Riding my new bike on winter roads
Originally Posted by
chas58
Well, the best answer is don't ride it.
That said, I bought a bike a few months ago, and can't keep off of it….
My favorite bicycle is my expensive carbon fiber road bike, and I never take it out in any wet weather, much less winter. So I have a beater bike. For many years it was a heavy Cannondale mountain bike, not a pleasure to commute on.
Last year I bought a Specialized Diverge Elite aluminum road bike, equipped with all of the accessories for winter riding, including 30 C studded tires. It’s a fine riding bike, as smooth as the CF, but with a more solid feel. I have just resigned myself that it will take a lot of abuse, to preserve the pristine carbon fiber bike, and it's a pleasure to ride in its own right.
I don’t have convenient facilities to wash it, and mostly I just wipe the chain and apply lube after a particularly sloppy ride.This first winter though has been pretty tame. 
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 02-17-17 at 09:38 AM.