Winter commuting bike

[fossyant]

Nah. Impossible and not worth it anyway.

Let it get gunky, then replace drive train and clean at the vernal equinox.

Winter cleaning is pointless. It's covered in crap within a mile or two anyway. Twice a day.

But keep it lubed.

Bike abuser

 

[fossyant]

Two things I'd say are necessary are disc brakes (rim brakes kill rims in dirty traffic) and mudguards.
Next consideration is panniers. I know there are new solutions but I think they answer a question that wasn't asked.

Disks aren't necessary but are a huge advantage with rim wear. I can go through a rim in anything from a year. But my commuter wheels were built by me so replacing a rim is a couple of hours work.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

I suppose that money does come into it, but if you are spending a lot of time on the bike and you have something really nice will you enjoy riding a lesser bike?

I used this for a year or so for an 18 mile each way Mon-Fri commute, all weathers

I did cry a bit when needing new Ultegra outer chain rings (£100+), but I used 105/Tiagra level chains and cassettes and I would still be using it now except for this.


It's not obvious in the photo but there is a crack or two, the frame goes thud not ding when tapped with a coin around this area.

Once you accept that you are to getting wet, getting soaked within the first mile is no worse than it taking three miles and you are never disappointed that you didn't remain dry.

Yes, do the maintainance, I have a normal bit of road that can flood quite deeply and I trounced a pedal as it didn't like being immersed and I was not quick enough in regreasing it.

Somthing went wrong, there was this grinding sound and the end cap came off and the ball bearings fell out!

Bye

Ian

 

[biggs682]

only a second bike ? @biggs682 please point out the error of their ways

Must admit when I was cycling to work I always had 3 bikes that were mainly for commuting duties, one was a 90's steel Marin MTB , 50's Raleigh Lenton with a sturmey hub gear and then whatever project I was testing before it going on to 25+ mile rides .
Then there were another 3 set up for normal rides and a couple of garage Queens.
Lol how time has changed still got a garage full 14+ of which at least 5 have had no use in 2025 yet .

 

[HLaB]

Hi all,

My commute is between 7 and 10 miles each way, depending on the route. I have a Cube Attain Pro with 105 and disc brakes. Think I've got 28mm continentals on there - not sure if I could get any bigger on it.

I'm planning to do the commute on bike 3 or 4 days a week and drive the other day - all through the seasons!

My question is this. The road bike I have is a carbon frame, although from 2016 I think. It is still in pretty good condition, although maybe needs a service. Do I use this bike all through winter, or do I get a more wintery bike that's better for the conditions and won't get wrecked as much? Or, if I was going to buy a second bike for winter, do I use this for winter then just get a newer road bike next year? Is there any actual advantage to getting a different model/configuration of bike for the winter, or will a road bike do it?

I commute on a road bike all year round (at the moment I'm only in the office 2 days a week and last year I swapped my regular 15miles oneway round commute for a 5miles one unless the weather is good); its my winter road bike too. Given how well mine has stood up after 9 years (16,000 miles and 3 years in storage) I'd look at getting something that can take full mud guards.

 

[HLaB]

Two things I'd say are necessary are disc brakes (rim brakes kill rims in dirty traffic) and mudguards.
Next consideration is panniers. I know there are new solutions but I think they answer a question that wasn't asked.

I commute year round on rim brakes they haven't killed my rims, I wouldn't say they are necessary. A lot of folk do prefer the consistency of discs, although my hands post chemo can numb up, and I prefer the less suddenness of rim brakes.

My first commute was with panniers but I prefer the feel of a back pack but then again I'm not a heavy sweater.

 

[Pblakeney]

I commute year round on rim brakes they haven't killed my rims, I wouldn't say they are necessary. A lot of folk do prefer the consistency of discs, although my hands post chemo can numb up, and I prefer the less suddenness of rim brakes.

My first commute was with panniers but I prefer the feel of a back pack but then again I'm not a heavy sweater.

Depends entirely on the amount of braking and conditions. Clear roads on dry surfaces, no problem. Constant braking in cruddy conditions wore through my Mavic rims in a year. PS - They make a very loud bang under pressure that they can no longer withstand.

