Winter Cycling - Ugh, Not Another Winter of Cycling!

I biked all last winter and can't say I'm looking forward to it again. I was really glad when spring came around and I didn't have to spend all that time dressing/undressing for rides. I biked every 2-3 days, thru 20F and even 0F, thru snow, and on ice (had some wipeouts).

So, what's an enjoyable alternative? Rec centers around here offer spinning classes, but that just doesn't seem that appealing. But maybe I should try it. I think I'd rather bike on the frozen roads though. Or I could get a trainer and do the same thing in my house, but for presumably cheaper.

What I'm really thinking about is taking up cross-country skiing and/or snowshoeing. Cross-country skiing probably sounds the most ideal, and the most like bicycling, with its fast descents. I think there's an extensive network of trails here, like the hut-to-hut system. It'd be cool exploring new areas.

And I may also try winter mountain climbing -- 14ers.

Well, one alternative would be light weight clothing and a jacket to keep you comfortable on your way to Hawaii or Florida, with the bike in the hold of the plane...

;)

http://www.boulderindoorcycling.com/

I'm good to 20F and then it becomes too much of a PITA

I ride during lunch since I work from home during the week. If it takes too long to get dressed due to the temps or the road conditions suck I run instead.
Though I think I could use a pair of trail running shoes for running in the snow. Anyhow I have yet to encounter temps too cold to run. Cycling in the cold gets old after a few weeks.

Hahaha, be a snowbird! Arizona might work. :)

I'm seriously thinking of taking up cross-country skiing. Biking the passes and canyons this summer, I really enjoyed exploring new places.

Other ideas are swimming and ice skating.

Hahaha, be a snowbird! Arizona might work. :)

I'm seriously thinking of taking up cross-country skiing. Biking the passes and canyons this summer, I really enjoyed exploring new places.

Other ideas are swimming and ice skating.

I decided this year to ride ride when it is under 50 outside and bought a Computrainer instead. I really like it neat to race against a virtual rider. Tons of courses to pick. And there is no excuse not to ride.

I moved to Australia. Spring has started ... leaves are coming out on trees, flowers are blooming, the temperature today hit 23C ...... :)

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing"

I forget who said it.

I moved to Australia. Spring has started ... leaves are coming out on trees, flowers are blooming, the temperature today hit 23C ...... :)

That was uncalled for. :)

If I lived in an area like Denver, I'd definitely do x country skiing and downhill as well. I am not looking forward to another winter on the plains of Illinois. 7 months of severe depression coming up...........:notamused:

How about studded tires on your bike? I'm almost nearly looking forward to winter because I'm finally getting a set of studded tires that'll handle the slip and slide of icy roads and trails. I'm with you on the tiresome changing in and out of clothing in winter. Especially boots. Oh I hate wearing winter boots.

to rough for the rest just right for us lol

Before moving to Australia, I lived on the Canadian prairies ... bitterly cold, lots of snow and ice.

During the winters there, I ...

-- attended spinning classes. Get a good one, and they're a great way to keep fit during the winter. They also get you out of the house and with other people.
-- attended yoga classes. Get a good one and you can work on your core strength and flexibility.
-- rode my bicycle at home on my fluid trainer.
-- rode my bicycle outside on weekends, and commuting most of the time.
-- weightlifted at home (and some winters I'd join a gym and weightlift there).
-- snowshoeing
-- cross country skiing

And sometimes, I would go to a warmer place to do some cycling. In 2004, I spent October, November, and December cycling in Australia. In 2007, I went to Vancouver Island for a week to do some cycling. In 2008, I came to Australia for a couple weeks in February and did a lot of cycling. :)

In fact, we did the same thing this year ... to break up the long, cool, wet Australian winter, we came to Canada for 3 weeks in August. We got in 675 km of cycling in lovely Canadian summer weather, and then returned to Australia just in time for spring.

I envy the Canadian in Australia, ho hum.............

I year round, every day. My mileage does drop in the winter though.

Honestly though, riding through blowing snow with some friends to a restaurant is great. You get all kinds of crazy looks. Oh, and I love my studded tires. :)

Is there some reason why you abslolutely need to turn cranks in the winter? I ended up burning out and hating biking for a few years because I felt like no matter what I had to ride and had to maintain some high level of biking fitness. When I got sick of dealing with clothing I bought a trainer and became a hamster. Finally I just couldn't do it anymore and quit for a while. Eventually I came around and started riding again because I do really enjoy it.

If you aren't feeling it, I say don't do it. Take the entire winter off, or else just leave the clothes and bike available should you feel inpired to ride at some point. If you've been riding a while and have a solid base you really won't loose much in a few months even if you do nothing at all. Seriously, I was suprised at how long after I was biking regularly I was still able to put a decent ride in on occasion.

If you feel you must do some kind of excercise, do something completely different than biking. Something that you are interested in or maybe haven't tried before. Myself, I really like yoga, but do what calls to you.

Then again, perhaps you'll find that once you do not have to ride, you'll realize how much you enjoy it. So remember it's not a job you have to do and there are other ways to excercise. Bike because you like to bike.

