Winter training/second bike

[Steampig]

I see quite often people talk about a winter training bike or second bike
What is the purpose of this?
Is it simply to save wear and tare on your "main" bike during winter months or is there an other reason?

 

[Arsen Gere]

For me it is something reliable that I won't get upset if I break it, cheapish components that I won't mind getting marked by salt.
I use a Halfords Carrrera for work, winter and long easy rides. Train heavy race light.

 

[ianrauk]

There is actually no need for a 'winter bike' and to put 'best bike' away for winter.
As long as you give the bike a good clean once a week if commuting or after every long social ride then any bike & it's components will last.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I think there's a good case for a winter bike. Hacking to work is ideal for a fixed (if relatively flat) and the ease of maintenance makes it a winner for me.
Having a best bike means that when you come to it, everything works like it should, rather than a bike that feels 75% right.

 

[gbb]

Here's what i find with winter commuting. Daily riding, whatever the conditions, rain, sleet, frost, snow...and the occasional nice dry day even !!!
Grit gets into your brake blocks...don't pay attention to it and it'll scour your rims.
Debris loaded with road salt got in my front fork brake nut recess, corroded, lifted the carbon from the alloy steerer.
Debris loaded with road salt can get in your BB. The FSA BB on my good bike wouldnt last a winter (mainly because the FSA BB is cr@p )
I genuinely find the amount of debris and grit that gets in your transmission when the roads are particually grimy require you to clean and lube a chain almost every other day.
The spoke elbows are corroded on my Tiagra wheels, i only use that bike in the winter.
Anything other than stainless brake and gear cables will require extra care or they corrode...leaving you wondering why your shiftings all gone to pot.

Perhaps i'm being a bit OTT..you doubtless can use your good bike...i simply choose not to.
A good steel frame, 8 speed transmission that wears a bit better and is cheaper to replace than a 10 speed, mudguards, and a bike you don't mind scraping along the floor when you slide over in ice (as i did twice last year)

 

[Albert]

Having a Winter Bike is just another reason to have more than one bike. Us maniacs have to persuade our better halves that we need more bikes than they think is sensible.

 

[DCLane]

I've got the Carrera Virtuoso simply to use when it's really bad out there. It's done all winter and am still using it some days now.

As such, particularly since the Ridgeback was being replaced in Jan/Feb, it's paid for itself several times over in the £350 commuting costs I've saved and I've done over 1000 miles in that time including a pile of training/social rides. It cost me £100 in September, plus £20 in lights/bottle cage and seat-post rack.

It'll be in use next winter - and I've now fitted a new cassette, chain, saddle (old one was broken), cable and tyres. It'll get a new rear mech as well since the old one's shot. Total cost for repairs; £70 and hopefully it should do all next winter.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

I've got a dog of a road bike for "winter use" and have done 1000 miles already on it this year, cursing and swearing at
its "sluggishness". (Meaning its doing far more for me than riding a lighter bike ).

Its a coyote everglades hybrid, converted to drop bars, running conti-gator tyres, it has alloy frame and wheels, with steel forks,
mudguards, searchlights, everything ... 12.8kgs in all.

I don't know what the hell is up with it, but every time i go out and do a 30 miler i barely reach 14mph average speed!!
I'm as fast on my mountain bike ... and waaay faster on my summer road bike!

I think its possessed by the spirit of an original postmans bike or something complete
with 20kgs of letters:

 

[tyred]

Build a low geared fixed gear for winter use as it's excellent training, gives better control on slippery surfaces and is easy to look after.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Build a low geared fixed gear for winter use as it's excellent training, gives better control on slippery surfaces and is easy to look after.

That's what we always used to do when I were a lad. Nowadays I use the heavier, 'old' 7 speed bike in the winter - with Crud Raceguards (edit) Roadracers. The summer bike is simply the newer, lighter, alloy one - with even tighter clearances, so much so I can't even get Cruds on it - so it really is a fair weather bike, but much quicker, and lively than the steel bike. I'm now thinking of retiring the old bike and buying a new one specifically for winter - a Ribble Winter, or Dolan Preffisio, or Tifosi CK7 maybe, with 10 speed range similar to the summer bike.

 

[amaferanga]

If you just ride at weekends then there's no need for a winter bike provided your best bike will take mudguards of some kind (Crud Roadracers have had a huge effect on what is now considered a winter bike). If you ride every day commuting and don't want to be washing your bike every few days then a cheap bike or fixed/singlespeed is a good investment. Fixed/singlespeed is great for simplicity and ease of maintenance (though a tad more of a phaff if you get a rear wheel puncture). I disagree that fixed is excellent for training - its not compared to a geared bike. That's why most people use geared bikes to train properly and race. And I say this as someone who has been riding fixed through the last 3 winters. I will always switch to a geared bike as soon as the weather improves because having gears allows you to ride effectively almost all of the time, unlike with fixed where you spend most of your time in a far from optimal gear.