Not sure if that was a serious comment 😉 ...but I did get a cheap’ish alu bike for winter and love it. It’s a couple of kg heavier than my carbon bike, but find it plenty good enough to ride all year. I went for 105 group set (cost a bit more) but think it’s well worth it for smooth gear changes etc. And chunky tires are comfy.
CX/Gravel bike adapted for winter is best IMO because in spring or summer you can swap it back to off-road tires and continue to use it. Got 32c slicks and mudguards on my gravel bike ATM. Discs are great for winter but no need in the dry so add weight and complexity on a summer bike.
I use a Ribble CGR SL (the carbon aero gravelbike) with full mudguards as a winterbike, it's awesome because u have space for 37mm tires and mudguards so I don't need to remove the mudguards when I do gravel. I use 2 wheelsets though, first one is a Fulcrum 40mm alu wheelset with 30mm tires for winterrides on the roads and Mavic Allroad with 37mm tires for gravel.
This got me thinking. So i got my old boardman cx team, put a 42t ring on it and some fat tubeless file treads (challenge strada bianca 36 TLR) and some plastic mudguards. Works a treat.
I bought a cheap(ish) Al frame / 105 groupset bike for winter and it's great, with clip on mudguards. Despite weighing 1kg more than my summer bike it's still quite nimble and climbs OK. It doesn't have disc brakes...would be better stopping in the wet, but at least I don't have the noise issue in poor conditions (discs can sound like cement mixers, especially if the roads are dirty!).
Love my Genesis CdF with mudguards and discs and 37mm tires. For evening rides I add some lights. Might want to invest in a son-hub so I can attach a better light.
Yep, the key is the disc brake bit. Loving my disc braked Izalco Max eTap, but once the weather gets better I am jumping back on my Cannodale Supersix hi mod sub 6kg whippet!
I've got a Ridley Triton which I originally bought as a winter bike but I actually find myself riding most of the time. Yea it's a basic inexpensive bike but it just devourers the miles and never goes wrong plus it costs virtually nothing to keep on the road. Probably the best cycling buy I ever made 👍
@@roadcc Aluminum is more inert, less prone to oxydation that steel. Less faffing with protecting nice steel from rust. Money no object I'd go for Ti but I sense that's not in the spirit of this vid.
I would add swapping out those three bolt cleats for my 2-bolt SPDs for the worst case hike-a-bike situations, given ground conditions during winters where I live.
Seriously thinking of a winter bike purely for bigger tyres, mudguards and discs brakes with Aluminium frame Would probably only do 400 miles per year so would be a cheap option as wouldn't have to replace parts that often
I have a 25 year old trek hybrid I like to use in winter. It just needs a different handlebar for more hand position options. I’m not sure what will work, and the LBS is not really interested in helping. (But they have a new bike they’d be happy to show me.) I’m always on the verge of buying a new bike but my old hybrid has sentimental value and I want to keep it and ride it.
A good bike shop should definitely be willing to help you out with that change. What sort of thing are you after with a new handlebar? wider/narrower, higher/lower? We have this article which is a decent starting point road.cc/content/buyers-guide/267962-how-find-best-drop-handlebars-you-8-best but if you have any more questions then come back and we will try to help 🙂
I own a dedicated year round bike: Santos race lite with Rohloff gearbox and Gates carbon belt using 32mm continental 4 seasons tyres.... no hazzle with cleaning your chain and derailleur, i only use soapy water and a towel when dirty…and really folks, it’s all about the legs😀👍
My winter bike #2 has an alfine 8 with a 1/8 chain, shoehorned into an old steel race frame. (I cant quite fit 28mm tyres with mudguards but 25mm are ok). But the hub gear doesn't drag at all and it saves a lot of cleaning. Without trying, I often get faster strava segments riding it too, than I get with my posh, plastic summer bike.
I now have a 2019 giant defy which has space for wider tyres ,mudguard attachment points and a fantastic frame which suits all year round use. If you only have room for one bike this does all the jobs pretty well. In the summer the guards come off and I can put on a pair of nicer tyres. Much cheaper than another bike.
