winter training

stronginthesun
stronginthesun Posts: 433
edited October 2011 in Road beginners
going to be a few frowns but i dont use my carbon roadbike in the winter ! usually i join a gym , this year cant face that so bought an as new specialized hardrock of ebay for £200 . done 25 miles on/off road on it today and it was fantastic !! no more endless colds caught in the boring gym !! what does everyone else do ?

Comments

  • nochekmate
    nochekmate Posts: 3,460
    Buy a winter to ride through the crap/mud on the country lanes!
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Just building up a winter bike at the moment using a Chinese carbon frame and various parts that have come off my summer bike via upgrades / bought off here etc. Decent set of mudguards (compulsory with most clubs in my area) and a decent set of lights and i'll ride all winter (snow and ice may stop play).

    Joining a club is great for motivating you to get out of bed and riding with your new mates. Best time of the year for joining a club too I recon - the rides will generally be shorter and slower............and have nice cafe stops.
  • rjh299
    rjh299 Posts: 721
    My old summer bike is now my winter bike, fitted mudguards and lights, and just joined a club. Hopefully going to be a successful winters training :)
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    Ride either my "summer" road bike, or my CX bike, sometimes do rides on my TT bike as well. I just clean it if it gets too dirty. Most of it will be on the road, the only time I don't train on the roads is when they are icy.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If you are serious about cycling, winter is the time to bank miles and build a good endurance base. Don't get precious about your kit, be prepared to see your average speed drop and enjoy yourself. If it snows, head offroad. I expect to lose only 1-2 days of riding to really crap weather.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..