost commuter would make more sense. As above, make sure you can use decent mudguards and some sort of spiked tyre.

I ride a road bike year round, including London traffic. Race Blades in winter make things far more pleasant! Avoid it when it’s icy I must say. Not worth it for me. If you’re somewhere where that will preclude riding for several months of the year then I’d consider some spikes.

I regularly commute on a Pompino but if there’s ice and snow around then I have some ice tyres that I stick on my mtb, I’ve managed to commute pretty much every day this year.

I ran MTBs as commuters for years, used to knock out the two smallest cogs on the casette and the chain every 6-9 months. BBs faired a bit better.

Went over to a SS road bike, it’s far better all year round. Even with stop/start and lots of filtering. Faster, less draggy, more comfortable and has proved to be far cheaper in bits – 1 drivetrain in two years, plus a couple of tyres and a few sets of brake pads.

Also, if you’re in a city then the main roads will be gritted, with the snow this year it was fine everywhere other than the road I live on with slicks.

really depends on the roads. I commute all year on a road bike. I trust road tyres on tarmac more than MTB, even in wet conditions. biggest problem for road wheels/ tyres in the winter is debris on the roads causing punctures, but even that doesn’t worry me. snow and ice aren’t really prevalent round here due to gritting/ regular use.

I’d reccomend a Salsa Vaya.
Love mine..

Ability to fit mudguards? ?
Ability to fit a rack? ?
Relaxed geometry??
Decent tyre clearance? ?

Spotty dog IMHO

At that distance, I’d get a hybrid if it was going to be mostly urban. You can get spiked tyres in I think 35 or 38mm which should fit one. Althogh I have mudguards on my hybrid, I don’t have them on my road bike which I sometimes use for commuting. If it’s wet I’ll just put a rucksack cover on my bag, and generally not care about the spray on me since I’m going to get changed anyway.

You’d be surprised how few days you get properly soaked though

Oh and I reckon 700c/29er wheels make a big difference on road, so hybrid or CX. You could get a hybrid for much cheaper than CX I reckon and it’d still be decently quick. My Dew was £450.

I’m not into SS, I don’t buy the cheaper argument. I just changed the chain on my hybrid for the first time since I got it in 2007. Given I’m going quite fast on a fast commute, I use gears that would make pulling away from the lights a chore.

I commute all year round, but have to admit last winter, although the gritters were going round main roads, they were ploughing everything into the edge of the road where you would normally cycle. I didnt fancy taking on the traffic in already less than grippy conditions – made do with a reasonable walk to the Metro an dthen a reasonable walk to work, rather than get the bus – bit more exercise for me as I wasn’t on the bike.

As the others have said though mudguards and decent gloves are vital IMHO.

I rode in today on my MTB instead of the road track bike, if I ever have to do it again it’ll be too soon. A hatefully slow and unpleasant experience.

Mudguards make the world of difference to a winter commute.

Most definitely! Plus I found dedicated winter shoes made a big difference to comfort too. Gore tex, fleece lined life savers!

This thread reminds me I was going to get some massively warm gloves for my commute over the coming winter…

edge of the road where you would normally cycle

You’re riding in the wrong place then 😉

I just changed the chain on my hybrid for the first time since I got it in 2007.

Road/hybrid groupsets do seem to last longer in general than mtb ones for some reason. I’m probably going sturmey archer (oh yeah!) anyways.

mtb (old steel kona) for me 10 miles each way schwable marthaon plus, detachable mudguards
1×9
a massive benefit has been discs especially in the winter, I actually started developing arthritis in my braking fingers and im sure its because of the constant yanking on vs, stop start at traffic lights and my v brakes pads wearing so quickly and rims too!

Road/hybrid groupsets do seem to last longer in general than mtb ones for some reason

Cos they don’t get sprayed with grit all the time.

Commuting on a decathlon triban road bike with 23mm tyres and race blade longs. Using a carradice saddle bag, all far nicer and quicker than on a slick tyred mtb – even over a relatively short 7 mile commute. Before those it was a fixed – may go back to that but not had any problems with gears so not sure if I can be bothered building one back up.

When my commute was all road, I rode road bikes that would take full mudguards and a pannier rack

Now it’s half road/half towpath, I use a CX bike, with full mudguards and a pannier rack

When it gets snowy/icy in winter I use the MTB with spiky tyres and Defenders

Just by a Carrera Subway & have done with it.

I use a road bike all year, unless it’s silly weather (ice and snow) then take tram or bus.

