Thanks, Alistair. The autumnal colours and yesterday's light made for a great combination with lots of contrast. I often see things in my prescription specs which the GoPro can't capture but I was very pleased to get home and see footage with distant ranges of hills, masts and assorted aerials.
It's great advice. Always had a "winter" bike when I joined Featherstone RC. Listened to the advice of experienced club members and do it to this day. Great video for newer riders.
Cheers, Mark. It was always the trad route but I noticed changes in the late '00s and then returning after a long injury lay-off ( '14 -'22) I was amazed by the differences in equipment and cycling culture. I've had long conversations with riders from the 'pandemic-intake' and both their sources of information and seasonal-view are very different to ours.
I shudder when I see riders with bare knees in December & January! I even recall some of the old-timers referring to 'Easter Knees' ...ouch. I can't remember the names of the warm-up rubs I used for early season races but you wouldn't want to mix them up with chamois cream.
Good video delivered in you're usual informative good humoured style. You're cycling experience and tips will benefit many others along with the Pennine rides.
man, that is the best video you have ever made, philosophical and deeply practical imo brilliant reference to Schubert. Winterreisse was a chapter in Patrick Leigh Fermour's book about him climbing the Alpes in the cold of winter, imagine that Man, you called it it way too early we are 3 or 4 weeks aways from this sentiment Brilliant mate, thanks
It's a fantastic songcycle, Paul, so evocative of mysterious Central European forests. I've certainly felt like 'Der Leiermann' on occasion. In my mountaineering days I did quite a bit in the Alps at summer, plus the Peru expedition, but most of my winter exploits involve routing in the Northern Corries and on The Ben - a different kind of 'Clipping In'. The high road from Tod to Bacup had been salted last Sunday (it was 2C when I left home at 8AM) so we're getting there, even if it was 14C when I filmed this on Thursday!
'Der Leiermann' is my favourite song of the winterreisse set!! (some I find a little inaccessible) You must read Fermour's book! I always think that the clocks going back is the big turning point, psychologically, at which point I have to admit that my riding subsides until February. I must try harder this year
@@PaulJones-k3f I'll be banging the drum for winter riding - funnily enough, I'll have more cycling time over the next few months than I've had all year.
Some good sound advice for all there regards the Bike Gordon. …maybe an upcoming edition regards what to wear would be an idea. I know everyone’s different but I’m still seeing riders in shorts 😱(or is that just me getting older 😆). I see Buckstones is as stunning as ever 🤩
I shudder when I see riders in shorts in Dec & Jan with frost on the ground. I don't understand it because they're wearing boxing-gloves, fleece face-covers, and thick tops but their knees are exposed. I did a video 'Warm Winter Feet' last winter - it's the most-played title on the channel - but I didn't follow up with sequels. You've given me a nudge now, Mick! Something for November/December.
Old school wisdom, great stuff. My dad used fixed in the first half of winter, probably swapping onto gears in mid-Jan when they really stepped up the training volume. Stephen Roche was a major fixed rider and there weren't many better pedallers than him.
Interesting video Gordon, I have a winter bike, a 20 year old cannondale, I guess if it wasn’t for winter use it’d wallow in the back of the garage or would have been sold for very little, I quite enjoy the contrast of the old and new bike.
Which model have you got? I had a pair of Cannondales in the 2000s, CAAD4 for road racing and Aero CAAD4 for time-trialling. Apart from tight clearances & narrow tyres, I'd imagine they'd make a nice lightweight trainer. You might have seen my 2007 Cannondale System Six on some videos - that's still going strong.
Thanks for the video Gordon. As informative and entertaining as usual. Ive only been cycling for 3 years and only have the 1 bike. Up to now use different wheels and tyres in the winter. It does mean that come spring, when I put the carbon wheels back on it feels so much easier! Still cycling in shorts at the moment but wont be long until the full bibs come out. Looking to do a mix of indoor and outdoor rides this winter. Theres no such thing as zone 2 in the pennines. I think your videos are going to inspire me to do as much outdoor as possible this winter.
Switching wheels & tyres is a good move, Dave. Keep an eye on your bottom bracket too when the road salting starts in earnest. You've got to use really low gears and have plenty of patience to stay inside Zone 2 around our way so it's good practice to have a few long blocks on the turbo. Great for cadence. I managed to climb Holme Moss in July staying below 80% MHR - bottom gear all the way from Holmbridge - but it felt very odd. I've got plenty of ride projects lined up, including a few more forays over the border!
@@clippingin1593 Looking forward to seeing what youve got in store for us. Want to do Holme Moss this year but also a couple of rides in North Wales before Christmas. And Marsden again for a sunday morning breakfast.
@@davefisher7177 North Wales will be great. So much variety in landscape. I've yet to cycle over there, although I know Anglesey & Snowdonia from my climbing days.
