Weight Weenies

Thank you everyone for your responses... I have been thinking and asking around, and it looks like the only major component that is "ruined" by winter is the wheels? Since used wheelsets for winter training can be found for like $100, isn't it better to go for the rim-brake bike, given I can race the rim brake bike during the summer without a 500g - 1kg weight penalty?

In reply to OP if you can wash your bike every day in a salty winter then the components will last ages and it would be worth shiny stuff. Also mudguards will save a huge amount of dirt hitting your bike. But if you don't have facilities to keep clean your bike or use muddies/fenders then use the cheap kit and accept it's going to corrode.

I wash bike daily in salty winter, or else stuff stops working within 24 hours! Ultegra kit lasts forever but pads and rims wear very quickly so very good idea to get cheap wheelset.

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Salt is the biggest problem in the UK. I have found using mudguards wears out the rear rim faster because the solution of salt, muck and water is directed down at the brake pads. More so with Race Blades. I replace the rims but some wheels are so cheap now its hardly worth it. Just use Fulcrum 7s and bin when worn out. Best to use cold water to wash salt off apparently.

wilwil wrote:Salt is the biggest problem in the UK. I have found using mudguards wears out the rear rim faster because the solution of salt, muck and water is directed down at the brake pads. More so with Race Blades. I replace the rims but some wheels are so cheap now its hardly worth it. Just use Fulcrum 7s and bin when worn out. Best to use cold water to wash salt off apparently.

This is actually a real thing. The fenders do tend to direct grit onto the brake pads. One trick I use is to squirt a bit of water on the pads from time to time to clean them off, especially before a descent where I will be braking a lot. Also, the Kool-Stop salmon pads are the most rim-friendly brake pads for wet weather.

Bigger Gear wrote:

wilwil wrote:Salt is the biggest problem in the UK. I have found using mudguards wears out the rear rim faster because the solution of salt, muck and water is directed down at the brake pads. More so with Race Blades. I replace the rims but some wheels are so cheap now its hardly worth it. Just use Fulcrum 7s and bin when worn out. Best to use cold water to wash salt off apparently.

This is actually a real thing. The fenders do tend to direct grit onto the brake pads. One trick I use is to squirt a bit of water on the pads from time to time to clean them off, especially before a descent where I will be braking a lot. Also, the Kool-Stop salmon pads are the most rim-friendly brake pads for wet weather.

Good point, water gets kicked up and forward and the fender ends right where the pads are so the spray gets directly all over the pads. Maybe a DIY extension of some sort could extend it a little bit to help (side spray would still be a problem but would be for any set of fenders that aren't perfectly placed and stationary).. but then you'd have to have clearance under your brake calipers to do this to begin with

at least they're good for preventing mud-butt and overtly showering the poor bastard behind you in the face

Of course I use my good bike through the winter....

Wearing kit justifies new purchases with approvals from my wife

Mike; where do you live? How bad is your winter?

Lots of good advice in this topic already. I'm in northern europe as well, and have ridden through a lot of winters always experimenting and improving my winter setup. I've also found that it is possible to race your winterbike/wintertrain your racing bike - depending on how you look at it.

IMO Ultegra is the way to go groupset wise, but chain and cassette needs to be 105. Buy 4 chains and one cassette and rotate the chains, since they wear faster than the cassette. That will give you a very long cassette and chain life. And the cassettes are more expensive than the chains obviously.

Regarding wheels; you're right. Cheap wheels like Shimano RS11, Fulcrum racing 7 or similar.

Clean your bike regularly - preferably after each wet ride. Especially brake pads, brake track - and clean and relube chain and cassette.

Finally fenders. There's no way around them if you want to prolong the life of the wear parts and increase your well being significantly. And as others mention, they need to be long. Don't underestimate the value of a long front fender either. Needs to be long in front of the brake, otherwise grime and dirt will blow backwards onto your handlebar and head tube area compromising headsetbearings. And they need to be long on the rear end, otherwise your feet, chain set, chain and bb area will get wet'n dirty. Especially your feet will get wet and cold and the ride will get significantly less fun.

I've found that Spencer Omega fenders are both durable and will not brake the bank. Buy two sets in order to mount one set and use the other set as spares in order to prolong the first set.

Thank you for your replies. I am located in Czech republic and we get all sorts of winters - from cold and icy to just mild and rain...

First winter I rode my Propel, since it was mostly just cold and dry.

Last winter I had a cyclocross bike, but I don't like the geo.

Looking at the bikes I have, I am a bit stuck: I have a SuperSix Evo Hi Mod and Giant Propel. Evo is nice weather climber's bike. The Propel was my first bike, so lot of stuff learned, and it sort of shows (like my tires scraped into the frame since they were too big etc.). The Propel has lots of knicks from barrel adjusters etc. and the geo doesn't really suit me...

So, I'm considering using the Propel as my winter bike... how does that sound as an idea? Is it a very bad idea given the "cutout" for the rear wheel? I know it only allows me to run 23C tires, but I don't need bigger, I don't ride on ice... I have raceblades which I can try mounting...

Hmm?

IMO you’ll never regret a bike with proper mudguards. They’re rattle free and much more effective than any clip on guard.

I found it was the drivetrain I ruined too - autumn and winter make a really nice mucky grinding paste which meant that I ended up changing chain, cassette and eventually chainrings too. It definitely accelerates wear of rims too.

I’ve got a single speed with discs for the really lucky weather and an alloy Trek for decent mileage in the wet. The single speed seems particularly effective - it’s a cheap 8 speed chain that is obviously straight and has not worn much at all in 2 winters with just occasional cleaning and lubing.

I use even my best bikes in winter. I just replace thing when they are worn. This year I will wash the bikes regularly especially when the salt is down. Mechs for me is what suffer.

i'll ride my colnago c-59 during the winter, but if there's slush and salt outside i prefer to either use my trek-5200 or my firefly, one because it's old and i don't care as much about it, the other because it has disc and 32 mm tires and i'll sometimes feel safer riding it.

and i agree about more maintenance, lubing and cleaning.