Viking55803

Here in far Northern Minnesota the bare trees and hard freezes are upon us. Unless I decide to invest in a Fat Bike, outdoor riding will soon be too uncomfortable for my beta-blocked hands and feet. X-country skiing and snowshoeing are always on the agenda, but only if snow conditions support it. I left off strength training when the riding season began, so I will be returning to the dreaded gym and hopping on the turbo-trainer. I also believe I need to add some flexibility work like yoga or targeted stretching, but I've never been able to get into a routine that works. With anything, consistency seems to be the magic ingredient.

I usually do best when I set some goals for the coming year. Those change from year to year, but here is what I've come up with so far:

1. Consistently push myself a bit beyond my comfort level
2. Keep my weight around 165
3. One day of strength training/week during cycling season
4. Work on flexibility
5. Increase hill work and intervals next year

Last year my goals were more around bike fit, comfort and riding more miles - all accomplished. Still, this transition period is difficult psychologically and EVERYONE in my neck of woods gets ravenously hungry in the fall - like bears preparing for hibernation. I am not immune to appetite. Everything tastes better this time of year.

Any thoughts or strategies you use to prepare for winter. Californians need not reply (I lived in So Cal from age 2 to 24, so I know what you call winter we call summer!)

Jim from Boston

Due to a busy work-family life, all my fitness activities are cycling, and almost all my cycling is year-round commuting. I’m fortunate to have nice, safe, doable 14 mile one-way, and easily extendable routes. Getting to work is the motivation, and fitness is the benefit. I’m all ready now for winter riding. (I do consider strength training, as I might do in the office after hours, and I used to be pretty good at yoga; maybe this post will awaken those activities.)

For the past ten years I have followed a defined cycle-training progam during the summer based on miles. This summer however I changed to an emphasis on speed and intensity, as assessed by Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE), reducing the miles; and now those long rides are falling away with the season. I have found though, the shorter and more intense rides to be even more satisfying than previous longer rides. So I think I have a new method to optimize my winter training.

My first goal, for the rest of this year, is to better fit in my tuxedo by New Year’s Eve.

TriDanny47

Winters can be tough here in my part of the Midwest too - not as cold but a lot of snow at times. Best thing I did for my winter fitness was add a fat bike to the collection - snow conditions the last two winters were hard for cross country and I get bored snowshoeing after a while - the bike kept me out there riding the past three winters - and I intend to do more this year or at least hope to based on a warmer and drier winter prediction from NOAA. I also did a triathlon training program the past 2 winters and spent a lot of time in the pool at my gym because swimming is by far my weakest of the three disciplines.

Jim from Boston

Since I ride pavement only, with a layer of salt most of the winter, besides often with ice, snow and/or slush, my pristine CF road bike goes into winter storage. I ride my beater, but quality Cannondale mountain bike with Marathon Winter studded tires always on, from December into April.

I recently replied to this Living Car Free Forum, ”How does your winter weather look?"

Mind you, I make no bones about my winter conditions compared to Duluth and "your part of the Midwest."

Carbonfiberboy 

Chris Carmichael is of the opinion that fall and winter is the best time to lose weight. After looking at my weight graph for the past year, I agree with him. It's easier now because one does fewer intense efforts which require adequate fueling in the off season. During the season one fuels before, during, and after big efforts, which makes it harder to cut weight without hurting performance.

I ride my road bike on my resistance rollers several times a week, usually for an hour a time. Occasionally it's a recovery ride, but more often a steady VT1 ride or pedaling drills. I don't do interval work until January. I go to the gym twice a week, starting with body recomposition work to aid in weight loss and build strength for next season, then phase into cycling specific weight workouts in January. Here in the PNW I can usually get out once a week for a hard group ride, which helps a lot. I used to do spin class at the gym, but found my roller workouts to be more helpful, though more boring.

I strongly recommend getting a set of resistance rollers. They're a lifetime investment. These look good:
https://www.sportcrafters.com/produc...ve-pro-rollers

I also ski alpine, XC, backcountry, and snowshoe, but that requires decent snow, which we didn't have last year and almost certainly won't have this year either. If there's no snow and it's not raining, I'll hike.

I do these stretches:
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...l#post15372967
Seem to be all that's necessary.

kini62

Trainerroad and follow one the their plans. Mid volume plans are typically 4 days/week. Leave a few days for weights or other activities.

Ravenwing

I'm trying the Trainerroad mid-volume plan route this year. Winters are just too harsh around here to get any quality training outdoors. With logging trucks and snow plows or sanding/salting operations, its too dangerous and too hard on the bike anyway. I also aim for one to two days per week of resistance/core training, with some snow-shoeing and hopefully xc- skiing thrown in for variety. But the primary focus is going to be on the trainer, building base and hopefully improving rather than losing fitness and gaining weight over the winter.

BikeArkansas

Walk, Walk, Walk. Finally tried this last winter. Works very well. Maybe some weights on the wrists and ankles, but walk.

nobodyhere

I walk and walk and swim, go to spinning class when I can stand it, and ride when I can (which is quite a bit, even considering the snow, etc.) I would find ankle and wrist weights to 1) give me a poor walk, and 2) give me a poor workout. I prefer separating them, and doing them correctly and enjoying each fully.

BTW, here is my weight chart.

Last year - 207
This year - 196

tg16

If I can make a suggestion on the yoga, check with a local Hindu temple a yoga group there. I've been to the regular yoga and though the mystical garbage was a load of you know what. I sometimes go with my wife to a Hindu yoga group that meets once a week and it was all business.

JohnJ80

I'm a fellow Minnesotan. I share your pain completely. Few here on this forum understand the weather challenge we face in the winter or the length of it.

This year, after trying all the other stuff - rollers, trainers, etc... and now that the last kid is out of college shortly, I just bit the bullet and bought a fat bike. I, too, looked at it as a last resort but I do think it's going to be the answer. I don't like riding on a bike indoors ("hate" or "loathe" might be better words) so I've never been able to make that stick. I'm an avid skier so between that and fat biking, that will be something done every day. Snowshoeing is something we do a lot of too when the snow shows up. And I like being outdoors. So, fatbike it is.

Staying warm with hands and toes is going to be the trick. I just ordered a pair of pogies for the bike I picked up yesterday which should work great. I've had them on my road bike when it gets cold and it's more a problem cooling my hands down than keeping them warm. Pedals on the fatbike are platforms so bring your favorite cold weather footwear and you're good to go. I figure I can do this until about -5F comfortably maybe lower if the wind is down.

Sorry to say, but I think that's the ticket. If you want to do the trainer route, call me. I've got one lightly used I'd sell you cheap. The flip side of all of this is that I'm insanely excited to get on the bike this winter. Can't ever remember thinking that before. Watch this video of our friends on the UP in Marquette fat biking in the snow and winter. Can't wait.

J.

irwin7638

Switch two of my bikes to studded snow tires, and use the MUP's more often for recreational riding.

Marc

StanSeven

Right. Weights were found to cause injuries by altering strides. What you are doing is smart. You can always increase walking pace to increase the effort.

gregf83 

I watched the video but most of the riding appeared to be on reasonably packed snow that you could use a regular MTB on. How do the fat bikes work in say 6-12" of fresh snow? Do they require a packed trail?

nobodyhere

yes

Ankle weights for fitness walkers: Good idea? - Mayo Clinic

JohnJ80

Not "required" but it's going to depend on the consistency of the snow, snow depth, age of the snow and what's under the snow (etc).

Go to YouTube and search for "fatbike snow" and you'll get a better idea of what's doable.

J.