I agree in 100%. Maybe except that it is instead of trainer. Rather apart from it. They are not interchangeable. So in the winter road bike on trainer and this one - commute like with guards - outdoor
those american classic hubs/wheels look a bit fragile though. Having to drift the bearings out and stick in new ones is more of a faff than undoing cones and cleaning the bearings/races and repacking. And can you get replacement rims after they've gone thin at 5000 miles? (answer: probably. They're probably made by kinlin anyway). Personally, I'd go for something a bit more bombproof and rebuildable.
road.cc Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2, fitted with DT Swiss GR 1600 wheels and with the wide rim profile produces a good fit with the Strada Bianca TLR from Challenge 36
Well, on a modern disc brake bike you almost ever have enough clearance and dont ruin the carbon wheels when braking. so i just throw on mudguards and marathon supremes and are done. Or, and thats most of the time, i simply use the gravel bike.
It's a bit pricey but I think the Niner RLT RDO(carbon) lets you use mud guards, but that's more of a touring bike. Also can't your surly fork handle at least a 700x30 tires?
My only road bike is my Gravel Bike and thus even in summer it has wet gritty rides, and equally it’s not my best bike, which is a decent Full Suspension trail MTB, the Gravel bike is lower spec and simpler. And thus I’m less concerned about wear etc.
I am considering buying a gravel bike or a bike like yours which is suitable rock and mud guard Probably it will take a year making that money. What should i go with? I will buy the bike from Holland. Probably my budget will be enough for entery level of all those models.
I have a winter bike , bought an alloy frame bike for £45 on eBay, upgraded from7 speed to 11 speed, and got a cheap carbon fork and components off ebay and its great . Dave from Woolley
We are 6degC warmer in Melbourne (on average) compared to southern UK and 2/3 the rainfall so no winter bike required. Come and visit it's nice weather here at the moment 🚴🌴😎
The question of a smart trainer as "winter bike" is interesting. I suffer from asthma and get lots of chest problems in winter, so often can't go out anyway. I have a winter bike but it doesn't get used much, as I often have weeks off at a time with chest problems. So maybe smart is better for me?
my roadbike is my cx bike too and comes with a chris king bb, hope hubs/headset and paul components discbrakes. Why would I need an other bike for wintertraining ?
JogBird Yes...guards are really important, unless you want to avoid riding 90% of the time when roads are wet (in UK anyway). I tried various types but found the race blades which attach to any frame with elastic cords are great...no rattling or rubbing.
Dave and Road.cc Which clip on mudguards would you recommend for a "Canyon Endurace AL 7 Disc" and what would the widest tyres it would take/you recommend? Mudguards: I've looked at "SKS Raceblade Pro XL", which seem a more sturdy & better than the "Crud Roadracer Mk 3", I'm not sure of other options. Ideally I'd want a full mudguard. Tyres: By default the bike comes with "Continental Grand Prix SL 28 mm". Maybe some "Continental 4 Seasons 32mm" or similar? (That might cause mudguard selection issues). Thank you.
Good bike choice! It's a shame it doesn't have mudguard mounts though (some rivals do) but the SKS is a solid choice with easy adjustability. The GP SL is a decent tyre so you might want to consider getting some use out of before upgrading, but if money is no option, then the 4 Seasons is a good choice
How can someone talk about winter bicycle rides with all the green scenery? Winter bicycle rides involve snow ice and bitter cold. Studded tires lubricant that doesn't freeze, layers of clothing, eye protection for sub zero temperatures insulated shoes and gloves/lobster mitts. We need someone with icicles from his beard talking about winter tides
IMHO having a decent crap weather bike is money well spent as mine is the one I ride most often. For a start I’m less precious about it. I’ve heard good reports of Zwift, however facilitating that is just not on my financial radar. I’ve got a standard dumb trainer, which is without question the worst cycling related money I’ve ever spent
er no dont need a winter bike, I have a decent bike which I ride all year, roads tracks everything but deep mud and sand , I have 28mm puncture resistant tyres , not the fastest but I usually get about 6-8000kms before they need replacing and that's mainly on the back roads with holes and hedge cuttings, my only concession for having one bike is it usually needs a new bottom bracket a bit more often than a normal road bike, and I have become a dab hand at replacing the spokes, so in terms of cost effectiveness one suits me better. and lets be totally honest if the weathers that bad you just don't go out !
Bungle2010 I would imagine some places in the world don’t suffer from the effects of "... snow, ice [significant] cold" or fog..."lack of leaves on trees," could that be possible??
