Winter Cycle Training

Or how to survive Britain when it is cold, dark and wet.

By Anne Fuller.

Winter is the time of year when most of the base (distance) training has to take place. Dark nights and bad weather make running bad enough but cycling is particularly unappealing. After years of returning from rides frozen and soaked, here are my survival tips.

Training Partners

Picture the scene, you plan to ride 20/30/40/50 miles by yourself and when you wake up the sky looks black and it is sure to rain. How tempting to roll over and go back to sleep.

Alternatively you plan to ride 20/30/40/50 miles with your Saturday training gang and when you wake up the sky looks black and it is sure to rain. How embarrassing to admit that you are too much of a wimp to go out training.

Training partners are essential for cycling – the ideal person is someone who rides at a similar pace or just a little faster. If your training needs / pace are not identical to those of your partners, try the following:

Ride two or more loops so that people can join and leave the ride at pre-arranged points
For faster work, ride laps so that people can work at the own level but still be motivated by the others. You can even time the first loop for everyone and after that set off at times which provide the right handicap.
Use hill reps to gain power and stamina – again everyone can ride at their own pace. Short steep hills develop power whilst longer hills are better for stamina.

Clothing

Warm, waterproof, windproof cycle clothing is essential and it is worth spending some money on good kit. Goretex is expensive but it does provide the best waterproofing without becoming clammy inside. There are many suppliers of specialist cycling waterproofs – features to look out for are jackets which cover the lower back and are 'breathable'. Remember that most drivers are not cyclist-aware. Black cycling jackets may look cool but as they are the same colour as the road they will not help your visibility...

Windproof kit is also a bonus – clothing can include windproof panels in jackets, gillets and long tights.

Wear multiple layers of clothing and avoid cotton as it holds sweat. If you are unsure of the conditions carry leg and arm warmers with you. These are stretchy 'stockings' that can be pulled onto arms and legs as required. They may not look cool but they are a life-saver if it turns cold or you are riding down long descents.

The other vital piece of equipment is a good pair of overshoes. These come in two types – neoprene, which provide warmth but are not waterproof and those designed to be waterproof. The latter tend to be more expensive but as a confirmed wimp I reckon that they are definitely worth the money. On really cold days I double up and wear both neoprene and Goretex overshoes; much better than thawing your feet in the washbasin when you get home. Another good option is waterproof walking socks.

Other kit:

Warm / waterproof gloves with padding under the palm. Bright / reflective material will make you more visible especially when signalling.

Balaclava / ski collar.

For Winter riding I recommend SPD type shoes which allow you to walk normally. Metal cleats on icy roads are far too dangerous.

For safety reasons it is a good idea to wear glasses – you will need some with clear lenses for dull days. Yellow lenses improve your vision on night rides.

Training Bike

Think of the beautiful paintwork on your best racing bike all covered in mud, your best wheels ploughing through the floods, ugh….

A cheap training bike is essential for the Winter and your cycling benefits from riding something which is not as light and responsive as your racing bike. Ideally buy second hand – it does not have to look beautiful but a decent quality group set will last longer than cheaper components.

Other tips for your training bike:

Tri bars are not necessary and they are unsafe when used in a group. You will look like a ‘proper’ cyclist rather than a triathlete without them.
If your bike does not have mud guards purchase a rear one of the clip on plastic type. They don’t help the person behind much but they are fantastic for keeping your bottom dry.
Use tyres which are a decent width e.g. 23mm and which have a good tread. Slicks are not safe on slippery roads.
Carry a proper tool kit, spare inner tubes, pump and puncture repair kit. Learn how to use them! Failing that carry a mobile phone and plenty of money for taxis.

Safety

Icy Roads

DO NOT ride on icy roads – it is too dangerous. Wait until later in the day to start your ride and stick to roads which have been gritted and had some sun on them. Avoid country lanes which are shaded by trees – these may be icy even when other roads are clear.

Riding at Night

Cycling on the roads is hazardous at the best of times and cycling at night even more so. Try the following:

Ride in a group – you will be much more visible
Try to stick to roads which are lit
Wear bright clothing
Wear a reflective vest or Sam Brown belt
Wear reflective ankle straps – these are particularly good as they move and attract attention. The reflectors which attach to the spokes of the wheel are also good.
To avoid breaking the law you should have a constant red light on the rear of the bike but it is a good idea to have a flashing light as well – these are more visible
There are two types of front light – those which allow you to be seen and those which allow you to see. The second type guzzle batteries and have a limited life (usually 2-4 hours) before the batteries drain. Be sure to check that this is sufficient for your planned ride. Use re-chargeable batteries to save money.

Riding Safely in a Group

Riding safely in a group requires that certain rules are adhered to – if you break these rules when riding with a cycling club you will very soon be informed of the transgression! The most important thing to remember is that by riding in front of someone you are blocking their view of the road ahead and they have to rely on you to indicate hazards.