Really nice guards, Dave. I had them on the gravel bike last winter and they were reliable, hassle-free, with great coverage. I only found out a few months ago that SKS make an extender for the rear guard.
Gordon, I think the guy you said hello to at 3:35 is my mate Kevin who sings with me in Saddleworth Male Voice Choir. He's riding with mudguards as you speak. He was a proper handy rider in his day. Notice no helmet! Proper old school!!!
Wow ! Fancy spotting him like that, Chris. I thought as we crossed that he was going well and I didn't notice a helmet. I didn't start wearing one for road riding until 2004-ish, although I'd previously used them for MTB and races/events where it was a condition of entry. It took me years to find an under-helmet winter hat that would be comfortable and could cope with a range of intensities and conditions. It was more practical to wear a woolly hat - just like your mate Kevin!
@clippingin1593 try a JSP Surefit Thermal Helmet Liner. With a thin snood/neck warmer to protect your face underneath it you'll stay warm in any weather & your helmet will keep a tight fit. I get them from work, not many cyclists know about them but they are perfect.
@@JoeyMills-y3v Nice tip & cost effective too. Under a tenner in a lot of places. You see so many cycling-brand skull caps at 3-4 times that price. 2005-ish I started using a doubled Helly Hansen Lifa balaclava. They don't wet-out if you're climbing hard but they're still effective for the fast descents - they were about £6 back then. Another good move is to have a second lid with fewer vents than a summer one - windchill is half the problem in a UK winter.
@clippingin1593 yes, Helley Hansen Lifa has always been good kit. Not bicycle specific so not silly prices lol. We started getting issued the JSP liners a few years back, 1st thing I thought was they are perfect for cycling. They're very hard wearing & sweat absorbent too, great bits of kit, last years. Sounds like your balaclava is doing the job tho, I only use the JSP over my cheap snood when it's below zero.
I'm still worried about that bar plug, Matt. I'll have to ride down there and scatter a few around Hoober... There's some great cycling ahead and with a few minor concessions to winter there's so much to enjoy.
@clippingin1593 glad my dad never had a bike...he wouldn't take his car out in rain...he took it for MOT and they said its only done two miles since last Mot. Was to bring it out of the garage to wash and put back
Thanks, Martin. Glad you found it interesting - plus the long distance views were stunning. I'm always guilty of pointing out things that the GoPro doesn't catch but yesterday the light seemed to be just right.
Spring summer..... Trek Domane road bike or Electric mountain bike. Autumn Winter Carrera Zelos (for wet road rides and or indoor zwift trainer) or budget Argos hybrid bike (Steel frame) converted to a gravel like setup for long canal rides (leeds-Liverpool) Although if it's a lovely sunny day with dry roads/ good forecast I'll occasionally take my favourite bike (Trek Domane) out but pop some clip on mudguards just incase the weather turns.
That's a really sound stable and quite similar to mine. The 5 months of autumn/winter that we're facing are so variable and having the option of a 'lightly winterised' best bike, like your Trek, for a long ride or two in settled weather makes perfect sense to me. Last Sunday when I rode across to Blackburn, it was 2-3C at 8AM & I noticed the high road between Tod & Bacup had been gritted, yet a few days later we're seeing afternoon temps of 15C. Expect anything!
Great video Gordon! Hey, I think I saw a banana peel in the road at 14:22. I see so many around here that I started counting them. I'm up to 68 for the year!! My Winter trainer is a 90's Bianchi : )
Wow - good spot, Mark. I've just checked the 4k source file. The classic Celeste Bianchi is a sight to behold - I love those Pantani era ones too with the flashes of extra colour.
I like GP4S, they have a great blend of fast & durable qualities, and you could easily run them all year round. I've used them for the past couple of years for March & April on the Ti bike before switching to GP5000 for the (slightly) warmer months.
Cheers, Paul. That's how we always used to do it but after my injury lay-off I started hearing and reading a lot about people looking for a 'one bike solution'.
@@garethhelliwell9736 and it's not that long ago, Gareth. I remember it happening in the mid-2000s. I remember letters in the comic complaining about mudguard rules - saying pro' riders don't use them. Trouble is, Granada weather is a bit different to ours
Great chat and what looked like a cracking ride. Oxtail soup indeed! I think round this way you've almost got to winterise a bike to stay safe in the poor conditions (esp tyres). I don't do the winter bike thing myself in terms of shelving a bike, but then again my best bike would be a cheapo winter hack for many! You're right it's amazing what you can do indoors these days on the likes of Zwift but for my money it doesn't compare to those real-world views (even in challenging winter conditions).
Cheers, Martin. You'll know that these videos have an aspect of 'how long is a piece of string' because of all the individual variations. In 1997 I had a bike with an aluminium frame, 105 group, no-frills build, which cost about £650 (c.£1250 today, similar to your Boardman) and I did all sorts on it - road races, a few time-trials, a big French sportive, and thousands of miles in amazing places. It wasn't the fanciest bike, and didn't turn many heads, but it didn't hold me back either, and it left me with a host of memories. There's been a hyperinflation bubble with road-cycling kit which rests on 'performance' and 'marginal gains' and I think the commercial masterstroke has been integrating performance anxiety into everyday riding.