How about having only one road bike that has basically all the qualities of a winter bike except you spend all your money on one single bike instead of two? Oh wait, you'd be 0.003% slower when sprinting for traffic lights...
My first winter bike is the same price as an aluminium wheel! Bargin of the century as it has decent components and disc brakes too. My second winter bike is basically more expensive than my best bike with eTap and disc brakes but 6.8kg so about 1 kg heavier than my best bike! I wish I had eTap on my best bike!!
@@DSKHo1968 well, I guess my comment is not addressed to people who can afford eTap and several sub 6.8 kg bikes. It's more aboue people who could maybe spend 3000-4000€ on two bikes or just on one.
@@11robotics my bikes are all second hand! That's why I cant afford to put eTap on my "best" bike as that is £1.5 k to upgrade. My 3 road bikes combined cost me a little over £3k. The latest eTap disc bike (Focus Izalco Max) was £2k of that!! It took me a whole week before I pulled the trigger as that's 1 month's wages! The current version of that bike with that spec is around £7k. My sub 6kg Cannodale Supersix Hi Mod with SRAM Red cost well less than £1k (bargin) plus some second hand lightweight carbon rims! My first attempt at a winter bike cost £165, virtually brand new (50 miles or so) with SRAM Rival and disc brakes was over £1.5 k brand new. There are plenty of bargains to be had especially in this weather as very rich hobbyists change their mind for one reason or another about their bike. Plenty of bikes for sale with no one wanting them so you can take your pick. I am guessing my 3 bikes fits in with your hypothetical budget for a decent road bike. Sadly cycling is a middle class sport as a "decent" bike is £3k+, a "good" one and £4k plus, and a "top of the range" by a "top" manufacturer is £7k plus (don't mention Pinarello). Dont get me started on the accessories! As for performance differences between them, I am the limiting factor! With that in mind I would say you are looking at around 5 to 10% difference between each bike. You can easily make up for the difference by peddling a little bit harder or by losing a few pounds in weight. I am not a racer so that 5 to 10% difference means an extra 5 to 10 minutes to my daily commute (basically nothing). The difference is for me how it makes me feel when I am riding the bikes. On the Cannodale (sub 6kg), you literally cant wipe the smile off my face. On the Focus (sub 7kg), feels good and love the shifting and love the disc brakes this time of the year. On my cheap road bike (over 10kg, aluminium frame), nothing wrong with it, still enjoy the ride as long as I dont have to do too many hill climbs (I have 2 on my commute!) but it is a tool rather than a toy!
@captain pugwash my metaphor was mainly targeted as wannabe racers and overly rich MAMILs, whose main concern is being able to show off in front of fellow road bike riders. And, to be honest, the amount (and percentage) of road bike users that actually race and that actually need dedicated summer/winter bikes is far lower than what the bike industry would like us to believe. However, there are far more people who think spending absurd amounts of money on bikes turns them into racers.
@@DSKHo1968 I am really astounded by how cheaply you managed to buy those rather awesome bikes. I am a bargain hunter myself, but I have hardly found such great deals. However, I'd still avoid having three road bikes and spend my entire budget (3k pounds in your case) on a single road bike, while having an all-arounder gravel/touring bike as my secondary bike. And I'll make sure that single road bike could also deal with poor weather conditions if necessary. I never liked the idea of having several bikes, and I always found it is a waste of money, time and energy to own several bikes that do almost the same job almost the same way.
I ride the turbo when the roads are wet regardless of the season i.e., no matter how cold, I can ride outdoors. Sometimes I ride the Gravel or MTN-bike in sloppy conditions and enjoy getting dirty. Mud guards, never needed and socially unacceptable. 😊
Refreshing to get a video that's not clearly trying to sell an expensive new bike...but still...got to admit discs are nice to have so to avoid that oh sh*t moment when rims don't initially bite. Discs aren't going anywhere near my dry weather bike, but they are worth the money, weight and occasional bit of hassle in winter/off-road.
Each to their own in terms of brakes. The "literature" isn't forcing you to buy discs. We happen to like them and you seem to prefer rims, not sure why it needs to get all tribal
I love winter training bikes so much I ride one all year round
Not sure if that was a serious comment 😉 ...but I did get a cheap’ish alu bike for winter and love it. It’s a couple of kg heavier than my carbon bike, but find it plenty good enough to ride all year. I went for 105 group set (cost a bit more) but think it’s well worth it for smooth gear changes etc. And chunky tires are comfy.
