Overcoming Obstacles: ’Tis the Season

By Lucy Burningham

BicyclingHub.com Encourages You To Ride More In 2013!

Let’s be honest. If you live in the Northern hemisphere, it’s a difficult time to get out and ride, no matter how much you love being in the saddle. Whether you’re staring out the window at lashing rains or blowing snowdrifts, or in the middle of making hot cocoa or beef stew, most likely every cell in your body is saying: “Stay indoors. Or else.”

Does this look fun?  Try Cyclocross to keep the pounds off
Photo Courtesy BikePortland.org

But the “or else” is your sliver of opportunity. Or else what? Or else you’ll pedal your way to better mental and physical health, which is just as, if not more, important than when it’s 70 degrees and sunny outside.

 Start with your state of mind. With shorter hours of daylight, many of us are fighting symptoms of Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Easy cures? Going outside and exercising regularly

Exercise helps!  Then there’s your body. This is the season of potlucks, rich foods and holiday drinks, which means you’re likely to pack on some extra pounds. Getting on your bike will help prevent weight gain. Besides, if you keep up a regular riding schedule now, you’ll be the one dropping the pack during springtime training rides.

How to make it happen? These are our favorite ways to make sure we get out the door, Remember, riding is fun!

Bicyclinghub.com staff ride all year

1. Establish your riding posse. Organize a reliable group of friends, family or coworkers who aren’t above applying some peer pressure when it comes to showing up for rides.

2. Schedule regular rides that happen no matter what, which includes weather “events.”

3. Organize your gear ahead of time. It’s way too easy to get lazy if your favorite waterproof gloves are M.I.A.

4. Winterize your bike. Clean your bike and re-grease your chain on a regular basis. Consider switching to studded tires, depending on where you live.

5. As the Scandinavian say goes, "there's no bad weather, just bad clothing." From your head to your toes, BicyclingHub.com can help you stay warm and dry with the right clothing for winter.

6. Promise yourself a sweet reward. There’s nothing wrong with giving yourself a little treat for getting out on your bike, be it a snifter of scotch or permission to call in sick on a powder day.

What kind of obstacles have you overcome to continue riding in the winter?  We want to hear your story. Send us an email telling us how you’ve become a winter riding warrior to sales@bicyclinghub.com. We’ll be posting our favorite submissions in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Award-winning author and writer Lucy Burningham has been working as a journalist for the past twelve years. She covers travel, food, and craft beer for a variety of magazines, newspapers, and guidebooks. Her work has appeared in Sunset, Imbibe, Outside, Men's Journal, VIA, Edible Portland and Beer Northwest, as well as The New York Times, The Oregonian, and The Los Angeles Times. http://www.lucyburningham.com/.  Lucy is also the co-author of "Hop in the Saddle" A Guide To Portland's Craft Beer Scene, by Bike.  

Ride Year 'Round: Top 10 Tips for Year-Round Pedaling from Seasoned Cyclists

Jay Suburb says, "Never let a little snow keep you from riding."

Autumn typically ushers in a transitional season for cyclists with cooler temps, stiffer winds, additional layers, hunting for the trail under fallen leaves (while trying to recall where the singletrack USED to be), group rides planned around fresh donuts and hot apple cider rather than ice cream, and/or racing 'cross.

While diminishing daylight and distinct chill in the air has some hanging up their bikes for the winter or heading indoors for a spin class, other riders remain resolute in their determination to ride year-round and are stocking up on warm layers, rain gear and good lights to see and be seen.

Here are our Top 10 Tips for Year-Round Riding, courtesy of your fellow cyclists and BicyclingHub fans.

10. Move to California!!!! ~Angie Achen

Castelli's Wool Cycling Cap in Grey Plaid keeps 
your head warm--and hides helmet hair nicely.

9. Ride all winter in Charlotte, North Carolina...Embrace the cold and wear layers, particularly a cap...you need to wear just enough clothes so that you are chilly the first 10-15 minutes. ~Jr DelVasto

8. Dress for the weather.. might be slow riding in the winter with snow but get in your base miles. If it is really cold make sure to not have straight water it freezes faster, mix in an electrolyte. And put your Camelbak under your jacket so it doesn't freeze. ~Kristhal Portugal

7. Don't decide whether to ride in the morning - commit every day before you commute - prep everything the night before and it's always time to ride. ~Max Slade

Winter events like Portland's annual Worst Day of the Year Ride are a great way to stay motivated and have fun with friends.

