While it might seem an outrageous luxury to have a dedicated bike just for winter, if you ride a lot it can make sense. What we want in summer is different to what we want in winter, as the menu at any restaurant will tell you. Plus, a dedicated winter rig will stop your more expensive bike getting trashed courtesy of the bad weather and mucky roads.
For the old-school rider, the archetypal winter training bike might still be a fixed gear with an easy-to-turn ratio and mudguards. But there’s no need to go for something quite so austere.
However, there are some things we’d definitely look out for…
What makes a good winter bike?
Space for wide tyres and mudguards
Tough tyres in a wide size and run at a slightly lower pressure will increase grip and comfort over winter roads. Mudguards are also a must for riding in a group, plus they’ll save your kit and components from excess wear while keeping you dry and comfy.
Mounts for racks
If you’re going to get a second bike it might as well have the ability to carry a rack too. Plus the mounting point will ensure you can fit proper full-length mudguards, not the fiddlier clip-on type.
A more relaxed geometry
Winter is not the time for dashing about. A more sedate geometry will keep you happy on longer rides while providing more planted handling which can be a boon when weather, light or road surfaces conspire against you.
A wide range of gears and a mid-range groupset
Your drivetrain is made up of consumable components. In winter it makes sense to choose something expensive enough to survive in testing conditions, but not so expensive it’ll cost an excessive amount to replace.
Disc brakes
More powerful and consistent, disc brakes are ideal in the wet. Plus, they require far less maintenance, great when grit from the road can also devour your rims. About the only penalty is weight, something that shouldn’t be a major concern on a winter bike.
A durable frame
Salt from the road and cleaning products can slowly knacker carbon and aluminium frames, meaning steel remains a popular choice for winter hacks. Even better if you can afford it is titanium. Given a quick polish, it’ll look as shiny and new in a decade as it does today.
Five of the best winter road bikes
Triban RC520, £730
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Many will argue a winter bike should be cheap. And boy does the Triban manage this. Yet at the same time, it also provides riders an ultra-durable Shimano 105 groupset, and thanks to TRP’s clever Hy/Rd callipers, hydraulic stopping.
The rest of the spec is good too. The tyres are sensibly wide at 28c, plus they can be made tubeless without excessive faff. The wheels are durable and run on sealed bearings, while the whole bike is geared towards comfort and longevity.
With space for mudguards and racks, it’ll do for winter, but also touring in the summer, while the cost will leave you enough money to take it somewhere warm too.
Read our full review: Triban RC500 and RC520 review
Dolan Titanium ADX Disc 105, from £1,999
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Titanium is perfect for a winter bike, if you can afford it. This Dolan provides the space-age material at a down-to-earth price. Comfy, light, and corrosion-resistant, it’ll polish up like new at the end of each season, while giving a superlatively smooth ride year after year.
Featuring a comfortable audax geometry based around a long head tube, it’s ideal for getting in the baseline miles without putting your back out. With room for big tyres and mudguards, both can be requested before it arrives thanks to Dolan’s online bike builder.
Also allowing you to tailor the gearing and cockpit components along with the wheels, we enjoyed using Mavic’s mid-section Cosmics. Set up tubeless, they added a small injection of speed to a bike whose progress was otherwise pleasingly stately.
Ribble Endurance 725 Disc, from £999
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Steel is a great choice for a winter bike and at a time of the year when riders might be carrying a little extra timber, a kilo or so more on the bike won’t do any harm. Plus the extra resistance will help with training. Tough, comfy and cool looking, this Ribble provides riders with Reynolds’ mid-level 725 tubing, along with disc brakes and a carbon fork.
With builds starting at £999 for a Shimano Tiagra equipped machine, mudguards and racks can be added at the build stage, while gearing and finishing kit can be similarly tweaked. Finished in metallic British racing green, it’s a winter bike that’ll sparkle in the sun too.
Whyte Wessex One, £1,999
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A bike designed in the UK with UK conditions in mind. Based around a fast-looking carbon frame using an integrated fork and seat clamp, the Wessex nevertheless includes space for mudguards alongside the stock 30c tyres. Ready to be set-up tubeless, these combine with hydraulic disc brakes to help the bike plough straight through winter.
Similarly, its single front chainring cuts down maintenance and will work well even when caked in mud. However, once things turn brighter, the Whyte’s concealed eyelets ensure this is a bike that can easily transform itself for summer duties too.
With low weight, bolt-through axles, and uni-directional monocoque construction, it’s not one to hang about regardless of the season.
Read our full review: Whyte Wessex One
Genesis Flyer, £750
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There’s still something to be said for taking the Luddite approach and riding single-speed during the winter. Not only will you learn to improve your cadence, especially if you opt for a fixed gear, you’ll also look dead tough too. With little to go wrong or wear out except perhaps your knees, the Flyer takes its geometry from the brand’s popular Equilibrium and pairs it to an open-road friendly 42/17t gear.
Definitely one for the tarmac and not the track, it comes with 28c Clement Strada tyres and mudguards as standard. With a fixed/free rear hub, it’ll give you something new to try too. Experimenting with either system is as simple as flipping the wheel around.
