Another Bike - yes or no?

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Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
should I look at the possibility of buying an adventure road bike that will allow me to put on bigger tyres for the bad weather/rougher ground; I'm thinking that an adventure road bike would also be good on rough surfaces - a good all rounder..
If so, this is the adventure road bike I had in mind (Pinnacle Arkose - pics below) -would it ok to put on SPD-SL pedals, mudguards and a pannier rack onto this bike?
I'll offer two comments. Ask yourself why you've got two carbon bikes and whether your chosen one would meet all the requirements they satisfy and situations you currently ride them. If the answer is 'yes' then that makes buying another bike a much easier decision (sell a carbon one).
If you do procure an 'adventure bike' (bigger tyres for the bad weather/rougher ground/surfaces) then I think you should opt for spd cleats on MTB style shoes rather than road (ie SPD-SL) cleats/shoes. Mudguards and/or a rack fitting depends on the use you're going to put it to - if needed and makes for a better ride of course it's 'OK'.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
If you will be doing lots of fast winter descents then I think a bike with disk brakes makes a lot of sense. I rode my best bike last winter and almost wore through its front rim by repeated braking in wet, gritty conditions, but I often get to 35-50 mph downhill round here. If you mainly ride flatter roads and trails then it may not be such a big issue for you?
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Doing that speed on a push bike is pure insanity. Have you ever considered how bad an "off" you could have if something unexpected happens?
Yes!

I usually do it on wide, well-surfaced roads that are not too steep with a good view of what is ahead. Like the A58 to Littleborough ...

Hollingworth Lake and Littleborough from Blackstone Edge.jpg


I don't like to do it on steep and/or narrow and/or twisty roads for obvious reasons. I do this one at less than 10 mph ...

Mytholm Steeps - swing wide for evil bend.jpg
 

Kempstonian

Has the memory of a goldfish
Location
Bedford
Fast forward to your deathbed. Will your dying gasp be " I'm really glad I didn't buy that bike...………………………………………….." ?
No... it will probably be "Why on earth did I buy a WHITE bike for winter riding?"

I'm going with the 'buy a second hand one' option myself. One you don't mind getting dirty. Your three bikes all seem too good for hacking about in bad weather.
 

MachersMan

Well-Known Member
Will the Defy wheels cope or will you need more spokes for the extra weight on the racks running over those stealthy winter pot holes?
 

Slick

Guru
I think people overstate the perils of the British winter somewhat. 90% or more of the time it's just like summer but a bit chillier and darker. You just need to clean your bike a bit more.
Might be a bit simplistic but basically true, although last week I got a puncture about 300 yards from the house which could happen at any time of year but it was a huge thorn that was in my tyre that would have still been attached to the tree in summer. Not what you need at 6am on a frosty morning.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
Doing that speed [35-50mph] on a push bike is pure insanity. Have you ever considered how bad an "off" you could have if something unexpected happens?
Since I judge that your comment is not in jest, I think you need to get out a bit more. @ColinJ still retains his youthful enthusiasm for life, as do I. Though when the speed reads over 79kph I stop looking and rely on the .fit file to tell me whether I made it. If one rode down hills which offer the gradient and straightness for fast speeds "considering how bad an "off" one could have if something unexpected happens" then where would the fun be?
An accident in (your) London traffic is far more likely.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Since I judge that your comment is not in jest, I think you need to get out a bit more. @ColinJ still retains his youthful enthusiasm for life, as do I. Though when the speed reads over 79kph I stop looking and rely on the .fit file to tell me whether I made it. If one rode down hills which offer the gradient and straightness for fast speeds "considering how bad an "off" one could have if something unexpected happens" then where would the fun be?
Indeed!

I rarely check my speed on descents now after getting away with the very near miss described below ...

I hit 56 mph early in my adult cycling 'career', freewheeling down Rossendale Rd from the Manchester Rd lights on the fringes of Burnley. I too was aiming to hit 60 mph, but what I actually hit (due to staring at the computer rather than the road ahead) was a raised manhole cover! While I was in the air with my bike I decided that if I survived, I would be a bit more careful in the future!

The bike somehow touched down without the tyres puncturing, bounced back into the air, landed again, slewed in front of oncoming traffic, and then I regained control ... :eek:
 
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