[Closed] Loadsa road riders,but come Winter...

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Mmmm smell the damp. Bring it on if you ask me, can't be doing with this middling weather.

Cold, crisp, clear mornings...looking forward to dodging the icy patches!

I'll save the rainy days for the mountain bike 8)

I usually rode about 3 - 4 times per week after work last winter.

Its not too bad riding in the real cold weather (freezing) cos theres usually not to much of a head wind so you can really bash on

Very quiet at the velodrome at the moment, most people just ride on the road through summer. Come October, November, it'll start filling up again and Tuesday and Thursday evenings will be full to the extent where you have to book two weeks in advance to get a place.

hmmmm give me summer every time over winter.

I wonder how many mountain bike riders will be out when it's cold wet and muddy?

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You can usually stay a bit warmer mtbing, and you don't have to worry so much about the daylight. Car drivers aren't very friendly in winter.

And don't a lot of road riders switch over to cross during the winter..?

Won't argue with that tails.
I'm already getting the 'I'm not coming out this weekend if its pouring down' - but it's going to be like this for the next six months.

Ahh the Turbos, towel around the neck - Pink Floyd on the CD - 16" fan in the corner - big clock on the wall with a seconds hand - isn't it.

Is that Graham Jones in the winter picture?
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Went to a ride in Swinley couple of years ago, apparently it was [i]minus seven[/i]. Good fun though, and the ride flowed nicely because we all needed to keep moving. Twas proper bastard cold though.

Can't be doing with this pissing rain though. Watered the plants last night, 'cos it's been dry the last few days. What does it do today? Piss it down. Listen to it; it's flippin biblical out there!

Winter is Ok until the roads get icy-stay off road then on nice firm trails
Don't mind the winter as it is a good opportunity to train hard and gain a bit on the competition. Quiet roads at night are fine with some good lights as well. Then there is the cross to fill the gaps in.Midlands races kick off proper on the 19th although mid week flood light races already started

I rode on the road all through last winter but having fallen off 4 times in one ride - black ice - I am now more wary and will use the turbo and mtb more this winter.

aracer 1 mtber out all last winter. Getting the lights ready I prefer really freezing cold to the cold/rainy but will be out 2/3 times a week anyway

I got in about half hour ago from a proper windy soaking on the 12 miles back from work, it was the first time I've really thought 'hey ho, here comes the first of many....' since the summer. I haven't owned a car for over 15 years, so do it rain, shine, wind or snow regardless (although last year I took to running in when the snow set in), and I usually add some to my rides home. I really don't look forward to the winter, but most of the time it's not that bad, and nice freezing clear weather is a pleasure. But if folk don't fancy biking in the foul weather then fair play to them, why do something that you don't enjoy, it doesn't make them any less of a 'biker' in my book.

out riding road in peak on sunday thought the same
think commuting is different sort of commitment
have been bemused in past aeeing peeps in obvious non-lidl/aldi gear sheltering under trees from rain on warm days spinning around ladybower
personally will pass up a day riding road when windy and am busy because though i know "the head wind is my friend" i will get bored at the effort to get nowhere fun
had a bad black ice fall couple of years ago so am a bit more careful but love those crisp days

takes all sorts and i'll stick with "no such thing as bad weather - just different sorts of weather" and as to people not getting out they might be busy doing other stuff

This may be incredibly hard to comprehend...

people prefer to ride bikes when the weather is nice. Do the math 😉

i love riding in winter.

something strangely theraputic about getting in after 50-80 freezing cold or wet miles on a sunday morning - certainly gives you licence to do **** all for th rest of the day !

MTB if you choose the right place can be fun too - bogtrotting in winter is not fun - bawd bog in sub zero up to your knees in bog water - about as fun as chopping your testicles off , frying them and eating them !

mmmmm, testicles.

MTB is much better in winter, firm trails vs. slimey roads, no competition.

I normally switch to off road when it get's to winter. Safer and more enjoyable IMO. Icy roads are scary, especially with other drivers.

I got in a good number of road rides last winter but only when it was dry and crisp. Other than that it was off road. Mind you it was pretty bad up in the north east so even the local road club was running the club run for mtb and cross bikes only.

Dont fancy the road bike much for winter.

This year is the first year it's been out of the shed since 95-96, and even summer / autumn wet and slippy roads has me reaching for the mtb...

A few of us are already talking about our winter training plans. I sometimes wonder if a lot of riders don't actually prefer winter training over summer racing....

