Recommendation for second bike: Gravel, hills, mud, ice, snow

[SunMan]

My primary bike is a Giant OCR which I love riding. As the season
turns to fall/winter my riding changes with conditions. Instead of many
miles on pavement, I'm looking for slow, high resistence riding on
gravel, dirt, mud, ice. snow, etc. Mostly roads and paths, but my style
is to take the slowest direction INTO the wind... then when I turn
around I generally take pavement home.

It works pretty well for where I live.

I've got an old 1988 Raleigh Technium and want to get something more up
to date. I need parts, and just enjoy my new Giant so much I KNOW that
a new winter bike also makes sense. I cannot even get a chain for my
Raleigh, because the cassette is so worn and old. Too many years of not
knowing how / what to maintain.

I am 6'2" tall and weigh 180 pounds.

Doesn't have to be new. Thanks in advance.
Clinton

 

[Smokey]

SunMan wrote:
> My primary bike is a Giant OCR which I love riding. As the season
> turns to fall/winter my riding changes with conditions. Instead of many
> miles on pavement, I'm looking for slow, high resistence riding on
> gravel, dirt, mud, ice. snow, etc. Mostly roads and paths, but my style
> is to take the slowest direction INTO the wind... then when I turn
> around I generally take pavement home.
>
> It works pretty well for where I live.
>
> I've got an old 1988 Raleigh Technium and want to get something more up
> to date. I need parts, and just enjoy my new Giant so much I KNOW that
> a new winter bike also makes sense. I cannot even get a chain for my
> Raleigh, because the cassette is so worn and old. Too many years of not
> knowing how / what to maintain.
>
> I am 6'2" tall and weigh 180 pounds.
>
> Doesn't have to be new. Thanks in advance.
> Clinton

Have you considered a cyclocross bike? They are designed to work in the
conditions you describe. I have a Lemond Poprad and love it, but there
are many other good brands, too.

Smokey

 

[daytoncapri]

> I've got an old 1988 Raleigh Technium and want to get something more up
> to date. I need parts, and just enjoy my new Giant so much I KNOW that
> a new winter bike also makes sense. I cannot even get a chain for my
> Raleigh, because the cassette is so worn and old. Too many years of not
> knowing how / what to maintain.

Two different thoughts

1. A Cyclocross bike ? Lots of good things to say about it, BUT it
kinda spooks me for pavement rides. Does Cyclocross mean *narrow*
knobby tires? I fell off my mountain bike with *wide* fat knobbies,
wouldn't narrows be more hazardous? The pavement in my story was
loose-stone asphalt in the rain, the front tire lost its grip when I
rounded a curve. Dummy me, I was going too fast.

2. How about a rebuild for your bike instead? It seems to me that your
Technium is good bike and a known quantity to you - even if it is old.
I'm sure you can search this forum for other reports of folks
rebuilding and modifiying their bikes. I have four bikes now, each are
quite different - the two older bikes are rebuilt to different specs
from OEM - and to my liking.

You can consider thew following,
a. Replace the drive train: - new chain, new gears and new chain rings
if nothing else is wrong with your bike. Maybe with different gearing
ratios. (Your LBS guy might advise you.) Cost about $100 this summer
at my LBS. These were less-costly steel components typical for a
neighborhood bike shop.

b. Install bullet-proof and grippy super wide tires. I used 700c x
47mm Conti Top Tours tires for about $50 (47mm is super-fat, so check
your clearance). It takes tough surfaces quite well, lots of broken
glass in my area. I haven't taken this bike in the snow yet . . .

Total cost: $150. Compare that to buying a another bike. In my
case, the visual impact on appearance and cosmetics was zilch, but the
changes make the bike a delight to ride.