Pro tips for biking through winter

We’ve all done it: stepped out on a chilly morning wearing less than we should because the forecast promised warmer hours ahead. More often than not, that warmth never comes, and you spend the entire ride, if not shivering, too cold for comfort. “Being too warm is better than being too cold,” says Oliver Knight of Cofidis, who is based in the Bristol area.

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You can always vent heat, he reminds us: “You might think leaving the house a bit overdressed isn’t the best idea, but you can always unzip and tolerate a flappy jersey.” And in winter, when no one’s chasing speed records, a little extra drag is a price worth paying for comfort.

Helmets offer some protection from the cold, and a bit from the rain, but when the mercury really drops, pros know to take extra measures. Former Ineos Grenadiers road captain Luke Rowe has a couple of tried-and-tested options. “You’ll feel warmer overall if your head is warm,” he says. “I’d always wear a skull cap in winter, or a cotton cap – though it’s a dying art, as they’re not aero – which also works.”

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Rowe still swears by a piece of kit from 2008, back when he was a junior on the Rapha Condor-Recycling.co.uk team. “We had this Rapha cap that covered your ears and had a peak – it was the best thing I ever had,” he recalls. The modern version of Rapha’s peaked merino hat, the one Rowe remembers so fondly, is still available today.

(Image credit: Emma Silversides)

Few sensations ruin a winter ride faster than freezing feet. Current British champion Millie Couzens of Fenix-Deceuninck, who spends most of her winter training in Oxfordshire, knows this struggle all too well – and has developed a few creative solutions. “I wear ski socks in winter, as cold feet are something I really struggle with,” she says.

“Last year, when it was really cold, I wore socks, put my feet inside plastic bags, and added toe covers and overshoes on top of my shoes which were quite loose.” That’s five layers of defence. Did it do the trick? “Kinda!” she laughs. “My feet were definitely warmer than before.”

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The old-school tips are often the best, and 2016 British champion Adam Blythe sings the praises of a ubiquitous kitchen item. “I’d wrap tinfoil over my socks, and then again on the outside of the shoes with the overshoes on top. A double layer of it,” he says. Were his feet kept warm? “We believed it worked anyway,” he grins. Rowe used the same tactic, and even got creative on some occasions. “I’d sometimes get normal socks and put them over the shoes, as it was cheaper than buying overshoes,” he says. “It became quite cool and common, if I remember correctly.”

On rides longer than a couple of hours, the universal advice is: always make time for a coffee stop. “I’m a big, big fan of cafe stops,” Rowe says. “It gives us a chance to warm up, and more importantly it’s good for the social side of the sport. Sitting round the table shooting the breeze for half an hour with a hot drink and a bit of cake is the cafe culture that we grew up on and we shouldn’t leave behind.” Not only does a cafe stop allow us to socialise and get hot fluids into our system, having the double effect of rehydrating and warming up the body, but it’s a chance to dry out. Wafting wet gloves under the air dryers in the toilets is a staple part of a winter cyclist’s life.

Brownie, banana cake, Bakewell tart, apple pie… the list of sweet snacks available to feed hungry cyclists mid-ride goes on. But Knight has another winter preference. “In these months you’re not doing too much intensity and you’re riding quite easy so your stomach is less likely to suffer if you do allow yourself a heavier treat when you stop,” he says.

And what’s his treat? “A sausage sandwich with ketchup. It goes down so well.” This recommendation probably isn’t from the pages of Cofidis’s team nutritionist’s book, but it pays to slacken the rules in winter. If the food provides fuel, tastes good and lifts your mood, voilá!

You need to keep drinking, even when it’s cold

(Image credit: Future)

Cold weather can trick you into thinking you’re not thirsty, but dehydration is still possible in winter. With fewer on-the-bike sips and most refuelling happening at cafe stops, having a sweet, tasty solution in the bidon can make a real difference. “Sometimes in winter you don’t drink as much, so I always make sure that my drinks are high in electrolytes and carbs,” says Wood. The mix helps maintain fluid balance and keeps energy levels topped up – making every mouthful count when you’re less inclined to drink.

Mudguards will keep you and your ride buddies drier for longer

(Image credit: Future)

Every cycling team urges its riders to get into the gym at least once a week through winter – and amateurs should follow suit. Functional strength work, mobility and targeted muscle-building pay off fast. “You see improvements quite quickly and that’s really motivating,” Wood says. “From one week to the next you might be able to tolerate an extra 5kg during squats. Before long, it’s feeling easier and your legs are not as knackered afterwards. This sort of training improves my sprinting, too, so it has a benefit when racing starts.”

Knight has had the same experience. “You hit all the key muscle groups and you feel really productive,” he says. “As cyclists we’re novices in the gym and we’re not lifting heavy weights, so you see a massive progression quite quickly. That’s beneficial mentally as you’re telling yourself that you’re getting stronger.” And when the lifting is done, Knight makes sure to finish with heat exposure. “There are so many studies into the benefits of heat training, so I spend a bit of time in the sauna afterwards.”

Most of us can’t cherry-pick ride times the way pros can – but we can borrow their mindset. Couzens adapts her plan rather than forcing sessions through foul conditions. “If the weather is bad, I move my training around, and bring my rest day forward rather than pushing through bad weather,” she says.

“If it’s forecast to stay fine for only a few hours, then I will do shorter intervals that day.” The takeaway is simple: protect the workload, but stay flexible. Winter rarely plays nice, so reshuffling sessions is not failure – it’s strategy. And when the forecast is grim for days on end, the turbo trainer (or a static bike in the gym) is always there to keep the momentum rolling.

We’ve all had a day from hell – a ride that turned into a nightmare and left you questioning why you even ride a bike. Fear not, the pros have them too. Millie Couzens remembers a winter ride a few years ago when the weather failed to follow the forecast. “It was meant to stay dry, but I went out and it rained the whole time. Everywhere was flooded, and we had to keep changing the route.

At one point we went off-road to avoid a flooded road, and we ended up cycling into an even bigger flood. The ride was meant to be three hours, but we finished five hours later and I couldn’t feel any part of my body – everything was numb.” What did Couzens learn? “That better route planning is essential. Avoid the places that are more susceptible to flooding, and always have an escape route home.” Harrison Wood tells a similar tale of forecast failure:

“Last winter we went out on a club ride and it was meant to be an alright day, with no rain in the forecast. Fifteen minutes after starting, it was torrential rain. I only had a normal pair of gloves on – not waterproof – and by the time we got to the clubhouse my hands were completely frozen. I had to wear a spare pair of socks on my hands just to get home. It barely helped – my hands were white and in awful pain by the time we got back.”