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Bike for winter/bad weather...what type?
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 2006-08-21 9:58 PM |
Champion  19812     MA |  Subject: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type?I love my tri bike that I got in June...Kuota K Factor, but the problem is the weather will be bad soon here in MA and I want to ride all winter outside as much as possible. I don't get as good a workout on a trainer as I do outside....HR is lower, I don't sweat as much. I want to maintain as much as possible that I gained this year during the off season. So I think I need a new bike. I have talked with a number of friends and they all point me in different directions...get a road bike, get a mountain bike, get a cyclecross bike...and now I need some more opinions. Road Bike: Nice, fun to ride, similar to what I have, but not great when it is yucky out with leaves on the ground or some snow/ice on the road. Would be great for training but not when the weather is bad...various price points but I see myself tending to want to go with the Specialized Carbon..more $$. Mountain bike: Never going to do technical trails...may ride on paths, would work good on the road with leaves, wet, frost and the like. Never will ride it like intended I think. Can get one pretty cheap. Cyclecross: More like a road bike but with better tires for bad weather/roads, built more for bad weather than a road bike, less options to choose from and may end up as much as road bike but not carbon as it is a smaller market. Some folks from my tri team get together and ride off road but on something like a meadow every Sunday all year...could do that with last two options. I need some more input to help clarify things in my mind. Thanks! |
| 2006-08-21 10:31 PM in reply to: #518218 |
Expert 1484  | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? I went through this my self last fall. I bought a fixed gear bike with a flip flop back wheel so it's fixed and freewheel. I run fenders during the nasty weather, run both road and cross tires on it and generally have a blast riding it. My riding got so much stronger by riding fixed and I have a blast on the bike which makes the nasty weather better. Riding fixed will help take your overall bike fitness to the next level. I also rode mine free wheel in the local cyclocross series, that is an intense workout riding a cross course stuck in a 39t front a 16t rear gear, this year I'm going to ride 39 x 18t in the cross races. So, I'd say look the current range of fixies out there there are quite a few these days and you can pick up a nice new one for $499 on up. It will make your Tri bike seem like a light weight speed machine, after a few months of grinding out hills on a heavy fixie. (RSLH_02_Web_small.jpg) Attachments ---------------- RSLH_02_Web_small.jpg (82KB - 3 downloads) |
| 2006-08-21 10:40 PM in reply to: #518218 |
Lethbridge, Alberta Bronze member | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? I only have a road bike and my old mountain bike so I can't compare them to a cyclocross bike. I use my mtn.bike for most of my daily commuting. For winter, it will be wearing big knobby tires at lower pressures for extra grip on snow, ice, and frost. I considered studded mountain bike tires but they cautioned me that the studs can actually skid more on pavement and concrete surfaces, and since we usually don't have a lot of icey days I passed. The big tires are harder to push around but I see that as a bonus for training, right? I also have fenders on my mtn.bike. If you are outside in the winter, be very careful on ice, especially the ice you don't see. In other words, be ready for ice all the time if your climate supports it. Bikes go down fast and hard on bare ice! Edit: The big tires are also great for bouncing over curbs, potholes, railway crossings, gravel, etc. Edited by Micawber 2006-08-21 10:47 PM |
| 2006-08-21 10:54 PM in reply to: #518218 |
Master 3019 West Jordan, UT | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? As long as there is no ice or snow, you can ride just like the summer - use your tri bike. Just bundle up. If there is ice/snow you want bigger tires with a little tread. If you don't have a mountain bike, this could be a good excuse to get one. You could have some fun in the summer with it too! Don't go full suspension though, those are pretty slow on pavement. Beware, a nice sheet of ice can put you on your butt pretty fast - good tires or not!
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| 2006-08-22 7:36 AM in reply to: #518266 |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? tkbslc - 2006-08-21 11:54 PM As long as there is no ice or snow, you can ride just like the summer - use your tri bike. Just bundle up. If there is ice/snow you want bigger tires with a little tread. If you don't have a mountain bike, this could be a good excuse to get one. You could have some fun in the summer with it too! Don't go full suspension though, those are pretty slow on pavement. Beware, a nice sheet of ice can put you on your butt pretty fast - good tires or not! Last winter I bought all the clothing, I road outside all winter but it depended on the weather..some months more some less. I had been warned about ice or even frost can make you fall pretty fast so I didn't ride on days like that which eliminated a lot of days. Plus the sand and salt isn't super great for the drivetrain of my nice bike...rather crap up a second class bike. My goal this year is to not have as many days that I can't ride. |
| 2006-08-22 7:39 AM in reply to: #518247 |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? magic - 2006-08-21 11:31 PM I went through this my self last fall. I bought a fixed gear bike with a flip flop back wheel so it's fixed and freewheel. I run fenders during the nasty weather, run both road and cross tires on it and generally have a blast riding it. My riding got so much stronger by riding fixed and I have a blast on the bike which makes the nasty weather better. Riding fixed will help take your overall bike fitness to the next level. I also rode mine free wheel in the local cyclocross series, that is an intense workout riding a cross course stuck in a 39t front a 16t rear gear, this year I'm going to ride 39 x 18t in the cross races. So, I'd say look the current range of fixies out there there are quite a few these days and you can pick up a nice new one for $499 on up. It will make your Tri bike seem like a light weight speed machine, after a few months of grinding out hills on a heavy fixie. I like this idea....looks like an excellant ride you had the day of the picture. Fenders are a must for nasty weather days. How big are the tires on the bike...can't tell with all the snow |
