Why do you have a Winter bike?

[youngoldbloke]

A Winter Bike is how I justified keeping the Crosstrail to my wife after I bought my Roubaix. Having said that I did ten miles thrash this morning on the Crosstrail through driving rain and grott on the roads and was very glad I was on that particular bike with its Crud Catcher than the other one!

Dan

Think there's any mileage in suggesting Spring and Autumn bikes are a necessity too?

 

[Biker Joe]

How about an electric bike for use in electrical storms?
Sorry. Off the subject in hand but it just came into my head.

 

[dodgy]

Not a winter bike as such, but definitely a bad weather bike. My BWB is optimised for bad weather, titanium frame that shrugs off salt, mud, grit and doesn't scratch. Full SKS chromoplastic mudguards with a gert big mudflap on the front so it also keeps the chain and chainrings clean.

My GWB is a lightweight carbon bike that doesn't have clearance for mudguards etc.

Nothing is going to convince me I'm doing it wrong

 

[Dan J B]

Think there's any mileage in suggesting Spring and Autumn bikes are a necessity too?

Think it may be worth a try but I am not overly optimistic

Dan

 

[ufkacbln]

.... ish

I have a number of bikes, and my winter bikes are the same bikes with more robust or studded tyres

I equip the Catrike Expedition with either MTB tyre at the rear and MArathon plus on the formt or the Schwalbe winter tyres all round if required.

 

[400bhp]

I have a winter bike. I don't put the better bike away for the winter as it will be used on nice days but here's my reasons off the top of my head for having a winter bike:

Commuting each day excerbates the reasons below

- mudguard eyelets and clearance so I can keep dry and (more importantly) clean.

- cheaper components so cheaper to replace

- cheaper bike overall so less worried about keeping it clean

- heavier but more robust tyres/inners/wheels

- triple chainset when i'm grinding it out in crap conditions

Am sure there are other reasons but they are the most key

 

[Berties]

i have road two winters on my carbon framed Giant,and did my wheels in the middle of last winter,and at service time it showed with the replacement parts required,so this year i have treated my self to a genesis croix de fer 2014,great wheels for dodging potholes,gearing very similar to my road bike,good disk brakes,and a retro look,as they market it as, one bike many uses,not a true cx but its quick,solid ride,am playing with tyres,putting 28 hard skins on.removing the cx speed 35,

 

[Finnjävel]

This is why I have a winter bike:

 

[Arjimlad]

Giant Defy 2 for most of my riding including winter/wet commuting, with mudguards on for the winter generally. But I have an alternative in the garage for when the going gets really tough... by which I mean floods, ice or snow.

I have a BSO Paragon Python hybrid which carries a rack-mounted child seat and has 700x35c Vittoria tyres on, with mudguards as well. I bought it about ten years ago to get back into cycling, and it's not worth selling, and makes a reliable family outing bike, or bashabout.

Made from Indonesian scaffolding poles I think.

It gets ridden to work when there are floods, snow or ice as I won't cry if it gets damaged if I fall off, and it copes better with such conditions than 700x23c road tyres. Some of the roads to work can flood to about 10" deep in heavy rain.

Also there is no way that rack-mounted child seat is going anywhere near the Defy !!

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

I do now as just git my new Revolution Cross Race 13 disc.
Chubby tyres, heavier frame etc but great... Bring on the snow and ice.

 

[jayonabike]

Any excuse for N+1......

 

[Pikey]

Have a winter bike cos I built one.

Therefore I feel smugly proud of myself, as well as cold and p1ss wet through all winter long.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I recently bought a Raleigh Airlite 100 for use as a winter bike. Sad to say I've not been out on it yet 'cos I love my bestie way too much to leave it at home.

 

[themosquitoking]

My winter bike doubles up as my commute bike. Its all kitted out with numerous lights and mudguards. There's no way I'm parking up my best bike at work. Plus it's always nice to get on my best bike, it allows me to appreciate the cost of it as they ride so differently. It's just good to have another bike that gets messed up with no worries. On nice days during winter I'll get my best bike out no problems.

^^^ This, i bought a bike i don't love (yet, i won't say i'll never love it) so i can leave it locked up and not worry about it.

 

[themosquitoking]

How about an electric bike for use in electrical storms?
Sorry. Off the subject in hand but it just came into my head.

You'd need some form of surge protection.