Winter Training Set-up

ericzeking

Hi all, look in regularly but rarely post, just wondering what way do people have their gear set up for the winter training season.

Do you use the same bike and wheels, (if so is it a carbon bike?) all year round?

Do you use your good carbon bike with lesser training wheels in the winter?

Do you have a second lesser bike, likely aluminium, for training only?

How does your commuting fit in to this set-up?

The reason I ask is I've ordered a turbo and am thinking of just setting up my aluminum road bike (commuter/trainer) on that with a turbo training tyre for the cold snap. I don't think I'll be chancing my arm on the icey roads at 7am. I'll then use my good carbon bike for club spins and training at more sensible hours.

colm_gti

Steel SS for commuting, and have ended up actually using it for all the club spins since mid november as well as my road bike needed a new derailleur cable.

Reckon I'll continue to use the SS for commuting and long zone 2 spins in January and leave the good bike set up on the turbo til it's nice enough to start doing hill reps etc.

07Lapierre

Buy another bike! Thats what you want us to tell you right?

Seaneh

Yeah, sounds like you need a winter hack Colm, something nice and cheap* and steal, like this:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-juicer-hi-2013/























*Cheap is subjective

colm_gti

Seaneh wrote: »

Yeah, sounds like you need a winter hack Colm, something nice and cheap* and steal, like this:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-juicer-hi-2013/

*Cheap is subjective

Would ya go way, my pompino is a deadly winter hack! It's a TT bike I'm on the hunt for next

Anyway, I think the new bike comment was aimed at OP...

Seaneh

colm_gti wrote: »

Anyway, I think the new bike comment was aimed at OP...

My post applies to him too, just swap the names out...


It applies to everyone.


Especially me.

07Lapierre

The OP already has a Winter hack/commuter. I say make the most of the BTW and get something like this.

ericzeking

Already have a winter bike, suppose I'm just trying to arrange everything to have minimal fuss between taking bikes/tyres on and off the trainer, cleaning bikes etc etc, or maybe I'm justifying to myself to use my nice bike in the winter!!

Do people put their good carbon bikes on the turbo? I'm sure I heard/read somewhere this was ill-advised.....

07Lapierre

ericzeking wrote: »

Already have a winter bike, suppose I'm just trying to arrange everything to have minimal fuss between taking bikes/tyres on and off the trainer, cleaning bikes etc etc, or maybe I'm justifying to myself to use my nice bike in the winter!!

Do people put their good carbon bikes on the turbo? I'm sure I heard/read somewhere this was ill-advised.....

I can't advise you as i don't use a turbo. I take Frost/Ice as Mother Natures way of telling me "to take a break".

petethedrummer

ericzeking wrote: »

Already have a winter bike, suppose I'm just trying to arrange everything to have minimal fuss between taking bikes/tyres on and off the trainer, cleaning bikes etc etc, or maybe I'm justifying to myself to use my nice bike in the winter!!

At the moment I use one Aluminium bike for racing and general purpose cycling. I just swap the wheels out for racing and take the rack off. The race wheels have 23 or 25mm tyres on them. The training/commuting wheels have 36 spokes and 28mm puncture proof tyres.

I don't indoor train on a bike. If it is too icy to cycle I'd go for a run or a swim instead.

GlennaMaddy

My setup.

Alu cyclocross bike setup for winter commutes with cyclocross tires (although I have studded tires in the post).

Carbon racer on the Turbo, I've read the arguments against this and dismissed them.

Once the last cyclocross race is over (1st/2nd week Jan) I'll swap the cyclocross wheels with a spare set of wheels with 25c winter tires and use that bike for commuting and training spins. The carbon racer wont be used until 2 weeks before 1st road race.

RO 06

You need one bike sitting on turbo, an alu winter bike and a carbon hanging on wall waiting for springtime.Oh and a mountain bike in case there is a bit of snow.

colm_gti

RO 06 wrote: »

You need one bike sitting on turbo, an alu winter bike and a carbon hanging on wall waiting for springtime.Oh and a mountain bike in case there is a bit of snow.

And a TT bike for the TT's!

manwithaplan

I put away the good carbon bike for winter and use my less good (but still decent) alu bike. I haven't resorted to the turbo yet but will probably just stick an old tyre on when the time comes.

Having said that, I wouldn't rule out using the good bike on the turbo - it wouldn't worry me.

furiousox

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/535922/winter-bike-set-up.html

killalanerr

For my winter set-up i use my old halfords TDF i am not sure if its steel or aluminium but i can tell you i weighs a tonne,it got tarted up for this winter with new wheels,chain and chainring and i finally got round to geting that shorter stem it needed from new i use this bike on the turbo also but thats not very often (see mudguards)
My carbon bike lives in the spare room till mid feb from then on i will mix the use between the 2 depending on the weather
One thing a winter hack must have mudguards it makes it so much better to ride when its wet and muddy outside

triggermortis

My commuter bike is in Switzerland and is an Alu frame Cube with normal road tyres and crud mudguards fitted.
My home bike gets used all year round outside - although I've just got a set of rollers to use when it's too icy and when I need to concentrate on HRM training - but they arrived an hour before I left the country for a week so they're not set up yet.
I'm hoping to upgrade my bike in the new year, but it will be used all year when it replaces the Boardman

ericzeking

I can't figure out how to give 'thanks' on this thing...thanks to all for the input.

Turbo arrived last night, did 45mins on it with alu frame, talk about a sweat!!...on the back of what I've read I think I'm just gonna put my carbon bike on it with a turbo training tyre and leave it there til the spring and have the alu frame ready to go for any breaks in the icey conditions.