...btw I bought the winter bike on eBay...I’m not some flash git with unlimited cash!
When your winter bike is also your crit racing bike, cx bike, gravel bike, comuter, and sometimes your mtb.
CX/Gravel bike adapted for winter is best IMO because in spring or summer you can swap it back to off-road tires and continue to use it. Got 32c slicks and mudguards on my gravel bike ATM. Discs are great for winter but no need in the dry so add weight and complexity on a summer bike.
I think this is a really simple question for cycle commuters. Do you want to wash your bike after every commute? If no, you need a winter bike.
I use a Ribble CGR SL (the carbon aero gravelbike) with full mudguards as a winterbike, it's awesome because u have space for 37mm tires and mudguards so I don't need to remove the mudguards when I do gravel. I use 2 wheelsets though, first one is a Fulcrum 40mm alu wheelset with 30mm tires for winterrides on the roads and Mavic Allroad with 37mm tires for gravel.
This got me thinking. So i got my old boardman cx team, put a 42t ring on it and some fat tubeless file treads (challenge strada bianca 36 TLR) and some plastic mudguards. Works a treat.
I bought a cheap(ish) Al frame / 105 groupset bike for winter and it's great, with clip on mudguards. Despite weighing 1kg more than my summer bike it's still quite nimble and climbs OK. It doesn't have disc brakes...would be better stopping in the wet, but at least I don't have the noise issue in poor conditions (discs can sound like cement mixers, especially if the roads are dirty!).
Love my Genesis CdF with mudguards and discs and 37mm tires. For evening rides I add some lights.
Might want to invest in a son-hub so I can attach a better light.
I use my ultimate dura ace disc di2 year round. Just clean it regularly, no dramas really.
Yep, the key is the disc brake bit. Loving my disc braked Izalco Max eTap, but once the weather gets better I am jumping back on my Cannodale Supersix hi mod sub 6kg whippet!
I've got a Ridley Triton which I originally bought as a winter bike but I actually find myself riding most of the time. Yea it's a basic inexpensive bike but it just devourers the miles and never goes wrong plus it costs virtually nothing to keep on the road. Probably the best cycling buy I ever made 👍
Steel and alu frames lets you ride with a Silca frame pump under the top tube... Essential winter accessory.
Pump?
Richard George You got it😁
I agree, mudguards are essential. For autumn and winter riding I just attach mudguards on my trekking bike, tires are always 37mm semislics.
Aluminium (specifically not steel)
Mudguards
Disc brakes
105 (not SRAM or campag)
Big tyres (32mm)
Lifetime warranty
It's a strong list but why not steel? Obviously, it's just personal preference but just interested in your thought process
@@roadcc Aluminum is more inert, less prone to oxydation that steel. Less faffing with protecting nice steel from rust. Money no object I'd go for Ti but I sense that's not in the spirit of this vid.
I would add swapping out those three bolt cleats for my 2-bolt SPDs for the worst case hike-a-bike situations, given ground conditions during winters where I live.
This is a really good point!
Seriously thinking of a winter bike purely for bigger tyres, mudguards and discs brakes with Aluminium frame Would probably only do 400 miles per year so would be a cheap option as wouldn't have to replace parts that often
Look at the Ribble CGR AL u can get one pretty cheap
the decathlon bikes are not a bad choice for winter.
I have a 25 year old trek hybrid I like to use in winter. It just needs a different handlebar for more hand position options. I’m not sure what will work, and the LBS is not really interested in helping. (But they have a new bike they’d be happy to show me.) I’m always on the verge of buying a new bike but my old hybrid has sentimental value and I want to keep it and ride it.