Couldn't agree more. That hyper inflation bubble really has been a commercial masterstroke. I like to think I'm fairly well inoculated against the hype and performance anxiety but not so sure that's always true! 🙂
Useful video 👍. I'm sure modern carbon frame disc brake bikes hold up much better through the winter grime than rim brake alloy frames. Just winterising the Carbon Giant Defy by taking off the summer wheels and cranks, replaced with winter wheels and 32mm tyres - holding off on the factory fitted mudguards for now. Oh boy! the shock with the extra weight!
I saw you'd had some trouble with the cassette spacer, David. The same thing happened to me when I fitted a 12 spd cassette to the Ksyriums for the SuperSix. Shimano 12s are strange - even the inter-sprocket spacers are different. Making the switch is quite a comedown! I've lost at least 1.0 mph ave in moving from the SuperSix to this winterised Gios. Mind you, over Buckstones this morning in the rain & mist I was glad of the guards & heavy tyres.
Oooh, what a question, Jason. Five road bikes, two MTBs, and a hybrid errand/transport bike. I'll do some shorter indoor feature videos over the winter. I've still got the original Gios brochure from 1997 with prices for frames etc, so that'll make a nice bit of history when I feature the two Italian bikes.
Sydney cyclists are a tad soft. We generally don’t ride in the rain. Luckily we don’t get many rained out days and we are blessed by mild winters. 17c max in July. Do you also select bike based on route or terrain ? Agree with other comments- tour of the stable. Bikes and analogue synths !
We have 5 months see-sawing between milder Atlantic and icy Arctic systems and we can often see a swing of 10 -15 C in a couple of days. This Gios has 50/34 with 11-28 so it'll cope with any of the usual hills. After all my hip trouble I'm v.careful on icy days - pull out the MTB if in doubt. Mind you, I live at 500 ft and the high moorland roads are 1200 - 1700 ft (prob. 3-5 C colder) so I avoid those routes altogether if there's any water ice in the garden. Showcasing the synths won't take quite as long as the bikes - there's the Moog, a Korg MS-20, and an Arturia Microbrute hiding away somewhere!
Crikey, Terry. It's the stuff of nightmares at winter, isn't it? Twin head- and tail-lights, neon yellow + Scotchlite, but still you hold your breath in places . I had a spell of taking East Bierley, Tong, Farnley into Leeds and it wasn't a lot better. It drained so much mental energy that I'd find excuses not to go out training on rainy Saturday mornings.
Enjoying my SKS Raceblades, but the coverage is so-so. Protection for the rider is good -- less so for the seat tube. Molten waxing the chain has been a game-changer, as muck just doesn't stick to the drivetrain. Basically just swap between two waxed chains and wash the bike every few hundred kms. Makes the washing easy too.
When you take on this topic you realise how vast and subjective it is. That's why I've tried to be balanced and I've avoided writing any prescriptions. You have to look at your local winter conditions and be honest about your own winter cycling ambitions, as well as your available resources - in terms of finances and time. Just reading through the comments you'll see there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Raceblades are a compromise but if someone's dealing with tight clearances or a quirky geometry then they're hands-down winners against ass-savers or going 'guardless. I mentioned Speedrockers (with extender) as being superior because they cover the area between seat-stay bridge and seat-tube, but they aren't always compatible with the target bike. Btw it's easy to improve the coverage of Raceblades by adding a longer rear flap and adapting an ass-saver to shield the seat-tube.
@@clippingin1593 exactly. I'm happy with a moderately winterised bike, and I won't go out if the weather is awful. Some will ride in the worst of weathers! I prefer a single bike solution... at the trade-off of risking salt damage to my nice gear. Huge topic indeed.
Dont think its stopped raining since last October 👎 maybe three days of sunshine 😅Ive found myself reaching for the Gravel bike with guards fitted on tubeless 38mm tyres.. Often shedding a tear passing by my carbon rim brake Scott Addict hanging on the wall... 😭😭.. Use the SKS longboards for superb coverage, zero rattles, mounted rigid. 👌👌
It's been a corker! Official stats have '24 as the coldest summer for a decade, and I can't remember one which was so late to get going only to fizzle out so early. I didn't manage to wear shorts once in September. It was probably warmer yesterday than on many of the so-called summer days.
Cost, cost, cost! It amazes me that folk will subject 5+k worth of bike to the kind of winter weather you get in the Pennines or I get in the Peak District! How much is a Di2 or Etap rear mech? Cycling used to be an "everyman" sport. As you suggest, full mudguards with flaps are, I think, essential if you don't ride alone. However cable disc brakes are a winner in my view: room for bigger tyres & 'guards and no rim wear....but easily adjustable & maintainable.
