Winter biking to improve summer biking fitness
03-07-16, 08:36 AM
#1
meh
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hopkins, MN
Posts: 4,704
Bikes: 23 Cutthroat, 21 CoMotion Java; 21 Bianchi Infinito; 15 Surly Pugsley; 11 Globe Daily; 09 Kona Dew Drop; 96 Mondonico
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1110 Post(s)
Liked 1,013 Times
in
519 Posts
Winter biking to improve summer biking fitness
I spent the winter riding my Pugsley for a couple reasons: first, I broke the frame on my old winter bike; and I was getting in shape for fatbike races. I've done ~750 mils and over 22,000 ft of climbing. The result, with a mild winter & early spring, the road bike was out early for it's first ride of the season. Yesterday's ride on the Felt was great, destroyed Strava PRs that have stood for many years, including one on my commute route that I've ridden over 400 times.
I'm going to advocate that winter riding and fatbiking is great training for summer road biking.
I'm going to advocate that winter riding and fatbiking is great training for summer road biking.
03-07-16, 09:24 AM
#2
Senior Member
I pedal year round. I ride my fat bike year round. I too like some of the early season commutes without studded tires. Flying without wings. Nice.
03-08-16, 02:27 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Zinj
Posts: 1,826
Bikes: '93 911 Turbo 3.6
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 109 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
With these winds? Damn right I'm going to have no problem averaging tdf peloton speeds when it finally lets up.
03-08-16, 07:10 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times
in
171 Posts
Winter biking to improve summer biking fitness
This should be self-evident.
Just a few minutes ago, I posted to this thread on the Commuting Forum, “The Spring Return To Cycling Routine,”
I spent the winter riding my Pugsley for a couple reasons:... Yesterday's ride on the Felt was great, destroyed Strava PRs that have stood for many years, including one on my commute route that I've ridden over 400 times.
I'm going to advocate that winter riding and fatbiking is great training for summer road biking.
I'm going to advocate that winter riding and fatbiking is great training for summer road biking.
Just a few minutes ago, I posted to this thread on the Commuting Forum, “The Spring Return To Cycling Routine,”
I have the opportunity to commute a minimal 14 miles one-way during the week (Commuter Rail home), and round-trip on Saturday all year-round, for about 100 miles a week…In reality though, I probably get in about 20-30 miles per week during the winter…
"First studless commute of the year"
I keep my studded tires on all winter on my heavy duty beater, and today [2/29/16] I did my first studless ride of the year, which means the carbon fiber bike.
Yesterday I decided the streets looked clean enough to bring out the carbon fiber and it was great. Streets were salt free, and the rare sand and debris fields at the side were all less than about two feet wide, and I always stay even farther wide from the curb…
As noted by many riders with heavy duty beaters and studded tire, riding carbon fiber [or nice weather bike] anew is so smooth. I had a little trepidation when thinking how spidery the frame and tires are compared to my mountain bike, but I was comfortable on the first block. No problem using clipless pedals either. My hills were much easier, despite the higher gears of the CF, and the stiff head wind was much less discouraging than if on the Beater.
I keep my studded tires on all winter on my heavy duty beater, and today [2/29/16] I did my first studless ride of the year, which means the carbon fiber bike.
Yesterday I decided the streets looked clean enough to bring out the carbon fiber and it was great. Streets were salt free, and the rare sand and debris fields at the side were all less than about two feet wide, and I always stay even farther wide from the curb…
As noted by many riders with heavy duty beaters and studded tire, riding carbon fiber [or nice weather bike] anew is so smooth. I had a little trepidation when thinking how spidery the frame and tires are compared to my mountain bike, but I was comfortable on the first block. No problem using clipless pedals either. My hills were much easier, despite the higher gears of the CF, and the stiff head wind was much less discouraging than if on the Beater.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-08-16 at 07:46 AM.
03-08-16, 07:20 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,435
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5888 Post(s)
Liked 3,471 Times
in
2,079 Posts
My commute is pretty short. I average right around 30 miles of commuting in the winter and usually get out and do at least one training ride on a snow covered MUP. I started riding my road bike again this last week. Even though my winter mileage was low (around 40 plus miles a week), it has made a very positive difference in terms of my fitness.
03-08-16, 07:30 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,138
Bikes: 2 many
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1266 Post(s)
Liked 323 Times
in
169 Posts
I always ride in the cold, snow, and ice. Twice a week. Last Thursday I did 92 miles on a road bike and the temps were around 25F - 35F. I ride my mtb with studs on ice, or another mtb with no studs for new snow with no ice. The cold really takes a lot of calories. When it gets warmer it will seem so easy.
The world is apologizing to us for last winter.