You should use a combination of hand signals and voice to indicate hazards. There are three important signals:

Point down to the road on the left or right to indication a hole, drain, glass etc.
Wave your left arm behind your back to indicate a parked car or obstruction that others will need to move out to avoid.
To indicate the need to slow down, ‘pat’ the air with your right hand (palm towards the road).

If it is not safe to take one hand off the bars you should shout instead – e.g. ‘hole left’, ‘gravel’.

Other things to remember when riding in a group:

NEVER use tri bars unless you are at the front. You will not be able to reach your brakes quickly enough if those in front of you have to slow down suddenly.
Ride side by side when road conditions permit or ride behind – it is dangerous to allow your front wheel to overlap the bike in front. If they wobble or have to swerve, you will be the one who ends up on the road.
Do not overtake on the inside unless you are sure that the other rider knows your plans.

Turbo Training

If you don’t fancy the roads at night, turbo training is one alternative. This is best done in a garage or shed as you tend to fry indoors. Basic turbo trainers are well under £100 or for those with money to spare you can buy the most sophisticated computer trainers for about £1000.

Find a friend to turbo train with if possible.

It takes a bit of time to adjust the equipment to give just the right amount of resistance. You should then be able to use your gears to change the work rate as you would on the road. Leave the bike in place if possible to save time.

Always plan your session – ideally you should have a heart rate monitor and a bike computer that measures cadence (pedal revolutions per minute). These help you to judge your effort level and some make the session more interesting.

Some sample sessions are shown below:

HILL SESSION

Warm up for 10 minutes starting with a very light gear and gradually increasing the work level. Keep the cadence at 90 or above.

Seated climbing Change to a gear which you can just turn for one minute at a cadence of 70. Complete 10 x 1 minute in this gear with 1 minute easy spinning in between. On completion of the 10^th ‘climb’ take a 5 minute recovery spinning an easy gear.

Standing climbing Change to a gear which when standing on the pedals you can just turn for one minute at a cadence of 60. Complete 10 x 1 minute in this gear with 1 minute easy spinning in between. On completion of the 10^th ‘climb’ perform a 10 minute warm down spinning an easy gear.

THRESHOLD SESSION

General information

This session is based on riding a period at your threshold pulse rate – typically 85% of your working heart rate (WHR). You really need a pulse monitor for this one and you also need to work out your maximum heart rate when cycling – note that this may be different from that when running (about 10 beats less in my case).

To find your maximum heart rate find a long continuous hill – this should take over 5 minutes to climb when riding hard and should ideally become steeper towards the end. Wear your pulse monitor for the ride, warm up well and then ride up the hill at 100% effort – you should be about to fall off with exhaustion as you reach the top. Make a note of your pulse.

If the method above is a bit macho you could try a similar test on a turbo trainer or on an exercise bike. Failing this you can use the VERY approximate guide of 220 minus your age as a maximum.

Calculate 85% of working heart rate as follows:

Measure your resting heart rate first thing in the morning (e.g. 60 beats per minute)
Subtract this from your maximum heart rate (e.g. 175 – 60 = 115)
Calculate 85% of the figure above (e.g. 85% 115 = 98)
Add this figure to your resting heart rate (e.g. 60 + 98 = 158) = this is the heart rate to aim for during the main part of this session

The session

Warm up for 10 minutes starting with a very light gear and gradually increasing the work level. Keep the cadence at 90 or above.

Increase the work level using your gears until you have reached your target heart rate of 85% WHR. Once at this heart rate maintain it for 20 minutes. Your cadence should not drop below 90.

Warm down for 10 minutes spinning an easy gear.

Spinning

Organised spinning classes at your local gym are a good alternative to turbo training. Whilst you have less control over the type of session, you can enjoy the music and you have an instructor and other class members to keep you motivated.

Tips for spinning classes:

Some bikes have pedals with SPD cleats – take your cycling shoes with you if these are available.
Take a water bottle and a small towel.
If possible book two consecutive classes to provide a longer ‘endurance’ session.
Wear a pulse monitor if you have one.
Arrive in plenty of time to set up the bike.

Warm Weather Training Camps

This is my personal favourite – there is nothing better than spending a week or two during the depths if the Winter doing some training in the sun. Training camps take place in many countries including ‘exotic’ locations such as South Africa and California. For those on a budget, Spain is good value with camps taking place in locations such as the Costa Blanca, Majorca and Lanzarote.

A training camp is not the place to start gettin fit – you will have a much more enjoyable and productive time if you are reasonably fit before you arrive.

Official camps fall into two categories:

Specialist cycling camps - read the cycling magazines for advertisements. Be careful to select a camp the offers groups matching your abilities. Remember - a 'slow' group may still cover 50+ miles during the rides
Triathlon camps - these provide training in all three disciplines and tend to cater for a wider range of cycling abilities than the specialist cycle camps.

Tips for enjoying training camps:

Remember that you are there to train for races – you do not have to ‘win’ the training rides.
Take rest days if you need them – you are not being a wimp but listening to your body.
Buy a decent map and take tools and money in case you are dropped.
Form your own sub-groups if the main groups are riding at the wrong pace for you.

Happy Winter cycling