I shall be there with winter gloves, over shoes and tights commuting to work when no one else is 🙂

I don't mind it when I'm actually out riding in the cold/dark but it takes a fair bit more motivation to actually drag myself out in the first place. I stay in if there's ice about though.

I like winter riding on the road - so long as it's not black icy and it's not p!ssing down, it's brilliant. If it's p!ssing down, I prefer to get out on the cross bike or mtb - not really sure why, just prefer it.

I shall be there with winter gloves, over shoes and tights commuting to work when no one else is

Me too, just got my first soaking this morning on my (road bike) commute, did still have the shorts on though, it'll be waterproofs on the way home and dig out the tights for tomorrows commute!!

I'll still be commuting on the road bike in winter. Overtrousers rather than tights for me though 🙂
I like it cos there's more traffic to laugh at.

Its the pretend roadies you see now, the winter sorts the men from the boys 😉

I shall for one be out there 🙂

Why would I ride my MTB a lot more than a winter road bike? Its cheaper for one to ride the road bike. I.e saves on wear and tear on the drivetrain etc.

I only used the road bike last winter. Was a bit scary with all the snow/ice around and sooo cold too. The cold made it seem like much harder work than normal, some days my legs felt like they never warmed up (despite 3/4s underneath full length winter windproof/fleece tights)

I'll be just using the road bike again this winter, less faff than the mtb and easier to clean too.

I'm with trail_rat on the theraputic side of things. Love that feeling when you've been out in awful weather and you get warm and dry and then sit on the sofa all day 🙂

or for those of us with kids, try and play with them for the rest of the day while you're knackered... 🙂

Just fit mudguards and get on with riding, thats what I do. Have done for years.

[i]pretend roadies[/i] Certainly ain't one of those.

[i]or for those of us with kids...[/i] or kids [i]and [/i]a dog. Ride home, play with kid, walk dog...

*basks in glow of MartinGT's manliness*

It is not so much the weather i mind its the grit/salt on the roads as i dont have space for a winter bike and having to clean the bikes thoroughly after ever use can get annoying.

I ride more on road than off in the winter. 1 or 2 evening rides a week and maybe a longish weekend one if I can't be bothered to travel to an all weather offroad trail. If it's icy then I'll go offroad but generally in the local trails are are too gloopy in the winter to be any fun and I'd rather be riding than cleaning the bike.

i bought a rohloff just there and looking to buy a pugsley - so might be doing more off roading this winter 😀

how often is it "icy" that you cant ride down south ? i live in Aberdeen and commuted EVERY single day through that wild snow on my cross bike - on the road as the cycle paths were not gritted or cleared !

must admit i saw no others doing it 😀

how often is it "icy" that you cant ride down south?

How far south do you want to go? Gets very chilly in central Spain 🙂

Nice dry trails here in winter, with little gloop, which certainly helps when it comes to deciding road or trail!

Cold and crisp Sunday mornings I'll be out on the road bike.
Cold and crisp weekday evenings I'll be on the MTB once or twice a week.
Most days I'll be commuting on rigid MTB, managed a few days through the snow last year when cars were going nowhere.
I don't mind riding in bad weather but if it's too wet and windy I'll be in the garage on a spinning bike, it may not be that manly but I don't see the point in freezing my arse off these days.

hey trail_rat, I'm from Aberdeen originally, but the ice and snow was wicked here in Cambridgeshire last winter - as bad as anything that I've seen in the Grampian coutryside, and I don't think the county know what grit is! I ride 20 miles to work and rather than drive, I bought some studded tyres and they were amazing at dealing with sheet ice.

ot: How do you find the cycling in Aberdeen? I've been visiting a lot this year and I've been impressed that so many cycle lanes are appearing, tho I think the car and van driving up there is truly mintil.

I'm with trail_rat on the theraputic side of things. Love that feeling when you've been out in awful weather and you get warm and dry and then sit on the sofa all day

It's almost the best part! Anyway, I don't really mind a bit of cold but I'm not really interested in sliding down the road on ice so that's the limiting factor for me. Although here in the midlands it's not often that much of an issue.

Love riding the road bike in the winter, no agenda, just getting the miles in, chat with mates and some good coffee at the cafe stop. I do have the massive advantage of getting to ride in daylight during the week, certainly makes the motivation a bit easier to find.

Summer rides are never as carefree for me, always thinking about how hard I can go, and whether I should be tapering for the next race. By this point in the year I just want to sack it all off and go riding. One race to go, crazy missions planned for the few weeks after.