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| Picture courtesy of Cyclesportphotos.com |
The "W" word. I'm not saying it yet, but you know the season that comes after Autumn where things start to get a little wetter and colder. So what should you do to prepare for the change in conditions. Here's some tips that I've picked up in my short time riding: -
- Invest in a turbo trainer. When the days are just too cold or perhaps the risk of black ice too high, if you still want to spin the pedals, £100 invested in a turbo trainer will give you an option to train. They're not for everyone, some swear by them, some hate them. Try it and see if it's for you. Alternatively, you might consider investing in an indoor static bike like a Wattbike. Wattbikes can be hired from £60 per month.
- Consider changing your tyres to 700x25C. Most road bikes come with 700x23C tyres, so if you don't have a winter hack, consider changing the tyre to a slightly wider tread to give you better road grip and confidence during the winter months.
- Regularly clean and oil your key moving parts, chain particulalry. I use a wet lubricant, which is designed specifically for the winter months and keeps the chain in good condition.
- Invest in some decent gloves. I don't mean just one pair, I have about four different pairs for different conditions. A pair for heavy rain, a pair when it's just cold but not wet, a really thick pair for when it's freezing and a general purpose pair. It's surprising what wear each pair gets.
- Carry a space blanket in your rear pocket. I've witnessed riders going over on black ice and in one serious incident last year, a fellow rider hospitalised. It's vital to keep people warm if they have an accident. You can pick up a space blanket of e-bay for three or four quid.
- Fit some mudguards. If you're lucky to have mudguard mounts on your frame, get a decent pair. A lot of modern road bikes don't have them, so invest in a set of Crudguards, which will mount onto nearly any modern road bike with their unique mounting system. A tip for you, put a little piece of electrical tape underneath the mount, to prevent frame rub.
- Heat goes through your head. If you want to stay really warm, ensure you have a decent wooly hat on underneath your helmet.
- Always wear a base layer. It's surprising how warm your core still gets on a cold day. A base layer will effectively wick away the sweat and help to keep you cool. Starting from around £15 and going up to a hundred for something at the top end, they're really worth the money.
- Clear your bike regularly to prevent grit build up. Invest in some specific bike cleaning products. I use Purple Harry cleaning products and wash my bike down after every ride, it only takes a few minutes, but for the long term it will ensure that your bike remains maintenance free.
- Be seen. Invest in products, lights and jacket particularly which are going to make you highly visible to other road users. It's amazing how quickly the night draws in and if you're delayed due to a puncture or mechanical, you may get caught out. Always have some fully charged lights on your bike, to overcome these situations.
Have you built your winter bike yet. I would be interested to know how you specked it out.
ReplyDeleteOvershoes! A god send if you only have one pair of riding shoes and reflective if you buy the right pair. Not just larger volume tyres but something harder wearing like the gatorskins failing that forget the weight saving and get some slime in those tyres. Nothing worse than a puncture with frozen fingers. Carry a newspaper if you plan on stopping, draws the moisture out of shoes brilliantly. Loving the blog phil. Cheers
ReplyDeleteTop one Phil, some of mine to add... always carry money - carry an unlocked mobile phone with an 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency) number - let your loved ones roughly know where you're going - avoid side roads and stick to bus routes if its been freezing (bus routes are generally gritted) - keep an eye on your brake blocks, they wear out faster in winter - and finally, carry tools for every eventuality, they might weigh a bit, but that's good for your legs!
ReplyDelete- run slightly lower tyre pressures to increase grip (95 / 100 psi on 25mm tyres)
ReplyDelete- Think about hydration just as much as you would on a summer ride. Outside it may be cold, inside you are still losing a lot of fluid and electrolytes!
Some might think that winter season can hinder cyclists from enjoying their passion. But with these tips, snow will be less of a problem! Thank you so much!
ReplyDelete