Results tagged “winter”

With the cold arriving in London, it looks like autumn has lasted all of a couple of days. London Cyclist Blog has got their winter motivating in motion, so I thought it my civic duty to do likewise.

Mudguards

Wet feet, rainwater splash, grit and sundry other forms of road grim are the constant companions of cyclists between November and April. The single best solution to minimising their effect is a set of full-length mudguards.

They may not be sexy but they massively reduce the amount of damp spraying off the frame and onto the rider. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence that they are a highly effective theft deterrent as well.

Clip-on guards will stop the worst of it hitting your back but as much water hits a rider when deflected off the seat and down tubes. I sometimes think that I probably get as wet from water coming up as down.

Cost: 20 pounds or so, plus a bit of labour if you get your local bike shop to fit them. It's cheaper than a pair of overshoes and not much more than waterproof socks but probably just as effective as either overall.

Gloves

There's plenty of cycle specific ones out there but the best pair of winter gloves I've got are some leather ones from M&S with a fleece lining.

I think they're pretty similar to these leather gloves from M&S

Barring torrential rain or extreme cold, I think leather gloves represent the best value protection versus durability for everyday use and you can wear them other than for cycling.

Hat

Finding the right hat makes a world of difference. It needs to be the right balance between warm and comfortable. For me there's one hat that has been fitting the bill for the last two winters: Rapha's winter hat

Jacket

There is no "right" jacket. Some days you want to go slow and keep warm, others you'll want to scream through the streets with the cold making your eyes stream as you get a good sweat on. Pick your jacket depending on the day and your mood.

At last, after weeks of illness and grumbling, I have started my winter training... with two laps of Richmond Park on a freezing Sunday afternoon.

Not for me the pleasures of Southern European warmness and training camps. No, I am a Northern European hardman and, as such, freezing fog and bleak grey skies are what I shall feast on this winter as I try to build up a base level of fitness.

Halfway through my first lap of the Park, having gone up the slope toward Richmond Gate a bit hard, the thought crossed my mind that three weeks isn't awfullly long to get so unfit. It lodged in my mind for the rest of the lap as I struggled to get my heart rate down and not over-exert myself.

I'm really prone to chest infections and I find in the cold weather that I can end up with burning throat and lung sensations very easily. And those are exactly what usually lead to me getting ill in some way.

Lucky I bumped into Freysen who was going round the other way and we did a second lap at a steadier pace having a nice chat and passing the time rather than grimly trying to get round as quickly as possible so that we could go home.

You might have noticed the blog's look has changed a bit, which has taken longer than planned, mostly because I'm a cack-handed geek who doesn't do geek. Still not quite finished tidying up after myself either - need a new banner.

If you love riding a bike is there really such a thing as "the off-season"? It feels like there are less competitive periods of the year but, as I ride most days to commute, I don't feel like I ever have a season without the bike.

Last year I contented myself through the winter months with cyclocross which was fun but hard work; not just in terms of riding on the red line of my ability for an hour, but in terms of the time it took up in my weekend. It's a big commitment riding in the London League because it eats up your entire Sunday getting there and back without even counting the bike cleaning time.

This year I'm thinking I might look out for some races which aren't closer to Calais than London. Although, I'm quite keen on giving Penshurst a go because it was such a great course - proper off-road madness that gets the adrenaline going.

Then again I might just put the road wheels on the Dolan 'cross bike and take it out riding wherever I fancy. I've got the 25mm tyres on which is, as Steve described it on Saturday morning, a "sensual experience". It's buttery smooth and a bit like a hovercraft through the corners - you glide round rather than dive.

I'm already lining up my goals for next year and I think I want to do the Etape again. My year has lacked a focus like that to motivate me and I've been riding for fun rather than to achieve. Nothing wrong with riding for fun, it's just that I feel like I'd have more fun if I was achieving something.

So Rapha have added one to their range and quite sexy it is too but as ever it's Rapha so it's getting a knocking on the internet forums, part in jest, part in earnest. But a silk scarf or neckerchief is one of the best items any cyclist can have in their wardrobe when it gets cold, something a lot of people don't seem to realise.

