What’s your winter riding/fitness strategy?
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Rule #9: “Those who ride in foul weather – be it cold, wet, or inordinately hot – are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.”
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I don't really ride for sport, I ride to commute to work. I generally ride unless it snows or has ice on the ground or if it's below 15 F
#78
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I live in the Midwest.
Fatbike I bought in 2016 for the when it's cold but not icy. This is rare, but it's especially good with a few inches of fresh snow. Taking the fatbike out rarely happens, but when I do go out it's some of the most fun riding I do all year.
Stages SB20 in erg mode + TrainerRoad for when it is icy (which is most of the time) or for when I'm too lazy to get out on the fatbike. I struggle to do more than 90 minutes indoors. I much prefer TR's structured sensory deprivation to Zwift's cartoon network.
Swimming for when I finally get sick of pedaling indoors. I swam competitively for decades so I'm comfortable doing this.
Fatbike I bought in 2016 for the when it's cold but not icy. This is rare, but it's especially good with a few inches of fresh snow. Taking the fatbike out rarely happens, but when I do go out it's some of the most fun riding I do all year.
Stages SB20 in erg mode + TrainerRoad for when it is icy (which is most of the time) or for when I'm too lazy to get out on the fatbike. I struggle to do more than 90 minutes indoors. I much prefer TR's structured sensory deprivation to Zwift's cartoon network.
Swimming for when I finally get sick of pedaling indoors. I swam competitively for decades so I'm comfortable doing this.
Last edited by Hiro11; 11-06-22 at 07:46 AM.
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If it's still nice enough (50+ degrees F) to ride outside in the mornings, I will. Otherwise, I put my bike on the trainer and just spin for about 45 minutes while I listen to old radio programs.
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#80
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Equal parts Zwift + fatbike + XC skiing + back country skiing
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My strategy is to buy enough winter cycling clothing that I can’t possibly justify leaving them all hanging unused. In other words, I am shaming myself into it.
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Last edited by rsbob; 11-08-22 at 02:26 PM.
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It was 75 degrees today; my winter strategy is get new swimming trunks and sell the snow shovels on ebay.
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#83
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Yeah, for some reason I hate indoor pedal trainers, rollers, and treadmills. For some reason I don't mind the rowing machine. So if I do want an indoor workout I use the Concept 2 erg.
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But, then I got old, and fat, then took a few years off from riding, and stupidly gave my winter clothes and a great road bike to a nephew , who proceeded to pis them away. But, about 3-4 years back, I snapped out if it, snagged a couple decent bikes on the local used market, and lost about 70 pounds. But,the past few years, Ive been skipping the winter rides, just hiking and hitting the gym instead, but I've recently cobbled together some cold weather riding gear, and come hell or high-water, this year, I'm gonna be out on the road logging the miles, if it friggin' kills me !!!!!!!
Last edited by Brocephus; 11-08-22 at 05:27 PM.
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Once temps are below freezing or the snow starts to fly, I put away the bike, get out the Nordic skis and chase the snow north.
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Doers and don'ters
A good winter strategy? Good base layers, good gloves, and suckling it up and not being a baby.
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Summer cycling. Winter running. I do about 3 flat miles everyday from early November to early May. Running in winter is how I lose weight (fat) for the cycling season. It trains different muscles. I don't want a 30-40 mph wind-factor when it is 20F out. If I fall on ice, running, I will probably be all right. A mechainical failure, getting lost, sudden illness while cycling in winter could mean your life. Also, running boosts my core temp more than cycling, so I feel comfortable while running in winter. I still cycle for utility (shopping) in winter, but that is just .25 mile on my MTB (no 30-60 milers). I love running in a good blizzard.
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#91
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Fatbike & Zwift racing. Mostly Zone 2 & skill work with fatbike.
Also still do some commuting with studded tires.
Also still do some commuting with studded tires.
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Since I can now practically use a bicycle for transportation, I will use the technical clothing I bought when I was riding for grins. I might change, but doing the grocery shopping using the Kona Sutra while getting a ride in to boot is pretty cool.
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It's been unusually warm the past few days so I've gotten out in the morning and rode rather than spin on the trainer. Riding around on the streets is so much less mind numbing than sitting stationary and spinning.
#96
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I don't live where it snows any more, but when I did I found that a regular a MTB was fun to ride on trails in fresh snow up to 6-8" depending on the snow. Certainly at least 3-4". In deep snow I waited until a track was broken or broke it myself on snowshoes of skis..
On the road, I never much liked mixing it up with heavy traffic on snow covered roads. The drivers where I lived just couldn't be trusted. So I either rode on snow covered roads when traffic was really light or stayed off the road until there was bare pavement.
I was always curious where the fat bike factored into all of this. I always figurerd I'd have enjoyed one on the trails for the deep snow days, but they were few enough of those days that breaking trail on snowshoes or XC skis was a fun enough option. So I never really felt like I could justify buying one for the use I'd put it to. Now in Tallahassee it doesn't snow, but there are sandy places I could ride one.
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Same here. I have a set of studded wheels but the roads have to generally be clear for the car wheels if I am going to take them out. Either that or stick to low traffic areas and bike paths. I am in control with my studs but the cars don't have studs.
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I’ll ride all winter.I live in a (temperate)rain forest with more rain than snow most winters.I worked outdoors in this climate for almost forty years too,so the weather doesn’t bother me too much.Gotta dress for it though,for sure.