Do you have summer and winter specific routes?

dinyull

For the past few years my riding was always on fairly busy, but flat roads. Very 'urban' routes. At the beginning of this year I decided to venture out into the country (10 miles at least from my doorstep) and have been loving it, searching for more and more hills to include in my usual 60 mile weekend ride.

I set off on one of my usual routes on Sat, being careful as the roads were wet and covered in leaves. About 30 miles in and at the furthest point from home I was descending very carefully and to avoid the ford at the bottom of the hill went over a footbridge covered in leave and wiped out. Apart from having the stuffing knocked out of me and a few grazes I managed to get away with it but it got me thinking what would have happened if I had hit my head etc as it is a very quiet back road in the middle of nowhere.

I ride alone and although I have the option of 1 or 2 other people to go out with I very much prefer riding by myself and I'd like to keep it that way.

Do people's routes change over winter? My thinking is less hills therefore less descending and less country lanes, less leaves, mud,and cow muck etc?

Tjgoodhew

To a degree yes -

There are certain places near me that are prone to flooding however this is all year round so it isnt season specific.

I will also avoid certain areas if its very windy such as open marshland or the seafront. But other than that i ride similar routes all year round

kajjal

I just take it easier in winter and don't go out if its icy. The routes are usually similar but can be shorter due to being slower in winter.

me-109

Yes. A few lanes I know don't clean up at all over winter, so are best avoided. Other than that, it's the longer routes over the Dales roads where either the distance makes it a potentially long cold day anyway, or the exposure in the event of a mechanical/'P-word' makes it not somewhere you want to face - particularly alone.

feelgoodlost

Yep. I try and stick to shorter, less hilly routes in the Winter. Just so if anything goes horribly wrong I'm not too far away from home and rescue!

This Summer I've been doing a lot of longer rides and going further afield to get some good climbs in.

I think the Winter is best for just taking it slow and not getting too carried away with distances. Either that or sacking it off altogether for the Turbo when you know that it's going to be a few degrees colder out in the sticks and an increased chance of ice.

Pituophis

Yes and no. :oops:
I also mainly ride solo, so in winter, and in the evenings after work I do tend to stick to a more urban loop that covers around 25 miles, but doesn't ever get further than about 5 or so miles from home. I can very easily add 5 or 10 miles to this if the weather is mild or I am generally enjoying the run.
I see this as more convenient to get home from if I have a disaster, as my back up service is almost none existent. :shock:

In summer or milder weather at weekend I will venture further afield and more into the countryside for a longer ride, and take my chances.

If its icy or really windy I generally just chicken out completely.

craigus89

Not at all. If it's wet and windy I might not go flat out on a decent but I will still go on the same routes in the dark and bad weather.

Mechanical's suck whatever the circumstance, so I don't even think about that. Same goes for falling, if you fall and hurt yourself badly enough that you can't continue, you're in trouble wherevere you are.

Don't let fear of falling or breaking down stop you from going where you want to. The tranquility of being in the middle of nowhere on a quiet road on a dark winter night, I find quite appealing.

florerider

Yes, but mostly due to going single speed for winter. Do a fair distance on the same roads closer to home though.