Fausto Coppi wore silk jerseys, made for him by Castelli, because he wanted a jersey that was light enough to keep him cool in the valleys but warm enough to stop him catching a chill in the high mountains and on descents. In that respect silk is pretty much an ideal cycling material.

Parachute silk makes for excellent gilet material thanks to the exceptionally fine weave of the material for blocking out the wind. That same fine weave in silk is also useful for keeping the sun off in the height of summer and an Alpine pass.

You'll find that silk is also an excellent material for regulating body heat, and it's what a lot of the best thermal underwear is made from. It's exceptionally lightweight and has a low pack weight so isn't as hot or bulky as thicker artificial fabrics or wool.

The neck is a particularly sensitive area and there's plenty of heat that escapes from around it. There's also a huge number of nerves sitting around the neck which need to be kept warm to avoid problems. How many cyclists protect their neck properly on winter rides? Very few.

A stiff neck due to cold was what fighter pilots used to dread as it made looking over their shoulder (ie "the lifesaver" as bikers refer to it) difficult. Pretty much every cyclist on the road would benefit from a silk scarf in winter from both a safety perspective of retaining mobility of the head and a heat retention one.

So just about the only thing you can knock Rapha for is pricing. Which when you look in the High Street at the same item they aren't pricey - Reiss did a mens' silk scarf either last year or the one before that which was fairly similar for 65 quid. A Salvatore Ferragamo one will set you back 110 quid in Harrods, and that's for a top end label. Compared to a Hermes one even Ferragamo is cheap.

How do I know this? I own both a Reiss and a Ferragamo, and have worn the former for commuting in the coldest depths of winter. The latter I bagged in the sale marked down to a tenner which I couldn't pass on but isn't really suitable for cycling. I've also got two large silk hankies that will pass for neckerchiefs that I picked up in Reiss at the weekend for a mere 8 quid each.

I couldn't let myself reach Christmas without getting out into the Surrey Hills for the Sunday club ride so, on Christmas Eve, I dragged myself out of bed and down to Hampton Court Bridge to take a measure of my winter fitness with a bunch of the regulars. There's no need to guess how well it went...

My head was a little foggy from too little sleep but otherwise I didn't feel at all bad as I cruised down through the outskirts of Richmond and the centre of Kingston. I'd put on my trusty Ron Hill Bikesters against the cold and four layers (LS baselayer, Rapha jersey, LS winter jersey, gilet) on the top as well as knee warmers and overshoes and had plenty of food and water with me, knowing full well how much I suffer in winter with energy levels.

Surprise of the day was picking up Graeme on our way out through Esher, who had decided to bring his mountain bike along for something a little different. He was still quicker than almost all of us, much to our collective chagrin.

First stop of the day was for me getting a puncture just down the road from the Hautboy pub. When I checked the tube, on getting home, it turned out I'd managed to get two punctures in the one incident, possibly from rolling on the flat tyre. I've also got a nasty gouge from a flint which may warrant a replacement tyre.

Toby and I discussed who is going to bag which frame from Cyclefit's sale as I fixed the puncture. I think I may well grab the silver and black non-sloping Merckx, if it is still there and fits me. My plan is to build it up with a set of SRAM Rival, a reasonable spec of finishing kit and the Mavic Kysrium Equipe wheels I bought in the summer. And then to take it to the Tour Of Flanders sportif. After all, it would be fitting to ride a Belgian bike in the biggest event in the Belgian calendar.

I was feeling confident that I wouldn't struggle too much up the hills. Unfortunately I'd forgotten I've put on five kilos since the summer and promptly dropped off the back up Whitedown Vale before putting the weight to good use on the descent. I struggled a lot less on the bit out of the quaint village with a duckpond, the name of which I can never remember (it might be Shere) and stayed with it, just about.

