2nd Bike Advice

katnia

I have a nice carbon bike and have been using it this winter for the first time. It's dawning on me that it's not ideal to be using this very good bike for all spins in the winter - bike and components get filthy etc and I don't want to shorten their life span and that of the bike....

I think I need a second bike and I was wondering if anyone could advise what to go for?

In my head I think I should get one that you can fit permanent mudguards on, wide-ish tyres (25 -28) and something fairly comfortable. I suppose I'm looking for the perfect winter/training bike. Budget is no more than €1,000.

Would appreciate any help from anyone who was in the same position and what you went for and how that is working out.

Thanks

midonogh

katnia wrote: »

I have a nice carbon bike and have been using it this winter for the first time. It's dawning on me that it's not ideal to be using this very good bike for all spins in the winter - bike and components get filthy etc and I don't want to shorten their life span and that of the bike....

I think I need a second bike and I was wondering if anyone could advise what to go for?

In my head I think I should get one that you can fit permanent mudguards on, wide-ish tyres (25 -28) and something fairly comfortable. I suppose I'm looking for the perfect winter/training bike. Budget is no more than €1,000.

Would appreciate any help from anyone who was in the same position and what you went for and how that is working out.

Thanks

http://www.slanecycles.com/aeron-tr-campagnolo-xenon-bike-blueblack-p-23894.html?sesid=3rt8prcbn8ijih1emh1kd50ms2

I got with Ultegra for the same price a few years ago. A great work horse

Eamonnator

Of course, you need a second bike.
This one looks like good value, and within budget.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXRT58ALRIV22/planet-x-rt-58-alloy-sram-rival-22-road-bike

This Dolan might suit. It has bosses for full mudguards

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/dolan-preffisio-aluminium-road-bike.html

Brian?

You could get a very nice winter bike on the 2nd hand market for a grand.

My "winter bike" isn't really adapted to winter. It's just worth less than my good bike, I'm not as upset when it's dirty.

katnia

Thanks for the above. So is the criteria generally a decent alu road bike that will take mudguards and a reasonable group set? Or, are there any other important considerations I need to think about?

Brian?

katnia wrote: »

Thanks for the above. So is the criteria generally a decent alu road bike that will take mudguards and a reasonable group set? Or, are there any other important considerations I need to think about?

You can put midguard on any bike, race blades etc. . Personally I don't bother with them. I honestly don't think you need anything different for winter. Possibly wider tyres, but I only ever run 23mm tyres and have no problems.

RonanCFD

Genesis Equilibrium? Hollingsworth Bikes usually have some in if you want to see one in the flesh - I think all but the bottom of the range one are over-budget but you might find a 2014 one marked down a bit.

Eamonnator

I have mudguards on my winter bike, only because my Sunday group insist on it.

Ole Rodrigo

Genesis single speed Day One ( with a fixed gear option )

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/urban/urban-cross/day-one.


I'm using a fixed gear as a second bike at the moment and my only gripe is no mudguards for bad weather. Obviously this means a third bike is imminent. :pac:

katnia

Eamonnator wrote: »

I have mudguards on my winter bike, only because my Sunday group insist on it.

The main reason I want them is protect myself in the miserable weather and also as a courtesy to others on group spins.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I have a Ridley Compact as my winter bike. I fitted Crud Mk II mudguards on it and good front & rear lights. It's a 10spd Tiagra (was 9spd but I upgraded it to 10 a few weeks ago) I have a set of two way zondas on it but run tubes as ture choice is better. I love it as I don't mind if it gets filthy as I simply take the power washer to it and relube chain eyc afterwards, I wouldn't dare put the power washer on my carbon bike.

Brian?

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I have a Ridley Compact as my winter bike. I fitted Crud Mk II mudguards on it and good front & rear lights. It's a 10spd Tiagra (was 9spd but I upgraded it to 10 a few weeks ago) I have a set of two way zondas on it but run tubes as ture choice is better. I love it as I don't mind if it gets filthy as I simply take the power washer to it and relube chain eyc afterwards, I wouldn't dare put the power washer on my carbon bike.

