So winter has finally arrived and cycling in winter is not a very easy task like it seems on usual days. Many don’t feel good to go on a ride on a cold and chill winter season and would choose to stay in their warm blanket near the heater with a hot coffee in their hand. But cycling in this cold season has its benefits. So in this blog, I will give you five tips that can help you to on a comfortable ride in winter. But first, let’s have a short look at how it will benefit you and your cycling.
Benefits
Cycling in winter can provide lots of benefits to your body. As you ride long distances regularly for many weeks you gain numbers of Mitochondria in your cells and see their growth in size. Increase in the number of mitochondria let you produce more energy for your body and ride even longer. You are not only increasing your energy production by cycling in winter but also you are increasing your aerobic range.
Wear proper winter clothes
You cannot go cycling wearing summer clothes. So it is very necessary to keep your body warm during the ride in cold weather. You can choose the base layer that will keep you warm and it would be very nice if your jacket is waterproof, windproof and thermal.
And try to avoid thick clothing as it would result in sweating and accumulation of sweat which can make you feel wet and cold. And don't forget about the head. Covering your head properly, because most of your body heat get out through your head.
Get enough food and drink
It is always important to have enough food before and during the ride regardless of the season.
And in winter, try to have some warm food items with you. You need to eat sufficient food to maintain your energy level and fat because your body does more work to keep your body warm during the ride. You can eat energy bars during the ride but at low temperatures, some energy bars become very hard so try to keep them warm. You can keep them in your back pocket.
It would be much better if there is a cafe shop on your path you can stop there and take a little rest there and have hot coffee.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
There is always loss of water whether it is summer or winter. So, try to keep yourself hydrated all the time irrespective of that you are sweating or not.
During cycling in winter, you may not feel like you are losing water but you are losing water from the air you expire. You can use warm water if the temperature is too low and warm water can also help you to maintain your core body temperature.
When we are talking about hydration, you also have to restore the sodium ion levels that you have lost through your sweat. It would be nice if you can add some sodium ions or use rehydration packets in water.
Use light and reflectors
If you are going on early morning ride on a snowy area use lights and reflectors to improve your visibility as it is very common to have fog in the early morning in winter season due to the cooling of the air close to the surface.
It could become very difficult to see around the fog and mist by you and by other riders and nearby passers that increase the chances of accidents.
So to avoid this use light to increase your visibility and reflectors so that others could see you by the reflections if they are behind you.
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Maintain Your Bike Properly
It is always important to look after your bike but in winter season you have to give more proper care to your bike as you have to protect your bike from the salty road that can cause corrosion and damage in your bike.
Pay more attention to the moving parts like chain, gear, cable and more. Always wash off the dirt accumulated on a bike or at least wipe them up with a clean cloth. Regularly do oiling of the chain and look after the rim and brake blocks.
Maintaining your bike regularly can help you to go on a smooth ride without many breakdowns in winter.
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