Winter Essentials
Winter Essentials
Seasons are changing and often so do the bikes you ride but this doesn’t always have to be the case. One of the principles behind Kinesis UK right from the beginning was that a bike designed to shrug off the British winters could also be as fun to ride as your summer bike. Today we’re still pushing these principles forward and updating them with the latest technologies to make the best of wet/slippery conditions.
Us on Disc
Leading this charge is our 4S disc which is now dual compatible with both rim brakes and disc brakes. The brand new flat mount system means that we can now transform the previously bulky disc mounts (and disc brakes) into a discreet tidy interface that still looks good even if you’re running the bike in caliper brake mode.
Discs are a great addition to any bike ridden year round as they increase stopping power in a more predictable way in all conditions. They also reduce the grimy black marks that comes from rim brake compound being ground away whilst braking on wet roads. This helps keep your bike cleaner, reduce wheel wear and excellent braking every time. Hydraulic disc brakes also reduce maintenance, which is a big plus in the winter and allowing you to simply get out and ride!
Us on Guards
While sometimes club rides can require them, full length mudguards are simply a must have on our Kinesis winter essentials list. They do far more than just keep you less dirty, a good full ‘guard can transform a rainy ride from a drudging soggy affair to a revitalising opportunity to be outside and mean your bike needs less cleaning afterwards too. We like to fit nice long SKS Longboard's for dry feet.
Here’s just a few reasons why good guards are great:
• They keep you drier which makes it easier to ride further!
• ‘guards protect your expensive winter kit prolonging it’s use by stopping road muck getting ingrained in fabric’s.
• They put a smile on your mates faces, after all who wants a face full of road spray?
• They stop dirty gritty water working its way into unprotected sections of your bike reducing maintenance and costly mechanic bills.
Us on Gear
Good winter clothing also makes a big difference, so after getting sorted with the correct bike remember to invest in waterproof and wind proof jackets, plus winter base layers, overshoes and good gloves. Look out for dual layer fabrics for improved breathability and reflectivity to increase the likely hood of others on the road spotting you. It’s important to keep warm to stay fit and well during cold rides. A great winter clothing pick for us would be the Gore One Jacket
Us on Tyres
For winter riding the vast majority of us at Kinesis UK switch to wider tyres. Increasing the tyre width increases grip and comfort and upgrading that to a puncture protected tyre will reduce your time worrying about slippery roads or changing tubes in the rain. All of our all four season bikes fit a 28mm tyre and full mudguards because we appreciate that this really makes all year round riding much nicer. We particularly love the Vee Rubber Apache in 28mm but other great 28mm tyres are around.
Us on lights
Not just a winter item any more, lights have become more powerful, affordable, lighter and sleeker. The technology that’s available today goes has improved dramatically even in just the last few years. More of us are now riding with them on during day rides too, particularly on gloomy days. A simple tip from our friends at Lezyne would be something like a pair of the Lezyne Strip Drive, which give good light in a variety of conditions.
Us on café Culture
Don’t forget about Coffee stops and slower miles with lots of smiles. The winter is about getting what you can done, going out into the elements and enjoying yourself no matter what the weather. Coffee and café culture is a fantastic social part of cycling that can keep your morale up on wintery days. Café stops are also good places to meet other riders and maybe learn about new lanes to explore. Regardless, a hot brew on a cold Sunday with a bit of cake nearly always hits the spot for us. What’s your favourite hot drink to fuels your winter rides?