Having a break from riding in winter

Nearholmer
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by Nearholmer »

The average frequency of air frosts ranges from 42.8 days at the NIAB site,[80] to 48.3 days at the Botanic Garden[81] per year over the 1981–2010 period. Typically the coldest night of the year at the Botanic Garden will fall to −8.0 °C (17.6 °F).[82] Such minimum temperatures and frost averages are typical for inland areas across much of southern and central England. [Wikipedia entry for Cambridge]
mattheus
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by mattheus »

Climate change HAS reduced the number of icy mornings in MY bits of Southern England. I would bet my h*lmet that it's siimilar across England.

But I still think it's a real risk for cyclsits, especially those commuting before sun-up. Ice can be very localized; you just need one icy patch in the wrong place. Once you're on the deck, it's no help knowing that the average temp in your area is just above freezing.

And mjr is right about extreme weather:
mjr wrote: 11 Oct 2022, 11:49am Climate change means more extreme and faster changes, not only warmer.
yostumpy
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by yostumpy »

I ride all year round, snow 'n'all, but I've just had 3 weeks off, due to being busy,and having had a really bad, lingering cold, seemingly contracted at a BHPC race, (chilly wind). Also been down in Cornwall for a week,struggling with cliff top walks, and wheezing. Yesterday I had a double flu and covid jab session. Today went for a short ride, and struggled with 22km.. So yes,it's nice to take a break,but it does you no favours in the end. Best keep going all year.
ed.lazda
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by ed.lazda »

Cugel wrote: 10 Oct 2022, 12:00pm In practice, one doesn't want to go slower
Some of us don't have the choice :D
irc
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by irc »

Winter break for me. My current job doesn't suit bike commuting so it's a hobby for me. Any chance of ice and I'm not cycling. The risk of a broken hip isn't worth it. I would rather go hillwalking.

That said I am going to try and get out as late into the winter as I can before stopping.
djnotts
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by djnotts »

I like to think of myself as "every day, all year" unless 1. away on holiday or 2. medical appointments prevail. My base objective for the year is to have averaged at least 400 miles per month,
500 would be a bonus.
Admittedly I do not go out on ice, then I do 10 on basic trainer and I do count those miles, mainly because "miles" is a proxy for keeping track of my copd decline.
So far this year max month September at 572, min June at 349 because of being on holiday.
"Every day" has been my rule for at least 15 years, though I am not inclined to go out in pouring rain or snow nowadays - an age thing! My lungs can't handle more than 30-40 a day, so regular if short only way I can meet my "targets".
From the start if the first lock down I did 144 days without a break!
mattheus
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by mattheus »

djnotts wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 10:04am
From the start if the first lock down I did 144 days without a break!
I don't track these things, but partly cos I commute by bike (an easy flat 5 miles) I'm pretty sure I can beat 144 comfortably!
(My only holidays in 2020 were bike-based, so that helped too.)

Keep it up dj :) 👍🏼
djnotts
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by djnotts »

mattheus wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 10:19am
djnotts wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 10:04am
From the start if the first lock down I did 144 days without a break!
I don't track these things, but partly cos I commute by bike (an easy flat 5 miles) I'm pretty sure I can beat 144 comfortably!
(My only holidays in 2020 were bike-based, so that helped too.)

Keep it up dj :) 👍🏼
Commuting must be a great motivation.
At 74 I don't have that base load!
Your annual total must be impressive indeed - good work!
awavey
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by awavey »

djnotts wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 11:31am
mattheus wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 10:19am
djnotts wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 10:04am
From the start if the first lock down I did 144 days without a break!
I don't track these things, but partly cos I commute by bike (an easy flat 5 miles) I'm pretty sure I can beat 144 comfortably!
(My only holidays in 2020 were bike-based, so that helped too.)

Keep it up dj :) 👍🏼
Commuting must be a great motivation.
At 74 I don't have that base load!
Your annual total must be impressive indeed - good work!
commuting can go both ways as a motivator though, when I was wfh during lockdown, I was hitting crazy amount of miles and days riding as I could pick nice routes even if they become repetitive, to ride, as soon as Ive gone back to office commuting, because its generally not a nice ride in the rush hour, I get to the weekend and often find the motivation to ride on a nice route has completely gone.

so, Ill try to keep riding through winter, except when its icy. I do draw the line at ice and its not icy enough that often to bother with spikes in tyres.
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Cowsham
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by Cowsham »

Dingdong wrote: 6 Oct 2022, 4:33pm I just don't see the point in cycling on the short days, with little available failing daylight and the ever present threat of ice and snow.

Who needs it!? :lol:
Me -- I love the 15 mile journey to work at 6am in pitch dark -- I draw the line at temperatures below 3 degrees.

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but don't be
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Dingdong
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by Dingdong »

awavey wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 11:09pm
djnotts wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 11:31am
mattheus wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 10:19am
I don't track these things, but partly cos I commute by bike (an easy flat 5 miles) I'm pretty sure I can beat 144 comfortably!
(My only holidays in 2020 were bike-based, so that helped too.)