There's been a burst of road cycling hyperinflation over the past 10-15 years with tech & performance used as justification. As you say, a Di2 rear mech is 4-5 x the price of an equivalent cable actuated derailleur. That's wild. There's also been a massive shift in 'performance metrics' and 'visibility' - I've touched on this topic on occasion, with reference to 'Stravanoia' etc - and it makes a lot of people very reluctant to use 'slow kit'
Interesting. I've normally used the Bank of England calculator. The best bike in question was a Cannondale CAAD4, Ultegra build, with Mavic Helium from late 1999, approx £2500 and the BoE scales it to £4650. Pushing 1995 into their calculator gives £4994. Either way, it was a more-than-decent bike and far too nice for a Pennine winter.
@@clippingin1593 should be the same thing! BOE is using ONS CPI which is probably the best index albeit HL might be using CPIH (housing) or even RPI!
In fact RPI almost always comes out higher that CPI which might explain the 1k discrepancy. CPI is preferred nowadays albeit I've always been a little suspicious of the shift as basically it pushed government costs down! And thinking about it there is no perfect way to measure inflation as average baskets of goods are just that... Indeed exclude housing from inflation calculation (as that BOE calculator does) and you omit the fact that the purchasing power of the £ is significantly weaker than it used to be!
I'm slightly further west on this video, Allan. If you have a time-stamp I'll pin it down, but the major bodies of water are Ringstone, Scammonden, Dowry, New Year's Bridge reservoirs. A couple of videos before this one I went MTB'ing in the Ogden area on a beautiful autumn day.
@clippingin1593 Sorry, Gordon. I have caught up and saw your Strava post. Thanks for another great video. Have you been having balmy days up there? I'm still cycling to and from work in shorts at the mo.
@@allanfoster6965 It's been very mild for the past few days, Allan. Yesterday's high was 14C. The spectrum jersey in this video is long sleeved summer weight, and I still had to unzip it on the tailwind climb. Yet just a few days earlier, on the Sunday I rode to Blackburn, it was 2C at 8 AM and the high roads had been gritted.
Not just you, Lee. Quite a few people lean on the indoor trainer for the next few months and I think it makes perfect sense, particularly if you're more training & performance focused. Some of my best racing seasons were built on majority-turbo winters, and some of my worst came after winter-related falls or illnesses. It's important to do what you feel is right for you and enjoy it.
Have you tried an ebike for commuting? Makes it pleasurable again cos you're never tired, accelerate fast, & can concentrate solely on surrounding traffic. I absolutely love it. As for winter lube, GT85 + Weldtite TF2 combo unbeatable for UK conditions imo: easily applied, runs sweet, keeps wet & salt at bay.
Oil + PTFE is a good combo & definitely the way to go for UK winters - I'm with you there. Sensible levels of bike care. When I was packing the miles in I'd get home tired and didn't want to be faffing around with some of the high maintenance routines you hear about. When the racing season was over we'd sometimes go for hostelling weekends - not a lot of room for slow-cookers in the saddlebag.
@clippingin1593 it used to be wd40 & 3 in1 oil lol, blast it with wd40 to get all the wet & muck & salt out, then oil it. But you can get the same stuff with PTFE now, works even better. Cheap, easy & idiot proof, what's not to love eh?
Beautiful scenery….Great video…
Thanks, Alistair. The autumnal colours and yesterday's light made for a great combination with lots of contrast. I often see things in my prescription specs which the GoPro can't capture but I was very pleased to get home and see footage with distant ranges of hills, masts and assorted aerials.
It's great advice. Always had a "winter" bike when I joined Featherstone RC. Listened to the advice of experienced club members and do it to this day. Great video for newer riders.
Cheers, Mark. It was always the trad route but I noticed changes in the late '00s and then returning after a long injury lay-off ( '14 -'22) I was amazed by the differences in equipment and cycling culture. I've had long conversations with riders from the 'pandemic-intake' and both their sources of information and seasonal-view are very different to ours.
Excellent video. Reminds me I need a new tub of Fiery Jack, gotta keep the knees warm!
I shudder when I see riders with bare knees in December & January!
I even recall some of the old-timers referring to 'Easter Knees' ...ouch.
I can't remember the names of the warm-up rubs I used for early season races but you wouldn't want to mix them up with chamois cream.
Very interesting and thought provoking
Thanks, John. It's a vast topic but I tried to pack as much into 20 minutes as possible, and the cracking weather on the moors was an added bonus!
Good video delivered in you're usual informative good humoured style.
You're cycling experience and tips will benefit many others along with the Pennine rides.
Thanks, Andy. I try to find a balance and I'm glad it's coming across.
