Staying Active as the Wet, Cold & Darkness Close In

[enkei]

It's relatively 'easy' to enjoy cycling when the going's good. Early sunrises, beautiful blue skies, and clean, dry country roads are an utter joy.

But as the damp, chill, and short days of winter close in, how does your approach to cycling change?

Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Do you continue 'as you were' and just grin and bear the pain?

Do you fit fenders and lights, don appropriate apparel, and soldier on, suitably prepared against the wind/cold/rain and dangers of the early nights?

I'm curious to hear how you all change (if you indeed you do change) your approach to regular biking when the conditions aren't perfect.

[ichitan]

I try to avoid rain. There are dry times, even during winter.

I fit fenders and lights to my bike anyway.

But then most of us don't all live in the UK. In some places, winter is not as cold.

[SPINMAN]

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  It's relatively 'easy' to enjoy cycling when the going's good. Early sunrises, beautiful blue skies, and clean, dry country roads are an utter joy.

But as the damp, chill, and short days of winter close in, how does your approach to cycling change?

Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Do you continue 'as you were' and just grin and bear the pain?

Do you fit fenders and lights, don appropriate apparel, and soldier on, suitably prepared against the wind/cold/rain and dangers of the early nights?

I'm curious to hear how you all change (if you indeed you do change) your approach to regular biking when the conditions aren't perfect.

Ahhh. Winter in Florida. I welcome, and dread. The northeast wind cools, and punishes. If there is a windswept rainy day, I take an indoor spin. There are too many nice days to ride on misery.

---

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  It's relatively 'easy' to enjoy cycling when the going's good. Early sunrises, beautiful blue skies, and clean, dry country roads are an utter joy.

But as the damp, chill, and short days of winter close in, how does your approach to cycling change?

Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Do you continue 'as you were' and just grin and bear the pain?

Do you fit fenders and lights, don appropriate apparel, and soldier on, suitably prepared against the wind/cold/rain and dangers of the early nights?

I'm curious to hear how you all change (if you indeed you do change) your approach to regular biking when the conditions aren't perfect.

And, you have an extra hour to enjoy the rain and cold ❄

[SPINMAN]

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  It's relatively 'easy' to enjoy cycling when the going's good. Early sunrises, beautiful blue skies, and clean, dry country roads are an utter joy.

But as the damp, chill, and short days of winter close in, how does your approach to cycling change?

Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Do you continue 'as you were' and just grin and bear the pain?

Do you fit fenders and lights, don appropriate apparel, and soldier on, suitably prepared against the wind/cold/rain and dangers of the early nights?

I'm curious to hear how you all change (if you indeed you do change) your approach to regular biking when the conditions aren't perfect.

I'm good in Florida. Looking forward, kind of, to NE wind.

[bab]

Where I live the winter is quite cold and freezy so I need to move to my paincave. I have a nice set up, use Rouvy app and concentrate more on a structured interval training and free rides on different routes around the world to ease it up a bit here and there. I love cycling outside and prefer it to indoors, but winter is a nice opportunity to build some power and get ready for the season outside.

[Talha]

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  It's relatively 'easy' to enjoy cycling when the going's good. Early sunrises, beautiful blue skies, and clean, dry country roads are an utter joy.

But as the damp, chill, and short days of winter close in, how does your approach to cycling change?

Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Do you continue 'as you were' and just grin and bear the pain?

Do you fit fenders and lights, don appropriate apparel, and soldier on, suitably prepared against the wind/cold/rain and dangers of the early nights?

I'm curious to hear how you all change (if you indeed you do change) your approach to regular biking when the conditions aren't perfect.

my cycling routine definitely takes a hit. I mean, who likes riding in the cold and rain, right? But well, I've got my ways of coping

First off, indoor trainers are a lifesaver. I just pop my bike on one, crank up some tunes, and pedal away in the warmth of my own home. Fun fact: Thats better than soaking in the rain!! When I do feel like going out, I pile on clothes - throw on some not-so-fashionable-but-totally-functional fenders to avoid mud splatters, and make sure I've got red reflectors on the frame and behind the seatpost. I try to avoid highspeed roads and paths that go towards trails

[Mary Nancy Smith]

Hi, I usually take to cycling indoors on my exercise bike but also enjoy Fall and Winter activities outdoors like hiking and snowshoeing.

[SPINMAN]

I used my Spinning bike for bad weather too. Rain storms and temps below 40. Not too bad here in Florida. I can always swim and run too.

[Hania]

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Personally, I prefer taking bus for daily commuting because I am afraid of getting cold.

[SPINMAN]

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  It's relatively 'easy' to enjoy cycling when the going's good. Early sunrises, beautiful blue skies, and clean, dry country roads are an utter joy.

But as the damp, chill, and short days of winter close in, how does your approach to cycling change?

Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Do you continue 'as you were' and just grin and bear the pain?

Do you fit fenders and lights, don appropriate apparel, and soldier on, suitably prepared against the wind/cold/rain and dangers of the early nights?

