SAND, SNOW, CARS, TRAINS AND FANS! The Hidden Dangers of Pro Cycling!

Racing bikes is a dangerous sport and racing bikes professionally is incredibly dangerous. Those athletes will be riding at speeds near 100km/h on tires that are 2.5cm wide with nothing but a lightweight helmet and some lycra for protection. In bicycle races, any consideration for your own safety is generally brushed aside for the need for speed. But so far this year, a few events have shown that the dangers of cycling goes beyond riding a bicycle at a high rate of speed, and underscored the need for additional care towards rider safety.
Some of this dangers have been historically considered part of what makes the sport special. Weather has always played a role in setting the stage for epic cycling. But this year, a few weather events have made news and caused cyclists to question the conditions in which they are allowed to (or made to) race in. The first event took place in the...well, in the deserts of Oman. Nevermind the basic concept of setting up bike races in the desert to begin with (money talks - after all, the World Cup will take place in Qatar), but on stage 5 of the Tour of Oman, a sandstorm along with heat reported to be approaching 48C (120F), caused the stage to be shortened and eventually cancelled. The heat was such that some bicycle tires were exploding.



Tirreno Adriatico Stage 5 - snow and subfreezing temperatures
Image by CorVos / CyclingTips

Around 3 weeks later, some of those same cyclists were climbing up the high mountains in Italy during the Tirreno Adriatico, where on stage 5, as cyclists approached the finish line at a mountain top, a blizzard started to come down. Along with sub-freezing temperatures and the sloping roads quickly accumulating with snow, the situation was becoming very dangerous. But since the race was so close to the end, it was allowed to continue. Although conditions were not horrible for the first group of finishers, those who arrived down the order some 20 minutes later, had to endure some incredibly treacherous conditions after the TV coverage ended. But sometimes it's not only the heat or cold - you can also see footage of Geraint Thomas being literally thrown of his bike by some insane winds on Gent Wevelgem (here) not long ago this year.
But again, weather is always an integral part of a bicycle race and many purists brush aside complaints from today's racers and instead point to historic examples of epic weather racing. It's a hard man's sport! Actually, it's a hard woman's sport as well. Earlier this year, Australian cyclist  Loren Rowney crashed in the final sprint of an European race and broke her collarbone. Nothing new, but if you watch footage of the crash here , you will notice that the cause of the crash was a spectator who reached into the course and pulled her handlebars causing her to stumble across the finish line. Fans are an integral part of the sport. When the arena stretches over 200kms in distance, it is impossible to separate the athletes from the fans. This is usually one of the most beautiful aspects of professional cycling, but sometimes, as this other video linked below shows, it is also one of the most frightening.

Fans - an integral part of the sport and an integral part of the danger

But this year has been special and some hidden dangers have made their presence known in the two biggest single day races of the calendar. In the Ronde Van Vlaanderen, one of the support vehicles which normally provides mechanical assistance to riders, attempted to pass the leading group of competitors at the wrong time, and the result, as seen in the video link below, was terrifying. But thankfully it could've been worse, and despite some broken bones and road rash, the rider will be able to compete again. Amazingly, a few minutes later, another support vehicle rear-ended a team car which was about to help a cyclist causing him to be thrown into the air. Again, luckily, he will be able to race again. Although both drivers were professionals with experience in many bike races, one has to wonder if more can be done to make sure drivers participating in bike races can be trained further to insure that such incidences never take place.

Sometimes even those who are there to help can be part of the danger

A week later, on Paris-Roubaix, possibly the most famous of the single-day races, the peloton was crossing the a railroad when the gates started to come down. Chaos ensued and as the peloton was now being cut in half, riders ignored the gates, ringing bells and lone policeman trying to control the situation and continued to cross the railroad line in front of a high-speed train. I count 7 seconds from the last rider clearing the railroad and the train arriving at the crossing. Moments like this sure make cyclists' calls for safer conditions lose some value. The race judges did not disqualify any of the riders involved in this incident. Although  the gates came down at the worst possible time and the first few cyclists had no choice but to go through, many of the cyclists following and riding across the gates after they have been lowered should've been disqualified.

Cyclists can often be very good examples of unsafe behavior.