Let's hope for a cycling friendly autumn/winter.
man, that is the best video you have ever made, philosophical and deeply practical imo
brilliant reference to Schubert. Winterreisse was a chapter in Patrick Leigh Fermour's book about him climbing the Alpes in the cold of winter, imagine that
Man, you called it it way too early we are 3 or 4 weeks aways from this sentiment
Brilliant mate, thanks
It's a fantastic songcycle, Paul, so evocative of mysterious Central European forests. I've certainly felt like 'Der Leiermann' on occasion.
In my mountaineering days I did quite a bit in the Alps at summer, plus the Peru expedition, but most of my winter exploits involve routing in the Northern Corries and on The Ben - a different kind of 'Clipping In'.
The high road from Tod to Bacup had been salted last Sunday (it was 2C when I left home at 8AM) so we're getting there, even if it was 14C when I filmed this on Thursday!
'Der Leiermann' is my favourite song of the winterreisse set!! (some I find a little inaccessible)
You must read Fermour's book!
I always think that the clocks going back is the big turning point, psychologically, at which point I have to admit that my riding subsides until February. I must try harder this year
@@PaulJones-k3f I'll be banging the drum for winter riding - funnily enough, I'll have more cycling time over the next few months than I've had all year.
the motivational pep talks will be handy! :-) thanks in advance
Some good sound advice for all there regards the Bike Gordon. …maybe an upcoming edition regards what to wear would be an idea.
I know everyone’s different but I’m still seeing riders in shorts 😱(or is that just me getting older 😆).
I see Buckstones is as stunning as ever 🤩
I shudder when I see riders in shorts in Dec & Jan with frost on the ground. I don't understand it because they're wearing boxing-gloves, fleece face-covers, and thick tops but their knees are exposed.
I did a video 'Warm Winter Feet' last winter - it's the most-played title on the channel - but I didn't follow up with sequels. You've given me a nudge now, Mick!
Something for November/December.
Great video great advice 👌
Cheers, Tony. Fingers crossed for some good cycling weather over the next few months!
Gotta love that Gios 👍we used to ride fixed in the winter 😧
Old school wisdom, great stuff. My dad used fixed in the first half of winter, probably swapping onto gears in mid-Jan when they really stepped up the training volume. Stephen Roche was a major fixed rider and there weren't many better pedallers than him.
Interesting video Gordon, I have a winter bike, a 20 year old cannondale, I guess if it wasn’t for winter use it’d wallow in the back of the garage or would have been sold for very little, I quite enjoy the contrast of the old and new bike.
Which model have you got? I had a pair of Cannondales in the 2000s, CAAD4 for road racing and Aero CAAD4 for time-trialling. Apart from tight clearances & narrow tyres, I'd imagine they'd make a nice lightweight trainer.
You might have seen my 2007 Cannondale System Six on some videos - that's still going strong.
Thanks for the video Gordon. As informative and entertaining as usual. Ive only been cycling for 3 years and only have the 1 bike. Up to now use different wheels and tyres in the winter. It does mean that come spring, when I put the carbon wheels back on it feels so much easier! Still cycling in shorts at the moment but wont be long until the full bibs come out. Looking to do a mix of indoor and outdoor rides this winter. Theres no such thing as zone 2 in the pennines. I think your videos are going to inspire me to do as much outdoor as possible this winter.
Switching wheels & tyres is a good move, Dave. Keep an eye on your bottom bracket too when the road salting starts in earnest.
You've got to use really low gears and have plenty of patience to stay inside Zone 2 around our way so it's good practice to have a few long blocks on the turbo. Great for cadence.
I managed to climb Holme Moss in July staying below 80% MHR - bottom gear all the way from Holmbridge - but it felt very odd.
I've got plenty of ride projects lined up, including a few more forays over the border!
@@clippingin1593 Looking forward to seeing what youve got in store for us. Want to do Holme Moss this year but also a couple of rides in North Wales before Christmas. And Marsden again for a sunday morning breakfast.
@@davefisher7177 North Wales will be great. So much variety in landscape. I've yet to cycle over there, although I know Anglesey & Snowdonia from my climbing days.
Just fitted my SKS speadrockers mudguards to road bike that time again Gordon great video as always 👍
Really nice guards, Dave. I had them on the gravel bike last winter and they were reliable, hassle-free, with great coverage.
I only found out a few months ago that SKS make an extender for the rear guard.
Gordon, I think the guy you said hello to at 3:35 is my mate Kevin who sings with me in Saddleworth Male Voice Choir. He's riding with mudguards as you speak. He was a proper handy rider in his day. Notice no helmet! Proper old school!!!
Wow ! Fancy spotting him like that, Chris. I thought as we crossed that he was going well and I didn't notice a helmet.
I didn't start wearing one for road riding until 2004-ish, although I'd previously used them for MTB and races/events where it was a condition of entry.
It took me years to find an under-helmet winter hat that would be comfortable and could cope with a range of intensities and conditions. It was more practical to wear a woolly hat - just like your mate Kevin!
