Nine things to do this winter
Last weekend the clocks went back, which means that unlike Game of Thrones winter is no longer coming — it’s actually here. James Shrubsall has been looking forward to it, however, and compiled a list of the ultimate things to do
And relax...
1 Summer tends to be a time when you’re most focused. It’s perhaps an irony that we use the season when the weather is at its most pleasant and the roads are debris-free and lovely to ride, to hunch down and gnaw the stem like demented guinea pigs as we plough an unseeing furrow on the way to peak fitness for the next race or sportive. Freed from such pressures, use the winter to take a few metaphorical slow, deep breaths as you sit up, take notice of the countryside — and the towns — around you as you ride, smell the air and enjoy the simple sensation of just riding a bike.
Ride more off-road
2 When the mercury plummets overnight and the roads wear a veil of icy frost, instead of subjecting yourself to the tedium of the turbo-trainer, dig out the cross bike or the mtb and hit the trails. You’ll find an entire network of byways waiting to be explored, and their often varied, often slip-sliding, nature can inject a real sense of fun into proceedings while still providing a challenging winter workout. In fact, why wait for inclement weather? Adding a weekly off-road foray to your routine will ensure it doesn’t become stale; what’s more, it’ll do wonders for your bike handling. Definitely one to try.
Ride every lane
3 It’s easy to get into the habit of sticking to the same few tried and tested routes. This winter why not dig out some old favourites that you haven’t used for a while, or take it a step further and set yourself a target of exploring all those tiny lanes that you have never ridden before? Have a look at a map, or just go wandering on the bike. You’ll be amazed how many you can find, even if it’s an area you’ve spent a lifetime riding around. It’s the off-season, so forget Strava Koms and your average speed, and go and discover. You might even find a favourite new road.
Explore the night
4 Most of the time, darkness is something we do our best to avoid on the bike. If we can ‘make it home before dark’ we usually do and, after all, half the pleasure of cycling is enjoying our surroundings. But what the dark lacks in stimulating visuals, it makes up for with mystery and challenge. Riding off-road in particular in the dark can be exciting, and you’ll see familiar country lanes in a whole new light (no pun…), almost as if you’re riding them for the first time. Clearly you’ll need a good set of lights, but once you’ve equipped yourself with these, the night-time becomes your oyster.
Take a winter tour
5 The depths of winter might not be the obvious time to embark on an outdoorsy holiday, but providing you dress for the weather, the charms of a short winter cycle tour can be difficult to beat. On a crisp, sunny day, the countryside can be breathtaking — a completely different proposition to what you’ll find in summer. What’s more, a mug of hot tea or a bowl of warming soup in a cafe never tasted so good. Winter touring can take a bit more packing and prep, as you really do need to be ready for every meteorological eventuality. But instead of hiding from the weather on the turbo this winter, go out and celebrate it and you’ll have a trip to remember.
Dawn till dusk
6 On December 21, the sun rises at 8.03am and sets at 3.53pm — the perfect opportunity to spend the entire day on your bike. With eight hours, give or take, to play with, you could comfortably go for the century. If you’ve take the ‘off’ in off-season a little too literally and lack
fitness, you could add in a generous cafe stop or two and still bask in the glow of achievement as darkness descends at the end of the day. December temperatures are often relatively clement, so take this opportunity to enjoy a final proper epic in 2017 before the mercury hits rock bottom in January and February.
Find some winter sun
7 Follow in the footsteps of the Worldtour pros and take a trip to warmer climes this winter. You don’t have to mimic Team Sky and spend half your time at threshold pace while studiously avoiding the stodge at the all-you-can-eat buffet. After all, you’ll be riding every day so you’re well within your rights to treat yourself. Of course, you might go abroad in order to put the finishing touches to a carefully crafted winter training programme, in which case knock yourself out with the abstinence and the intervals.
Get a coach
8 If you want to make a serious step up next year — or even if you simply want to start getting the most from your training — this could be a great idea for you. While winter is often thought of as a time to put your feet up a bit, step back from structured riding and indulge yourself a little, embarking on a proper training programme under the eye of a coach could see you emerge in the spring a rider transformed. A coach could even help build in some unstructured fun stuff into your programme so you can enjoy some of the more whimsical ideas in this list.
Ride a reliability ride
9 While criteriums and sportives rule during the summer, winter is the season for the traditional pastime of reliability riding. Originally a purely self-explanatory concept, riders would attempt to maintain a steady pace and finish as close to their predicted finishing time as possible. Nowadays, reliability trials often represent a chance for carefully honed winter fitness to make its first purposeful appearance of the new year, with the leading groups populated by hard-riding racing types eager to get started with the season. Further down the field there is a place for everyone, with all abilities represented. Riders still usually have to opt for a certain finishing time.