6. I take my bike to work and get a ride in during my lunch break. A short ride is better than an hour on the trainer! ~Scott Trombley

5. Petition your city, county, boro to install MORE bike lanes, especially in the busy central district. It can encourage more road-sharing and actually saves lives. ~Mark Flanigan

Would you ride your bike in THIS? Photo courtesy of MSN.com

4. For up north, studded tires take the worry out of wiping out in the snow and ice. Dress up warm and go out in a snow storm, no cars on the roads and enjoy the beauty of the stillness in the snow, except you pedaling! ~Mary Connor, Marquette, MI

3. What about cake? Cake's got layers. The keys for me are my head for overall comfort, and good stuff for my hands and feet. Best hand comfort comes from a good-fitting bike (which will help you keep blood flowing to your fingers). The rest of my body is easy to manage with layering. ~Roger Barr

2. I figure it's as cold out here whether I ride, walk or take the bus. Where I live, in Philadelphia, it's far easier and quicker for me to ride to work on my 2 mile commute to the office. It takes tops, 15 minutes. But if I walk or take the bus, it's much longer and I'm out in the elements getting colder or wetter. I wear thinner layers so I'm not bundled up like the little brother in A Christmas Story. I don a beanie cap under my helmet and an earband over my helmet. I save at least 4 bucks a day, save time and aggravation and I get some exercise while logging about 20 miles a week that I otherwise wouldn't have. All by allowing me a fancier coffee and/or a pastry treat once in a while with the bucks I save and the calories I burn. ~The Bicycle Chef


1. Fenders, a good hose and lots of chain lube! ~Scott Sherman

Dressing for Cold Weather Racing

By Ron Castia, Associate Coach with Wenzel Coaching. Reprinted with permission.

Dressing for cold weather racing is a balance between wearing enough clothing so that your energy is used for performance rather than warmth without overdressing and overheating. This requires some planning before race day. Here are a few cold-weather dressing tips for early season races.

Dressing for a race will typically be lighter than dressing for a training ride since you need to be prepared for more maximal efforts and ongoing wind protection in the speeding pack as well as less ability to add or remove layers on the go. The key is to protect your skin and keep the appropriate amount of heat in.

One way to keep the heat in is to use a skin or muscle warming product. There are several of these on the market specifically for cold weather cycling. If you don’t have time to drop by your local bike shop, you can get items that work at the grocery or drugstore. Generic brand embrocation and muscle balms/ointments work just as well as expensive brand name ones, as do vapor rubs that have a warming and muscle-relief component. Apply the warming balm or oil first, and then put an impermeable barrier over the top to keep the moisture from soaking into your skin. Some old school cyclists use baby oil or petroleum jelly. Consider the oil liquid leg warmers.

If you are not sure what to use or need help with a specific brand, check with your coach for recommendations and/or feedback on specific products.

Special note from Coach Earl: Always put your bibs and chamois lube on BEFORE applying a warming cream or balm to your legs. It is very easy for the chamois to pick up the balm from your legs and the skin near your chamois is extremely sensitive. This can become incredibly uncomfortable very quickly. (Personally confirmed).

Knee warmers are great for colder days, but when rain also accompanies the cold without an impermeable applied to the skin underneath, the material will get wet and serve to make you colder.

Good fleece lined arm warmers should be enough to keep your arms warm once you get rolling.

Wind-front base layers are invaluable for racing in the cold. This keeps you from having to put a number on your vest and ruining the nylon front.

A little vapor rub on the chest will help keep you warm and some people think it helps open up your breathing for better performance. Like any tip, try this in training before racing.

Lastly, wool socks, two pairs, one for during, and a nice dry pair for right after. It's like a nice warm blanket for your feet. I like to have wool socks of variable thickness in my cycling sock drawer. Note that insulation on your feet can only retain warmth that is already there, and that warmth has to come from circulating blood. Thick socks will make your feet colder if your shoes end up being tight and squeezing your feet. You may want a pair of shoes a half size larger for winter for wearing with your thick socks.

If you have a tendency to get cold, numb toes, consider adding toe-covers or booties to your wardrobe for very cold race days. If you’ll be racing in the rain, test your boots to see that they work when wet.

When you are trying to determine what to wear, keep in mind you should have a little chill while standing around. If you are warm and cozy while standing at the start line, you are overdressed. One solution is to wear an extra jacket to keep you warm on the line, and then toss that jacket to your manager, or support person, or even on the ground.

Once the race gets rolling, the first few minutes until you start to create some body heat will be coldest. Try to find protection from the wind and keep yourself tucked in the pack. The pack will shelter you from the wind and the other working bodies will actually warm the air a bit too. Usually we advise not doing any excess work in a race, but when the choice is having your core temperature drop enough to rob you of your strength, some extra work can keep you in a better position to match an attack or hang on on a hill.

Finally, keep a good attitude. If you believe that you are well prepared and can ride well in the cold, you have a leg up on riders who are more aware of their own suffering. Good luck. In a few months you’ll probably be wishing for a cold day again.