Keep it up dj :) 👍🏼
Commuting must be a great motivation.
At 74 I don't have that base load!
Your annual total must be impressive indeed - good work!
commuting can go both ways as a motivator though, when I was wfh during lockdown, I was hitting crazy amount of miles and days riding as I could pick nice routes even if they become repetitive, to ride, as soon as Ive gone back to office commuting, because its generally not a nice ride in the rush hour, I get to the weekend and often find the motivation to ride on a nice route has completely gone.

so, Ill try to keep riding through winter, except when its icy. I do draw the line at ice and its not icy enough that often to bother with spikes in tyres.
It's commuting that almost put me off cycling altogether. I absolutely hated it, it wasn't a big distance, only 10 miles each way, but it really dented my appetite to go out and ride for pleasure at the weekends. So much so, I bought scooter and never looked back. I cycle now exclusively for pleasure. I suppose of electric assist was available at the time that might have helped, but only if I could've cut my journey time down significantly.
Nearholmer
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by Nearholmer »

Yes, I found commuting (to and from the station) a serious drudge in winter, and it was never really compatible with arriving at the office looking smart, too much faffing with changes of clothes etc. Over a period of about 20 years my biking to the station drizzled down from daily to ‘periodically’ and I’d use bus or car instead. After I’d nominally retired, I did work 2 or 3 days a week for a period at a location only c5 miles from home, which had excellent bike storage and changing facilities, and that worked very well as a bike commute.
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Cowsham
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by Cowsham »

Dingdong wrote: 15 Oct 2022, 9:42am
awavey wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 11:09pm
djnotts wrote: 14 Oct 2022, 11:31am

Commuting must be a great motivation.
At 74 I don't have that base load!
Your annual total must be impressive indeed - good work!
commuting can go both ways as a motivator though, when I was wfh during lockdown, I was hitting crazy amount of miles and days riding as I could pick nice routes even if they become repetitive, to ride, as soon as Ive gone back to office commuting, because its generally not a nice ride in the rush hour, I get to the weekend and often find the motivation to ride on a nice route has completely gone.

so, Ill try to keep riding through winter, except when its icy. I do draw the line at ice and its not icy enough that often to bother with spikes in tyres.
It's commuting that almost put me off cycling altogether. I absolutely hated it, it wasn't a big distance, only 10 miles each way, but it really dented my appetite to go out and ride for pleasure at the weekends. So much so, I bought scooter and never looked back. I cycle now exclusively for pleasure. I suppose of electric assist was available at the time that might have helped, but only if I could've cut my journey time down significantly.
Exactly why I bought / built the electric bike -- to save my energy ( and sweat ) for riding my non assisted bikes for pleasure. Also use the lecky to do shopping or most trips in and out of town. ( about a 10 mile round trip )
I am here. Where are you?
awavey
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by awavey »

Dingdong wrote: 15 Oct 2022, 9:42am It's commuting that almost put me off cycling altogether. I absolutely hated it, it wasn't a big distance, only 10 miles each way, but it really dented my appetite to go out and ride for pleasure at the weekends. So much so, I bought scooter and never looked back. I cycle now exclusively for pleasure. I suppose of electric assist was available at the time that might have helped, but only if I could've cut my journey time down significantly.
if commuting was the only cycling I could do, it would put me off completely I think, because the only viable choice of route brings me into near constant conflict with other vehicles on the road, everything from cars, buses, vans, trucks, HGVs, tipper trucks and farm machinery, you name it theyve close passed me or near knocked me off.

and its just not alot of fun most of the time like that, sometimes its ok, but most of the time you get home sort of relieved to be in one piece still, and it can totally get inside your head and you start associating cycling with these bad experiences and then cycling becomes a chore not pleasure, and when the weekend leisure cycling comes, even though you know youll be on much less intense traffic routes, and theyll be nice fun rides, it becomes much easier to surf the couch instead and switch off totally from cycling

Like that last August bank holiday Id planned a whole bunch of rides over that period to get that last summer ride thing done, but I had such a bad set of experiences commuting in the week leading upto it, got to the weekend and I just put my bike literally in the back room, shut the door on it and left it there all 3 days, I couldnt go near it, till I had to get back in the saddle for the commute the next week.
Jon in Sweden
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Re: Having a break from riding in winter

Post by Jon in Sweden »

This is going to be my first winter back on the bike in over 15 years. And it's going to be a Swedish winter, so no doubt interesting.

I've just ordered my studded tyres and winter gloves, but I'm struggling on the shoes front. Being size 49-50 means I have almost no choice.

But I'm intending to do at least 150km a week throughout winter. With studded tyres, deserted back/gravel roads, appropriate clothing and a bloody good headlight, I'll be fine.

What's interesting though is that most of the local cyclists go entirely indoor (Zwift etc) through winter. I couldn't imagine anything worse personally. For me, as well as the fitness aspect, getting out on the bike is a mental health and wellbeing thing. You don't get that in your garage staring at a screen.
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