Why do so many stop riding through the winter
1964johnr
Posts: 179
Just returned from a short 30 mile ride through Surrey. Lovely sunny day, a lot of frost still visible, but not on the roads. During the summer months the roads I use are rammed with cyclists, but throughout December, January and February there is a huge drop off in numbers. I guess a lot of riders pack their machine away for a few months when the temperature gets lower. I have cold weather gear which does a great job down to about 2 degrees. Days like today are great for riding.
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Is this a rhetorical question seeming as you have answered your question?0
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That said, for me, it's the shorter days with just as much, if not more to fit in. Grinding out the miles on Dartmoor in the dark isn't particularly attractive.0
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“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”
Desmond Tutu0 -
1964johnr wrote:Days like today are great for riding.
Depends where you are.
Even though I suffer terribly in cold weather (suffer from Raynaud's) it never deters me from riding. What does stop me going out is any risk of ice - had a bad off on black ice a couple of years ago and now I never risk riding if icy patches are possible.0 -
Fallen on ice many times and it has never put me off. Rode into wales today. There was ixe at the side of the roads but no black ice. The threat of ice just made use the brakes a bit more on the decents. Never let yourself get scared of ice. Just be cautious and stop and walked on the dicey bits or turn back. Mtbs are good when it its proper icey on the roads especially if you have spiked tyres.
Fear is all in the head.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0 -
I went out yesterday and had one or two moments that nearly ended in movements, I'm glad I went out but wouldn't have risked it today.
Fear might be all in one's head but clearly it's effected your spelling and grammar.0 -
Perversely I ride more in the winter - less busy doing other stuffROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0
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thecycleclinic wrote:Fallen on ice many times and it has never put me off. Rode into wales today. There was ixe at the side of the roads but no black ice. The threat of ice just made use the brakes a bit more on the decents. Never let yourself get scared of ice. Just be cautious and stop and walked on the dicey bits or turn back. Mtbs are good when it its proper icey on the roads especially if you have spiked tyres.
Fear is all in the head.
It definitely is in the head but it's caused by breaking bones coming off on ice.
Once bitten twice shy and all that.0 -
thecycleclinic wrote:The threat of ice just made use the brakes a bit more on the decents.
I'd use brakes a bit less on an icy descent.0 -
meanredspider wrote:Perversely I ride more in the winter - less busy doing other stuff
Can you link your strava to back up this statement.
TIAI'm sorry you don't believe in miracles0 -
SloppySchleckonds wrote:meanredspider wrote:Perversely I ride more in the winter - less busy doing other stuff
Can you link your strava to back up this statement.
TIA
Ha - if I didn't think you were stalking me, I'd be happy to :shock:
In the meantime you'll just have to take my word for it...
ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0 -
thecycleclinic wrote:Fallen on ice many times and it has never put me off. Rode into wales today. There was ixe at the side of the roads but no black ice. The threat of ice just made use the brakes a bit more on the decents. Never let yourself get scared of ice. Just be cautious and stop and walked on the dicey bits or turn back. Mtbs are good when it its proper icey on the roads especially if you have spiked tyres.
Fear is all in the head.
Seriously hard, to ride from Suffolk and then on into Wales, respect!
Icy roads is MTB time.... the fear on road is being taken out by a car.0 -
thecycleclinic wrote:Fallen on ice many times and it has never put me off. Rode into wales today. There was ixe at the side of the roads but no black ice. The threat of ice just made use the brakes a bit more on the decents. Never let yourself get scared of ice. Just be cautious and stop and walked on the dicey bits or turn back. Mtbs are good when it its proper icey on the roads especially if you have spiked tyres.
Fear is all in the head.
A mate who doesn't drive used to take the same view - he now has metalwork in his body from two of his falls on ice and last I heard had invested in a recumbent trike so at least the falls wouldn't be as far.
I agree you can ride through Winter but there are days when you are just asking for trouble. If nothing else a broken bone is going to stop you riding for longer than if you take a more cautious approach to ice. If it's about fitness there are other options - off road or turbo.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
I'd only use Ice Spiker Pros on the MTB when there's risk of ice - and even then because there's hardly any cars on the roads I ride. Tried Marathon Winters for a while but, even on them, I went down.ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0
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meanredspider wrote:SloppySchleckonds wrote:meanredspider wrote:Perversely I ride more in the winter - less busy doing other stuff
Can you link your strava to back up this statement.
