5 top tips for Winter Riding
When Winter arrives, a lot of cyclist and triathletes go into hibernation, or into the virtual worlds available on indoor training platforms.
However, the phrase, “there’s no such things as bad weather, just bad clothing” is true. And if you do want to still make the most of getting out and about on the bike, (and don’t perhaps have the indoor trainer as an options) there’s a few tips that may help. Winter can also be a great time to get off road, out on the gravel, or mountain bike. With the right kit and looking after your bike and equipment, there’s lots of fun to be had from still getting outside, and you can still find yourself buzzing and also building resilience, and confidence that can translate into your racing, but also life.
1. Layer Up
Ensuring you have the right clothing, to stay warm. However, if you overdress, one you won’t be able to move easily, (I’m imagining Michelin Man here lol), but also you are likely to sweat, which can then make you cold as your clothes get damp, and don’t dry. So finding the right amount of layers to keep you warm, and with layers it means you can take off, or put on depending on how you feel.
Our hands, feet and face are three places that conduct heat in and out of our bodies most quickly. Keeping these areas warm are key to ensuring we maintain our body temperature, as well as just making for a much more comfortable and enjoyable ride. For me, I can probably cope to some extent if my feet get cold, but if my hands get cold, it’s miserable, as well as losing some of the control of the bike by not being able to change gears or brake. Or not being able to get your wallet out for the hot coffee at the café post ride, or even the key to your house. I’ve had several rides where I’m trying to use my key holding it between my whole hands as my fingers are too cold to work, and then not being able to undo shoes and undress, as my hands aren’t functioning.
Hands – a really really good pair of gloves! Or even a couple of pairs.
· I find the mitten type glove is the warmest but often wear a thinner normal pair of gloves underneath.
· When I raced in Patagonman in 2023, I used handwarmers/heat pack in each glove too. I have read that actually using the flatter toe warmers and placing them on the underside of your wrist to heat the blood as it flows into your hands is a good idea.
· You can also invest in a pair of battery-powered gloves. They are bulkier and you have to remember to charge them, but can be worth it.
· Latex gloves can also be good at keeping your hands warm as they block out the wind, and trap the heat, but only good for shorter rides, (60-90mins) otherwise the sweat will build up and it’s then counterproductive.
· Also bar mitts. These are insulated mitts that attach to your handlebars and encompass your hands when you grip the bars. To be honest, these look amazing!
Feet – it’s often the wind and air temperature, rather than rain that makes our feet uncomfortable I find.
· Double, and thicker socks can help but I often find this isn’t that affective.
· Investing in a good pair of winter cycling shoes, or an insulated cycling boot. It can be bulkier but could be worth it for the extra warmth and waterproofing.
· Toe warmers in your shoes can also help, although I’ve had mixed results. I used these when I raced in Patagonman (along with shoe covers – see below), but you need ensure they fit in your shoe, especially if you are wearing thicker socks too, so that your feet aren’t cramped and there’s still enough space.
· A good set of windproof and waterproof insulated shoe covers can be a game changer.
· Changing your pedals from clipless to flat pedals means you can wear actual winter boots is another option, and also the little bit of movement this offers can help keep things warmer, rather than your foot being locked in and just exposed to the wind.
· I’ve also heard using plastic bags over your socks but inside your shoe can help as it creates a barrier to the cold and wind, and if of course a very cheap option.
· Someone once told me to use tin foil (Aluminum foil for our readers outside the UK). So, wrapping your toe in tinfoil, over the top of your socks. Or even between two pairs of socks. But it ended up as a disaster as didn’t really keep my feet warmer (possible a little but hard to tell) but had just disintegrated so when I took my shoes and socks off I just had fragmented bits of foil that were a nuisance to pick up and clean off.
Face – I always find this tricky in balancing protecting my face from the cold, but also feeling like I can still breath, and also not steaming up my glasses either so I can still see.