I doubt I’d ride in snow/ice. I’ll ride in most weathers, but I’m not a fan of potentially icy roads in rush hour traffic.

I’d imagine I’d commute most of the time on road bike – I have Gatorskins on that which are quite good in terms of puncture resistance. It’s more for when it gets wetter/slippy fallen leaves on the road etc.

I do actually have an old Ridgeback ATB/hybrid type thing which I lent to my dad’s missus, but she never uses it – am thinking perhaps that might be a good winter commuter, it has tyres that are somewhere between hybrid and MTB. Might give that a go, if it’s frustratingly slow, may consider something quicker like Alfine CX bike (not a fan of SS, I live in Leeds, fairly hilly).

I’ve got a hybrid with full length guards and a road bike but I’m likely to just stick with the road bike all year round and get mudguards for it.

My main concern was grip from the skinny tyres but having ridden in the rain they seem to grip perfectly well, so I can’t see the point in going to the hybrid, it’s slower and less comfortable.

That was my concern as well jools – the grip. I am also a really wimpy descender on a road bike in the wet, but if I’m going to be an every day commuter I might just have to do whatever the female equivalent of MTFU is!

I think decent road tyres are fine in the wet just be careful of wet ironwork like manhole covers etc as they are pretty slippery. Otherwise any gains from a hybrid seem offset by the fact that your slower and therefore out in the crap for longer!

I might just have to do whatever the female equivalent of MTFU is!

Its WTFU.. 8)

I find these 40mm tyres are the spot on comprimise between Grip, and fast rolling on the commute..

I race on 23mm road tyres in the wet and it is fine.

My commuter has bigger tyres (32mm) and they are armoured against punctures because reliability is importan. I need to pick my bike up every day and ride it to work and it needs to get me there.

FWIW I ride a pompetamine but used to ride an old ss mountain bike.

SS= reliability and cheapness. Components were chosen to be cheap and reliable. Slicks in summer, knobblies in the snow or spikes on the ice. In Newcastle it has been pretty bad the last few winters.

I commute 5 miles each way on my boradman road bike, 23mm tyres and Crudcatcher roadracer mud guards. I wouldn’t want to do it on the mtb though I don’t encounter much traffic though. If it’s icey, I go in the car!

Teetosugars. Ive seen you post those a few times, they seem much more like an offroad tyre than usefull for a city commute? no anti-puncture strip either, surely its just a semi-slick CX tyre? not something id choose for a pavement commute.

Full mudguards, ability to use spikey tyres (i run mine pretty much all winter, only day i didn’t last year i came down on black ice mid morning!), pannier rack and waterproof panniers, gore waterproof jacket plus good winter shoes would be my suggestions. If your thinking cx bike, you might have problems finding one to fit you if you are small (i did)

I race on 23mm road tyres in the wet and it is fine.

+1. Only time i’ve had an issue was racing in glasgow city centre when it was greasy and there was a million wee cat eye type things on the roads. Can’t say i’ve ever noticed white lines being an issue when racing in the wet either, but manhole covers can be if you take them at an angle.

STATO – Member
Teetosugars. Ive seen you post those a few times, they seem much more like an offroad tyre than usefull for a city commute? no anti-puncture strip either, surely its just a semi-slick CX tyre? not something id choose for a pavement commute.

Granted, Im not a racing snake, but they work just fine for my 32 mile round trip, which is sadly all onroad.. 8 miles country roads, then 8 miles across town.

I tend not to worry about flats half as much as I do on my Ultremos on my Road bike.

Apologies for giving out what is clearly bad advice.

Sorry, wasnt meant to be rubbishing your suggestion, just wanted more reasoning 🙂

My commuter is on Conti tours and they are slow, but quicker than my cx bike on semi-slicks. If i were choosing a 500g tyre (which is what the clement is?) then there are lots of fast (slick) and tough choices, many with puncture protection. Just wanted your reason to choose a CX/gravel tyre, country roads are probably enough!

Difference between winter commuter and summer is i remove the marathon plus and it marathon winter spikes and it my drop bar pogies.

Dedicated hack bike for commuting when it’s wintery/wet, then it doesn’t matter when it gets filthy and bits wear out, nor do you feel obliged to constantly clean and fettle it. Ancient rigid MTB ideal. Puncture resistant slicks, mudguards, rack if that’s your preference for carrying stuff. Spiked tyres go on as soon as there’s a risk of ice, and stay on over winter; it’s good training. When the weather’s nice, ride whatever takes your fancy, you’ll enjoy it all the more :~) Keep the good bikes for the good riding.