Admit it pcad, you only posted that photo cause its an old one and you're still skinny. That's your ex Merlin correct? The one that no longer is, that has ceased to exist, that has gone to meet its maker. That's the Merlin pining for the fiords of Norway correct?

That's what lights are for silly. Good lighting makes night riding safer than daytime.

Get the clothing. NM would be great, lots of clear days and nights and not much snow or ice.

Winter riding can be very enjoyable at many levels... one might not be able to be blasting along at 40 kmh because of the road conditions or temperature / wind chill but it can complement the use of a trainer by getting you outside on two wheels.

I love riding the trails here in the winter... on a sunny winter day there is nothing quite like it.

pcad has always been too fat for this sport.

He does deserve an honorary degree from H.T.F.U. for the many miles he has ridden out doors when other idiots have been afraid to venture out because they saw a few flakes of snow.

You had me rolling on the floor in laughter. I grew up in Edmonton and can remember the cold winters and wearing running shoes even in the snow - but thankfully those days are gone and I'm happy to admit that I don't particularly care to be cold. I'll take the hot sun any day over -40C. As for the west coast rain - I don't care for that either. Guess that's why I'm happy in the Okanagan. And yes, I ride the trainer indoors during the winter.

I have a trainer as a last resort. I'd rather ride outside. Fender up and get some cold/ wet weather gear. I plan to add to my winter gear collection this year so I can avoid the trainer even more.

Incorrect. That's the Ibis.

And I can get a lot skinnier than that Dr. Fredly. Oh yes.

Also, the Ibis frame sold for some stupid amount of money on eBay, like $700+. I was amazed. That bike had more miles on it than Jane Fonda.

I find the challenge of choosing the right gear for conditions to be satisfying. I don't mind riding in the winter as long as it's above, say, 30 degrees and sunny and the roads are clear. That happens more often than you might think up here in central NYS. Be aware (you'll find out soon enough) that the colder it is, the shorter your ride is going to be. And, you're going to get cold no matter how well you plan and equip yourself. That's just part of the experience.

That said, I enjoy riding in the winter. I appreciate being "hardened off" come spring so that I can run around in shirt sleeves while everyone else is wearing jackets and sweaters.

Training for what?

I prefer riding outside if possible, but you need to invest in clothing and lighting. Yes, it can get into the 20's here, the only thing that really takes the edge off for me is black ice.

having said that, when I was recovering from collarbone surgery, I made heavy use of the excellent www.trainerroad.com setup. It totally transformed trainer workouts for me. You need a $30 Garmin ANT+ USB stick and a speed /cadence sensor (you don't even need a Garmin computer). They've calibrated wheel speed to power for a whole host of trainers so you can use their extensive set of power based training programs. They also have some workouts that are synchronized with sufferfest videos. If you don't have much winter gear, that's also your best bang for the buck.

I have a Cycleops pro 3 which is a commercial quality spinning bike with the flywheel in the back. It has almost no miles on it because it's just too much like a real bike and it's boring to ride inside. I'm trying to get rid of it so I can get a recumbent model with a backrest. The muscle group is a little different but it's close enough. Some of us in the club I used to ride in got mountain bikes and rode all winter but I'm done with that. It's just too damned dangerous. Running is a lot safer but I have three herniated discs that are aggravated by it.