| 2006-08-22 8:32 AM in reply to: #518385 |
Cycling Guru 15134 Fulton, MD | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? Back in the racing days I had a bike for all occassiona, including a beater for the bad weather. I was sponsored by Fuji one year and got a complete Fuji Team with Ultegra (back in the days when it was steel). At the end of the season, I stripped it, sold the parts and rebuilt the frame/fork as a beater bike with a mixed bag of 105 and RX100 7-speed downtube stuff and beater wheels. I probably sunk only around $500 into the bike, so I had no problems taking it through slush and mud in the crappy weather. Plus it was fun to take it to races every now and then and ride with downtube shifters.  I'd recommend doing that. Find a real basic inexpensive frame and build it up with simple components. Set a low but realistic budget and have some fun! Nothing like a beater bike for getting out and playing all year round. |
| 2006-08-22 8:38 AM in reply to: #518218 |
| Pro 3903 Andover | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? I like my Cyclocross bike. Nuttin' fancy, but it got me through the winter (and early spring).  |
| 2006-08-22 9:18 AM in reply to: #518218 |
Master 1670 Harvard, Illinois | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? I second the fixed gear bike. I just picked up a Specialized Langster for $500.00. I don't have clipless pedals on it and don't intend to change them for the winter. I want some good if I have to put my feet on the ground. |
| 2006-08-22 10:26 AM in reply to: #518385 |
Expert 1484 | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? KathyG - 2006-08-22 5:39 AM magic - 2006-08-21 11:31 PM I went through this my self last fall. I bought a fixed gear bike with a flip flop back wheel so it's fixed and freewheel. I run fenders during the nasty weather, run both road and cross tires on it and generally have a blast riding it. My riding got so much stronger by riding fixed and I have a blast on the bike which makes the nasty weather better. Riding fixed will help take your overall bike fitness to the next level. I also rode mine free wheel in the local cyclocross series, that is an intense workout riding a cross course stuck in a 39t front a 16t rear gear, this year I'm going to ride 39 x 18t in the cross races. So, I'd say look the current range of fixies out there there are quite a few these days and you can pick up a nice new one for $499 on up. It will make your Tri bike seem like a light weight speed machine, after a few months of grinding out hills on a heavy fixie. I like this idea....looks like an excellant ride you had the day of the picture. Fenders are a must for nasty weather days. How big are the tires on the bike...can't tell with all the snow My fixie in that pic is running 700c x 32 Vittoria cross tires. On the rodes I run either a 23 or 25 wide 700 tire (I have a couple of wheel sets, so it kinda depends on them and/or how lazy I'm feeling about changing tires) That is a Raleigh Rush Hour that I'm riding, buddy just bought the Redline 925, nice ride and comes with fenders. The Raleigh does come with fenders nor does it have any mounts for them, those are SKS Racer Blades on there (they strap on) and I exended each one with zip times, black duct tape a cut up plastic bottles. I find that it is key to have the front fender very close to the ground and widen out towards the bottom. Otherwise, you get a lot of spray on your shoes. I ride in the winter with my mountain bike shoes on and in nasty weather with a pair of GoreTex boot liners as socks. Those GoreTex bootliners are the best cold weather piece of bike kit I've used, I've been out when my bottle froze solid, but me toes where nice and warm! |
| 2006-08-26 8:35 PM in reply to: #518218 |
Master 2629 brummie land | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? have you thought about getting a hybrid? i have one and its great. the tires aren't as knobbly as a mountain bike and obviously the suspension is different, but being more upright makes it safer in crappy weather. just a thought. btw i have a trek 7.2fx and it cost about $600. |
| 2006-08-26 8:53 PM in reply to: #518218 |
| Elite 3130 | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? Another experienced winter cyclist here (see avatar). Living in MA, you are definitely going to want to be able to run fenders and at least knobby tires if not studded tires. That will rule out many to most road bikes because of tire clearance issues (I can't even put a 28c slick tire on my road bike - it collides with the seat tube.) The cyclocross option sounds like a good one. You can add foul-weather gear to the bike but it still has the "look and feel" of a road bike. Fixies are cool but require learning new riding skills (which could be either a plus or minus to you). Having said that, my current winter bike is an old steel hardtail MTB, and I am currently building a "new" winter bike with a recycled steel MTB frame and an 8-speed internal hub. The internal hub will be more resistant to slush and ice buildup compared to a derailer. But I am considering this approach an experiment so I am not ready to provide a recommendation one way or the other regarding the use of an internally geared hub. |
| 2006-08-26 9:44 PM in reply to: #518218 |
 Extreme Veteran 1491 northeast Ohio | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? How about one more option - a touring bike? That's what I ride. Accomadates 35-38 tires, fenders, etc. My county has a lot of gravel roads and the touring bike will get me down them just fine. Nice comfy ride too. |
| 2006-08-26 11:35 PM in reply to: #518218 |
Champion 6993 Chicago, Illinois | Subject: RE: Bike for winter/bad weather...what type? Wow Sappho. I ahve the trek 7.2fx. that is currently my only bike. One reason I got it it was like $382 where I got it. It is very road like atleast in loooks. but it handles better in worse road condiations. its big and heavy but does its job. faster than running the same distance except for hills. |
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