I think so. I\u2019ll miss the bikes and what they represent.\u00a0<\/p>
Better than the real thing<\/h2>The smart trainer and Zwift have replaced the winter bike for many.<\/figcaption><\/figure>Turbo training used to be a means to an end: a way to train when outdoor conditions were unfavourable.\u00a0<\/p>
However, the gamification of indoor cycling <\/a>has led some cyclists to prefer it to the real thing.<\/p>On the group-ride grapevine, I hear stories of more and more cyclists actively choosing the turbo over an outdoor ride<\/a>, even when not constrained by time.<\/p>Their smart trainer<\/a> has replaced their winter bike. Why own a dedicated bike for winter road cycling <\/a>when you won\u2019t be doing any?\u00a0<\/p>And when they venture outdoors, it\u2019ll be in weather fair enough for their best road bike<\/a>.<\/p>I sympathise with some of their reasons. But I never find an indoor ride delivers anywhere near the same mood-boosting endorphins as a few hours on the road \u2013 often, crummy conditions increase the satisfaction.\u00a0<\/p>
\u2018Stravanoia\u2019<\/h2>![\"Male](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/Cannondale-Synapse-1-16.jpg\")
Your average speed will inevitably be lower in winter, so don’t worry about it. – Steve Sayers \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>The second suspect in the winter bike murder mystery is Sergeant Strava.<\/p>
More specifically, it\u2019s \u2018Stravanoia\u2019 \u2013 the anxiety you feel that your training is inadequate compared to others\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>
Some of them may be elite or professional riders, so it\u2019s frankly ridiculous, but real nonetheless.\u00a0<\/p>
Stravanoia has helped kill off the winter bike because people are worried about their average speed<\/a>, even on a weighty machine as aerodynamic as a tuk-tuk.\u00a0<\/p>![\"Pinarello](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2020\/03\/Pinarello-b4a9dcd.jpg\")
It’s poor form to bring your rim-brake Pinarello Dogma F to the winter chaingang. – Colin Levitch \/ Immediate Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>This can lead some to bring a gun to a knife fight and ride a mudguard-less summer bike on a winter chaingang.<\/p>
Rather than display such poor group ride<\/a> etiquette, others may decide not to ride outside at all, for fear of looking slow on Strava.\u00a0<\/p>This is a great shame. The majority of your followers won\u2019t notice or judge your speed anyway, and if they do, so what?\u00a0<\/p>
A slow ride\u2019s better than no ride, so don\u2019t deprive yourself of the enjoyment. You could make your steadier rides private anyway.\u00a0<\/p>
Disc brakes put a stop to it\u00a0<\/h2>![\"Dolan](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2019\/03\/11spd-3-1475774555403-18tef76lhq1l8-6b58034.jpg\")
An archetypal Dolan winter bike: mudguards, Gatorskins and rim brakes. – Matthew Allen \/ Immediate Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>Or was it Dr Disc Brake with a set of razor-sharp rotors that did for the winter bike?<\/p>
Winter bikes were built around a quality, but affordable rim-brake frameset: either a no-frills \u2018training\u2019 frameset, such as the racer\u2019s favourite Dolan Preffisio; or a mid-tier model from a few seasons back.\u00a0<\/p>
The ubiquity of road bike disc brakes<\/a> has made both these options harder to find, apart from second-hand.\u00a0<\/p>Building up or buying a disc-brake winter bike will be more expensive than it used to be with rim brakes.<\/p>
This higher cost undermines the financial case for winter bikes, which was to save money by not chewing through the pricier components on your best bike.<\/p>
In addition, more people\u2019s best bikes will have disc brakes, making them better to ride all year round.\u00a0<\/p>
The new winter bikes<\/h2>![\"Portland](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2023\/01\/Bike-Radar041022dc2833-2eabe0e.jpg\")
The new breed of winter bikes have gone upmarket. – Dave Caudery \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>If the winter bike is dead, what\u2019s replaced it, apart from indoor cycling<\/a>?\u00a0<\/p>Modern endurance road bikes<\/a>, with their long-distance geometry<\/a>, disc brakes, wide tyres (often tubeless) and mudguard<\/a> fittings, make superb winter bikes.\u00a0<\/p>So do the best steel road bikes<\/a>, such as my Fairlight Strael 3.0<\/a>. Fitted with Portland Design Works fenders<\/a> and a dynamo<\/a>, it excels in all seasons.<\/p>![\"Canyon](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2022\/12\/7RA6440-dd83fe9-1.jpg\")
Mudguard-compatible gravel bikes work well as winter bikes. – Kaden Gardener \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>Thirdly, gravel bikes<\/a> can double as winter bikes, particularly at the adventure end of the market.\u00a0<\/p>I\u2019ve tried all of these alternatives and each is an enjoyable (if not always that affordable) way to ride outdoors through winter.\u00a0<\/p>
It\u2019s no surprise, then, that more cyclists are overlooking the quintessential winter bike. After all, I\u2019m one of them.\u00a0<\/p>
But I still think we’re losing something with its decline.\u00a0<\/p>
Why should we care?<\/h2>![\"Pack](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2021\/02\/Tifosi-CK7-Centaur-01-5ea4a61.jpg\")
Unfussy, but practical winter bikes are associated with grassroots cycling. – Robert Smith \/ Immediate Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>So Zwift, Strava and disc brakes are to blame for the demise of the winter bike. But should we care?<\/p>
