Just a proper introduction! im new here!

the days are getting shorter and riding times dawn and dusk are getting colder!

although that is of some concern... im actually wondering if a guy like myself... who does not yet own a road bike..... should hold off on purchasing one until warmer weather? will i find reduced prices on previous years?

I do commute daily on a SS. should i jsut stay on this bike until warmer days?

Your bike does not care what the temperature is, so it is all up to you. If you don't plan on riding in the winter then you don't need a new bike.

Try the winter cycling forum for further advice on what to ride in the winter.
https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...Winter-Cycling

i cant comment on pricing at times of the year but from a personal motivation point of view buying in winter is a bad idea. You get the bike, the excitement to get on it is thwarted by weather and when the weather gets better you have lost the excitement and the bike sits there decorating your garage.

Luckily it's always bike-buying weather here in San Diego.

End of the season is when you can get the better deals.

You can often get good deals on bikes once the cold weather arrives since most will be last 2010 clearance items so i'd hold off until then. If your SS is fine for your commute then keep using it until you get a new bike. I ride through the winter and so long as I keep myself warm it's no problem at all and keeps me in shape for the spring and summer.

If you want end of year deals I wouldn't hold off too much longer. I know the bike shops in my area vastly underestimated sales this year and are almost out of all their good 2010 bikes already.

I had a good convo with a guy who works at my LBS. He said closeouts will be far and few between this year (they are a FELT, Cervelo, QR, and Giant dealer) because supplies are low anyway.

And cold? My car says it's 101 outside

I'm looking forward to the cold. Unfortunately like jen, it's still forcasted over 100 here for at least another week.

Fall is my favorite time of year to ride. The cool/cold weather can be negated by proper attire. I've ridden to the low 20's (F) as long as there is no snow. Some day I will try snow riding... some day. I also have lights (front & rear) for night riding and enjoy that too.

Now is the best time to buy. You'll get great deals if you find your size. You should also look at used on Craigslist.

All the leaves and branches on the road this week alerted me to get the winter gear out.

50 something this morning.

I love fall.

Just went out for a ride this morning and for the first time got the sniffles! ugh!

HEY!! I REEEEALLY DON'T APPRECIATE POSTS LIKE THIS -K? Tomorrow's high in Phoenix - 105, Monday 106... and we stay there throughout the week.

(But the window to paradise is open now as we have a couple hours of bliss at the break of dawn) It's a desert thing - you get used to it. Actually I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's beautiful riding out here.

Except that in three months when 3/4 of these guys are whining about their trainers, we get to ride in shorts and long sleeves. I think 5am rides in the summer are a fair trade for year-round outdoors riding

I soooo agree with you. I'm very fortunate to be here. Most people think this is golf paradise. mmmm NO. It's cycling paradise.

When I lived in Northern Virginia I used to cyclo-commute 27 miles/day to work. In the winter a road bike was priceless for the speed with which it
got me to work and warmth. Of course, in the spring it was priceless for the speed with which it got me ahead of, or through, passing storms.
Well, heck, in the summer the speed was priceless so I could get back to the A/C as quick as possible. So, road bikes all the way, anytime of year!

Oh, and to echo what some others have said, the LBS's in my area are not expecting end-of-year sales to be very large. Just a few unpopular frame
sizes or models. One told me that the bike manufacturers didn't make many for 2010 due to the economy. 2011 is supposed to be better with more
inventory, so end-of-next-year would be better, but who wants to wait that long??!!!

Tim

Yea.. I would like to continue riding thru the winter...I'm a little nervous about the lack of light after 5pm

You can get Lights.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-to-buy-lights...

This Alone makes me want to bite teh bullet and start riding ad much as possible!

The sounds awful! I'm new to the cycling world... But I have really started to enjoy cycling for the workout and challenge... But also because I LOVE going places!!!! I can't imagine having near as much fun on a trainer.

For the novice, cycling is a fun way to spend time outdoors on a beautiful day and get a good workout. As you progress you desire to ride more often, raising your speed and distance, maybe bailing out if weather looks unpleasant. This is when bike upgrades usually occur. When cycling becomes your passion you want to ride no matter what the weather is or what sort of bike you have access to. Many folks will go out in terrible weather on a 20 year old, original component bike. You then start to see your bike as a disconnected extension of your human body. You desire every day to reconnect and hit the road/path. When you reconnect and ride you feel happy, maybe even giddy. You spin so efficiently that you feel like your legs and bike are a high performance engine, and your upper body is along for the ride as the command center. It's a Zen sort of thing. At least for me that's the way it is.

The Zen of Tim

Clearly you don't live in the north.

We had frost two nights ago ...so HTFU.

Oh and no, it's not really cold yet. I'll be riding to work for the next two semesters, as my schedule doesn't coordinate well with my wife's (and she can have the car). It will get down to -40 (that's where F and C are the same) a couple of times this winter. I use a mountain bike with studded tires when the snow flies. The XT shifters stop working at about the freezing point so I need to select my gear before leaving the house. I think a single speed may be in my future.

The LBS does have some deals this time of the year. They are trying to make room for the skis and snowboards.

kaNUK