What do you do to keep fit when winter comes?

Scrappaman

Hi All,

Having bought my first road bike a couple of months back, I have truly caught the bug and I am out on the bike most evenings.

Friends that I ride with tell me that in winter, when the rain and the cold arrives, they simply put their bikes away and turn to mountain biking or other activities.

I am loving road biking and I want to do it all year round; both for my fitness and the fun.
As such, I don't like the idea of packing up for winter.

Can people tell me what they do for winter? Do you fit grippier tyres, do you get onto your turbo trainer, turn to other sports, or plod on regardless?

The turbo trainer idea tempted me but many people have suggested that if I were to use a turbo trainer and also want to ride outside then I would need to look at getting a spare tyre at the least (for use with the turbo) or a whole new wheel preferably. This is a lot of effort!

I lack the funds for buying spare wheels with a turbo trainer and certainly lack the funds for a winter bike - am I the only one?

Thanks in advance to anyone who shares their winter practice with me!

Matt

danowat

Mainly Audaxes and commuting.

Slimbods

I carry on going out if it's not icy, slap some lights and some mudguards on and keep riding. I'll also do at least one turbo a week to keep some intensive sessions going.

I wouldn't worry too much about a separate turbo tyre, a turbo will wear your tyre quicker is all by the time spring comes round you'll be ready for some nice new summer tyres anyway.

Tom Butcher

I have a winter bike with mudguards and do a little bit on the turbo - you don't need a special wheel or tyre - it will wear your tyre a little faster than road riding but not usually so badly it makes getting a different tyre a necessity imo.

SteveR_100Milers

Occasional winter bike, frequent indoor velodrome including track league again this winter hopefully.

ut_och_cykla

I live in southern Sweden. I keep riding until ice&snow make it dangerous then continue jogging, weight training and add some turbo after Christmas. If the weather warms up a bit I take a second hand scrappy MTB out on fire roads in the forest. Other Swedes fit studded tyres , wrap up well, fit lights and dayglo and carry on cycling all year round.

Herbsman

I wear warm clothes and harden the fu*k up.

kieranb

get a good waterproof jacket and go out in the rain! Keeping warm and dry is the key to it. If your bike has good racing tyres you could get some cheaper ones that'll do for winter and the turbo when weight etc will not be such an issue, so you don't wear out your good ones.

kieranb

p.s. do get tyres with good puncture protection for winter riding - changing inner tubes or fixing a puncture when it is raining and cold, and maybe dark, is not nice and could put you off going out on the bike.

Also if going for long rides in the cold your water bottle might freeze - could use an insulated one or a camelbac style thing where your body heat will stop it from freezing. Also carry more food as your body will need it.

WisePranker

My other half has just bought a spinning bike so I reckon I'm going to be using that in the winter now :-)

jairaj

Scrappaman wrote:

Friends that I ride with tell me that in winter, when the rain and the cold arrives, they simply put their bikes away and turn to mountain biking or other activities.

I don't understand that bit? They are happy to ride in the same weather off road where you get more dirtier but not happy to ride on the road?

Don't get me wrong nothing wrong with MTB, Im predominately an MTB'er but don't get why you would give up the road bike in winter.

ut_och_cykla

jairaj wrote:

Scrappaman wrote:

Friends that I ride with tell me that in winter, when the rain and the cold arrives, they simply put their bikes away and turn to mountain biking or other activities.

I don't understand that bit? They are happy to ride in the same weather off road where you get more dirtier but not happy to ride on the road?

Don't get me wrong nothing wrong with MTB, Im predominately an MTB'er but don't get why you would give up the road bike in winter.

My experience (limited!) is that MTBing is 'warmer' - slower speeds and less wind in the forest - and I don't end up so far away from home. If its very cold it can be quite dry too which is ok as long as there's no ice for me.

Herbsman

jairaj wrote:

Scrappaman wrote:

Friends that I ride with tell me that in winter, when the rain and the cold arrives, they simply put their bikes away and turn to mountain biking or other activities.

I don't understand that bit? They are happy to ride in the same weather off road where you get more dirtier but not happy to ride on the road?

Don't get me wrong nothing wrong with MTB, Im predominately an MTB'er but don't get why you would give up the road bike in winter.

Are people at risk of being hit by motor vehicles on MTB trails?

shockedsoshocked

Just eat cake for 6 months. Doesn't do much for your cycling but it feels good

unixnerd

If it's dry or only a bit wet I take my tourer and go road biking. It has mudguards and fairly grippy 28mm tyres. If it's wet I go mountain biking, normally at night with big lights ;-)

But with any luck it's been snowing so I go cross country skiing.

neilo23

Build up my pint lifting muscles :-)

I actually enjoy training in the winter. Carry on as normal unless the roads are icy.

Matt the Tester

usually turbo training with southport cyclng club

good productive training! VERY structured since it's a key part of our winter training to prepare for early season and building form.

i dont start racing till april though so i have abit longer

KnightOfTheLongTights

http://www.pedalstudio.co.uk/

Recommended.

Think similar places might exist in Leeds / Mcr / Brum ....

surreyxc

just keep pedalling, the cyclocross gets no changes for the winter commute, my commute is going up from 8mile road to 20mile or 24mile off road. By the end of Feb I am pretty fed up, but not as much as if I was stuck in a car.

shinyhelmut

http://www.thesufferfest.com/

lvquestpaddler

Road bike on the turbo permanently from Nov, Old MTB with road and xc wheels, if wet and dark probably a road wheeled jaunt, during the day or remotely icy it's xc wheeled jaunt off road. Idea for permanent winter turbo is for when it snows or is so vile I don't want to go out-or can't in waist deep snow). Also sea kayaking, loch kayaking until it freezes,walking the dog, indoor bodyweight exercises, shovelling snow. Have never done xc skiing but need to find a cheap set soon my house is surrounded in designated trails!!
(after the last 2 winters I'll get skis and we'll never see snow again for a decade....!)
Oh, and a 3 mile walk to the pub once a week...balance and all that!

twotyred

For me its turbo sessions and running through the week and out ont he winter bike with full guards at the weekend.

unixnerd

Have never done xc skiing but need to find a cheap set soon my house is surrounded in designated trails!!

If you want a dead cheap set let me know. I got a new xc skis as a Christmas pressie so my old ones are going spare. Nothing beats the looks you get skiing down the middle of Aviemore high street and leaving your skis outside Tescos :-)

nottscobb

I keep commuting. First the mudguards go on and then the marathon winters. My weekly mileage drops but I still do enough to keep me fit enough so that I can build back up again in spring.

oldwelshman

I just put some extra clothes on to keep warm, then go on winter bike fitted with guards and two magic shine lights which blind the motorists and the odd track training session.

lostboysaint

Is this a trick question?

Road bike - check! More layers & lights

MTB - check! (But add crudcatchers)More layers & lights

Windsurf - check, just thicker neoprene!

Redhog14

I live in Scotland - in winter it only gets darker more..

Search for a 2nd hand TT on ebay or BR Classified - but be warned, if you like it you are weird so keep tellign everyone how much you hate it and if you don't you won't use it.

Agree with the other guys here, buy a set of Crud Racers mudguards a waterproof jacket and just get on with it, Rain miles count for double!

Ron Stuart

Add this trip to your intinery.....

http://burgauvilla.com/

and some winter/autumn/spring pictures here....
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... ed0e427dcb
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=3 ... 08e17e5b70

In the mean time just keep them pedals turning. 8)