One plan and manageable route. By this, we simply mean having an idea of where you’re going, how far it is, and the relative difficulty or lack thereof of the terrain. Fire up Google Maps or even an old-fashioned map to decide. It’s important to know what’s coming up from a practical, physical, and psychological perspective.
How fit are you? Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you are a relative novice, pick terrain and a distance that you know you can complete. Your soon-gained fitness and your ability to ride faster and longer over more challenging terrain will improve.
How far from home should I go? Again, this depends on how confident and fit you are. If you’re unsure, try doing loops near where you live so you can get the miles in. But in a worst-case scenario, you’re never too far from home. Don’t ride 30 miles straight out in one direction then realize you haven’t got the strength to ride back.
Do I ride alone or with friends? Put simply, if you’re going out alone, planning is even more vital. Know your route, the time when the sun sets, and be properly prepared with clothing and kit. Always carry a phone and cash. Riding with others is great. It gives you extra motivation to leave the house, makes the miles pass quicker, and provides the comfort of moral and practical support on the road.
Consider the weather. Dress accordingly, and before you ride, check the local forecast. It may be that you can avoid weather fronts by riding in a different direction. Look at wind direction, especially if you aren’t too fit. Ride a route that will enable you to have a tailwind home. It’s remarkably unpleasant to have to plow into a headwind when you’re fatigued and there’s still 30 miles to go. Conversely, if you’re feeling good, turn this around to get the full training effect.
Should I stop at a cafe? This is entirely up to you. Some people do, some don’t. But again, decide before the ride. Ideally, it should be around the halfway point. Especially in the pre-January months, cafes are a great way to socialize and break up the ride, offering a great place to refuel. Don’t stop if you’re wet through, though. It’s not a great idea to start a winter ride damp.
Tell someone where you’ve gone. Letting someone else know the route you’ve chosen before you go out will make it easy for them to find you if the worst comes to the worst.
Riding in the early winter months, unless you’re a top pro, is all about simply enjoying riding your bike without any real structure. The theory behind this thinking is as follows: If you fancy a ride, ride; but if you don’t, just rest up. This way of thinking will soon enable you to regain the hunger to train after a season of hard riding. As a beginner, it will also ease you into training gradually.
Typically, this time of year is also a good baseline to ride around three to four times a week, one day of which, normally at the weekend, could be a two to five-hour ride at an easy to steady, sustainable pace. The only real structure is that it’s vitally important to enjoy your riding. This longer ride can be augmented by steady sessions on the turbo trainer and/or short rides between an hour or two, depending on circumstances and ability.
As we progress further into the winter months, your longer ride should increase in duration, as should the average speed of your ride. You should also consider some harder terrain, a few good climbs, but still keep things aerobic. There’s no need at this stage to up things too dramatically, just a gradual increase in distance and tempo with a view to setting things up for later in the winter when the harder riding begins.
Remember that riding in a group will enable you to ride further with less effort, and riding alone is generally harder as you have no periods of rest. This is a major factor to consider when planning rides.
Depth of winter? Make a lucky jacket potato. Get some tin foil and wrap it over your socks and toes before putting them into your cycling shoe. This provides superb insulation against the.