Components and gearing
Components and gearing
Just like a winter frame is designed to face the elements head on, so should the rest of the bike’s components – and not least the wheels and tyres.
Wheels should be tougher than your usual summer choice, and if you’re building your own, then opt for a thicker rim wall to boost life span from increased exposure to water, grit and road salt. A good quality sealed hub is essential to complete the wheel.
Popular winter wheel options include the Racing 5 and 7 models from Fulcrum, which also come in a CX version with double-sealed hubs, Mavic’s Aksium hoops, and the lower end of Shimano’s wheel range. Again, durability is more important than weight.
Your tyres are your only contact point with the road, which in turn is likely to be awash with glass, thorns and other debris during winter, so particular attention should be paid to investing in winter rubber.
We’ve got an in-depth winter tyres buyer’s guide here but, in short, a good winter tyre should strike a balance between grip, puncture protection and ride quality.
If you buy an off-the-peg winter bike and are not happy with the tyre spec, consider the recommendations in our buyer’s guide.
The rest of your component choice should reflect the fact that your winter bike is subject to considerable wear and tear – think durability and affordability.
Shimano 105 is as far as we’d go up the Japanese manufacturer’s groupset ladder and, besides, it’s a setup we think offers the best bang-per-buck. We also wouldn’t venture past SRAM Rival and Campagnolo Centaur in the respective ranges.
The concept of race gears – with a lowest ratio of 39-25 – is an outdated one for most riders, not least in winter. We’d recommend a compact chainset and a wide-ranging cassette to keep the legs spinning on tougher gradients.
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