03-08-16, 08:46 AM
#7
The Fat Guy In The Back
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Posts: 2,532
Bikes: '81 Panasonic Sport, '02 Giant Boulder SE, '08 Felt S32, '10 Diamondback Insight RS, '10 Windsor Clockwork, '15 Kestrel Evoke 3.0, '19 Salsa Mukluk
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 320 Post(s)
Liked 177 Times
in
115 Posts
I always come out of the winter riding season in the best shape of the year. Then BBQ season hits and I regress a bit. 
I always tell people the most brutal, intense workout I ever had was a 6 mile commute home through 7" of unplowed snow out on the MUP. Took me an hour and a half and I had to keep stopping to let me heart come down from the stratosphere. Who would have thought that it took so much effort to average 4 mph?
I always tell people the most brutal, intense workout I ever had was a 6 mile commute home through 7" of unplowed snow out on the MUP. Took me an hour and a half and I had to keep stopping to let me heart come down from the stratosphere. Who would have thought that it took so much effort to average 4 mph?
__________________
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
03-08-16, 09:27 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,138
Bikes: 2 many
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1266 Post(s)
Liked 323 Times
in
169 Posts
I always come out of the winter riding season in the best shape of the year. Then BBQ season hits and I regress a bit.
I always tell people the most brutal, intense workout I ever had was a 6 mile commute home through 7" of unplowed snow out on the MUP. Took me an hour and a half and I had to keep stopping to let me heart come down from the stratosphere. Who would have thought that it took so much effort to average 4 mph?
I always tell people the most brutal, intense workout I ever had was a 6 mile commute home through 7" of unplowed snow out on the MUP. Took me an hour and a half and I had to keep stopping to let me heart come down from the stratosphere. Who would have thought that it took so much effort to average 4 mph?
03-08-16, 10:27 AM
#10
The Fat Guy In The Back
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Posts: 2,532
Bikes: '81 Panasonic Sport, '02 Giant Boulder SE, '08 Felt S32, '10 Diamondback Insight RS, '10 Windsor Clockwork, '15 Kestrel Evoke 3.0, '19 Salsa Mukluk
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 320 Post(s)
Liked 177 Times
in
115 Posts
I don't like to ride in snow that deep but sometimes it hits when I'm at work and I need to get home, so I suck it up and ride through it. If it's that deep and unplowed before work, I'll drive.
__________________
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
03-08-16, 02:38 PM
#11
Senior Member
Chain skipping? Just pick a gear you like, it may be the only one you can use.
03-08-16, 03:25 PM
#12
The Fat Guy In The Back
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Posts: 2,532
Bikes: '81 Panasonic Sport, '02 Giant Boulder SE, '08 Felt S32, '10 Diamondback Insight RS, '10 Windsor Clockwork, '15 Kestrel Evoke 3.0, '19 Salsa Mukluk
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 320 Post(s)
Liked 177 Times
in
115 Posts
This would be one advantage to riding fixed gear in the winter as with no slack in the chain the snow would be forced out as quick as it entered. Also with no space between cogs there's much less area for the snow to collect.
__________________
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
03-08-16, 04:51 PM
#13
Señor Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,066
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 649 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times
in
215 Posts
Leebo's description of what happens is more in line with what have experienced with a snowpacked or iced over derailleur. Tundra_Man is generally correct that a badly snow packed cassette is as effective a drivetrain component as a cigarette lighter.
03-09-16, 08:11 AM
#14
Senior Member
Nope. Once the snow fills the cassette there's no gear that won't skip. The tensioner allows enough slack that the chain just kind of rides on top of the packed in snow rather than grabbing the cassette teeth.
This would be one advantage to riding fixed gear in the winter as with no slack in the chain the snow would be forced out as quick as it entered. Also with no space between cogs there's much less area for the snow to collect.
This would be one advantage to riding fixed gear in the winter as with no slack in the chain the snow would be forced out as quick as it entered. Also with no space between cogs there's much less area for the snow to collect.
03-09-16, 09:18 AM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
03-10-16, 09:14 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Middletown NY
Posts: 1,493
Bikes: Cannondale SuperSix EVO w Hi-Mod frame, Raleigh Tamland 1 and Giant Anthem X
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 352 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
6 Posts
I bought myself a fat bike for winter riding to help maintain my conditioning. As a newbie to this sport, I worked hard to go from beginner to B rider and feared losing physical conditioning and sliding backwards. The fat tire bike did just that, even though we never really got any snow here in the Catskills of NYS. I rode that mtn bike chasing my buddies on their regular mtn bikes and think, I am stronger and subsequently faster because of it.
With the mild winter, out club had weekly Saturday morning rides and I made all but two. Lately I have been riding with the A group and I thank my fat tire bike for that!
With the mild winter, out club had weekly Saturday morning rides and I made all but two. Lately I have been riding with the A group and I thank my fat tire bike for that!
