Anyone been brave enough to cycle in this cold snap

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Anything below 5c is turbo weather for me
I will get a much better work out ,no worries about coming off and once I’ve chased the polar bears out the garage it’s just warm enough

Exactly my thinking. No point in going out and getting no benefit.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

And if the wind is more than 20mph it's also turbo time.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Exactly my thinking. No point in going out and getting no benefit.

Good illustration of how diverse the cycling community is. I tried a turbo once and it made me realise how much the sense of freedom and connection with nature and the elements is central to why I love cycling.

I decided I'd rather be out in the sleet than in a garage on the turbo. I'm missing my commute during lock down which brought routine to the enjoyable misery of daily cycling in the dark, cold and wet. Harder to motivate when not essential.

Not remotely intended to be critical I hasten to add - just musing.

 

[Mtbsensa]

We've had some snow but as long as theres not ice on the road i don't mind. Pretty sketchy at times though!

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

I don't have to ride a bike for a commute or other reason. I do it generally for health and fitness benefits, because I like the freedom of riding round the local lanes and because I do like tinkering with bikes.

Given all that I see no reason to go out just to say I've been out. Guy up the road from me claims to ride a minimum of 5 miles every day. Whatever the weather. Not my idea of fun, but it takes all sorts.

 

[Vantage]

Other than being wheeled into the hallway and covered with a blanket the bike hasn't moved an inch since last year. Lack of interest in cycling is the main reason but also I've found that as I age I'm also getting soft and it's just too bloody cold.
I'd rather be nice and warm in front of my sewing machine. Listening to Judas Priest.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Lovely sunny day here. From the window it looks great, from the garden it's bloody freezing

Until I can figure out a way round this Reynaud's problem I'll give the cycling a miss on cold days near zero. The pain really is excruciating.

I have a turbo trainer in the shed I could use but tbh it's not really my thing sitting indoors on a bike, legs going round and round but going nowhere. Luckily I live just 400m from the edge of the city and have some great countryside hills to walk in. My fingers don't get so cold without the added headwind effect of cycling.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Until I can figure out a way round this Reynaud's problem I'll give the cycling a miss on cold days near zero. The pain really is excruciating.

I also suffer from terrible Raynauds, but have discovered an expensive, but magic solution (when under a thick winter outer glove)

https://www.blazewear.com/our-gear/gloves/active-glove-liners-black

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Back in the day when I was competing and winning my winters were all spent in the garage following turbo programmes along the lines of 20 minutes in 53 x 12 followed by 5 minutes in some other gear. That went on for an hour and was hard both physically and mentally.

Now I have a Tacx smart trainer. I run their app on a tablet. Pick a route and I get a nice video of the road to watch. Sun always shines. I get performance indicators on screen and I can see other - real - cyclists. This morning I spent 90 minutes in southern Belgium in a real battle with someone called Henk. We will never meet again but it was fun while it lasted.

 

[mythste]

 

[Drago]

View attachment 573214

Fantastic!

 

[mustang1]

Have been riding but not as frequently and always MTB on the trails.

 

[chriswoody]

I do spend three nights a week twiddling away on the turbo and I must admit I'm really feeling the benefits.

However, for me my weekly rides are also really important. Winter riding is all about the gravel bike. Not only do my rides get me out and about with fresh air in my lungs, but they also give me loads of invaluable bike handling experience on snow and mud.

In common with many others, icey roads do scare the heck out of me and I will either completely avoid them, or in the case of my commute, I'll set off 15 minutes earlier and take my time around the places I know black ice forms.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

This is the thing as well. Black ice doesn’t form in random locations. It needs particular conditions and it’s usually just a few places under certain weather conditions it happens. So if you have a regular commute you’ll know where. Besides black ice isn’t invisible at night, the time many of us commute. You can see it in your lights, if you’re paying attention.

 

[chriswoody]

So if you have a regular commute you’ll know where. Besides black ice isn’t invisible at night, the time many of us commute. You can see it in your lights, if you’re paying attention.

That was what caught me out the other year, I noticed the sparkle of ice in my lights and thought I'd better take care at the corner at the end of the road. Then I drifted off into random other thoughts, next thing I was on the deck. Luckily no damage that time.