Autumn & winter road cycling

At the moment I am in Sweden and trying to ride through the autumn and winter:

It’s late November and it’s closing in on December; winter cycling is here.  Every cyclist and every place in the world have different views on winter and winter riding. When is it winter, how cold, damp and dark it must be to be called winter etcetera etcetera. I can almost get offended when people from warmer places talking about winter riding in sun and 12° (54F) but I guess people living in northern Scandinavia, Canada, Russia are thinking the same about me. I will ramble on and discuss a bit about how I tackle riding in the winter months of southern Sweden, which I am doing now, with clothing, gear, training, nutrition and so on.

I don’t ride if it’s under 5° (40F), mostly because there is a chance of ice on the roads but also because I have problems keeping my hands and feet warm. I hope I can get over this in the future by getting a gravel bike or mountain bike and ride slower in the woods. Right now, I only have a road bike at my disposal. Luckily the temperature has been ranging from 5-9 the past week and it looks like it will continue to be like that for a while. The problem is that mild temperatures in the winter comes with moist and often strong winds which limits the outdoor rides for me. Low temperatures, rain and strong winds combined = indoor training for this chicken.                                                                                                              This week, I did a 4-hour endurance ride in 8° (46F) with thick grey autumn clouds. The road was damp, not soaked but still wet enough to create some spray. The air is saturated at this time of year, almost like a fog, but thankfully, the wind was weak at the start of the ride. These conditions is almost as good as it gets here in southern Sweden in November and when you know it can become winter for real (snow and -15 for days) in a few weeks there is no hesitation if you want to get some base miles done.

I went out after breakfast wearing following:

• ·         Long sleeve base layer from Peak Performance
• ·         Castelli Sorpasso Wind stopper Bib tights
• ·         dhb Aeron winter merino socks
• ·         dhb Classic Thermal long sleeve jersey
• ·         BBB helmet hat
• ·         Dhb neoprene nylon overshoe (over a pair of Sidi Shot, if it rains: Velotoze under the overshoe)
• ·         Dhb Roubaix liner glove
• ·         Cross country skiing gloves
• ·         Castelli Riparo rain jacket

And of course, I wear a helmet and glasses. Even if I stayed in heart rate zone 2 I got cooked within the rain jacket and decided to go back after 50 km to change, I replaced the rain jacket and put on arm warmers under the base layer and jersey and a Sportful hotpack gilet as a shell. This was a much better combination for this weather and riding, and this is how I will dress the next time and bring the rain jacket with me for emergencies and/or weather changes.                                                                                         

                                                      

        

I would like to improve my wardrobe and have a more versatile and warm jersey that doesn’t need a gilet or jacket to protect from wind and road spray, fog and some drizzle. I also need a better pair of gloves; my skiing gloves are warm but can’t handle water at all and the Assos gloves I have in a drawer somewhere only work over 10° in dry weather. I’d like some windproof, water resistant and thermal. Do they even exist? My toes get a bit cold and I might try a toe warmer in the future. I also might invest in a headband to let some warmth out but keeping my cold ears warm.                                                                                                                         

I pulled the trigger on a Castelli Perfetto 2018 model for 105 €/116 $ and a pair of Castelli Estremo gloves at 52 €/58 $. Hopefully I can try the new gear next week.

Enough about clothing and climate. It's hard to ride fast in the fall and winter so I plan my routes shorter than usually and more carefully to protect myself from strong winds. A long stop for me is more or less game over in the wintertime because I get to cold very fast so stops for refilling water bottles are also of great concern. With nutrition I stick to the same old (more on that another time) but I never bring anything that can be tricky to open and/or eat wearing bulky gloves. 

I downgraded the wheels from my original carbon wheels to a pair of heavy weight entry level wheels I borrowed of a friend. An ass-saver is always a nifty little thing to keep your ass dry that doesn't cost much money or time to install.

It's tough to fight the elements riding your bike. But the feeling after an endurance ride is worth it. I usually rinse and clean the bike immediately when I get back home from a wet and grim ride, then have a recovery drink followed by a nice shower. After I have dried up and put some warm, clean and comfortable clothes on, I have a cup of coffee while checking my stats from the ride, preferably in bed under the blanket. 

After writing the post-ride ritual I can't wait for my next outdoor endurance ride :)