Winter training, geared or SS?

Putting the crabon away for the winter and my fixed run about is poorly suited to proper training. More hhsb than hhv..

I want to know what people train on in the winter.
Do you prefer the simplicity of SS or do you have a dirty little Ribble for the weekend?

Fixed for dry days
CX frame with compact road gearing, hydraulic discs and mudguards for wet days
11spd alfine fatbike for winter off-roading

I want to know what people train on in the winter.
Do you prefer the simplicity of SS or do you have a dirty little Ribble for the weekend?

Almost all my friends and I do this for winter. Condor Fratello. It's the only way to go.

If it isn't at least an 853 custom job you might as well not even get out of bed.

Imagine being seen on lower grade than 853!

Just sit on the sofa until March. Much easier.

I stick to fixed, just makes cleaning and maintenance much easier.

I stick to fixed, just makes cleaning and maintenance much easier.

plus harder miles | less coasting means you don't have to be in the cold as long if its just training

I thought going fixed in winter was the way to train...maybe just the old boys in my old club?

^ Wasn't this partly to avoid higher gearing and develop some spin?

For the same reason, I don't have more than a 50t big ring on my

dirty little Ribble

Yes, traditionally, going fixed for winter was the done thing. Personally, I don't ride for anywhere as long or far in winter as I do in summer, so a fixed ride of 2-3 hours max on flattish roads is enough for me.

Hills, into a head wind, fixed!

I stick to fixed, just makes cleaning and maintenance much easier.

I thought going fixed in winter was the way to train...maybe just the old boys in my old club?

Going SS will save you trashing your derailleurs and make maintenance a doddle, but if you're actually training (rather than just riding for utility or pleasure), then FXD is the way to go.

You will develop a smoother pedalling action, or "souplesse" as the French say, and learn to pedal at a higher cadence.

BITD they just used to strip the derailleurs off their Summer bikes and swap-out the wheels.

dirty little Ribble for me

#ridemineallyearroundthough

Winter bike = Shitty Summer weather bike :-/

What setup for the hydraulic discs on CX frame? Looking to upgrade my own CX to something similar.

None of the above- ride what I like, as I like, be it SS, roadie, mtb,or whatever. If it can't handle a bit of grit and rain I don't buy it.

Summertime ends this weekend, so out comes my SS CX. Plan to change it to fixed.

Winter bike = Shitty Summer weather bike :-/

Which is all too often!!!

on dry or slightly wet days = fixed
when pissing it down = 26" wheeled 18 speed gas pipe horror bike with mudguards/rack.

This winter I've decided to buy one of those horrid full sus bike shaped objects off a friend for a few quid for the sole purpose of commuting to work in the snow & sludge.

Last year it was treacherous as fuck on both my road bike and fix. Ended up walking the bike in sections only to be overtaken by nodders on JJB specials going up and down pavements.

^ Good idea, I'd actually enjoy watching one of those corrode from the road salt :-)

I have a belt drive SS MTB for hitting the trails. Might buy a second studded tyre for it at some point for more intense winter duties. Its steel. But the belt system makes it really easy to clean. So rust isnt a major issue. For this reason I grab it alot when its wet.

I put some clip on mudguards on my bob jackson for wet road rides, and general commuting. Makes for a good training bike. But to be honest I'm slowly killing it. As I dont really have the time to keep cleaning it up.

For proper winter stuff I have a 1x10 Ti fatbike. Still dialling it in. But its intended as a no excuses, go out and fecking ride, anywhere, in any weather, bike. Hope to do some long rides on it soon.

My cargo bike has beefy disc brakes, and a IGH. So was meant as an all weather bike. Its too heavy to handle well on frost or ice though.

I like gears for winter riding. PITA to maintain. But only having one gear when conditions vary wildly, as they do up here. Isnt ideal.

I can't think why one would consider anything else but fixed - see attached picture.

Since I haven't really done any racing this year, and I'm doubtful about next year also, I can hardly talk about training. However I feel the need at least to be ticking over.
As a matter of policy I've decided that the riding that I do manage this winter will be mostly done on fixed. This is because I think it is more effective, as training, to ride fixed. So, given limited time, I believe I'm getting more benefit from the restricted mileage I am doing.

Of course, for actual racing men it's slightly different, but all the same most riders have some limit to both time and money - so one obvious advantage of riding fixed is that you are using a more robust bike which costs less to keep up to the mark than a full blown geared road bike.

It seems to me that a distinction between a racing man and an ordinary cyclist is that whereas the non racing cyclist wants the best bike for the job in hand, but if you're intending to race you won't always feel the need to be on the easiest bike for whatever ride you're about to do: a less than perfect machine has the advantage that you are working slightly harder, thereby adding to the dividend that each mile covered will repay you next season.

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any bike and some HTFU would suffice.

While I'm at it:

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