Monsieur Remings
Guru
- Location
- Yatton UK
Such ramblings have probably been asked and considered before... .
Anyway, how many of you out there ride both? Being a dedicated roadie at the moment I'm thinking of buying a trail bike and although I'm not intent on spending as much on the mtb, I'm wondering what other people's experiences of having both road and mtb bikes are? Is that the right question, yes, sort of. Do you use one in summer and the other in winter or are you just a tw0-wheeled fanatic of every type?
There's a number of reasons, the first being I'd just like to have a decent trail bike and ride some trails! Obviously. There are plenty around here to choose from. But another reason is that I have a winter vs summer bike dichotomy thing going on...
Given the tendency for rain even in 'summer', I'm wondering on the merits of keeping a road bike for the winter alone - it's slower, heavier and has a completely different geometry to my carbon which might lead to back problems come the spring like it did when I first changed over. Perhaps wait for that odd day in winter where conditions are better? Certainly better than some of the conditions I ended up riding in during the so-called summer.
I know, I know, you don't want to trash your Sunday best on salt and grit on the roads but then I wouldn't ride on the road in those conditions anyway, really I wouldn't. (The last time I rode when the gritting machines were out, my chain very nearly ended up ruined and it needed some serious and immediate TLC). So what are the other benefits of a winter bike? Don't really fancy sliding around in the mud on the road and mudguards could easily be fitted to my carbon. Am I playing devil's advocate? Up to a point, yes I am.
So, here's my train of thought. I'd take a rough guess that your average mtb might be better in the wet and mud so when the weather is bad, why not take the trail bike out for a spin? This might sound like blasphemy to a dedicated roadie but I'm just not sure how much adverse condition I can put up with on the roads beyond that which, albeit with a thorough clean afterwards, I wouldn't put the carbon or myself through anyway.
So how many others might apply a similar train of thought? Equally, how many people don't bother with a separate winter bike for the reasons above?
Anyway, how many of you out there ride both? Being a dedicated roadie at the moment I'm thinking of buying a trail bike and although I'm not intent on spending as much on the mtb, I'm wondering what other people's experiences of having both road and mtb bikes are? Is that the right question, yes, sort of. Do you use one in summer and the other in winter or are you just a tw0-wheeled fanatic of every type?
There's a number of reasons, the first being I'd just like to have a decent trail bike and ride some trails! Obviously. There are plenty around here to choose from. But another reason is that I have a winter vs summer bike dichotomy thing going on...
Given the tendency for rain even in 'summer', I'm wondering on the merits of keeping a road bike for the winter alone - it's slower, heavier and has a completely different geometry to my carbon which might lead to back problems come the spring like it did when I first changed over. Perhaps wait for that odd day in winter where conditions are better? Certainly better than some of the conditions I ended up riding in during the so-called summer.
I know, I know, you don't want to trash your Sunday best on salt and grit on the roads but then I wouldn't ride on the road in those conditions anyway, really I wouldn't. (The last time I rode when the gritting machines were out, my chain very nearly ended up ruined and it needed some serious and immediate TLC). So what are the other benefits of a winter bike? Don't really fancy sliding around in the mud on the road and mudguards could easily be fitted to my carbon. Am I playing devil's advocate? Up to a point, yes I am.
So, here's my train of thought. I'd take a rough guess that your average mtb might be better in the wet and mud so when the weather is bad, why not take the trail bike out for a spin? This might sound like blasphemy to a dedicated roadie but I'm just not sure how much adverse condition I can put up with on the roads beyond that which, albeit with a thorough clean afterwards, I wouldn't put the carbon or myself through anyway.
So how many others might apply a similar train of thought? Equally, how many people don't bother with a separate winter bike for the reasons above?