@clippingin1593 try a JSP Surefit Thermal Helmet Liner. With a thin snood/neck warmer to protect your face underneath it you'll stay warm in any weather & your helmet will keep a tight fit. I get them from work, not many cyclists know about them but they are perfect.
@@JoeyMills-y3v Nice tip & cost effective too. Under a tenner in a lot of places. You see so many cycling-brand skull caps at 3-4 times that price.
2005-ish I started using a doubled Helly Hansen Lifa balaclava. They don't wet-out if you're climbing hard but they're still effective for the fast descents - they were about £6 back then.
Another good move is to have a second lid with fewer vents than a summer one - windchill is half the problem in a UK winter.
@clippingin1593 yes, Helley Hansen Lifa has always been good kit. Not bicycle specific so not silly prices lol. We started getting issued the JSP liners a few years back, 1st thing I thought was they are perfect for cycling. They're very hard wearing & sweat absorbent too, great bits of kit, last years. Sounds like your balaclava is doing the job tho, I only use the JSP over my cheap snood when it's below zero.
Great video. My winter bike needs sorting, yes, new handle bar stopper lol. I say as long as your our and safe enjoy that's what matters.
I'm still worried about that bar plug, Matt. I'll have to ride down there and scatter a few around Hoober...
There's some great cycling ahead and with a few minor concessions to winter there's so much to enjoy.
@clippingin1593 glad my dad never had a bike...he wouldn't take his car out in rain...he took it for MOT and they said its only done two miles since last Mot. Was to bring it out of the garage to wash and put back
Fantastic pal 👍
Thanks, Martin. Glad you found it interesting - plus the long distance views were stunning. I'm always guilty of pointing out things that the GoPro doesn't catch but yesterday the light seemed to be just right.
Spring summer.....
Trek Domane road bike or Electric mountain bike.
Autumn Winter
Carrera Zelos (for wet road rides and or indoor zwift trainer) or budget Argos hybrid bike (Steel frame) converted to a gravel like setup for long canal rides (leeds-Liverpool)
Although if it's a lovely sunny day with dry roads/ good forecast I'll occasionally take my favourite bike (Trek Domane) out but pop some clip on mudguards just incase the weather turns.
That's a really sound stable and quite similar to mine.
The 5 months of autumn/winter that we're facing are so variable and having the option of a 'lightly winterised' best bike, like your Trek, for a long ride or two in settled weather makes perfect sense to me.
Last Sunday when I rode across to Blackburn, it was 2-3C at 8AM & I noticed the high road between Tod & Bacup had been gritted, yet a few days later we're seeing afternoon temps of 15C. Expect anything!
Great video Gordon! Hey, I think I saw a banana peel in the road at 14:22. I see so many around here that I started counting them. I'm up to 68 for the year!! My Winter trainer is a 90's Bianchi : )
Wow - good spot, Mark. I've just checked the 4k source file.
The classic Celeste Bianchi is a sight to behold - I love those Pantani era ones too with the flashes of extra colour.
Very sound advice. Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons are also and excellent tyre, probably the best all round tyre available.
I like GP4S, they have a great blend of fast & durable qualities, and you could easily run them all year round. I've used them for the past couple of years for March & April on the Ti bike before switching to GP5000 for the (slightly) warmer months.
Yeah I ride them all year round and never puncture, and now that they get your endorsement...well, what's not to like!
You are the voice of Cycling Highlights and I claim my £5
If I had a fiver for every time someone said that then I probably wouldn't be riding a 26 year old bike!
Cheers, Fausto.
@@clippingin1593😂
Great video, Gordon. Always us a winter bike. Like to look after the racing bike, so don't use in winter.
Cheers, Paul. That's how we always used to do it but after my injury lay-off I started hearing and reading a lot about people looking for a 'one bike solution'.
I remember the days of if you didn't have mudguards with a decent flap at the rear you were either made to ride at the back or you wasn't welcome.
@@garethhelliwell9736 and it's not that long ago, Gareth. I remember it happening in the mid-2000s. I remember letters in the comic complaining about mudguard rules - saying pro' riders don't use them. Trouble is, Granada weather is a bit different to ours
Great chat and what looked like a cracking ride. Oxtail soup indeed! I think round this way you've almost got to winterise a bike to stay safe in the poor conditions (esp tyres). I don't do the winter bike thing myself in terms of shelving a bike, but then again my best bike would be a cheapo winter hack for many! You're right it's amazing what you can do indoors these days on the likes of Zwift but for my money it doesn't compare to those real-world views (even in challenging winter conditions).
Cheers, Martin. You'll know that these videos have an aspect of 'how long is a piece of string' because of all the individual variations.
In 1997 I had a bike with an aluminium frame, 105 group, no-frills build, which cost about £650 (c.£1250 today, similar to your Boardman) and I did all sorts on it - road races, a few time-trials, a big French sportive, and thousands of miles in amazing places.
