N+1 Dilemma - update

I have just built my second bike first was a full suspension MTB. My new bike I've finished yesterday is titanium Tripster V2 with Di2 MTB gearset and derailleurs married to Di2 hydraulic road shifters. I've built it for mountains and sportives, general riding.

Build! There's not much to get wrong as such. Just get your headset done at the lbs if you're scared of damaging anything, the rest is just bolting stuff together. Cables are the most annoying part but once you've conquered a bike build you probably won't even trust your LBS anymore!

The long term cheap option is to get a frame and build up with kit that's compatible with what's on the summer bike so you can move stuff down as you upgrade the good bike... make sure you get a good winter frame with mudguard eyes so you can fit proper sks/Zefal guards on 25 or 28 mm tyres

the other cheap option is to get a fixed wheel bike. The entire transmission in mine costs less than a 105 cassette and lasts much longer. Even after a really wet ride, all it needs is a spray of Wd40 to keep the wet off the chain. There's nothing to go wrong. Again, go for something with mudguard clearance for 25mm tyres.  

Building your own bike is a real joy and is not so difficult.  For the most part it's all pretty obvious, but for the more fiddly things, you can find all the advice you'd need on the internet and particularly in Youtube videos.

If you were buying all the parts new, then it would definitely not be the most cost effective solution, but if you've got a lot of parts lying around, then it can be relatively inexpensive (e.g., I built a fixed gear from a frame I rescued from work just before it was about to be thrown out, plus various bits and pieces I had in boxes from years gone by.  The only things I actually had to buy were a correctly fitting seatpost and a fixed gear wheel).

You'll love a bike you've built yourself in a way that you don't ever quite do with off-the-shelf bikes.

That said, your option 3 sounds quite enticing.  Although Di2 really does sound like a luxury on a winter bike (especially given the abuse that winter weather can dish out).  The positive of course is that even with thick gloves, changes should be straightforward (I find it a bit awkward shifting my manual Ultegras with warm lobster gloves on; SRAM Rival on my winter bike is much easier).

Alternatively, there are loads of decent winter bike options at good prices.  I have the standard Aluminium Ribble that you see all over the place (called Audax, or 7005 or something like that) built with Rival for around £750, but swapped out the wheels for something better.  Next time round, I would seriously consider a Kinesis (have hankered after one ever since I first found out about them).  And those are just the most common options - there must plenty of others in that price range.

But I would say whatever you build, make sure you can fit full-length mudguards - get a frame with mudguard eyelets, or at the very least, a frame that has enough clearance for mudguards.

Next time around, I will also look to be able to have wider tyres.  I am running 23mm on my winter bike, but in line with current trends, I would want the option of running at least 28mm

Have fun whatever you choose!

Option 1 plus Raceblade Pro's....  Job Done... 

4) get a smart turbo trainer instead and complete a structured training plan on it?

Pros: get fitter and notice it come proper riding season.
Keep cycling even when the weather is unrideable.

Cons: Doesn't get you another bike, or outside - you seem pretty set on that?
Noise - mine is in the garage though and that's fine.

What about a halfway "1a" option buying a decent secondhand bike?

It's what I did as a winter commuter - got a secondhand Cannondale Badboy on the cheap from ebay, added mudguards, solid Tannus tyres and it's great!  A little on the heavy side compared to my "best" Canyon roadbike, but it's been very robust through all weathers and doesn't need as much attention as my roadbike to keep clean etc.

That's really good value. How stretched out do you find it? The other frame that's interesting is the planet x galibier (really light), was on offer really cheap after Christmas but I bottled spending the cash...

Strange you should mention Kinesis - I visit the outlet page ( http://outlet.upgradebikes.co.uk/Outlet/Kinesis-UK/Kinesis-UK-Range/Frames ) once a fortnight or so, to see if anything interesting crops up. The Aithein there appears to have gone though.

I already have a T2 as my winter bike, which I love and ride to death, but I wanted something different so plumped for the CAAD8. Not ruling out a Crosslight as my hack/off-road bike, but, funds.

(This is the CAAD8 btw. Proper bargain according to friends. Decent enough frameset to build up. https://www.rutlandcycling.com/323873/products/cannondale-caad8-claris-8... )

Can't tell you what to do but I'd be really curious as to what you decide.  I've got a heavy comfortable relaxed steel bike with guards and discs and I want a cheap agressive fast option for the summer.  I've also been looking at the cinelli and I'm sort of not bothered if it's a bit harsh...  Also considering CAAD10, or maybe an aithein if I can afford it.  Something from kinesis might suit you? 

I was going to do 2), but after a friend said the ride was likely to be harsh, I bought a CAAD8 instead and am building that up with Ultegra and EDCO wheels. 

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