Remember, winter is a state of mind! You are the master of your destiny, the architect of your own fate, and you can convert bad weather from a detriment into a challenge. Then, when spring rolls around you’ll attack life and carpe multiple diems at once, tackling cycling adventures you never dreamed about. Look at you go! And it’s all because you listened to your tunes through your AfterShokz in the winter weather and continued to train. Don’t forget to bring a pair of Sportz M2 sport headphones with you—because sweatproof headphones are even more helpful when your sweat might freeze!
Four Tips for Winter Cycling
1) Warm Up Longer.
Seems like a no brainer. It takes longer for your car to warm up in the morning, right? The same is true for your muscles. We recommend getting the warm-up started in the warmth of your house with some pushups, sit-ups and jumping rope.
2) Go Further at an Easier Pace.
The purpose of cardiovascular exercise is to condition and reduce fat, which you do successfully as long as your heart rate stays elevated. You can take it a little easier on your muscles, which can struggle in the cold temperature, by increasing the distance you bike and decreasing the effort, slightly.
3) Be Visible!
It’s much harder for drivers to see you in the winter. They’re dealing with fogged windows, frost, condensation on the outside of the glass and occasionally snow-blindness, so go the extra mile with your outfit and deck yourself out in reflectors, bright colors and maybe even lights. We just love dressing up, particularly if you get to wear wild colors, so express yourself! And if you typically wear headphones when you cycle, take being responsible one step further by making sure they’re open ear sport headphones that will allow you to hear if a car is getting too close for comfort—even if the driver can’t see you.
4) Hydrate!
It’s easy to forget how much water your body is losing when it’s sub-zero outside, but you’re still losing quite a bit. Can you see your breath? Yep, that’s water that used to be in your body leaving it forever, so replenish frequently. Some cyclists like to carry a warm water bottle on their rides. The warmth is refreshing, the water is hydrating, and before you notice it, the ride is getting easier.
Winter Cycling Training Plan
As you may already know, it’s much easier to get out there and do it if you have a training plan to stick to. Check out our favorite cycling website for a good springboard into training plans. Part of training is resting and taking easy days; these are interspersed between escalating training regiments to get you in great shape for spring! Emerge from your winter clothing cocoon a fine physical specimen, ready to tackle the luscious, verdant trails of a new season!
We hope these winter cycling training tips have helped you realize your potential in this particular season. Winter is upon us, but if we take the reins we can own it this winter, and ride it until the wheels fall off of our bicycles!
What’s your winter training regiment? Share it with us in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter, and keep checking the blog for more tips!
