Winter commuting bike

[CarbonClem]

I always commuted on a road bike that was at the bottom of the food chain in my garage, usually demoted from best bike, to winter/training bike and finally to commuter. Did'nt feel bad about killing it off a bit and meant I was getting best VFM overall. Trouble was, they always a 'bit' knackered at this stage and needed bit and bobs doing, and had compromised mudguards.
I bit the bullet and bought a dedicated commuter bike - an end of line aluminium gravel bike, so discs, decent mudguards and single chainring. Gravelly tyres in summer swapped for fat slicks in summer. Deffo a good move.

 

[HLaB]

Fingers crossed 🤞 my winter commuting bike is about to become my summer commuting bike. I use my fully guarded Kinesis T2 road bike as a winter/commuter bike and hopefully we are getting to a stage of the year where it'll just be a summer commuting bike again.

 

[fossyant]

Fingers crossed 🤞 my winter commuting bike is about to become my summer commuting bike. I use my fully guarded Kinesis T2 road bike as a winter/commuter bike and hopefully we are getting to a stage of the year where it'll just be a summer commuting bike again.

Exactly as it is in winter ! Just use the same bike all year, same mudguards, same tyres. I've only once taken the CX bike as I was short of time and the freehub was playing up. I daren't park that in the work's bike shelter, so it came in the office. We aren't allowed to bring them in now due to one or two people taking the wee wee.

 

[HLaB]

Exactly as it is in winter ! Just use the same bike all year, same mudguards, same tyres. I've only once taken the CX bike as I was short of time and the freehub was playing up. I daren't park that in the work's bike shelter, so it came in the office. We aren't allowed to bring them in now due to one or two people taking the wee wee.

I have trusted my Ti Gravel bike in the office bike cage but it has only substituted for the year round commuter when it was in the shop for a new BB. Something I would have done overnight in the past but my fingers are not what they used to be.

At my last job with an open bike shelter in Central Cambridge, I wouldn't have even trusted the T2 and had a cheap BTwin for the guided bus way commute.

 

[fossyant]

I have trusted my Ti Gravel bike in the office bike cage but it has only substituted for the year round commuter when it was in the shop for a new BB. Something I would have done overnight in the past but my fingers are not what they used to be.

At my last job with an open bike shelter in Central Cambridge, I wouldn't have even trusted the T2 and had a cheap BTwin for the guided bus way commute.

My commuter is old but decked with XT. I was very careful with the fixed gear as that stood out like a sore thumb. The CX is very much 'look at me' in it's colour scheme - I didn't buy it for commuting anyway !

 

[Klavshl8]

Your road bike will survive winter just keep it clean and maybe swap tires if it’s wet or salty.

 

[ren531]

I've gave up on derailleur gear's on my winter commute bike year's ago , I've been using a Sturmey Archer AWC geared very low so in top gear for most of the time, It has the best coaster brake I've ever used , not sure if that is to do with the low gearing, but it's a very powerful progressive brake with lots of "feel" a lot of coaster brakes are not so good .
It's either this set up or single speed, using a disc brake, my commute in winter has very muddy roads in places and it's a good low maintenance set up.

 

[Alex321]

Your road bike will survive winter just keep it clean and maybe swap tires if it’s wet or salty.

Indeed. My Cube Attain GTC road bike has survived several winters of regular riding and commuting now. Ridden in all weathers except icy or very strong winds.