From our store in Chester this week we’ve seen a LOT of water falling out of the sky. And when it’s not been raining it’s been cold, very cold, with the first frosts of the season appearing. We’ve had a lot of time to sit, brew in hand, and talk about how we stay motivated through the winter. How do we keep our pecker up when most people would just close the curtains and sack it off for the day?
We’ve also talked about the ‘why?’. Why bother? Why not just call it all off and go to the pub? Well, you know as well as us that it’s just what we do – riding our bikes, not going down the pub… We love our bikes, we love getting out and riding them and we love the challenges that come with it. Here are our pearls of wisdom on winter riding, motivation and, most of all, enjoying it.
There’s no such thing as poor weather, just poor clothing
You’ve probably heard other riders on a wet Sunday club run saying this one. And it’s true, particularly nowadays with modern clothing allowing us to keep riding however cold and miserable it gets.
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Most important of all is keeping warm and dry, and we work with some of the best in the business to keep your upper and lower body protected from the elements.
Warm hands and feet are happy hands and feet
Our hands and feet have a tough time of it in the colder months, stuck out on the handlebars and down in the firing line of all that spray from the roads. There aren’t many things worse than numb fingers and toes, and a good pair of gloves and a set of waterproof overshoes are an absolute must for all of us. We’ll not be going anywhere without them between now and February.
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Try something new
We find that, with cold and wet weather, our rides tend to be shorter, often covering the same routes over and over again. It can make things a little, well, dull, to be honest. So we’ve started to change things up a little. Going for a spin with the kids, trying a new café or just riding our normal commute with a few little changes keeps things fresh and reminds us why we ride in the first place. Because it’s fun!
Some of us have gone one better and added a new bike to our stable, allowing the roadies among us to get into mountain biking and others to give cyclocross a go. We’ve got an awesome range of bikes in store, some of them, like the Specialized Rockhopper Comp 29, with ludicrous discounts applied. As we’ve discovered, there are few better ways to stoke the fire than riding a shiny new whip on new trails.
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Go out in that? No way!!
Now, don’t get us wrong here. We’re not that crazy – some days are just so bad that going for a ride outdoors is off the table completely. But with the latest indoor trainers providing us with our fix we’re happy enough.
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Indoor training enables us to do a really targeted workout, away from those pesky traffic lights and icy roads. Hooking up to the ’net and riding on Zwift for an hour or so is great fun and means we’ll come out of the winter prepped and ready for a spring of racing, riding and generally having as much fun as we can cram in.
So, what about you guys? We’d love to see what you do to stay motivated through the winter, and we’re here all season long to give you the tools you need to do just that.