I'm curious to hear how you all change (if you indeed you do change) your approach to regular biking when the conditions aren't perfect.

There are plenty of nice days during the year in Florida. I don't need to suffer anymore. I can deal with some wind and early morning temps around 50, but rain and cold are not in my training schedule. I have a Spin bike and a gym if I don't get out.

[GirishH]

Interestingly, I used to enjoy riding in Boston's winter, especially after I started using the fatbike and learned how to stay as warm as possible. The extra reflectives and lights all helped.

On the contrary, I have been feeling very demotivated here in India due to the exact opposite weather now. It gets sweltering hot. I did two 75-mile rides this week, and both took a lot of self-convincing, but once on the saddle, the rides were as good of mood lifters as any spring ride.

The temps hit more than 91°F, and I was dragging my feet, but once I was on the saddle and feeling the warm breeze, I was in my happy place.

So, any day can become that " Nice day yo rice" as long as I can dress-up and hit the road..

---

One thing i learned early on in winter is, that it's only cold for the first few minutes or until body, mind warm up. Once they are warmed up, they Will start sweating and interestingly i would freeze due to my sweat.

Having a great motivación like a ride buddy or a self-reward at the end also can get me out.

[enkei]

(11-26-2023, 10:12 AM)Hania Wrote:  

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Personally, I prefer taking bus for daily commuting because I am afraid of getting cold.

LOL, I hear that. Bus services around here (Kent coast, UK) are so sporadic and unreliable as to be nigh-on useless. So, you can end up simply standing, wet and cold, in the dark and rain...

Come to think of it, that's largely how I remember life when I used to take the bus in the $#%&@$!! Canadian winter, too.

---

(01-31-2024, 04:19 AM)GirishH Wrote:  One thing i learned early on in winter is, that it's only cold for the first few minutes or until body, mind warm up. Once they are warmed up, they Will start sweating and interestingly i would freeze due to my sweat.

I had a Swiss friend who told me about doing his national military service. Obviously, they do a lot of cold-weather/winter training in the Alps. IIRC, this would typically involve sleeping on a glacier.

The problem, as you highlighted, is that you cannot afford to sweat in your sleeping/bivvy bag. If you sweat, you die. Ergo, you have to err on the cold side, and sleeping becomes an uncomfortable misery.

I like to think that technology has moved on quite a bit from those days (this would have been maybe 30-40 years ago now) and perhaps it's easier for them to get a comfortable night.

I suppose anyone that regularly camps, backpacks or bike packs in very cold places/weather knows how to handle this.

[GirishH]

enkei, interestingly it was easy for me to follow my stay-cold-for-a-few minutes logic with biking/running but not when I would goto sleep while winter (non-winter) backpacking. I would always dress warm and wake-up sweating after a few hours or so. Either I would be wet or the sleeping bag would be.

As you mentioned, it's harder to fall asleep when cold while with biking we at least know that the body will warm up after a few minutes. While with sleeping we know that body is only going to stay cold or get even cooler..

Intertingly I interchangeably used a lot of my winter backpacking gear during my winter biking/bikepacking trips.

[Frankly]

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  It's relatively 'easy' to enjoy cycling when the going's good. Early sunrises, beautiful blue skies, and clean, dry country roads are an utter joy.

But as the damp, chill, and short days of winter close in, how does your approach to cycling change?

Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Do you continue 'as you were' and just grin and bear the pain?

Do you fit fenders and lights, don appropriate apparel, and soldier on, suitably prepared against the wind/cold/rain and dangers of the early nights?

I'm curious to hear how you all change (if you indeed you do change) your approach to regular biking when the conditions aren't perfect.

A week ago I started on one of my easy 25 milers and it started raining near my half way mark so I turned around and while I was wet when I got home I had a hot shower waiting. Then at the first of this week weather said it would be sunny. It drizzled for the first half of the ride but then cleared up and I got in my full 30 miles. I don't like this and with cold weather I sometimes say screw it, but I try to hold my average when the weather isn't too bad. Luckily in the San Francisco bay area, we rarely get snow. And with Gavin Loathsome as governor the roads are not going to be repaired. I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of the Democrats.

[enkei]

(02-05-2024, 06:35 AM)GirishH Wrote:  enkei, interestingly it was easy for me to follow my stay-cold-for-a-few minutes logic with biking/running but not when I would goto sleep while winter (non-winter) backpacking. I would always dress warm and wake-up sweating after a few hours or so. Either I would be wet or the sleeping bag would be.

As you mentioned, it's harder to fall asleep when cold while with biking we at least know that the body will warm up after a few minutes. While with sleeping we know that body is only going to stay cold or get even cooler..

Intertingly I interchangeably used a lot of my winter backpacking gear during my winter biking/bikepacking trips.

In cold weather, staying dry is key!

[tgianco]

(10-30-2023, 08:25 AM)enkei Wrote:  It's relatively 'easy' to enjoy cycling when the going's good. Early sunrises, beautiful blue skies, and clean, dry country roads are an utter joy.