It wasn't the fanciest bike, and didn't turn many heads, but it didn't hold me back either, and it left me with a host of memories.
There's been a hyperinflation bubble with road-cycling kit which rests on 'performance' and 'marginal gains' and I think the commercial masterstroke has been integrating performance anxiety into everyday riding.
Couldn't agree more. That hyper inflation bubble really has been a commercial masterstroke. I like to think I'm fairly well inoculated against the hype and performance anxiety but not so sure that's always true! 🙂
Useful video 👍. I'm sure modern carbon frame disc brake bikes hold up much better through the winter grime than rim brake alloy frames. Just winterising the Carbon Giant Defy by taking off the summer wheels and cranks, replaced with winter wheels and 32mm tyres - holding off on the factory fitted mudguards for now. Oh boy! the shock with the extra weight!
I saw you'd had some trouble with the cassette spacer, David. The same thing happened to me when I fitted a 12 spd cassette to the Ksyriums for the SuperSix. Shimano 12s are strange - even the inter-sprocket spacers are different.
Making the switch is quite a comedown! I've lost at least 1.0 mph ave in moving from the SuperSix to this winterised Gios. Mind you, over Buckstones this morning in the rain & mist I was glad of the guards & heavy tyres.
@@clippingin1593 I was swapping a 11 speed cassette onto a 12 speed hub - totally forgot to move over the spacer doh!. A very rattly short ride 😂
@@davidowen9770 it's easily done when crossing systems. Next time you'll be ready!
Voice of experience on this one...... excellent
Out of interest how many bikes do you own?
Would be great to have a tour of your stables on a video...
Oooh, what a question, Jason. Five road bikes, two MTBs, and a hybrid errand/transport bike.
I'll do some shorter indoor feature videos over the winter. I've still got the original Gios brochure from 1997 with prices for frames etc, so that'll make a nice bit of history when I feature the two Italian bikes.
@@clippingin1593 looking forward to it
Sydney cyclists are a tad soft. We generally don’t ride in the rain. Luckily we don’t get many rained out days and we are blessed by mild winters. 17c max in July. Do you also select bike based on route or terrain ? Agree with other comments- tour of the stable. Bikes and analogue synths !
We have 5 months see-sawing between milder Atlantic and icy Arctic systems and we can often see a swing of 10 -15 C in a couple of days. This Gios has 50/34 with 11-28 so it'll cope with any of the usual hills. After all my hip trouble I'm v.careful on icy days - pull out the MTB if in doubt. Mind you, I live at 500 ft and the high moorland roads are 1200 - 1700 ft (prob. 3-5 C colder) so I avoid those routes altogether if there's any water ice in the garden.
Showcasing the synths won't take quite as long as the bikes - there's the Moog, a Korg MS-20, and an Arturia Microbrute hiding away somewhere!
I used to do 🚴Halifax to Leeds and back daily on the A58 a few years back glad i dont have to do it anymore,still avoid riding on that if poss.
Crikey, Terry. It's the stuff of nightmares at winter, isn't it?
Twin head- and tail-lights, neon yellow + Scotchlite, but still you hold your breath in places .
I had a spell of taking East Bierley, Tong, Farnley into Leeds and it wasn't a lot better.
It drained so much mental energy that I'd find excuses not to go out training on rainy Saturday mornings.
Enjoying my SKS Raceblades, but the coverage is so-so. Protection for the rider is good -- less so for the seat tube. Molten waxing the chain has been a game-changer, as muck just doesn't stick to the drivetrain. Basically just swap between two waxed chains and wash the bike every few hundred kms. Makes the washing easy too.
When you take on this topic you realise how vast and subjective it is. That's why I've tried to be balanced and I've avoided writing any prescriptions. You have to look at your local winter conditions and be honest about your own winter cycling ambitions, as well as your available resources - in terms of finances and time.
Just reading through the comments you'll see there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.
Raceblades are a compromise but if someone's dealing with tight clearances or a quirky geometry then they're hands-down winners against ass-savers or going 'guardless. I mentioned Speedrockers (with extender) as being superior because they cover the area between seat-stay bridge and seat-tube, but they aren't always compatible with the target bike.
Btw it's easy to improve the coverage of Raceblades by adding a longer rear flap and adapting an ass-saver to shield the seat-tube.
@@clippingin1593 exactly. I'm happy with a moderately winterised bike, and I won't go out if the weather is awful. Some will ride in the worst of weathers! I prefer a single bike solution... at the trade-off of risking salt damage to my nice gear. Huge topic indeed.
Dont think its stopped raining since last October 👎 maybe three days of sunshine 😅Ive found myself reaching for the Gravel bike with guards fitted on tubeless 38mm tyres.. Often shedding a tear passing by my carbon rim brake Scott Addict hanging on the wall... 😭😭.. Use the SKS longboards for superb coverage, zero rattles, mounted rigid. 👌👌
It's been a corker! Official stats have '24 as the coldest summer for a decade, and I can't remember one which was so late to get going only to fizzle out so early. I didn't manage to wear shorts once in September. It was probably warmer yesterday than on many of the so-called summer days.
