I don't understand, why not ride on the road in winter as well?

i am confused? not ride in the winter?

I spend more time on a road bike in the winter, the trails are muddy, the road less so. I can get a short ride in and not get totally caked in mud by staying on the road.

I and many other people do.

As soon as work get their arses in gear I will be riding on the road more than off road too this winter. Just easier as I wont have to put the bike in the car to get to trails.
Night riding is worthwhile off road though

Think it's more that some people have super posh road bikes they don't want to take out in all the mud and grit you get on the roads in winter.

I think plenty do, but there are quite a few of us who spare our 'posh' (to us)road bikes from the worst of the weather, and use a bike with full mudguards on for general winter riding. My MTB is just wet and muddy all year 😀

edit – grumm beat me to it!

Mud and grit isn't as bad as salt on an alloy frame!!

I stopped a road ride after about half a mile one night – felt like my face had frozen solid

* And that's down on the balmy south coast & was only about -5

** But I am probably Britain's fastest rider

**loads** of people ride road bikes in the winter, but they don't talk about it because they're getting secret training miles in

I don't understand, why not ride on the road in winter as well?

Er, we ride on the road 52 weeks of the year. And have done long before being an IT manager and cycling-is-the-new-golf became synonymous.

Just because you're not riding doesn't mean no-one else is. Ever heard of Schrodinger's Cat?

We do ride road all year? Always have done always will. In fact reliability trials (FOC sportives) are part of winter riding I really look forward to.
December though has always been a month for some serious bike related chillin, a chance to ride some miles like you don't care and get to talk to everyone.
Then come March it's race season again.
There's always room for lots of mountainbiking of course.

Ever heard of Schrodinger's Cat?

Does a roadie die if someone spots him riding in winter ? (say, James Martin)

I don't understand, why not ride on the road in winter as well?

I don't understand 😆

Roadies, like Mtbers, ride all year round. There are fewer races in winter which is what defines the season. Most serious racers will e training during the winter months.

Personally I don't ride on the road much during winter as often end up riding in the dark which I'd rather do off road as I feel safer. Also with ice, mud, water, leaves and drivers with iced up windows the roads become much more dangerous.

I have a large network of off road cycle paths near me (old railways) so any long easy miles I can do on them on a mountain bike with hybrid tyres.

This winter I will be doing nice steady miles out on the road with my club on Saturdays then hurling my guts up on Sundays at cross races.
The hardest bit about winter road riding is keeping warm enough.

Quite a few roadies will play on MTBs in winter, whilst quite a few MTBers will do more on the road in winter, it's slightly odd.

Serious riders will train all year round though. Winter road rides can be lovely, unless it's icy!

For me the 'season' is the racing/ sportive season. I keep on riding through the winter though. Some serious racer types take a break for a month or two around this time.

why not ride on the road

I don't understand.

Road seasons starts the second this freak nice weather ends.

I do as many road miles in winter as I do in summer – and itrs a fair amount. Don't know anyone who puts their bike away for winter. Obvioulsy a lot of folk only ride at the weekend and not everyone likes riding in the cold and wet.

But I don't really know where you've got the idea that folk don't ride on the road in winter.

There are fewer races in winter which is what defines the season

Good reason for that as marshals do not want to freeze their bums off 😆

I got the idea from the pimpy road bikes thread, with loads of people referring to putting them away for winter.

I love riding in winter, frost and ice make wet muddy descents so much more interesting. 😆