· You can wear a thin hat under your helmet, and some helmet companies even have these as options to buy. Or if you don’t want the full hat, a headband that covers your ears can be good.
· A neck warmer (neck gator), tucked into your jacket that you can pull up over your chin, and if you want mouth and nose too. Although I often then feel like I can’t breath and sometimes if super cold and snowy, the damp from your breath on the frabric can then make the neck warmer solid and icy not soft and warm.
· A balaclava could be an option that may be warmer than a hat combined with neck warmer as eliminates the gaps between the two items.
· When I swam in the 8deg C water in Patagonman, most of my face was covered, but the areas that weren’t, (my checks, and nose), I covered in Vaseline. I’ve also heard that Chanel Swimmers, use Vaseline (or equivalent) on their body to help with warmth. It can create a shield from the wind and cold and keeps your skin from drying out.
· Using a big pair of glasses or even ski goggles can provide even more protection from the cold and wind
2. Be Seen
With daylight being less, but also often grey and overcast (UK I’m talking to you), it can be harder to be seen when out on the roads. So ensure you invest in a good set of lights, that not only make you visible to other road users but also light up the road for you to see. I often like a flashing light on the back as feel it creates more visibility, and attracts a driver’s attention. Additionally, wearing lots of reflective clothing and brighter colours will help you show up. Remember that batteries drain more quickly in the cold, so ensure everything is fully charged before you ride, or you have spare batteries or spare lights with you. 
3. Adjust your tyre pressure
Inflate your tires to the lower end of their pressure range, which is more common these days anyway with tubeless tires and wider tires. By having slightly lower pressure, it increased the surface area of the tire in contact with the road, improving traction. As well as a ‘softer’ tire also absorbing more bumps and rough patches, helping you to keep control if you hit a pothole. 
4. Get off road
There are several reasons to explore off road cycling in winter. From the visibility perspective it removes us from traffic needing to see us, when light and weather can be poor. It also hopefully removes some of the hazards on a road, such as potential ice, whether for us to manage or for other road users. Additionally, switching to a gravel, mountain or even a fat bike, will help you stay warmer. As these bikes are often slower and heavier, it will extend you time riding uphill, requiring more effort, which generates heat to then keep us warm. You will also have to work harder to pedal, as the bike is heavier and has more rolling resistance. Potentially you’ll also spend less time coasting downhill or you go slower which can reduce the wind chill. Another advantage of getting off road, is that if you can find trails in the woods to ride, woods tend to be warmer, as the trees can block the wind (often the weather element that chills us the most). Alternatively try to pick paths that have plenty of sunlight (not easy if you are in the UK I know), as this will help mentally and physically keep you warmer. Perhaps also consider the wind direction and maybe go into the head wind on the way out, so you have the tail wind on the way home. You are likely to get colder the longer you are out, so having a bit of help and speed to get you home later in your ride can help.
5. Keep your bike clean
I mean we should really be doing this all year round, to keep the bike in good efficient working order, but particularly in winter, when snow, road grit from the rain, and mud etc. can accumulate in the chain, and drivetrain and brakes. So minimising this build up, will help to keep everything working smoothly. Wipe (or wash) you bike down after a ride, clean the breaks, wipe the chain and drivetrain. Don’t forget you may want to lightly recoat the chain and drivetrain with lube afterwards (choosing one made for wet/dirty climates).
And when should you just ride inside?
Safety of course should always be a priority, as well as your health. Less daylight, icy road conditions, or narrower streets due to snow at the sides, negative wind chills as well as other hazards need to be considered. Also, if you have specific intervals, sometimes it just maybe more effective to do them in a controlled indoor environment, so that you can focus on the targets, and hitting the power, HR or cadence required. And frankly, regardless of how much preparation, good equipment, amazing trails or countryside to explore on two wheels, sometimes it is just too miserable to be outside! Perhaps swap the two wheels for two planks of wood (or carbon) and hit the snow and slopes instead!
