Winter Training Tips

I did this for my club newsletter and thought thought why not share?

Winter Training? First tip is to do some. Training that is. And by ‘training’ I really just mean riding.

Its the easiest thing in the world for a lot of people to just stop for the winter – they just hibernate – but by God you’ll feel it when that first ‘Liability Ride’ of the early season comes round so its nothing more than common sense to keep riding and keep those legs going round in circles.

If racing is your thing, Cyclocross is brilliant – its fun, its friendly and its as competitive as you want it to be. You don’t have to have the latest CX bike -  a mountain bike or hybrid (with CX tyres) will do the job. The Eastern League has regular races through  the winter – each one a workout in its own right, but each also provides a little training focus – just enough to encourage you to go out when the weather is at its worst.

If you time trial, road race or enjoy doing nice long distance Spring rides you can’t just rely on ‘Cross to keep you in shape – you need to continue some base mileage work. ‘Cross keeps you sharp but it involves short efforts with very little mileage. This is where clubruns and other social riding comes into its own – the Sunday rides from Costas at Tollgate are brilliant for this – good mileage, great company and really well run by Dean, Chris and the guys.

When its really grim, that’s when the turbo in the shed comes into its own. I wish I had the perseverance to use the turbo all year round because the training benefits are obvious after just a couple of sessions, but I hate going nowhere and it really is my last port of call.

The fact is that unless the roads are covered in snow or black ice, you can ride – just add a bit more caution. And the right kit.

As cyclists, we love talking about kit, but it is especially important in the winter. If you have mudguards, winter tyres, lights and suitable clothing you will be a lot happier venturing out on a few laps of the Wadley in inclement conditions. Wear summer kit and you’ll be miserable. Full fingered gloves, tights, good socks, overshoes, a good jacket and (for me) a warm covering for the ears will see you right through to the faint warmth of Spring.

Personally, I like riding a single speed or fixed gear bike all year round but it comes into its own at this time of year. I really don’t mind riding in awful weather conditions, but the thing that gets to me in the winter is the constant bike cleaning. I just don’t feel so bad sticking the fixie straight in the shed after a wet/muddy ride and getting a hot bath without having to worry about cleaning and re-lubing a drivetrain after every ride. This helps me get out in the firstplace.

How intensive your winter training is depends on your aims for next season – train for what you want to do – be specific and don’t waste time on training fads that may not necessarily help you in your goals for next year.

Oh, and finally – coming back to kit… the other major ‘training’ gain you can make over the winter is to sell most of your possessions on ebay and reinvest the funds in some shiny carbon bits and bobs that can be assembled over the winter to build the ultimate racing machine for the following season. I can neither confirm nor deny the rumours that a secret weapon is being developed in my shed for the 2013 TT season. If it is, I just hope I have the legs to go with it.