What are your plans for cycling in the winter?

[ColinJ]

Our winters over, looking forward to longer days. UV sleeves should be here this week.

Don't get too smug - before you know it, summer will be over and the next winter will be on its way!

 

[lazyfatgit]

Don't get too smug - before you know it, summer will be over and the next winter will be on its way!

Definitely not feeling smug. Glad that longer days are here. It'll be summer soon enough and then it's back to dawn rides to get out of the heat.

I really feel for those at 55 north with little winter daylight. Riding in the rain didn't bother me too much but the dark gets you down

 

[graham bowers]

Great question OP. Not riding on the slippy stuff but I do need a plan or I know I'll not get much done:
a) Quite fancy some mini-tours based on single nights away using hostels, YHA or independent.
b) Audax.
c) Sunday club runs - just do mid week at the moment.

 

[MarkF]

Probably pack it in around late November and not get out again regularly till April. I'll do occasional commuting and weekend rides IF it's dry and pleasant. I don't get any enjoyment at all riding in the cold & wet, Dec-March is spent in the gym.

[QUOTE 4962170, member: 9609"]
I just love the colours of Autumn, the wild windy days , the cooler temperatures, the winter migrants arriving from the Arctic, the first snow, the first frosts, I even like the short days and river walks in thick fog - could well be my favourite season[/QUOTE]

I am the opposite, I dread the equinox and once past am focused on the March one, I hate the winter and autumn just tells me it's coming.

 

[Fonze]

Also I'll try to avoid cars sliding on the ice ..

 

[ColinJ]

Definitely not feeling smug. Glad that longer days are here. It'll be summer soon enough and then it's back to dawn rides to get out of the heat.

I really feel for those at 55 north with little winter daylight. Riding in the rain didn't bother me too much but the dark gets you down

Yes, that's what really does me in. I like blue skies but winters here are often grey and drizzly for weeks at a time. The wooded valley slopes which are lush and green in the summer become a depressing bare brown mess in wintertime.

I will be switching my S.A.D. lightbox on again soon.

But ... for now, the sun is shining and I want to go out. It is only 14 degrees outside and there will be a windchill, but I can dress for that. I need to catch some rays!

 

[postman]

It's a couple of months since i was last out.We have had a couple of holidays,been up and down to different Uni's.Over to the in laws,other things got in the way.Going to try a short ride to Otley on Saturday morning.Winter ,the bike goes away Nov and comes out March/April.I am hoping for more miles next year,so it's the turbo through the winter.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I don't mind the cold - it's just a matter of getting the layers right and I reckon that there is another winter to be had from the Roubaix bib tights I got from Lidl and buying my first pair of overshoes proved to be a revelation - who knew you could have warm feet on a winter ride?

Try also inserting some 'bubble-wrap' between the shoe & the over-shoe, it helps immensely!
Especially with neoprene O/S's

I bought a Ribble Winter Audax a few months ago, so I will be using it throughout the winter months

I have one too, now superceded by a (Ribble) CGR, the only issue with the 'Winter' is the inability to accept anything wider than a '23', with mudguards
Also, the mudguards clog with snow, around the brake calipers


Not that much of an issue to me, as I tend to 'ride light'. & was only about 10 to 10-7 Stone for a lot of my time with it
(CGR runs on '28', but will take up to '38' with mudguards!)

My only two crashes in the last 9 years of cycling have both come on black ice. Won't be riding when there is ice about. Other than that, my favourite conditions are clear, sunny, crisp days when the temperature is between 3 and 10 degrees. Will just carry on riding the same bike as I do for the rest of the year.

I won't call them crashes, but my only two falls of the past -almost- 30 years have been on black ice too
Minds you, both were within 500 yards of each other, & on the second I went down so hard that I thought I'd broken my wrist & arm, as I was seeing the 'proverbial' stars!!!

I'm not counting a few falls/slithers-off, when I raced Cyclo-Cross, but I do contend that racing CX (& MTBs, in the early-mid 90's) has given me a reasonable degree of proficiency on dodgy road-surfaces

 

[Dayvo]

blah blah blah... you're lips are moving but I don't hear what they're saying....

Yeah, I know. It's like a broken record that plays then same tune about this time of year.

 

[clockworksimon]

After being limited for much of the year due to a bad back I am back on the road bike and really enjoying riding. Have no intention of hibernating for the winter and have just ordered mudguards for my road bike. Will use my trusty old Orange MTB in road mode if it gets icey.

Am also considering joining a club for rides in company and to keep motivation and recently hard earned fitness up.

I am really impressed with the bubble wrap idea for under overshoes and will definitely be trying this. The main things I hate about winter are cold toes and the dark.

 

[Elybazza61]

Commuting as much as possible and more off road stuff;Helium will go in to semi-hibernation.

 

[pjd57]

My options are limited.

I sold my car a month ago, so if I want to take on any work I have 2 options .
The crap one , get the bus.
The not so crap one, wrap up well and cycle as usual.


But since I only work a few days now and again for a care provider I could just say no thanks.

 

[StuAff]

Carrying on as normal, apart from when work gets in the way. The imperial century a month doesn't do itself.

 

[Roadhump]

I have one too, now superceded by a (Ribble) CGR, the only issue with the 'Winter' is the inability to accept anything wider than a '23', with mudguards
Also, the mudguards clog with snow, around the brake calipers
View attachment 374333 View attachment 374334

Not that much of an issue to me, as I tend to 'ride light'. & was only about 10 to 10-7 Stone for a lot of my time with it
(CGR runs on '28', but will take up to '38' with mudguards!)

I have come across the issue of the mudguards on the Winter Audax, and it only being able to take 23 mm tyres before. It was discussed on another thread a while ago and nearly put me off buying one, but the one I bought has 25 mm tyres and runs okay with them. The clearance is extremely fine though and I have been warned before about the mudguards getting clogged up. I'll see how it goes when the roads get nasty, wet and muddy, perhaps follow your lead to a CGR if the warnings prove well founded.

 

[cosmicbike]

I expect I'll carry on as normal. The winterised carbon bike is ready to go so unless it's icy then commuting and leisure rides will go on. If it's icy I have the Trice....