It kind of depends how long your winter is. Winnipeg winters were a good 6 months long. Alberta winters were a good 7 months long. If I took the whole winter off, that's at least half a year. If your winter is short (like a couple months), then it would make sense to take the winter off and do something else. When I lived in Winnipeg and Alberta, I usually ended up taking about 6 weeks off to rest ... and then I got back into it again, in wintery conditions.

Is there some reason why you abslolutely need to turn cranks in the winter? I ended up burning out and hating biking for a few years because I felt like no matter what I had to ride and had to maintain some high level of biking fitness. When I got sick of dealing with clothing I bought a trainer and became a hamster. Finally I just couldn't do it anymore and quit for a while. Eventually I came around and started riding again because I do really enjoy it.

If you aren't feeling it, I say don't do it. Take the entire winter off, or else just leave the clothes and bike available should you feel inpired to ride at some point. If you've been riding a while and have a solid base you really won't loose much in a few months even if you do nothing at all. Seriously, I was suprised at how long after I was biking regularly I was still able to put a decent ride in on occasion.

If you feel you must do some kind of excercise, do something completely different than biking. Something that you are interested in or maybe haven't tried before. Myself, I really like yoga, but do what calls to you.

Then again, perhaps you'll find that once you do not have to ride, you'll realize how much you enjoy it. So remember it's not a job you have to do and there are other ways to excercise. Bike because you like to bike.

Well, I don't "train". I just ride. I also use the bike for nearly all of my transportation. I also enjoy a nice long rural ride, even during the winter (http://fatguy.org/2010/12/12/how-did-you-spend-your-sunday/).

If you're fed up with biking, definitely try XC skiing. You'll get a whole new perspective to snow. ;)

That said, +1 on dcrowell. I too ride for transportation, so my xc skiing is for fun only.

--J

So, what's an enjoyable alternative? Rec centers around here offer spinning classes, but that just doesn't seem that appealing. But maybe I should try it. I think I'd rather bike on the frozen roads though. Or I could get a trainer and do the same thing in my house, but for presumably cheaper.

I don't like indoor cycling either, at least on anything stationary. This winter I plan to get back into cross-country skiing. We have fantastic trails where I live. I used to enjoy them, and I want to get back out this winter.

I don't plan to give up the winter bike though. I slacked off last winter on the bike, but this year want to ride more. It's all good fun. I don't commute to work or anything, but I do enjoy running errands around town by bike in wintertime. But mostly, I'll be skiing -- at least, that's the plan.

Once you get all dressed up, it is pretty cool biking around in 0-20F at speeds of 20-30 mph and being totally impervious to the cold. Well, except around my eyes, but I don't think I can bring myself to wear ski goggles while biking. :P

HTFU, for me it beats sitting in the car stuck in snow/ice/slush traffic jams with all the other cagers.

Another interesting sport is long distance skating. It does require a body of (frozen) water and not too much snow on top of ice.

OP you might relate to Nina Simone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2BwEf8EIDo

I like winter riding. Actually I look forward to getting the winter bike all ready and then not having to share the pathway system with too many pedestrians, inline skaters, moms with strollers, etc...You get bored of the road bike and it's nice to have a change. I look forward to the changes in spring in the same way.

I do it for commuting mainly, and it's way more fun than sitting in a car or bus or train.

^ True that. During last winter I often felt like the only bicycler in the city. Come spring I was like, "Wow, where'd all these bicyclers come from? A lot of them are fit even!" Hiding out in spinning classes probably.

^ True that. During last winter I often felt like the only bicycler in the city. Come spring I was like, "Wow, where'd all these bicyclers come from? A lot of them are fit even!" Hiding out in spinning classes probably.

Some might have been hiding out in spinning classes. Lots of others were probably riding their trainers at home. Even here in Australia where I can ride most of the time, I have a trainer for the cool, rainy days.

I'm kinda thinking about getting a trainer, but I'd probably just prefer to bike out in the real world, frozen that it may be. I have a treadmill, but still preferred to bike outside in the winter. Hmm, maybe it's running itself. :P

I'm kinda thinking about getting a trainer, but I'd probably just prefer to bike out in the real world, frozen that it may be. I have a treadmill, but still preferred to bike outside in the winter. Hmm, maybe it's running itself. :P

Get a trainer, put one bicycle on it.

And have a second bicycle ready to go to ride outside.

Then, if it happens that you really don't feel like going out in the snow and cold one evening after work, you can hop on the trainer and do 30-60 minutes while watching your favourite show on TV.

Jeez, I have to buy another bike, too?? :P

I year round, every day. My mileage does drop in the winter though.


For my insurance company, we get added benefits if we check in regularly with a health advisor via telephone. During our last call, my advisor was very impressed that I was averaging so many miles, then she asked if I wanted to make that my continued goal. Um, no, I told her, I'd be happy just to keep commuting by bike, forget the miles!

Now, the restaurant trip you mentioned, that does sound like fun!

Jeez, I have to buy another bike, too?? :P

Well, you do have at least 2 bicycles already, don't you?

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing"

I forget who said it.

Some old Norwegian, I think...

SP
Bend, OR

Some old Norwegian, I think...

