You can still enjoy your cycle rides in the depths of winter. All it takes is careful and systematic preparation of your clothing, bike, attitude and routes. Keep your cycling outfit scientific, with three layers.
An inner layer which will wick sweat away from the skin before it starts to feel chilly – that comes first. Then you’ll need a layer of insulation, to maintain your body warmth.
Lastly, a windproof, rainproof jacket will fend off the worst attacks of winter weather and blustery headwinds. Here’s a tip – don’t improvise a winter cycling get-up from items you find in the wardrobe. Rather see what the professionals recommend by visiting a good cycle shop. Just because a loose woolen sweater looks like a good idea, it may be the wrong thing for a cyclist.
Your core body temperature will stay stable, assisted by heat generated by your cardiovascular effort. But special measures are needed for hands, feet and head. These three parts of your anatomy do not have optimal function when they get too cold. Remember that wind chill factor comes into play when a bike’s going fast, and cools the extremities more than than still air would. Good warm gloves, thermal socks, overshoes and a cap under your crash helmet will add to your winter comfort. And clear non-prescription glasses will keep winter road grit out of your eyes.
Get warm before you go outside. If you can, toast thermal socks before you put them on. Have a warm drink before you go out the door. Take something to munch on during the ride, to stop you hitting the wall. And clever winter cyclists often use an insulated bottle full of sugary warm tea to keep them hydrated.
After taking care of yourself, spare a few thoughts for a bike that’s going to suffer through a February that seems to last longer than other months. Winter roads have plenty of small sharp items Observe the famous Murphy’s Law that the worst will happen and prepare accordingly. Assume that you will inevitably get a puncture. So be prepared, with two spare inner tubes and a good frame-fit pump. Also a puncture repair kit, in case you get unlucky three times during a ride.
Don’t use summer racing tires in winter. For your own safety, use fatter tires at a fairly soft pressure to improve your cornering grip. Ideally, a winter wheel set is what you need – provided your frame has clearances for it. Fenders are not very sexy – but extremely useful in winter. A bike without this protection will paint a “skunk stripe” in filthy muck down the rider’s back. Nobody wants to ride behind a such a machine and get sprayed by its rear wheel. In case the rain comes down in torrents, which would ruin your pricey leather saddle, keep a plastic bag in your back pocket as an emergency seat cover.
It gets dark early in winter, and the sensible cyclist tales pains to ensure his or her visibility on a gray cloudy day. Jazzy-colored trade jackets help – so do lights. These days they come in all sizes – affordable, lightweight and rechargeable. They also come in handy if a puncture delays you beyond sunset. And they are essential at night if you are caught out after dark. Don’t forget to tuck spare batteries in your back pocket.
In winter, you need to take care of your bike more frequently than you do in summer. Winter roads throw up all kinds of nasty stuff into the running gear. If you don’t clean your machine and check the lubrication of delicate moving parts after every ride, you could be in for a nasty surprise at a most inconvenient time. Wipe the chain down and check everything that runs on bearings, from the headset back to the rear hub. Cassettes are notorious for picking up glutinous waste that clogs them and migrates to the chain. Be ready to replace worn brake pads, as these suffer extra wear in winter.
Once you are suitably clothed and the bike is in a reliable condition, check the weather forecast. Don’t be a hero if a blizzard is blowing up. Instead, stay home and get some cardio on that trainer in the basement. Make sure your phone is charged, and ride with friends. Winter is no time to go exploring uncharted territory – you don’t want to be taken by surprise when home is more than an hour’s walk away in the dark. It helps to find a nearby circuit and scout all its features, so that surprises will be at a minimum. Especially check slippery corners, and spots where the so-called “black ice” can form, as water re-freezes on a blacktop surface overnight. You only notice this “verglas” as the French call it – when you're slithering over the road on your backside, with legs all tangled up in the frame. It can be deadly.
And here’s a final tip, for winter cycling on a sunny day after a decent snowfall – join the off-road revolution and get yourself a good fat bike! Read here to know why you need a fat bike.
