Winter #Cycling Tips

Published on: 12th January 2012
By Green Jersey Cycling

Winter can be a lovely time to be out on the bike on a crisp clear day. Here are our top ten tips for winter cycling:

1. Dress in layers. You may still sweat even if it's cold, and you need to keep moisture away from your body.

2. If you do get hot, unzip an inner layer, not your outer layer. This will stop the cold wind blasting down your chest.

3. Fit wider tyres; you'll have better grip on wet roads and your summer tyres will not have the same grip in winter. There is a greater risk of puncture due to a lot more grit and rubbish on the road. Check the treads are OK too.

4. Now is a good time to check you have enough spare inner tubes and can change one quickly. You don't want to be hanging during the winter months with glue and patches.

5. Dress like a Christmas tree. You cannot have enough reflective material and no colour is too bright.

6. Make sure you take lights if there's any possibility of riding in the dusk or dark - the half-light of dusk is often the most dangerous time as drivers rush home after work and it is difficult to see. Consider a head or helmet torch. If you look directly at cars waiting in side streets and at junctions, they'll know you're there and are less likely to pull out. They're also far better for seeing what you're doing if you do need to tweak something on your bike or fix a flat.

7. Make sure you have enough power / spare batteries for your lights.

8. Allow slightly more time for your ride. People invariably ride slower in winter. The 'Spring bounce' will suddenly see you get quicker.

9. Remember to keep drinking as much as in summer, and to keep eating too on longer rides. If you're out for more than half an hour you should always take a drink with you.

10. We find the hardest part is getting out through the door. Once we're out there we rarely regret it!

Happy cycling and we hope to see you next year!

Green Jersey Cycling: 12th Jan 2012 09:00:00