SP
Bend, OR

There are bad weathers. I can think of three: tornado, severe thunderstorm and hurricane. Riding in any of those are down freaking scary.

On a separate question, how do you all keep your water from freezing solid? Insulated bottle? Any brands to recommend.

On a separate question, how do you all keep your water from freezing solid? Insulated bottle? Any brands to recommend.
Yeah, I use insulated bottles, Polar I think. I fill with room-temp water but my second bottle usually starts freezing during rides. Have also had problems with ice freezing on/in the spout and clogging the bottle.

There are bad weathers. I can think of three: tornado, severe thunderstorm and hurricane. Riding in any of those are down freaking scary.

On a separate question, how do you all keep your water from freezing solid? Insulated bottle? Any brands to recommend.

Add blizzard to your list.

As for freezing bottles, I use the same method as I do in the summer ... I put a sock on it. This was a little trick Rowan recommended to me. In the summer, you put a thinnish cotton sock on your bottle and soak the sock to keep the water cool ... in the winter you do the same thing, but don't soak the sock. That helps delay the freezing.

But in really cold temps, you're not going to stop your bottle freezing, so there have been lots of rides I haven't bothered taking it at all. I drink lots before going out. Then I stop at shops or back at home or wherever, and drink more there.

I'm a newbie commuter and haven't ridden in a winter yet. I won't ride if it isn't fun and safe. Still weighing the pros and cons. Don't mind the cold as much as the ice. We get a fair amount of it laying thick on the streets with deep furrows left by car tires. I doubt the MUP that I take to work will be plowed, so I'd have to take a busy highway with no shoulder. So far I kinda doubt it.

Add blizzard to your list.

As for freezing bottles, I use the same method as I do in the summer ... I put a sock on it. This was a little trick Rowan recommended to me. In the summer, you put a thinnish cotton sock on your bottle and soak the sock to keep the water cool ... in the winter you do the same thing, but don't soak the sock. That helps delay the freezing.

But in really cold temps, you're not going to stop your bottle freezing, so there have been lots of rides I haven't bothered taking it at all. I drink lots before going out. Then I stop at shops or back at home or wherever, and drink more there.

Thanks for the tip. My commute is 30 miles each way so I definitely need to drink while riding.

HTFU, for me it beats sitting in the car stuck in snow/ice/slush traffic jams with all the other cagers.hah, I love it!

This is my first winter for riding. Michigan can throw long and tough winters at you. Today I'm looking at cold, rainy and windy temps in the low 40's....but I'm jonesin for a workout. I've got my cheapy hardtail MTB ready for fun. The MTB trail (very popular and well used) is only a mile up the street. Wet butt and cold hands here we come!

Well this will be my first winter that I am going to attempt to ride in the snow. But last year I just ran outside the whole winter. I will still run a little this year as well but really hope to cycle more.

The more I think about it the more I think I'll get x country skis

The more I think about it the more I think I'll get x country skis

If there was a trail that passed by my work, you'd better believe I would be commuting on skis. x-country > winter cycling any day of the week.

…On a separate question, how do you all keep your water from freezing solid? Insulated bottle? Any brands to recommend.


…But in really cold temps, you're not going to stop your bottle freezing, so there have been lots of rides I haven't bothered taking it at all. I drink lots before going out. Then I stop at shops or back at home or wherever, and drink more there.

On my 14 mile commute, in really cold weather, I don’t drink at all. Here’s why I even bother to carry a water bottle:


...One interesting standardized definition of a cold ride is when your water bottle freezes solid. That's a function of temperature and time (distance). For me that occurs at about 15 degrees or lower on my 1+ hour commute.


["What's the minimum qualifying distance for a cold-temperature ride?"]
The time it takes for your water bottles to freeze...

I just got a new winter trainer... :)

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2011norcowinterbike2.JPG

HTFU, for me it beats sitting in the car stuck in snow/ice/slush traffic jams with all the other cagers.

And while your car rots away from all the salt they dump on the roads.

Paul

I just got a new winter trainer... :)

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2011norcowinterbike2.JPG

I'm digging that classic bullet headlight. :thumb:

I biked all last winter and can't say I'm looking forward to it again. I was really glad when spring came around and I didn't have to spend all that time dressing/undressing for rides. I biked every 2-3 days, thru 20F and even 0F, thru snow, and on ice (had some wipeouts).


Hmmm...
(swearing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-GF1bnlLWY

;)

I picked up some cross country skis last year. I went out nearly every day because it was so fun. Try it.

I wouldn't pressure yourself to ride in the winter. I plan on doing it again this winter, but if its below 0 or freshly blizzarded I'll have no qualms taking a day off. That being said, I haven't (would love to) tried cross country skiing, but snowshoeing is amazing. First time I went last year we were down in a forest in the Mississippi River Valley. It was like 10 degrees with a nice brisk wind. We hiked in the forest and walked out onto the Mississippi under a beating sun. Not only was the moment beautiful, but I took my coat off for a while to cool off =).

I am intrigued by this snowshoeing thing?????? On another note I did get a pair of showers pass roadie pants in the mail today ad I have to say they are very nice. I think they will be super nice in cold temps.