TIA
Ha - if I didn't think you were stalking me, I'd be happy to :shock:
In the meantime you'll just have to take my word for it...
From a person who claimed they were heading up the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate, to working for a small electronics company in Holland.I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles0 -
You can't blame people for stopping during winter - grey, wet, windy, miserable - it becomes a chore rather than enjoyment. I actually prefer it cold, dry & crisp, with a clear blue sky - but sadly, we very rarely get winter weather like that.All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0
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SloppySchleckonds wrote:meanredspider wrote:SloppySchleckonds wrote:meanredspider wrote:Perversely I ride more in the winter - less busy doing other stuff
Can you link your strava to back up this statement.
TIA
Ha - if I didn't think you were stalking me, I'd be happy to :shock:
In the meantime you'll just have to take my word for it...
From a person who claimed they were heading up the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate, to working for a small electronics company in Holland.
Blimey - keep taking the medication, Floppy... :shock:
You'll be asking to be linked to my LinkedIn account next...
ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0 -
Fair weather cyclists?
I dont mind the cold. Did a good ride yesterday at zero or so. If its icy though - not worth it.0 -
I started in liverpool!
Andyrac riding in winter in the wet and cold is not a chore. That thinking is all in your head and stops people riding. I enjoy it why because i choose to think differently and find the joy in riding in the wet and cold, like i find joy riding in the dry and warmth. Riding everyday helps you just get used to it. Also riding for transport not just for fitness is the key. So many cyclist dont use there bikes for actual transport and we should.
I have gone from driving 30,000 miles a year to driving less than 5000. If i did not race i would sell my car as i find it to be useless, all i get caught up in in traffic jams. I have done this by making choices we can all makes choices. We cant keep on building more road space only to fond it gets filled with ever more cars. Over summer i tried doing a few races at rockingham. From home it ahould be a 2hr drive on a couple of occasions it was 3hrs causing me to miss the race. It is a 86 mile journey but because everyone chooses to drive to and from work even if it less than 5 miles the road are so clogged that journeys that ahould be possible by car are no longer possible in decent time. Same goes for getting to the trinity park races. Next summer i will ride there as it will take 1.5hrs on my bike, it takes 1hr 10 to 1hr 15mins in the car. Really what is the bloody point.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0 -
All my winter cycling is done in the shed 0
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I agree about the ice comments, Safety is paramount. I also enjoy winter rides as much as summer ones providing the roads are dry. I work round the weather and rarely set out when it is raining, although I often get caught by the rain when I am out. Psychologically, it does seem harder to gather the enthusiasm for a ride in the winter, but I always know I will enjoy it once I get going. I always start feeling good after about 45 minutes and this feeling usually lasts until my legs give out.0
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I enjoy running more in the winter. Will still ride to commute, but a broken elbow put me off falling off, so will avoid ice.0
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Any time it's more than 10 degrees colder than my age (68) I tend to decide in favor of my basement.0
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Well done cycleclinic. I agree that most of our fears are in our head and that we can all make choices once we have a strong enough reason to make them. Currently, I wouldn't want to be without car(s) though. They perform different jobs. Getting to A-B -C sometimes has different logistics to just looking after ones self, especially living in a rural area ( yes bike works for local shop in good weather). Transport for my family and parents, pulling horse box , moving other gear about. I support my kids with their sports, I wouldn't be doing that by bike. I share your frustration about the traffic adding to journey times. I have to factor that in when travelling from Kent, Gloucester , various places in Wales to get my son to RL squad training. Couple of weeks back I travelled with my bike in the boot to Deeside Wales and had a nice ride while he trained.
