1- Dress for the weather you are about to ride in.
It sounds incredibly simple but making sure you have the right kit for the winter and the ride you have
planned will greatly help with giving yourself the right motivation to get out there when the temperatures get
into the single digits. Komoot has a great feature where you can check the weather forecast before you leave
which will give you accurate information on what the weather will be like whilst you are out. You can select
the time you are planning to leave and will be shown a breakdown of the temperature, precipitation, wind and
sunrise or sunset. Check out some of the lovely kit from Attacus
2- Ride with mates.
There is nothing better than sharing the road with a friend, so take the opportunity to crunch some miles with
a nice cafe stop where you can chat the whole way round. It’ll make the miles fly by and it’s the perfect
opportunity to set the world right. For me, I often plan a route to a cafe we haven’t been to before, which
keeps the motivation high to see some new roads. On a side note of this, I’d also say get some mudguards
on your bike. Your mate will thank you later.
3- Try riding to another town or city you have never visited by bike, and get the train home.
Even though the days are a bit shorter (remember those lights), you can definitely still get out and have your
own little adventures. I know so often we think about riding from our front door and then returning to it but
maybe plan a longer ride, to a town or city you have never ridden to before and then get the train back. It’s a
great opportunity to see somewhere new, sample the local cakes, a hot meal or other delicacies you may
fancy when you arrive and then wrap up with some additional warm layers for your train journey home.
Maybe planning a few of these little adventures will help keep winter exciting for you.
4- Explore some new roads or trails.
Are you getting bored of riding the same little loops or routes? I know I do often get a bit fed up of doing the
same so, the moment I do, I use this as an excuse to plan a new little adventure. I’ve used Komoot for route
planning for several years now, whether that’s from cycling across Australia or just trying to figure out a new
hour loop from my front door. Maybe this is the ideal time to try something a little different? That could be
some gravel riding or hitting some trails on a MTB. There is tonnes of fantastic bike parks across the UK
which all have great rental bike options and cleaning facilities.
5- Set off a bit later.
This one is my biggest tip, especially when the temperatures have really plummeted and we have started to
see some snow or ice. Setting off even an hour later when it’s a bit lighter and marginally warmer will allow
some of the dreaded black ice to thaw somewhat. No one likes crashing so have that extra coffee in the
morning instead.
6- Make sure you have lights and if you can, fit mudguards.
Your mates will thank you for the second part of this definitely. I know some people are not the biggest fan of
them but not only will mudguards keep your friends from eating half of the road spray from your rear wheel, it
will also help protect some of your drivetrain to help make it last longer. Winter is all about looking after your
bike in the best possible way you can. As the days get shorter make sure you have a good set of lights which
are charged just incase you get caught out.
7- Treat yourself!
It’s always worth pointing out that hard work deserves an extra treat at the cafe or when you get home. It’s the festive season after all!