I say yes. I don\u2019t want to overly romanticise winter bikes (my \u00a3450 Genesis Volant has departed, but I can\u2019t say dearly).\u00a0<\/p>
I\u2019ll miss their unpretentious functionality, though. Without much whizzy kit, they keep you riding when the weather makes it easy not to.\u00a0<\/p>
As a rare example of utilitarianism in the increasingly complicated world of bike tech, mechanics won\u2019t be the only people to lament their loss either.\u00a0<\/p>
I\u2019ll also miss what winter bikes represent. I strongly associate them with club cycling, where seasoned members clock mile after mile on winter bikes through the cold months.\u00a0<\/p>![\"Brothers](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2019\/03\/1320424510384-el3lqm42sgkd-599bd91.jpg\")
What does the loss of the winter bike mean for winter club riding? – Matt Grayson<\/figcaption><\/figure>There\u2019s a lot to say for this dogged approach to cycling training<\/a>, and the camaraderie and support of the volunteer-led structure.<\/p>
Turbo training used to be a means to an end: a way to train when outdoor conditions were unfavourable.\u00a0<\/p>
However, the gamification of indoor cycling <\/a>has led some cyclists to prefer it to the real thing.<\/p> On the group-ride grapevine, I hear stories of more and more cyclists actively choosing the turbo over an outdoor ride<\/a>, even when not constrained by time.<\/p> Their smart trainer<\/a> has replaced their winter bike. Why own a dedicated bike for winter road cycling <\/a>when you won\u2019t be doing any?\u00a0<\/p> And when they venture outdoors, it\u2019ll be in weather fair enough for their best road bike<\/a>.<\/p> I sympathise with some of their reasons. But I never find an indoor ride delivers anywhere near the same mood-boosting endorphins as a few hours on the road \u2013 often, crummy conditions increase the satisfaction.\u00a0<\/p> The second suspect in the winter bike murder mystery is Sergeant Strava.<\/p> More specifically, it\u2019s \u2018Stravanoia\u2019 \u2013 the anxiety you feel that your training is inadequate compared to others\u2019.\u00a0<\/p> Some of them may be elite or professional riders, so it\u2019s frankly ridiculous, but real nonetheless.\u00a0<\/p> Stravanoia has helped kill off the winter bike because people are worried about their average speed<\/a>, even on a weighty machine as aerodynamic as a tuk-tuk.\u00a0<\/p> This can lead some to bring a gun to a knife fight and ride a mudguard-less summer bike on a winter chaingang.<\/p> Rather than display such poor group ride<\/a> etiquette, others may decide not to ride outside at all, for fear of looking slow on Strava.\u00a0<\/p> This is a great shame. The majority of your followers won\u2019t notice or judge your speed anyway, and if they do, so what?\u00a0<\/p> A slow ride\u2019s better than no ride, so don\u2019t deprive yourself of the enjoyment. You could make your steadier rides private anyway.\u00a0<\/p> Or was it Dr Disc Brake with a set of razor-sharp rotors that did for the winter bike?<\/p> Winter bikes were built around a quality, but affordable rim-brake frameset: either a no-frills \u2018training\u2019 frameset, such as the racer\u2019s favourite Dolan Preffisio; or a mid-tier model from a few seasons back.\u00a0<\/p> The ubiquity of road bike disc brakes<\/a> has made both these options harder to find, apart from second-hand.\u00a0<\/p> Building up or buying a disc-brake winter bike will be more expensive than it used to be with rim brakes.<\/p> This higher cost undermines the financial case for winter bikes, which was to save money by not chewing through the pricier components on your best bike.<\/p> In addition, more people\u2019s best bikes will have disc brakes, making them better to ride all year round.\u00a0<\/p> If the winter bike is dead, what\u2019s replaced it, apart from indoor cycling<\/a>?\u00a0<\/p> Modern endurance road bikes<\/a>, with their long-distance geometry<\/a>, disc brakes, wide tyres (often tubeless) and mudguard<\/a> fittings, make superb winter bikes.\u00a0<\/p> So do the best steel road bikes<\/a>, such as my Fairlight Strael 3.0<\/a>. Fitted with Portland Design Works fenders<\/a> and a dynamo<\/a>, it excels in all seasons.<\/p> Thirdly, gravel bikes<\/a> can double as winter bikes, particularly at the adventure end of the market.\u00a0<\/p> I\u2019ve tried all of these alternatives and each is an enjoyable (if not always that affordable) way to ride outdoors through winter.\u00a0<\/p> It\u2019s no surprise, then, that more cyclists are overlooking the quintessential winter bike. After all, I\u2019m one of them.\u00a0<\/p> But I still think we’re losing something with its decline.\u00a0<\/p> So Zwift, Strava and disc brakes are to blame for the demise of the winter bike. But should we care?<\/p> I say yes. I don\u2019t want to overly romanticise winter bikes (my \u00a3450 Genesis Volant has departed, but I can\u2019t say dearly).\u00a0<\/p> I\u2019ll miss their unpretentious functionality, though. Without much whizzy kit, they keep you riding when the weather makes it easy not to.\u00a0<\/p> As a rare example of utilitarianism in the increasingly complicated world of bike tech, mechanics won\u2019t be the only people to lament their loss either.\u00a0<\/p> I\u2019ll also miss what winter bikes represent. I strongly associate them with club cycling, where seasoned members clock mile after mile on winter bikes through the cold months.\u00a0<\/p> There\u2019s a lot to say for this dogged approach to cycling training<\/a>, and the camaraderie and support of the volunteer-led structure.<\/p>\u2018Stravanoia\u2019<\/h2>
Disc brakes put a stop to it\u00a0<\/h2>
The new winter bikes<\/h2>
Why should we care?<\/h2>