The dangers can be constant on a bike race. Recently, there has been another horrible crash because someone decided that steel posts in the middle of the final stretch on Tour of Basque Country Stage 1 would be safe (as seen here).  And this last video highlights the key to rider safety. Professional cyclists entrust their lives to the people who organize the events and the sport. The UCI's paramount duty should be to protect the people who take part of each event, including cyclists and spectators. They generally do a great job at that and have rules put in place to prevent all the situations listed here from happening (aside from the weather of course). What needs to take place is a more strict and precise adherence to the rules, from staff training to rider disqualifications, and a clear set of rules dictating when the weather should force a race to be stopped or cancelled altogether.
The sport is never going to be a safe sport, but if anything else can be done to insure the safety of participants, it should be done. After all, those cyclists are going 100km/h, on 2.5cm tires, wearing nothing but lycra.

CARS VS BIKES - How to deal with angry drivers!

I like cars. I like talking about the new car models coming out, I like the sound of a powerful engine and I get excited when I see a Ferrari parked on the street. After all, I am a motorist.  I like bicycles. I like talking about the new bike models coming out, I like the sound of a chain being shifted through the derailleur and I get excited when I see a Colnago being ridden on the street. After all, I am a cyclist. And I am convinced that both motorists and cyclists can happily co-exist in this world!

I am writing this blog as a cyclist and as such, I've found that the key to a happy co-existence with cars is to just leave them alone. Try to interact with them as little as possible and let them go on their happy way! Before we go any further though, I want to thank Hop Cycling for the use of the images in today's blog. If you are curious about what it's like to ride a bicycle in Poland and nearby areas, check out Hop Cycling blog!

Believe it or not, all the images featured today come from one single group ride!

As I wrote previously on Where To Ride Your Bike!, a big part of the "battle" with cars is finding the right quiet roads with little traffic to ride on. But no matter how hard you may try, chances are that you will have to interact with cars. And to be honest, by far, the great majority of the interaction cyclists have with cars is positive (in other words, people drive and people ride!) But inevitably, there are negative interactions, typically in the form of an angry driver using their vehicle as a lethal weapon or in the form of an inattentive driver with potential lethal consequences. It may sound overly dramatic to use the word lethal, but when you are riding a 8kg bicycle, any encounter you have with a multi-ton vehicle could end very badly - trust me, if anything, I am not being dramatic enough!

The best way to deal with distracted drivers is to ride defensively. Driving today invites many forms of distractions. From the radio station, telephone, coffee, big-mac, computer, doing make-up or shaving your beard while driving, chances are that some drivers are not focusing solely on the road ahead. I always ride my bike assuming that cars are not going to be able to see me, but doing as much as I can to be visible. This usually translates to me riding as far to the right of the road as it is safe, and having a rear flashing tail light, even during day time hours. When approaching any intersection in which I have the right of way, if there are any vehicles waiting, I will still try to establish eye-contact with the driver to make sure they see me. With time, you develop a sixth-sense for potential situations when someone is not paying attention.

Unlike the previous image, here the adjacent lane is wide open for the car!

Then there are angry drivers. These are otherwise rational human beings who are suddenly overcome with unsurmountable rage from having to change lanes or losing 8.2 seconds of their day to deal with those evil bicycles. Angry drivers usually tend to try teach cyclists a lesson, showing how dangerous riding a bicycle on a road can be, by shifting the car as closely as possible to the cyclist and passing them at a high rate of speed (and in turn, making riding a bicycle in the road dangerous to begin with - it's like taking someone's wallet to show them they are in a dangerous neighborhood). Some other angry drivers take a more direct approach and just blast their horn, lower their window and scream for you to get out their damn road! I do think that most angry drivers would be far more accepting to cyclists being on the road if they knew that it is legal for cyclists to be on the road.

So what is a cyclist to do? When I first started riding, I used to chase down angry drivers whenever possible so I could tell them of the law and that not only I had the right to be on the road, but in many instances, it would be illegal for me to ride on the sidewalk. But very quickly I found out that if a driver is willing to use their multi-ton vehicle to express their rage, they are not in the right frame of mind to discuss the law, or learn about cyclists rights. It's just not the right platform for those conversations. I then changed my approach to just express my displeasure by nodding my head from side to side to display my disapproval from being nearly killed. But very quickly I found out that angry drivers like to have negative interactions escalated even further and I would often see the driver slams on the brakes, try to force me off the road, obscene gestures...more rage. Which takes me back to the key to a happy co-existence with cars: just leave them alone! This can be very hard to do when you feel all the adrenaline from having a car travel within inches of your life and you feel that desire to fight back somehow, but the quicker they are out of your life, the happier you'll be. So I try to completely ignore angry drivers. Not a hand gesture, not a disapproving nod, not even a sigh. Cars are bigger, heavier and faster than cyclists, and picking a fight with them is just not worth it. So I just ignore them, not giving them the satisfaction of escalating the situation and instead just take a deep breath and get back to enjoying my ride - which should always be your goal on the bike anyways!