 

[HLaB]

Depends entirely on the amount of braking and conditions. Clear roads on dry surfaces, no problem. Constant braking in cruddy conditions wore through my Mavic rims in a year. PS - They make a very loud bang under pressure that they can no longer withstand.

That is excessive in your case, good mudguards help with braking in cruddy conditions, but it hardly makes discs necessary for everyone. But as said some folk prefer discs for their consistency. So they may be preferred, just not a necessity. PS. The constant squeal of disc brakes is something I can't stand, compared to a properly set up silent rim brake.

 

[Alex321]

That is excessive in your case, good mudguards help with braking in cruddy conditions, but it hardly makes discs necessary for everyone. But as said some folk prefer discs for their consistency. So they may be preferred, just not a necessity. PS. The constant squeal of disc brakes is something I can't stand, compared to a properly set up silent rim brake.

There is no "constant squeal" from disc brakes.

Mine squeal sometimes when wet, not always even then.

As you say, it is largely about personal preference when riding on roads, but there are a lot of myths about disc brakes, that being one of them.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

there are a lot of myths about disc brakes

Including that they are "necessary" for commuting, as stated here.

As someone who's commuted 10 miles each way on rim brakes all through winter for decades, I can definitively state that this isn't the case.

There are pros and cons to discs. Rim wear is definitely a pro, but by no means an absolute "must".

 

[Punkawallah]

The nice boys on GCN have done tests on rim vs disc. At 53kph it took them 3 seconds to stop on disc and 4 seconds to stop on rim (my timing, not theirs). As we’re in the neighbourhood, a nice American chap compared cable and fluid disc brake stopping distances. Cable took 10% further to stop.
YMMV, T&CA, DTTAH.

 

[chris667]

As someone who's commuted 10 miles each way on rim brakes all through winter for decades, I can definitively state that this isn't the case.

Agreed. I really hate the way the cycling industry keeps trying to tell there is some "must-have" invention for our bikes, that everything has to be a switch to some radical new design every couple of years. The world has enough unused bikes.

You don't need xyz machine to do anything, really - people happily commute on bikes without thinking about any of this stuff.

Incidentally, I still think drum brakes are better than rim or disc on a commuter. Utterly predictable, no rim wear, no need to clean the bike after a ride and less ugly than discs. You can get one that has a dynamo built into the hub for the front wheel, taking care of your lighting too. In my experience, the people who say they're crap tend not to have tried them. People who say they're not good on motorbikes are correct, but that's a different thing.

My Elephant Bike/Pashley Mailstar can stop well enough on the front brake for any circumstance I would use that bike in, and that's in the Peak District where I live. I tend to push that bike up hills, but that's not a big deal.

 

[CentralCommuter]

I must admit, I do prefer disc brakes as I’m not very technical and find properly adjusting rim brakes a bit fiddly. However, I dare say I can become more familiar with rim brakes as I use them more.

Have put 2 Gatorskins on the new bike (that I already had) and just waiting on another set of spd pedals then it’s good to go.

Don’t think I’m going to bother with a pannier as I’ll use my car to take stuff in on a Monday, and I have a back pack that is ideal for my daily food.

I have Continental 4 Seasons on the road bike and Gatorskins on the hybrid. Should they get me through winter or will I be better with some marathons or even studded?

 

[geocycle]

I must admit, I do prefer disc brakes as I’m not very technical and find properly adjusting rim brakes a bit fiddly. However, I dare say I can become more familiar with rim brakes as I use them more.

Have put 2 Gatorskins on the new bike (that I already had) and just waiting on another set of spd pedals then it’s good to go.

Don’t think I’m going to bother with a pannier as I’ll use my car to take stuff in on a Monday, and I have a back pack that is ideal for my daily food.

I have Continental 4 Seasons on the road bike and Gatorskins on the hybrid. Should they get me through winter or will I be better with some marathons or even studded?

The tyres will be fine unless you are in a very glass prone area. I’d not consider studded since if there is enough ice or snow about to need them I’d be taking the car. I use a pannier or saddlebag which is great to throw things in or for popping to the shops. I carry tools and tube which I need to be sure I’m not late.

 

[cyberknight]

I find discs more fiddly but i grew up with rim brakes and using spoons as tyre levers