Your enjoyment might be viewed by someone else as penance regarding winter riding My club rides through the winter and I keep a bit of commuting going along side the weekend rides. I've done it down to 0° so far, no ice. Recently with Xmas parties at work and some very foggy mornings I've made other choices based on preservation. I won't go out if there is ice either, it would be a reckless choice for me to ride and I'm sure others make similar choices. My aim is to increase the days that I commute, that helps with my conscience and the physical health benefits. However, my wife will still take the car to the local station while I cycle 12 miles to a station further away.... her choice. I share your frustration about the traffic clogging roads. My motorway journeys are sometimes diabolical. I commute by train in and out of London, that is also occasional diabolical. I have cycled home from London, work on a weekend ( rarely and in summer), I really wouldn't fancy that as my daily return commute though. We can all make better choices and winter riding can be great.0 -
Until my crash three years ago, I was quite happy to cycle commute through the winter, unless conditions were really wintery (snow, ice etc.). Due to my early shift starts, it meant I simply missed out on some beneficial sunlight on the way in.
But something that is on my plans for 2017 is to try and get over my aversion to "pleasure cycling" in my free time, simply jumping on my bike and doing a random ~1 hour circuit, for the sake of simply getting outdoors. I have this irrational thought process that unless I have a specific purpose for going out eg. popping to shops to buy some milk, I rarely venture outside even on foot! The crash hasn't helped with cycling on the roads for fun and I've rarely done any off-road cycling (albeit I did do a few adventures when I first got the Voodoo Wazoo), but even before then I've done so little non-commute cycling for years.
Perhaps it's all linked in with my other half's agoraphobic tendencies and a feeling of guilt about going out without her on my days off work, I tried going for a gentle paced ride on very quiet roads with her ~7 years ago and it was an absolute nightmare... Never again (except at Center Parcs)!
I have to admit I looked out the man cave window many times in the last few days thinking it looked a lovely (bright but semi-chilly) day to go for a little spin, but my irrational thoughts stopped me...================
2020 Voodoo Marasa
2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
2016 Voodoo Wazoo0 -
The amount of KM's I do usually tapers off in winter but this year I have actually been out more, was out 18 times in October, 16 times in November and 13 times in December (and planning a ride tomorrow morning and maybe Saturday morning too) What stops me going out is rain, If it raining then I simply don't go out but I will go out when there is rain forecast, so long as I can get out, get warmed up then I don't care what happens after that but I hate going out and being soaked before I have 10km travelled.0
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It's just a silly habit.
In the absence of ice or thick fog, it's probably less risky to go for a ride in winter than it is when it's 30 degrees in July. There are benefits: I need less water and can do over 4 hours on a bottle of 750 ml. That means I don't have to stop to refill and can just ride and munch through a few bars. Daylight hours are fewer, so you might be limited in the mileage you can cover, unless you want to go out armed with lights and stuff.
Basically in this country there is no reason not to ride in winter. This winter has so far been particularly good, with almost zero rain and not much in the way of ice.... fingers crossedleft the forum March 20230 -
thecycleclinic wrote:Fallen on ice many times and it has never put me off. Rode into wales today. There was ixe at the side of the roads but no black ice. The threat of ice just made use the brakes a bit more on the decents. Never let yourself get scared of ice. Just be cautious and stop and walked on the dicey bits or turn back. Mtbs are good when it its proper icey on the roads especially if you have spiked tyres.
Fear is all in the head.
no fear is in the real possibility of broken bones and then ending up off the bike for weeks,maybe months till it heals properly, Ive seen it happen with work colleagues, friends, Ive felt the back wheel step out myself on rides in these conditions, youll only see the frost, you wont spot the black ice till its too late and you are sliding down the road, and youll be on roads that arent treated, that will have had a mix of damp,shaded parts by bushes,trees, that quickly turn to ice.
and the temps and weather will vary considerably, it can be 2 or 3 degrees colder at the bottom of even small hills, which if its only 4 or 5 to start with you are soon in risky ice forming conditions, and it can change rapidly too even on the course of a ride, I was out last year I think started off cold only 4 or 5, seemed ok, but the temps just suddenly dropped and I virtually could see the frost forming on the side of the roads and it was -1 by the time Id got back.
winter when its like this, is turbo mileage or get a MTB and ride around a forest, feel free to take your own risks and get out on the road if you like, but dont pretend its just in the head.0 -
Ride less in the winter because:
Ice
Shorter days
Current excuse, two broken Metatarsal's in my left foot, walking hard enough as it is!0 -
SloppySchleckonds wrote:From a person who claimed they were heading up the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate, to working for a small electronics company in Holland.
Philips?0
