Suitable bikes for Winter Commuting

[AdamMort]

Hullo Retrobike denizens, I'm looking to build a sturdy steel-framed bike for winter use, upright riding position with hub gears and enclosed chain, kind of like classic English roadsters of old but without the headaches involved in getting spares or fitting modern parts. I'd like to use a large-framed retro MTB of some kind, needs to have horizontal dropouts for fitting a Nexus hub gear at the back.

Ideally, I'd get a decent Specialized, Marin or GT of some type and fit new bars, hub gears, fenders etc to it, but I am on a strict budget of £100 + delivery, and I'm having some trouble finding bikes that fit my criteria at the minute (Needs to be at LEAST 19" frame size, preferably bigger). Are there any lesser-known makes, or good bikes from not-so-reputable manufacturers that would fetch lower prices but be suitable for my needs? I've seen things like Raleigh Nitros online for pretty good prices but from what I gather they (like most of Raleigh's MTB offerings) are not well thought of. Saw an ad for this Raleigh "Spirit" very close to me, good size with V-brakes and in the ideal colour of red, but I can't find any info about it on the web or this forum and I suspect it might not be very good for the price they're asking.



Hence, I thought I'd consult this forum for advice - I'm sure there are reasonable bikes out there to be had, I've got a '91 Hardrock sitting in the shed that I got for 80 quid off Facebook so I know it can be done! Am I barking up the wrong tree with my budget here, or do I need to just bide my time for a while?

 

[Takingabreak]

you could save yourself a whole lot of time and expense by forgoing hub gears and fitting mudguards and more road orientated tyres to the bike you have posted pictures of. But if you are sure you want hub gears then maybe a carrera subway 8
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154697306151?hash=item2404ad9027:g:C9wAAOSwNDFhjq7Wor something from Pashley might suit

 

[AdamMort]

you could save yourself a whole lot of time and expense by forgoing hub gears and fitting mudguards and more road orientated tyres to the bike you have posted pictures of. But if you are sure you want hub gears then maybe a carrera subway 8
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154697306151?hash=item2404ad9027:g:C9wAAOSwNDFhjq7Wor something from Pashley might suit

Well, it's not my idea to get something with hub gears "out of the box", although it would make things a bit simpler. My plan is to retrofit a decent old MTB with a Nexus hub and to add mudguards, appropriate tyres and bars etc to it, I just haven't found a suitable bike yet and I'm looking for advice on good bikes/makes for tinkering with. Thanks for the link though!

 

[Tsundere]

Pretty much any old mtb will do the job, it could be argued that aluminium may have the edge in that it's a little bit lighter and not prone to rust, but if the bike is specifically for the purpose of riding during the winter and in bad weather then you can treat steel frames internally and care for them externally to drastically reduce the effects of water.

This is my winter/bad weather commuter, it's an old MF Monarch Pro, light as a feather and a lovely compliant and comfy ride, the only changes I may make to it for next year will be to upgrade the group from STX to DX for the added durability.


It's a fun bike to ride too, is happy on or off the tarmac, can switch the tyres for something a bit grippier if and when the snow comes, and more importantly my more valuable or treasured bikes are spared the wear and tear that British winter riding inevitably inflicts. Personally not worried about enclosed chains or hub gears etc, this is easy to maintain and replacement parts are cheap as chips

 

[mk one]

Why not use the Hardrock you already have?

 

[Mark Manley]

There are few if any headaches getting parts for the old English roadsters, most are still available and complete bikes can be had well within your budget.

 

[AdamMort]

Why not use the Hardrock you already have?

I have thought about that. It certainly fits the bill, it has horizontal dropouts and fenders and a rack already. It stands out a bit though, it's bright pink with yellow grips and pedals, and for my "sensible" commuter bike I would prefer something more... discreet. A simple red or white frame, in pretty much the opposite visual direction to the Hardrock at the minute. But if I don't find something relatively soon I may well end up just converting the one I have, yes.

There are few if any headaches getting parts for the old English roadsters, most are still available and complete bikes can be had well within your budget.

I've taken a look at roadsters as well, a nice old Raleigh Superbe showed up for 150 quid a few weeks ago, and my LBS reckons he gets roadsters donated to him from time to time, but as it stands I'd prefer an old mountain bike. It is an option on the table though.

 

[Jamesbike]

How about a chain tensioner this would be. You could use any mtb frame?
https://www.bikester.co.uk/xlc-cr-a...aDndAuCnxBrwRCKVGga8Pr2s1RWs6gQxoCdAwQAvD_BwECheers James

 

[AdamMort]

How about a chain tensioner this would be. You could use any mtb frame?
https://www.bikester.co.uk/xlc-cr-a...aDndAuCnxBrwRCKVGga8Pr2s1RWs6gQxoCdAwQAvD_BwECheers James

Thanks James, this is something I have looked at, would make it possible to fit any bike with the hub but incurs another problem which is fitting a fully enclosed chainguard around it. I could 3d print a guard that goes around the tensioner... but probably easier to just get a frame with the right dropouts!

 

[sam_white]

On One Inbred a possibility maybe? There's a single speed version out there with rear entry dropouts.