Then I started to get a bit confused on our route round Leith Hill (not the tough side but still awkward) and fell behind. Further ignominy was to follow up Ranmoor Hill where I managed to fall over at slow speed. One of those ones where you lose concentration and drift with the camber until you are in the leaves and run-off. In dry weather I would have just given it a bit of power and got back onto the dcent surface but, with the wet leaf mulch, doing so just resulted in the back wheel sliding out and me toppling, like a falling tree, into the middle of the road.

At this point I really did think about packing it in but managed to struggle on to the top and then down to Box Hill. Going up seemed to take forever and my speedo check told me I was going considerably slower than usual. Luckily I made it as far as coffee and cake before I caved in.

Starting from cold after a cafe stop is always difficult, more so when it is cold and you are tired and sweaty. The run back was just a slog for me that passed in a blur of pain and gritted teeth. The top of my quad seized up again making the ride home agony.

Slumped in the bath for an hour, did some stretches and then decided "In the New Year, things will get back on track." As everyone does at this time of year.

Winter has finally arrived rolling across London with thick morning fog the last couple of days. It's even forced the thick Altura winter jacket out of the closet, although it's gone back in now that I've remembered just how much it makes me sweat. I think I may have to look at a softshell to replace it - Rapha and Howies are top of the list and I think we all know which one I really want. Better start saving then.

More importantly I'd better start training properly. I've noticed I've put on something monumentally stupid like 5kg since the summer and not all of that can be muscle. I've not even been out on my good bike since I flipped the stem and had my cyclefit. I would have gone out on Saturday but there's some last minute Christmas stuff to be done so I might settle for riding down to my mum's on Sunday if I don't go out on a club ride.

From mid-January I won't be doing my daily 30-minute-each-way commute which, ironically, may actually be beneficial as it will mean I'm not going to be too tired to train as a result of commuting. That doesn't mean I won't be cycling to work. Obviously I will be enjoying the five-minute blast up the road to work.

Tomorrow is another chance to commute in thick fog probably which is actually more fun than it should be, just so long as you don't get too distracted by watching your own breath condensing in front of you.

Having spent most of the last two weeks feeling exhausted and not sleeping properly my body has finally kicked me in the arse and succumbed to the cold virus doing the rounds. Of course it waited until Friday evening to pick up, thus ruining the weekend for cycling purposes.

Over-exertion increases susceptibility to whatever is going round and is traditionally something endurance athletes have to battle against. Except I'm hardly an endurance athlete at the moment given my haphazard training regime and daily commuting. Perhaps I just need to wrap up better against winter - I'm still commuting in just my Rapha jersey, armwarmers and gilet on my top half, kneewarmers and baggies on the bottom half.

Still at least it gives me a chance to dose up on lemsip and assorted other potions and cures, including the classic "jewish penicillin" of chicken soup. In my case this was homemade with a thai twist of fresh chillies and garlic. I did intend to add some ginger but couldn't find any down the Co-op.

I've also finally booked in for a Cyclefit on 11th December so hopefully I'll be able to go into the new year more comfortable on the bike and with my left leg problems a little improved. I'll try and report on the experience if I have time and get some pictures. I'm going to get my "good bike" set up properly and then see if I can't transform my everyday one myself into the right fit as a challenge.

I was beginning to worry that it would never happen, as I rolled down my arm wamers on the way home on Monday night, but finally the ridiculously mild weather has come to an end. No doubt my decision to take out the clippers and crop my hair back to a grade two was highly influential in effecting this change.

It was a terrifying prospect that all those items of kit - jackets, gloves, warmers, baselayers, the list goes on - wouldn't get a decent outing this year. Having spent a fortune on building up a wardrobe to cover almost every eventuality I feel quite obliged to get some use out of the full range.

I'm quite looking forward to pulling on that long-sleeved merino baselayer for the first time. A little care tip: put them in a pillowcase and tie the end off when you put them in the wash. This stops them snagging on the drum. I've discovered this the hard way as my short-sleeve one is now looking slightly more like a string vest than it should.

I'll do something on winter esentials this weekend when I get a moment.