A fair number of club riders in the UK have a winter bike and a summer bike. The weather here is generally just wet and dreary for much of the winter, with the odd bit of frost, but plenty of muck and grime on the road.

Rather than spoil their pretty summer bikes with fancy carbon and nice shiney bits of Campag a lot of people opt for the winter option. I got mine - a nice little steel bike - from the ads in the back of Cycling Weekly for a bargain, and a lot of my clud mates ride a funny mix of old and battered.

Mud guards are also creeping in and aren't just something for the touring cyclist any more. Not only to stop the rooster tail effect, but to make following someone's wheel bit less messy! Most people spend very little on their winter training bike. As long as it's in good working order...

Talking of which, this weekend may well be change-over for me. I need to put the pedals, bottle cages and saddle pack on my winter frame and wrap my 'summer' bike up , all nice and snugg for the winter.