Angry Drivers - The quicker they are out of your life, the happier you'll be!

Lastly, it is important not to instigate a negative situation to begin with. "Share the Road" goes both ways and cyclists should be diligent in sharing the road with vehicles as much as possible. Avoiding busy roads goes a long way, but riding predictively, not taking the lane when you don't have to, signaling your intentions to vehicles around you, and riding single file on busier roads when you are riding with one or two other mates are also good ways to nurture more positive interaction with car drivers.

Always be an ambassador to our sport. It's right there on Rule #13! Being a friendly, courteous and thoughtful cyclists should be as standard as taking an extra tire tube with you on your ride. "Cars and Bikes" sure sounds a lot better than "Cars vs Bikes"!

WATER, SLEEP AND OTHER TIPS! Easy tricks that helped me lose weight!

It has been a while since I last wrote something about the "Diet" side of "VeloDiet" but the time has come to share some additional tips that helped me lose weight. Just backtracking a little, the key to lose weight is to primarily live an active lifestyle daily ("Velo" / Bike) with healthy eating habits ("Diet"). The Diet aspect comes both from the types food you eat (as covered previously on EAT YOUR CAKE AND KEEP IT TOO! How I lost weight and still ate what I like! ) AND how you eat it, which is just as important!

If you've read this blog before, you surely must've come across the words "never feel full, never feel hungry". At the risk of being repetitive, I must stress how important that sentence was for me in adjusting my eating habits. As an overeater, I enjoyed feeling full and always equated "dieting" with "feeling hungry". That is an important topic on its own, and you can read more about it by clicking this link! But this post goes into other tips, most of them quite easy, that helped along my journey!

Yes, the time of the day matters!

Let's start with meals and the time of the day! First, there is breakfast, which Americans call the "most important meal of the day" and is also the easiest meal to skip altogether. You should always eat a good breakfast! Personally, I subscribe to the continental breakfast of some cereal, breads, maybe some fruit and definitely coffee, but many make breakfast a much bigger meal, which is also ok. The point is to start the day telling your body that you will be providing nutrition and that it can go ahead and start burning calories. So eat your breakfast and get that metabolic engine going right away!

Lunch is my biggest meal of the day. It's a very latin thing to do and I suppose that's why I always crave that siesta in the early afternoon. Generally, I would eat out at a local restaurant during my lunch breaks and always had trouble handling the "generous" portions I would often encounter, so it was natural for me to make it the biggest caloric intake of the day. I still do my best to follow the "never fell full" guideline, but it's nice to know that I still have the rest of the day to burn off those calories.

Which leads me to dinner, my smallest meal of the day. It's almost a snack, really. The reason is simple, you are not going to be able to burn those calories before your body slows down and you go to sleep. Now, I even struggle to fall asleep if I have a bigger meal too late in the day. It is also important to eat your dinner early to give your body enough time for digestion before sleep. At the very very least, you should try not to eat anything 2 hours before going to sleep.

And then, there are the snacks! Finding healthy snacks that I actually wanted to eat was actually hugely important for my weight loss. In order to keep your metabolism working for you, it must get the fuel it needs when it needs. So, if I start to feel hungry but it's not time for a meal, I reach for that snack (think fruit, not chocolate bar!) Also, before you reach for that healthy "nutrition bar", take a quick look at the nutrition facts, as some of those healthy snacks are packed full of calories and protein, since many are designed for athletes actively exercising or recovering - and not for the usual office employee!

Let me include a special note about the "6 smaller meals a day" method. Back when I was a "larger individual", I liked really big meals! Feeling full made me happy, and when I tried the 6 smaller meals a day method, I ended up eating 6 "still pretty big meals" and gained weight. Everyone is different, and if you are capable of controlling yourself, the approach is really solid. Eating many small meals (or snacks) throughout the day will not only keep your from overeating, but will also keep your metabolic engine running at high speed with the "constant" digestions. But still today, that approach is too dangerous for me.

