Ive recently gotten quite into riding my gravel bike and worry about winter already
#1
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Ive recently gotten quite into riding my gravel bike and worry about winter already
Starting in March this year I really upped my riding to around 4 or 5 rides a week (usually 2-4 hours per ride). I'm having so much fun (and getting very fit) with all this I'm just now getting a bit nervous about winter (yes, it's ridiculous, it's only May!). I live in the Czech Republic where we have fairly cold winters but I know nothing about riding in the winter. Do you all still ride quite a bit who live in climates like me? You just buy obviously very warm gear and continue to ride? Of course if there is snow or ice, I wouldn't ride but on cold days with decent conditions on the roads and in the woods, I guess I can still ride. Just need to invest in some real solid winter gear I suppose.
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This is actually good moment, maybe a tad too late to get winter tires. Because of the steep slopes in Praha you should need studded tires in midwinter. As to clothes, you need actually less coverage in riding than in walking, as you generate heat at a faster rate. However, loose regular clothes and shoes are preferred to any tightly adhering fashionable cycling attire. In winter you need lower gears, but presumably you already have them riding in the hilly area.
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My winters are between -10F and 40F and I ride 3-5 hours total over two or three trips in a day, most of them with the sun down.
The four biggest game changers were super duper bright lights, fashionable (I don’t know whom they’re fashionable to- there’s really not that many cyclists in my community) tight winter bibs from Pearl Izumi, reasonably cheap Bellweather wind-resistant jacket, and wool baselayers. I don’t care how “fashionable” anyone thinks it is or isn’t, I absolutely love my Surly wool zip jacket and, if I’m feeling spicy, I’ll wear it over just a summer jersey down to 25F without the Bellweather.
I’ve tried a lot of non-cycling outdoorsy gear over the last decade for cycling in the winter. It all probably works fine in the disciplines for which they’re intended.
The four biggest game changers were super duper bright lights, fashionable (I don’t know whom they’re fashionable to- there’s really not that many cyclists in my community) tight winter bibs from Pearl Izumi, reasonably cheap Bellweather wind-resistant jacket, and wool baselayers. I don’t care how “fashionable” anyone thinks it is or isn’t, I absolutely love my Surly wool zip jacket and, if I’m feeling spicy, I’ll wear it over just a summer jersey down to 25F without the Bellweather.
I’ve tried a lot of non-cycling outdoorsy gear over the last decade for cycling in the winter. It all probably works fine in the disciplines for which they’re intended.