Mudguards

Love them or loathe them, mudguards are a winter riding essential both for your own comfort and for that of your fellow riders too.

What is sacrificed in terms of the clean lines of your well-tuned machine is made up for in protection from the water, mud and general grime which coats our roads in the winter.

With little sun to dry the roads either, mudguards will protect you and your riding buddies from the cold and dirty water kicked up by your tyres on roads which remain wet long after it’s stopped raining.

Bikes with eyelets and the appropriate clearance (most likely to be machines geared up for winter riding, touring and audax) will accept full mudguards, which provide the most comprehensive protection, while ‘race’ bikes without will require clip-on guards like the Crud Roadracer Mk3 mudguards, which will still do an excellent job and will fit almost any bike.

If you want to add a bit of bling to your bike, meanwhile, the SKS Bluemels are now available in four colours, while those looking for something more subtle (and cheaper) might favour an AssSaver – available either in original, wide or extended forms.

Check out our comprehensive mudguards buyer’s guide for more information on how to pick the right set for your bike.

Lights

The nights have quickly drawn in and the clocks going back, if you are a commuter, will almost certainly mean at least one ride under cover of darkness.

Good lights are essential, then, and we’d advise keeping them on your bike throughout winter as it can remain gloomy even in the middle of the day.

What lights you choose to use will depend on where and when you will be using them – on lit roads during the urban commute or pitch black country lanes during early morning or evening training rides? Either way, the progression of LED technology and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries means there are plenty of options out there. If you ride regularly when it’s dark, we’d recommend having two lights at the front and back. That way you can have one flashing and one steady state, and always have a back-up should one fail. Just remember to charge them!

Even if you’re unlikely to ride when it’s dark, a small, inconspicuous set of ‘emergency lights’ are a worthwhile investment to get you out of trouble should you need them. From commuting lights to get you home, to high-powered lights to illuminate the night, take a look at our buyer’s guide for a more thorough lowdown.

In short though, Exposure have been producing first-class lights year-on-year – with their latest wares also featuring DayBright settings – while Lezyne have options to suit all budgets, including this year’s RCUK 100 inductee, the MacroDrive 800XL.

Saddlebag

Some cyclists curse the very thought of a saddle bag on a road bike but, in winter, the benefits are clear justification for breaking ‘rule number 29’.

It’s never nice to be stuck at the side of the road, and certainly not when it is cold, wet and miserable – as it all too often can be in the midst of winter. Having a small saddlebag on your bike not only ensures you have the essentials to get you up and running in the event of a mechanical, but also frees up space in your jersey pockets for food for long base training ride and extra clothing.

So what should go into every saddlebag at this time of year? A multi-tool, tyre levers, two spare inner tubes – or at least one in the bag and one in your jersey pocket – and glueless patches will cover the basics. Any spare space can then be used for an emergency energy gel or two and some cash, while our saddlebag essentials article has plenty of reader suggestions.

As for the bag itself, check out the Birzman Roadster or PRO Medi. Both are compact bags, with simple Velcro straps and reflective detail.

Keep it clean

There are two unavoidable facts about winter riding – your bike will get dirty, and it will not like it.

It can only take a short ride to cover glistening components in muck and grime, and wet roads covered in salt mean corrosion is a threat if you don’t regularly clean your machine.

A good old fashioned bucket of soap and water – and elbow grease – will go a long way but there is also an abundance of bike-specific cleaning products on the market to help you do the job. A degreaser and chain bath will make short work of mucky components. If using a jet wash, be sure not to point the lance directly at any bearing.

The chain, in particular, needs to be taken care of and, if you do not have the time or the inclination to deliver a full wash and service after every ride, at least dry and lubricate it. Check out our five top tips to keeping your chain clean. Cables, especially those routed externally, are also susceptible to the winter weather and will benefit from regular attention.

As for your options, we recently got our hands on the excellent Crankalicious KWIPES, while at the other end of the scale the Kärcher OC3 is a handy bit of kit – a portable cleaner, which comes with an additional bike box with specific brushes for your moving parts.

Maintenance

Prevention is better than cure, as they say, and time spent giving your beloved steed a regular once over will serve you well in the long run.

Some essential maintenance checks are more obvious than others – the brake pads, for example, which only need a firm tug on the levers to check they are still in working order. Here’s our guide to replacing brake pads.

Keep an eye on water ingress, and removing the seatpost and tipping the bike upside down will help remove any water that may have found its way in.

Watch out for worn cables, too (ensure you also lubricate cables), and as previously mentioned, the chain is particularly susceptible to corrosion and wear in the winter, so use a chain checker to ensure it hasn’t become overly stretch, after which it can damage components. Here’s how to check and replace your chain.

Eyelets for full mudguards, wider tyre clearance, all-weather reliability and affordability are all features of the winter bike. Off-the-peg winter machines specced for the task in hand are growing in popularity, too – though, for those with the inclination, winter also represents a good chance to build your own machine. Make sure your component choice reflects the fact the bike will be subject to plenty of wear and tear. Super-light and expensive parts are best saved for summer.

The road plus market is growing year-on-year too, providing off-the-peg bikes built to cope with all terrains. Not only does that make them ideal for the unpredictable winter weather, but it also gives you the versatility to head off-road should you desire too. See the recently-reviewed Specialized Diverge, for example, for an excellent bike both on the tarmac and off it.

Kinesis, Genesis, Enigma and Ribble, among many others, all provide bikes well-suited to the British winter too.