Cost, cost, cost! It amazes me that folk will subject 5+k worth of bike to the kind of winter weather you get in the Pennines or I get in the Peak District! How much is a Di2 or Etap rear mech? Cycling used to be an "everyman" sport. As you suggest, full mudguards with flaps are, I think, essential if you don't ride alone. However cable disc brakes are a winner in my view: room for bigger tyres & 'guards and no rim wear....but easily adjustable & maintainable.
There's been a burst of road cycling hyperinflation over the past 10-15 years with tech & performance used as justification.
As you say, a Di2 rear mech is 4-5 x the price of an equivalent cable actuated derailleur. That's wild.
There's also been a massive shift in 'performance metrics' and 'visibility' - I've touched on this topic on occasion, with reference to 'Stravanoia' etc - and it makes a lot of people very reluctant to use 'slow kit'
@@clippingin1593 I'm forced to use slow kit on every ride....my legs!😉
@@jonathangreen7111 Oh, crikey... me too. I could make a video series about that.....haha
Hey Gordon have you checked out GuyKestv marcher way Ludow to Montgomery? History and cycling. 😮
Thanks for the tip, Matt. I don't know that border area at all.
You're off with your inflation figures... According to the Hargreaves Landsdown inflation calculator I used £2500 from 1995 is worth £6,556!
Interesting. I've normally used the Bank of England calculator. The best bike in question was a Cannondale CAAD4, Ultegra build, with Mavic Helium from late 1999, approx £2500 and the BoE scales it to £4650.
Pushing 1995 into their calculator gives £4994.
Either way, it was a more-than-decent bike and far too nice for a Pennine winter.
@@clippingin1593 should be the same thing! BOE is using ONS CPI which is probably the best index albeit HL might be using CPIH (housing) or even RPI!
In fact RPI almost always comes out higher that CPI which might explain the 1k discrepancy. CPI is preferred nowadays albeit I've always been a little suspicious of the shift as basically it pushed government costs down! And thinking about it there is no perfect way to measure inflation as average baskets of goods are just that... Indeed exclude housing from inflation calculation (as that BOE calculator does) and you omit the fact that the purchasing power of the £ is significantly weaker than it used to be!
One bike😮no body told me this was possible
'Clipping In : Where the impossible happens', coming to a merch store near you.
Is that Ogden Water?
I'm slightly further west on this video, Allan.
If you have a time-stamp I'll pin it down, but the major bodies of water are Ringstone, Scammonden, Dowry, New Year's Bridge reservoirs.
A couple of videos before this one I went MTB'ing in the Ogden area on a beautiful autumn day.
@clippingin1593 Sorry, Gordon. I have caught up and saw your Strava post. Thanks for another great video. Have you been having balmy days up there? I'm still cycling to and from work in shorts at the mo.
@@allanfoster6965 It's been very mild for the past few days, Allan. Yesterday's high was 14C. The spectrum jersey in this video is long sleeved summer weight, and I still had to unzip it on the tailwind climb. Yet just a few days earlier, on the Sunday I rode to Blackburn, it was 2C at 8 AM and the high roads had been gritted.
Just me or does any one else just do indoor training in winter?
Not just you, Lee. Quite a few people lean on the indoor trainer for the next few months and I think it makes perfect sense, particularly if you're more training & performance focused. Some of my best racing seasons were built on majority-turbo winters, and some of my worst came after winter-related falls or illnesses. It's important to do what you feel is right for you and enjoy it.
Have you tried an ebike for commuting? Makes it pleasurable again cos you're never tired, accelerate fast, & can concentrate solely on surrounding traffic. I absolutely love it. As for winter lube, GT85 + Weldtite TF2 combo unbeatable for UK conditions imo: easily applied, runs sweet, keeps wet & salt at bay.
Oil + PTFE is a good combo & definitely the way to go for UK winters - I'm with you there. Sensible levels of bike care.
When I was packing the miles in I'd get home tired and didn't want to be faffing around with some of the high maintenance routines you hear about. When the racing season was over we'd sometimes go for hostelling weekends - not a lot of room for slow-cookers in the saddlebag.
@clippingin1593 it used to be wd40 & 3 in1 oil lol, blast it with wd40 to get all the wet & muck & salt out, then oil it. But you can get the same stuff with PTFE now, works even better. Cheap, easy & idiot proof, what's not to love eh?
Hello Hell Dar kk Winter like ur Honesty. billy Joel was DJ Brian Hi Gordon I hope get to Yorkshire sometime 🚲➕🇨🇮😎👀🦬💡
Cheers, Brian. We can expect all kinds of weather combinations from now on!