The 6-liter bottle of water above should last you 2 days!

Water! Drink water! Lots of water! We've all heard that our bodies are 60% water and the reality is that every system in our body needs water to function. It's amazing how little water most people drink today, considering that the general recommendation is about 3 liters of water daily. That can include other liquids, but beware of the calories and sugar hidden in a lot of drinks. Being hydrated not only helps your body run efficiently, but feeling dehydrated can make you feel tired, which could lead you to eat more!

Sleep! When you consider that sleeping regulates hormones that impact hunger and that lack of sleep will negatively affect your metabolism, you can see that sleeping is essential for you to keep your healthy eating habits. Also, if you don't sleep, you will be tired and less willing to go for that bike ride. And on that note, it's after almost midnight as I write this, so...good night!

BIKE EYE-CANDY! The most beautiful bikes in the world! (in my opinion)

Caveat Emptor: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

CONCEPT BIKE

Lotus Type 108 - The design above comes from 1987, right around the time the UCI decided to impose restrictions on bicycle designs. The bike above was deemed illegal.

 

 

SUPER BIKE

Specialized S-Works Venge McLaren - Designed in collaboration with the famous automaker, this super bike comes with an "automotive" price tag! ($20,000.00)

 

 

RACE BIKE

LOOK 695 Light - Probably a surprising selection for the most beautiful race bike, but the Piet Mondrian paint scheme makes this Architect smile!

 

 

AERO RACE BIKE

Canyon Aeroad CF-SLX - A new movement in road bike design pushing the envelope to make bikes as aerodynamic as possible. Technology + Design = German!

 

 

ENDURANCE BIKE

 

 

Trek Domane Team Edition - Endurance Road Bikes are designed for comfort over speed with long bumpy roads in mind. The Domane does that but still manages to look pretty fast!

 

 

TIME TRIAL BIKE

BMC TimeMachine TM01 - I believe that time trial bikes have to be so fast they should look weird. And this BMC is just weirdly beautiful. Looks comfortable too, eh!?

 

 

FIXED GEAR BIKE

Cinelli Vigorelli Caleido - All hipsters rejoice! No brakes, no gears and the pedals will move as long as the bike moves. For me, Cinelli has this market cornered beautifully!

 

 

HANDBUILT / CUSTOM BIKE

Baum Corretto Continental - Baum makes beautiful bikes and this partnership with Rapha is stunning; one image isn't enough as the attention to detail is amazing, so look here for more!

 

 

CLASSIC BIKE

Bianchi Rekord - quite honestly, it might've been an easy choice, but Bianchi is synonymous with vintage bicycles. And beware, the Bianchi "Celeste" color is sacred to most cyclists!

 

 

FRIEND'S BIKE

Rose Xeon "Garbien" Special Edition - let's face it, we've all had a crush on a friend's bike before!

This bike started murdered out black, but the Comic Graphics additions were a great touch!

 

 

YOUR OWN BIKE!

My Bike - Scott Foil 40 - I've had it for 3 years now, and when I look at it my heart still skips a beat at how beautiful it is! I certainly hope that every cyclist feels the same way towards their rides! And new cyclists, when it is time to purchase your first "serious" bike, make sure it's the bike your heart desires - it's ok to be picky about color, brand, etc. The more you love it, the more you will want to ride it!

WHY DO CYCLISTS DOPE? or "why do some cyclists dope" or "why did cyclists used to dope" or whatever!

There are only two occasions you ever hear of a professional cyclist being mentioned on the news: if he wins the Tour de France or if he was caught doping. Unfortunately, it seems that since the TdF only has one winner each year, most of the publicity around cycling revolves around EPO, Clenbuterol or some other weird-sounding banned substances. Worse yet, when a cycling star finally landed a one-hour special on Oprah, it was to confess that he doped throughout most of his career! It seems that there is no escape, and since this blog is about cycling, we have to shine the spotlight into this darkest corner of our sport!
Before I go on, please be advised that I am not making any excuses or condoning the use of any banned substance by cyclists - explaining is not approving it!

