Cycling in the Alps in the winter.

brianonyx

Apologies if this has been covered before.

I've got a very small apartment in a ski resort in France. In the summer I often stay there and cycle the climbs that are within easy reach of Moutiers.

In the winter, obviously, it gets used for skiing.

I hadn't thought before of bringing my road bike in the winter but there are long periods of sunny weather and the roads get cleared within a day or two of even a big dump of snow.

My worry is the cold. Even on a sunny day in February, it might be +2 say in moutier but -8 at 2300M. Is it safe to cycle up a hill breathing in air that is that cold? I've never really seen any cyclists going up the hill in winter.

Certainly with british winter clothes on I don't think it would feel that cold on the bike. More worried about breathing in very cold air.

phreak

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19712407#p19712407]brianonyx[/url] wrote:

Apologies if this has been covered before.

I've got a very small apartment in a ski resort in France. In the summer I often stay there and cycle the climbs that are within easy reach of Moutiers.

In the winter, obviously, it gets used for skiing.

I hadn't thought before of bringing my road bike in the winter but there are long periods of sunny weather and the roads get cleared within a day or two of even a big dump of snow.

My worry is the cold. Even on a sunny day in February, it might be +2 say in moutier but -8 at 2300M. Is it safe to cycle up a hill breathing in air that is that cold? I've never really seen any cyclists going up the hill in winter.

Certainly with british winter clothes on I don't think it would feel that cold on the bike. More worried about breathing in very cold air.

I'd be more worried about the descent to be honest. Must be super cold going down hill.

PhilipPirrip

Shouldn't be a problem if you've acclimatized to cold weather riding prior to going to France but that -8 at 2300m will lead to a much lower wind chill factor on the descent.

wongataa

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19712407#p19712407]brianonyx[/url] wrote:

My worry is the cold. Even on a sunny day in February, it might be +2 say in moutier but -8 at 2300M. Is it safe to cycle up a hill breathing in air that is that cold?

It's just as safe as doing anything strenuous in cold air. Mountaineers/Polar explorers/Skiiers will all cope with colder air.

sungod

unless you've some illness or other medical condition, breathing air at that sort of temperature is not a problem

ice/frost on the road is what'd worry me

roads may be cleared, but what's safe for a car may be extremely dangerous for a road bike, even in london i've been on roads that had frosted so the rear tyre slipped when riding uphill, hate to think what braking on it would've been like (i carefully went back to clear tarmac and gave up on my planned hill repeats)

if you've got frame/fork clearance you could fit winter tyres with studs, but personally i'd leave the road bike at home

dodgy

There's a reason why the local roadies hang their bikes up that time of year

term1te

Can you take up cross country skiing? Good cardio-vascular exercise, uses similar leg muscles to cycling?

Nevis2

I regularly cycle minus temperatures in north Scotland, often in those beautiful sunny & really cold spells, but always on cyclocross bike with chunky tyres. Wearing ski socks/gloves/face mask, etc, the cold is not a problem. But certainly wouldn't fancy descending a dozen hairpin bends on skinny tyres (or any tyres) if there's potential for sudden drops in temp.

cc78

in previous winters I have been out on the road as early as March (I live at 1200m) but only if there have been a good few days of mild temperatures and I haven't been any higher than 1500m at most

as above, in the depth of winter the potential for ice makes this a non-starter, both for you on the bike but also other vehicles skidding/sliding into you (they certainly won't be expecting to see a cyclist on the road)

also, the roads are cleared regularly but snow is still liable to slip across the road from hillsides etc above... not really a problem in a car but would not be much fun on a bike

and yes it is bl00dy freezing going downhill

ski de fond or the good old turbo trainer would be a better bet...

phil s

I've done the Alps before in March, still ski season. Going up was great. Descending was virtually unbearable and rendered us unable to even talk for ten minutes due to frozen lips and faces. Amazed none of us decked it on ice on the way down. If you can cadge a lift back down then I'd go for it, but I wouldn't do such a cold descent again.

davidof

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19714394#p19714394]cc78[/url] wrote:

and yes it is bl00dy freezing going downhill

ski de fond or the good old turbo trainer would be a better bet...

Very cold even yesterday, but its been a cold start to autumn in general I find. I rode up to the top of the local cross country ski area and once the thin cloud came over it was bitter. I kept my jacket on even back in the valley, chilled to the bone, I was.

Interesting scupture on the road side though



It is a metallic, large breasted woman's torso inside a nut. It is called "Love of Nuts".

The first snows of Autumn are lingering on the north faces.



On the subject of X-country. Apart from cardio-vascular I don't find it great cross training. At least not skating. I eased off the cycling this winter and did a lot of x-country and found it very hard back on the bike compared to my mates who'd cycled over winter. I think the turbo is a good idea though.