Hate winter cycling?

[Brandane]

Every year I intend to keep on riding through the winter. But I always end up taking weeks at a time off the bike.

Its just sooooo boring. Forcing yourself to go out in freezing/windy/rainy weather just for the sake of it. Not long after i set off i just want to get home into a nice warm bath.

Completely different to the summer when it's warm and a joy to ride.

Just a chore at the moment

I'm with you on most of this. Wind/rain just makes cycling a chore, but that applies as much in July as it does in January. Our weather has been nuts for years now, and it is not unusual for cycling conditions in October/November to be quite pleasant, while in June/July/August it can be raining most days.
For that reason I don't rule out seasonal cycling, but I WILL do my level best to give it a miss when it is wet and/or windy. And I'm also with you on the MTFU'ers; if they want to prove their manliness by getting wet and battling headwinds, then let them fill their wet boots - they impress no-one.

 

[jay clock]

I'm with you on most of this. Wind/rain just makes cycling a chore, but that applies as much in July as it does in January. Our weather has been nuts for years now, and it is not unusual for cycling conditions in October/November to be quite pleasant, while in June/July/August it can be raining most days.
For that reason I don't rule out seasonal cycling, but I WILL do my level best to give it a miss when it is wet and/or windy. And I'm also with you on the MTFU'ers; if they want to prove their manliness by getting wet and battling headwinds, then let them fill their wet boots - they impress no-one.

agreed on the HTFU stuff, and I don't blame those people who plan their rides to avoid rain and wind. but when I am doing a specific training plan building up to a big event I have to HTFU and go regardless. Exception for snow and serious ice. If I don't, I suddenly find I am weeks behind on my training. And for Ironman on the day I think back to those tough training rides and it actually helps get round...

 

[Dogtrousers]

hitting the ground and bouncing my head along the cold road has made me think twice about taking to the road when it is close to or below zero.

Being a worry-guts, I have 30mm studded winter tyres on my spare bike. It's fun to ride, it's a really different experience, but hard work and means I can't do long distances on that bike. (And have to be extra careful of the flooring indoors!)

 

[Brandane]

agreed on the HTFU stuff, and I don't blame those people who plan their rides to avoid rain and wind. but when I am doing a specific training plan building up to a big event I have to HTFU and go regardless. Exception for snow and serious ice. If I don't, I suddenly find I am weeks behind on my training. And for Ironman on the day I think back to those tough training rides and it actually helps get round...

You qualify for an exemption from my criticism on the grounds that you are training for a specific goal, and not just going out in the wind/rain to prove your manliness .

 

[adamangler]

agreed on the HTFU stuff, and I don't blame those people who plan their rides to avoid rain and wind. but when I am doing a specific training plan building up to a big event I have to HTFU and go regardless. Exception for snow and serious ice. If I don't, I suddenly find I am weeks behind on my training. And for Ironman on the day I think back to those tough training rides and it actually helps get round...

Yes I agree with this I'm not saying a dose of MTFU doesn't have its place, it does.

For serious training or going for a p.b or some sort of challenge/event/race etc then yes.

I just dont think it has much of a place for a leisure ride when the sole purpose is enjoyment as suffering unnecessarily is defeating the object

 

[jay clock]

PHEW I am in the clear then! I certainly plan to avoid the shittiest of conditions even if I feel I "must" go out!

All that being said I cant wait for it to warm up a bit!

 

[Drago]

We live in the UK. If we waited for perfect cycling weather we'd never get out at all.

 

[nickyboy]

Fitness is so hard won and easily lost I try to keep myself going throughout the winter. If I don't, the process of regaining fitness would be my penance

Having said that, if you can pick and choose when you ride, there is rarely a spell of weather that makes cycling unpleasant, even in the middle of winter. The only conditions I give up on are hard frosts and snow. If you're cold on the bike you just have to work a bit harder

 

[Slick]

Fitness is so hard won and easily lost I try to keep myself going throughout the winter. If I don't, the process of regaining fitness would be my penance

Having said that, if you can pick and choose when you ride, there is rarely a spell of weather that makes cycling unpleasant, even in the middle of winter. The only conditions I give up on are hard frosts and snow. If you're cold on the bike you just have to work a bit harder

That's so true about fitness slipping very quickly, I find you can regain it pretty quickly as well though, but it's certainly a concern for me. So much so, I decided to MTFU and listen to my own advice at the start of this thread. I almost immediately regretted it, despite being out in colder harder frosts previously, but for some reason this cold wind took my breath away. I managed to keep going with the promise of a hot shower when I got to work, only to find it broken.

Not ideal, but your going to get days like this when you've committed yourself to keep going through the winter.

 

[shnjmsn]

I generally ride through the winter, but living in a very rural and muddy part of Somerset, the roads are mucky pretty much all the time. It's a faff to get kitted up just to ride a few miles at night in the cold and dark, but needs must...... and i know i always feel better for it come the Spring ! I've been beaten several times this winter though by icy roads, and more recently..... my worst weather.......pea soup fog.......... life is far too short to chance it in those conditions........ No matter how good the lights....... Used to wind and rain, have no issue getting caught out in it, it's more difficult to get kitted up and get out there when it's 8pm, throwing it down and pitch black out........... !

 

[Sunny Portrush]

I love riding in the winter but the road needs to be dry or majorly dry as I hate having to clean my bike everytime I get in. I don`t mind riding at night in the winter as I have a really good bike light too.

However, like someone posted earlier, I get really cold feet and that often limits my distance to about 30 miles. It`s noy a bike related problem though as I`ve always had cold feet when the rest of me will be roasty toasty.

In fact, when I first started going out with the lwoman that I married, she wanted me to wear socks in bed as she would scream if I put my feet anywhere near her but there are some things you just don`t do whilst wearing socks

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Winter cycling is heaps better than summer cycling, particularly when summer (over here) has numerous days reaching the mid 30s. In winter, you can ride harder and sweat less, and there are fewer cyclists out there who have no clue how to ride properly.

 

[Johnno260]

I generally ride through the winter, but living in a very rural and muddy part of Somerset, the roads are mucky pretty much all the time. It's a faff to get kitted up just to ride a few miles at night in the cold and dark, but needs must...... and i know i always feel better for it come the Spring ! I've been beaten several times this winter though by icy roads, and more recently..... my worst weather.......pea soup fog.......... life is far too short to chance it in those conditions........ No matter how good the lights....... Used to wind and rain, have no issue getting caught out in it, it's more difficult to get kitted up and get out there when it's 8pm, throwing it down and pitch black out........... !

Ice and fog are the two things I never mess with, it's bad enough in a car.

 

[gbb]

I always hated it because I get chilblains so bad and the heat aches when I get home. I've seen me sat on the stairs rocking with pain as my toes begin to almost explode.
Never managed to find an answer, I got winter boots and merino socks which have helped a lot...but not cured it.

 

[adamangler]

Feet don't bother me I tend to get cold around the nether regions first. Wind chill on that area covered with a layer of lycra and its soon numb. I've started wearing mtb shorts over bib tights recently takes a lot of the chill off even if it's not the done thing on a road bike