A good bike shop should definitely be willing to help you out with that change. What sort of thing are you after with a new handlebar? wider/narrower, higher/lower? We have this article which is a decent starting point road.cc/content/buyers-guide/267962-how-find-best-drop-handlebars-you-8-best but if you have any more questions then come back and we will try to help 🙂
I own a dedicated year round bike: Santos race lite with Rohloff gearbox and Gates carbon belt using 32mm continental 4 seasons tyres.... no hazzle with cleaning your chain and derailleur, i only use soapy water and a towel when dirty…and really folks, it’s all about the legs😀👍
My winter bike #2 has an alfine 8 with a 1/8 chain, shoehorned into an old steel race frame. (I cant quite fit 28mm tyres with mudguards but 25mm are ok). But the hub gear doesn't drag at all and it saves a lot of cleaning. Without trying, I often get faster strava segments riding it too, than I get with my posh, plastic summer bike.
My Giant Defy and my CX. My TCR for summer.
in this video i see a cool wet weather bike. some of us live where winter is the season of snow and ice. spike tires are a must
Thankfully we don't get much more than a dusting of snow around here, when it does rarely snow heavily it's time to get the mountain bike out!
If you’re a commuter and live somewhere where it snows a ton, consider studded tires.
I now have a 2019 giant defy which has space for wider tyres ,mudguard attachment points and a fantastic frame which suits all year round use. If you only have room for one bike this does all the jobs pretty well. In the summer the guards come off and I can put on a pair of nicer tyres. Much cheaper than another bike.
So there a story behind that burly Surly fork?
Mudguards ........ mudguards ............mudguards ...............mudguards. ✌🏻
I agree in 100%. Maybe except that it is instead of trainer. Rather apart from it. They are not interchangeable. So in the winter road bike on trainer and this one - commute like with guards - outdoor
I run a gravel bike in winter but it has carbon wheels and Di2. A bit of bling cheers me up on dull days. ☁️😂
A bike with mudguards. Why would you want to cover yourself/your bike/kit and others in mud/spray?
those american classic hubs/wheels look a bit fragile though. Having to drift the bearings out and stick in new ones is more of a faff than undoing cones and cleaning the bearings/races and repacking. And can you get replacement rims after they've gone thin at 5000 miles? (answer: probably. They're probably made by kinlin anyway). Personally, I'd go for something a bit more bombproof and rebuildable.
Running 36mm road based tires on my CX bike, rolls brilliantly for the winter :)
What CX bike do you have?
road.cc Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2, fitted with DT Swiss GR 1600 wheels and with the wide rim profile produces a good fit with the Strada Bianca TLR from Challenge 36
Very nice indeed 👍
Well, on a modern disc brake bike you almost ever have enough clearance and dont ruin the carbon wheels when braking. so i just throw on mudguards and marathon supremes and are done.
Or, and thats most of the time, i simply use the gravel bike.
It's a bit pricey but I think the Niner RLT RDO(carbon) lets you use mud guards, but that's more of a touring bike. Also can't your surly fork handle at least a 700x30 tires?
His brake calipers can't handel more than 25 mm..
My only road bike is my Gravel Bike and thus even in summer it has wet gritty rides, and equally it’s not my best bike, which is a decent Full Suspension trail MTB, the Gravel bike is lower spec and simpler. And thus I’m less concerned about wear etc.
I am considering buying a gravel bike or a bike like yours which is suitable rock and mud guard Probably it will take a year making that money. What should i go with? I will buy the bike from Holland. Probably my budget will be enough for entery level of all those models.
Use a old 2012 carrera zelos daily with a single speed set up, bought it broken for £40 and set it up single speed had it near on 2 years
I have a winter bike , bought an alloy frame bike for £45 on eBay, upgraded from7 speed to 11 speed, and got a cheap carbon
fork and components off ebay and its great .
Dave from Woolley
We are 6degC warmer in Melbourne (on average) compared to southern UK and 2/3 the rainfall so no winter bike required. Come and visit it's nice weather here at the moment 🚴🌴😎
Now for me to find a work reason to visit...
road.cc Do Australians need a winter bike? I’d watch that
Hmm "road.cc investigates" give the video the gravitas it would clearly deserve 😂
I just can't bring myself to ride with full mudguards on! :-) I'll take the mud - hey, I have a washing machine!
The question of a smart trainer as "winter bike" is interesting. I suffer from asthma and get lots of chest problems in winter, so often can't go out anyway. I have a winter bike but it doesn't get used much, as I often have weeks off at a time with chest problems. So maybe smart is better for me?
It could be something to consider
Would you consider the Cannondale synapse to be a winter training bike? Or is it generally something much cheaper?
my roadbike is my cx bike too and comes with a chris king bb, hope hubs/headset and paul components discbrakes.