But as the damp, chill, and short days of winter close in, how does your approach to cycling change?

Do you batten down the hatches, set up an indoor trainer and focus on staying warm at home?

Do you continue 'as you were' and just grin and bear the pain?

Do you fit fenders and lights, don appropriate apparel, and soldier on, suitably prepared against the wind/cold/rain and dangers of the early nights?

I'm curious to hear how you all change (if you indeed you do change) your approach to regular biking when the conditions aren't perfect.

As I've gotten older, my tolerance for the cold has dropped. If temps are not at least in the upper 50s, it's a no-go for me now. I'm older, so comfort & safety are more forefront in my mind.
In my younger days, I used to love going out in the rain and cold, whipping around while imagining I was overtaking the pack in the Tour De France.

[meamoantonio]

I live in a tropical country, we only have two seasons, rainy and sunny. I'm having a hard time trying to imagine how bad snow or cold weather is, what's it like cycling in cold weather?

[GirishH]

Cycling in cold weather was challenging until I figured out how to dress properly. That meant not getting too toasty but at the same time not being cold either. Once that was "perfected," it truly became heavenly. Especially when it's snowing as you ride or ride on fresh snow; it was very magical. But it came with inherent risks such as skidding and/or a reduced safety window. Also, the cold/winter reduced the number of cyclists by a high margin. In warm weather, everyone would be riding, which is welcome until you realize many don't obey cycling rules or might put you at risk.

With winter, to begin with, you have to be careful, and then cars also go slower and many cyclists avoid riding their cycles. So, the cycle lanes of Boston would be a breeze to ride on. Similarly, I enjoyed riding long distances in winter as one tends to stop less for fear of getting cold faster. So, you lose biking rhythm less than say while riding in non-winters.

(03-05-2024, 11:20 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  I live in a tropical country, we only have two seasons, rainy and sunny. I'm having a hard time trying to imagine how bad snow or cold weather is, what's it like cycling in cold weather?

[meamoantonio]

(03-06-2024, 06:17 AM)GirishH Wrote:  Cycling in cold weather was challenging until I figured out how to dress properly. That meant not getting too toasty but at the same time not being cold either. Once that was "perfected," it truly became heavenly. Especially when it's snowing as you ride or ride on fresh snow; it was very magical. But it came with inherent risks such as skidding and/or a reduced safety window. Also, the cold/winter reduced the number of cyclists by a high margin. In warm weather, everyone would be riding, which is welcome until you realize many don't obey cycling rules or might put you at risk.

With winter, to begin with, you have to be careful, and then cars also go slower and many cyclists avoid riding their cycles. So, the cycle lanes of Boston would be a breeze to ride on. Similarly, I enjoyed riding long distances in winter as one tends to stop less for fear of getting cold faster. So, you lose biking rhythm less than say while riding in non-winters.

(03-05-2024, 11:20 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  I live in a tropical country, we only have two seasons, rainy and sunny. I'm having a hard time trying to imagine how bad snow or cold weather is, what's it like cycling in cold weather?

Yeah I agree, since we don't experience snow here I always thought it would magical to ride while there is snow outside haha thanks for this GirishH!
So less cars, less bikes on the road? I think that's something to look forward to

[GirishH]

Yes. And, even the few cars I would see on the road would be going at a slower than normal pace and often passing you with enough/safe distance.

Again, this was during my 30-45 minute commute to work in Boston. With snow, I would always add more time because I too would ride slow and sometimes I might be forced to walk my bike if snow's too sticky or I am unable to ride safely..

Still, I look forward to riding in the snow/winter

(03-10-2024, 05:35 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  

(03-06-2024, 06:17 AM)GirishH Wrote:  Cycling in cold weather was challenging until I figured out how to dress properly. That meant not getting too toasty but at the same time not being cold either. Once that was "perfected," it truly became heavenly. Especially when it's snowing as you ride or ride on fresh snow; it was very magical. But it came with inherent risks such as skidding and/or a reduced safety window. Also, the cold/winter reduced the number of cyclists by a high margin. In warm weather, everyone would be riding, which is welcome until you realize many don't obey cycling rules or might put you at risk.

With winter, to begin with, you have to be careful, and then cars also go slower and many cyclists avoid riding their cycles. So, the cycle lanes of Boston would be a breeze to ride on. Similarly, I enjoyed riding long distances in winter as one tends to stop less for fear of getting cold faster. So, you lose biking rhythm less than say while riding in non-winters.

(03-05-2024, 11:20 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  I live in a tropical country, we only have two seasons, rainy and sunny. I'm having a hard time trying to imagine how bad snow or cold weather is, what's it like cycling in cold weather?

Yeah I agree, since we don't experience snow here I always thought it would magical to ride while there is snow outside haha thanks for this GirishH!
So less cars, less bikes on the road? I think that's something to look forward to