Introductions - Winter Riding Concerns

Hey there, I just started riding this summer and as the days have begun cooling down (I live in Maryland), I've begun to wonder about what I am going to do during the winter. I've made so much progress and I'd really like to keep it up. What can I do to keep riding, whether it be outdoors or indoors? I've already looked a bit into rollers and resistance trainers but I'd like to hear from people's experiences with them. Thanks!

hi, personally I put on the studded tires and ride all winter, and I live in Wisconsin. If you don't want to ride outside, do a lot of cardio stuff to keep the heart in shape, and the rest will follow when the season restarts.

Hello aquateen, it is possible to ride during the winter! Check out the Winter Riding forum for more tips.

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

Welcome to BF.

Have you considered bike commuting thru the winter? As East Hill suggested, check the Winter Cycling forum and also the Commuting forum for lots of good information.

Get some cool-weather gear (a layering system of fleece and windblock gloves, tops, pants, maybe a balaclava or other head covering), alter your expectations a bit, and simply keep riding.

Besides the Winter Cycling forum, there are other discussions. Here's one going on now in Road Cycling: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=349943.

I live in the Philadelphia area and ride all winter unless the roads are too snow-covered or icy. With that restriction, and because I ride recreationally and not to commute, I don't even need things as studded tires. Because of the cold, my rides tend to be shorter, slower and flatter than during the other three seasons; this is what I meant by changing expectations--I'm just out to get the air, exercise and pleasure. Incidentally, I used to ignore the temperature entirely, but now I have a 15 degree cut-off, but folks all have their own limits.

What can I do to keep riding, whether it be outdoors or indoors?

I live in Maine, I started riding again after a heart attack alerted me to the fact that I had to change my lifestyle. and for the first few years I rode outside, for exercise, and when the winter got cold I rode indoors on a trainer. A couple of years ago, I stopped riding for exercise, and started to ride to work and back (30 mile RT). When winter came, I just took it one day at a time, and as my wardrobe and equipment changed, I found that I was riding through more and more of the winter. I now find that there are very few days when I drive to work, and I imagine that the climate up here is Maine is no worse than Maryland!

A few brief tips:
Fenders!
I ride on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, which seem to work well in a variety of different conditions.
Lights.
Layers of clothing.
I wear Ski gloves when it gets cold, much better than cycling gloves.
I have a pair of winter cycling boots which are 1/2 size bigger than my normal shoes, which allows me to wear thick wool socks under them.

My personal limits are that I ride unless:
There is thick ice or packed snow on the road outside my house (they are pretty good at clearing it, so this is only a few days per year).
The temperature is below 0F.