Why would I need an other bike for wintertraining ?
Isn't Dave the only person who works at road.cc?
We have two Dave's so yes and no 😂
road.cc 🤣🤣🤣
Would mud guards be important?
Hmm, did you watch the video? 🤔
JogBird only if you don’t want to get full of dirt ;-)
JogBird Yes...guards are really important, unless you want to avoid riding 90% of the time when roads are wet (in UK anyway). I tried various types but found the race blades which attach to any frame with elastic cords are great...no rattling or rubbing.
Why not titanium?
Dave and Road.cc
Which clip on mudguards would you recommend for a "Canyon Endurace AL 7 Disc" and what would the widest tyres it would take/you recommend?
Mudguards: I've looked at "SKS Raceblade Pro XL", which seem a more sturdy & better than the "Crud Roadracer Mk 3", I'm not sure of other options. Ideally I'd want a full mudguard.
Tyres: By default the bike comes with "Continental Grand Prix SL 28 mm".
Maybe some "Continental 4 Seasons 32mm" or similar? (That might cause mudguard selection issues).
Thank you.
Good bike choice! It's a shame it doesn't have mudguard mounts though (some rivals do) but the SKS is a solid choice with easy adjustability. The GP SL is a decent tyre so you might want to consider getting some use out of before upgrading, but if money is no option, then the 4 Seasons is a good choice
@@roadcc Thank you for your help.
How can someone talk about winter bicycle rides with all the green scenery? Winter bicycle rides involve snow ice and bitter cold. Studded tires lubricant that doesn't freeze, layers of clothing, eye protection for sub zero temperatures insulated shoes and gloves/lobster mitts. We need someone with icicles from his beard talking about winter tides
Can't wait around for snow here in England otherwise, the video might never come out!!
That green scenery ? Ivy is evergreen 😂
IMHO having a decent crap weather bike is money well spent as mine is the one I ride most often. For a start I’m less precious about it. I’ve heard good reports of Zwift, however facilitating that is just not on my financial radar. I’ve got a standard dumb trainer, which is without question the worst cycling related money I’ve ever spent
Why would you be afraid of salt when your winter doesnt have snow and ice?
We get snow on occasion... and even at the faintest threat the gritters are out covering the roads with salt
er no dont need a winter bike, I have a decent bike which I ride all year, roads tracks everything but deep mud and sand , I have 28mm puncture resistant tyres , not the fastest but I usually get about 6-8000kms before they need replacing and that's mainly on the back roads with holes and hedge cuttings, my only concession for having one bike is it usually needs a new bottom bracket a bit more often than a normal road bike, and I have become a dab hand at replacing the spokes, so in terms of cost effectiveness one suits me better. and lets be totally honest if the weathers that bad you just don't go out !
I'll take outdoors over indoors.
I dont a have a winter bike, I use my main bike... I bought a mobile water pressure and after a ride I will spend 5 min to remove all the dirt :)
My dedicated winter bike is my fat bike 😬
Pat from off.road.cc LOVES fat bikes, I half expected him to burst into the comments like the Kool Aid man 😅
Of course you do, quite obvious.
Sounds like you are describing a gravel bike
Only if you live somewhere that actually has a winter... 😎
Bungle2010 I would imagine some places in the world don’t suffer from the effects of "... snow, ice [significant] cold" or fog..."lack of leaves on trees," could that be possible??
Personally, I don't like the cold so would happily live somewhere without a cold winter 🏖 - Matt
How about having only one road bike that has basically all the qualities of a winter bike except you spend all your money on one single bike instead of two?
Oh wait, you'd be 0.003% slower when sprinting for traffic lights...
My first winter bike is the same price as an aluminium wheel! Bargin of the century as it has decent components and disc brakes too. My second winter bike is basically more expensive than my best bike with eTap and disc brakes but 6.8kg so about 1 kg heavier than my best bike! I wish I had eTap on my best bike!!
@@DSKHo1968 well, I guess my comment is not addressed to people who can afford eTap and several sub 6.8 kg bikes. It's more aboue people who could maybe spend 3000-4000€ on two bikes or just on one.