I power hose my carbon bike. What's the concern? It's carbon fibre.

countrykid

Genesis equlibrium ...
Great winter bike ...
And as previously stated heAd dwn to hollingsworths..
Good selection of genesis machinery

Cyclewizard

I have a couple second hand for under 400 and they have been brilliant. Alu with carbon forks and a half decent group set. I have veloce 9sp and it's good enough for the job.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Brian? wrote: »

I power hose my carbon bike. What's the concern? It's carbon fibre.

the biggest reason is the BB30, I don't want the damn thing creaking on mine like a huge number of other BB30 bike owners.

godtabh

Brian? wrote: »

I power hose my carbon bike. What's the concern? It's carbon fibre.

i was told never to power hose a bike. I think the may concern was water getting into bearings etc. Defo wouldnt do it for Di2

I've just got a new bike and the old bike is now the winter/turbo bike. Thats one way of doing it!

outfox

Got a Genesis Equilibrium a few months ago as a dedicated winter bike. Takes full mudguards. The difference they make is amazing. I put on an extender on the front guard, and now the bottom bracket area hardly gets any dirt. For a dedicated winter bike, I have to say that mudguard eyelets on the frame would have to be one of the main criteria for me. Also, the steel frame is surprising comfy, possibly comfier than my carbon bike.

willow46

i ride with a club and see many many Genesis as above and Ridley and a few Ribble. Mudguards are a must, i rode today and thanked them that my ass was not too wet.

katnia

outfox wrote: »

Got a Genesis Equilibrium a few months ago as a dedicated winter bike. Takes full mudguards. The difference they make is amazing. I put on an extender on the front guard, and now the bottom bracket area hardly gets any dirt. For a dedicated winter bike, I have to say that mudguard eyelets on the frame would have to be one of the main criteria for me. Also, the steel frame is surprising comfy, possibly comfier than my carbon bike.

What model have you got? How much approx. for same model? I like the look of them and the steel frame is very classic looking, lovely bikes.

RonanCFD

Mine's an Equilibrium 20 (2013 model) - I got it as a frameset & built it up as I already had groupset etc. Frameset was about €500 IIRC. A perfect winter bike in my opinion. Here it is pre-mudguards:

katnia

RonanCFD wrote: »

Mine's an Equilibrium 20 (2013 model) - I got it as a frameset & built it up as I already had groupset etc. Frameset was about €500 IIRC. A perfect winter bike in my opinion. Here it is pre-mudguards:

Great looking bike!

bwalsh1983

I built up a Dolan Preffisio framset this winter with an ultegra 10spd 6700 that came off a race bike that bit the dust. On buying a new bike I had the group to 'spare' as such and so the Dolan has a nicer than I intended group.

Its the first year I havnt been riding my own 'good' bike through the winter and it has performed perfectly and is a great machine. Eyelets for panniers, mudguards fitted and all in all its fantastic. I'll certainly ride it through the summer but I do give it a proper clean once a week, a little less love than the other bike but thats what it is for.

Koobcam

I got a cyclocross bike before the start of last winter to use mainly on the road. While it's not a perfect road bike, it does the job pretty well. It can take mudguards, has great tyre clearance and is great for really bad road surfaces. Plus, I can use it for cyclocross when the mood takes me-or for example when the roads are icy, just stick on the cross tyres and take it for a spin on the Curragh. The bike also has disc brakes, which are great on wet roads-which we have pretty much 100% of the time in Ireland in winter. In terms of materials, groupset etc, I don't think it HAS to be aluminium, but you'd generally expect aluminium to be a good bit cheaper than carbon. Shimano 105 5800 is definitely the best groupset you can get in terms of value, though the price goes up a bit when you factor in hydraulic discs instead of the regular brakes.

katnia

I was also thinking of getting a cross bike, but there seems to be greater availability of decent road bikes at competitive prices to steer me more in the direction of a road bike. I think cross bikes are great looking machines but they seem to be a bit more expensive on a like for like basis than most road bikes, probably due to them not being quite as popular as road bikes.

outfox

katnia wrote: »

What model have you got? How much approx. for same model? I like the look of them and the steel frame is very classic looking, lovely bikes.

Equilibrium 20, shown below before I added mudguard extender. Cost 1250 euro on the BTW scheme. You can get a 2013 or 2014 model for much cheaper if you stick with rim brakes. Victoria X Cycles do the range if you're near Cork. If you dont have a BTW scheme available, you can get them online in the UK fairly cheaply, especially the classic look Genesis like RonanCFD's, before they went a bit crazy with the colours.