@@11robotics my bikes are all second hand! That's why I cant afford to put eTap on my "best" bike as that is £1.5 k to upgrade. My 3 road bikes combined cost me a little over £3k. The latest eTap disc bike (Focus Izalco Max) was £2k of that!! It took me a whole week before I pulled the trigger as that's 1 month's wages! The current version of that bike with that spec is around £7k. My sub 6kg Cannodale Supersix Hi Mod with SRAM Red cost well less than £1k (bargin) plus some second hand lightweight carbon rims! My first attempt at a winter bike cost £165, virtually brand new (50 miles or so) with SRAM Rival and disc brakes was over £1.5 k brand new. There are plenty of bargains to be had especially in this weather as very rich hobbyists change their mind for one reason or another about their bike. Plenty of bikes for sale with no one wanting them so you can take your pick.
I am guessing my 3 bikes fits in with your hypothetical budget for a decent road bike. Sadly cycling is a middle class sport as a "decent" bike is £3k+, a "good" one and £4k plus, and a "top of the range" by a "top" manufacturer is £7k plus (don't mention Pinarello). Dont get me started on the accessories!
As for performance differences between them, I am the limiting factor! With that in mind I would say you are looking at around 5 to 10% difference between each bike. You can easily make up for the difference by peddling a little bit harder or by losing a few pounds in weight. I am not a racer so that 5 to 10% difference means an extra 5 to 10 minutes to my daily commute (basically nothing). The difference is for me how it makes me feel when I am riding the bikes. On the Cannodale (sub 6kg), you literally cant wipe the smile off my face. On the Focus (sub 7kg), feels good and love the shifting and love the disc brakes this time of the year. On my cheap road bike (over 10kg, aluminium frame), nothing wrong with it, still enjoy the ride as long as I dont have to do too many hill climbs (I have 2 on my commute!) but it is a tool rather than a toy!
@captain pugwash my metaphor was mainly targeted as wannabe racers and overly rich MAMILs, whose main concern is being able to show off in front of fellow road bike riders. And, to be honest, the amount (and percentage) of road bike users that actually race and that actually need dedicated summer/winter bikes is far lower than what the bike industry would like us to believe. However, there are far more people who think spending absurd amounts of money on bikes turns them into racers.
@@DSKHo1968 I am really astounded by how cheaply you managed to buy those rather awesome bikes. I am a bargain hunter myself, but I have hardly found such great deals.
However, I'd still avoid having three road bikes and spend my entire budget (3k pounds in your case) on a single road bike, while having an all-arounder gravel/touring bike as my secondary bike. And I'll make sure that single road bike could also deal with poor weather conditions if necessary. I never liked the idea of having several bikes, and I always found it is a waste of money, time and energy to own several bikes that do almost the same job almost the same way.
I ride the turbo when the roads are wet regardless of the season i.e., no matter how cold, I can ride outdoors. Sometimes I ride the Gravel or MTN-bike in sloppy conditions and enjoy getting dirty. Mud guards, never needed and socially unacceptable. 😊
Super Strada Mudguards are socially unacceptable? That’s ridiculous 😂😂😂
Socially unacceptable? Think we're going to need further explanation on that 😅
I bought a cheap bike for the winter
What did you get?
@@roadcc a cheap 99 dollar bca 29 Walmart bike I have a good bike not going to ruin it
No you don't
It makes me laugh when people have beautiful steel bikes for winter then produce their hideous ugly carbon bikes for summer.
Why don’t you have disc brakes?
...... the “literature” says everyone needs those 🙄
Refreshing to get a video that's not clearly trying to sell an expensive new bike...but still...got to admit discs are nice to have so to avoid that oh sh*t moment when rims don't initially bite. Discs aren't going anywhere near my dry weather bike, but they are worth the money, weight and occasional bit of hassle in winter/off-road.
Disc brake for my winter bike (6.8kg Focus Izalco Max), and no they are not going anywhere near my best bike (sub 6kg Cannodale Supersix Hi Mod)!
Most of us here at road.cc are big advocates of disc brakes. Dave just doesn't have them on his winter bike because it's super old
road.cc And his bike still works, right? Still stops despite the rim brakes? Dave’s still alive I hope... seems like a nice guy.
Each to their own in terms of brakes. The "literature" isn't forcing you to buy discs. We happen to like them and you seem to prefer rims, not sure why it needs to get all tribal
fat bike