Riding 4000kms in 3 weeks - not for the average human being!
(image by Andrei I. Loas / Wikimedia)

CYCLING IS HARD! Professional cycling is really hard! As in "not-human" hard! Professional cyclists are expected to race their bicycles throughout entire countries - 200kms (120miles) everyday for three weeks straight! This weekend, there is a one-day race from Milan to San Remo which is 290km (180miles) long and since it doesn't go through any high mountains, it's considered a relatively easy race within the pro-cycling circles (so much so, that the organizers add in detours through mountains some years to make things more interesting). Last month, some professional cyclists were racing in 48C (118F) heat in the desert and this week, those same cyclists were racing on a snow blizzard in the high mountains of Italy. People go crazy when a tennis match goes on for over 4 hours, but in cycling, racing for 5 or 6 hours is just a normal day in the office! The demands on cyclists' bodies is such that Jacques Anquetil, one of the sports' last century greats, was once quoted as saying "You'd have to be an imbecile or hypocrite to imagine that a professional cyclist who rides 235 days a year can hold himself together without stimulants." Again, I am not trying to make excuses, but when you see the super human efforts that are expected by cyclists, one can see why some of them try to find a way to "recuperate faster" by cheating.

A bike race can be very competitive - check out this

video for a new perspective on the sport!

SMALL MARGINS - Did you know that you can buy a faster set of bicycle wheels for $3000 dollars? That's just for the wheels, no bike attached! And the return on investment will probably be somewhere around 3% on speed performance! But in cycling, 3% is huge, and those fancy wheels actually sell! Professional cyclists are on the limit of their natural ability and any measurable improvement will pay back dramatically on a race. A 10% increase in cycling performance would be unimaginable, yet a jump from a .240 to .264 batting average (baseball) or a jump from 20 to 22 goals in a season (soccer) would really not be that significant.

CYCLISTS ARE COMPETITIVE - Click on that video above and take a look at how competitive cyclists can be. That competitive nature and willingness to do anything to get ahead carries on outside the race as well. Cyclists lose all possible weight in order to be as lean as possible (all the way down to the 5% essential body fat). They will train in high altitude camps in order to increase their red blood cell volumes. They will even try sleeping in homemade hyperbaric chambers to get an edge! As professionals, they will spend months away from home and in most cases, not have any real money to show for all that work. And hundreds of the fastest amateurs would do everything they can just for the opportunity to join the pro-ranks. The key is that they must be willing to do anything to get ahead.

He might've had the biggest fall, but Lance was not alone!
(image by Paul Coster / Wikimedia)

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT LANCE - That interview on Oprah was not only about Lance Armstrong admitting he was a cheater. The report and accusations that brought him disgrace also included admissions from many of his former teammates. Basically, almost every American professional cyclist racing in Europe during the Armstrong era has now admitted to doping. But it goes further than that. Lance's main rival during his Tour de France victories was the German Jan Ullrich, who has also confessed to doping. It is the general consensus that many, if not most, cyclists during the  time which became known as the EPO era, were on the juice. But it goes further than that. From time to time, you hear within cycling publications, that even amateur cycling racers get caught doping in local races. But it goes even further than that. When you look back at the history of the sport, many legends and heroes of the sport, Coppi, Anquetil, even Merckx have had their names tarnished by doping cases. The sad reality of it is that until recently, a culture of doping has had its way within the sport of cycling. And only within the last decade or so, cycling has really gotten serious about changing itself.

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT CYCLING - Cycling seems to be the black-sheep of sports when it comes to doping, but this is not well-deserved. Baseball has had many of its modern day legends implicated in doping scandals. And a Pro-Bowl All Star football player (that's American Football) was caught doping a few months ago and received a 4-game suspension! Cycling, on the other hand, enforces a 2-year ban for any doping case. Cycling has cracked down very hard on doping and has become really efficient at catching dopers. All professional cyclists must provide their whereabouts at all times and be willing to be subject to drug testing any day of the year (whether or not they are racing that day). The only exception is from 11pm to 6am, but even that is now subject to change. With the introduction of a "Biological Passport" for each athlete, a cyclist does not even need to be caught with a banned substance in his system, but any abnormal variation in their blood values will result on an investigation, even if their drug tests were clean. In other words, they are trying! The sport itself recently released the "Cycling Independent Reform Commission" Report (you can download this interesting read in its entirety here) detailing how bad things were in the past, how they are today and suggestions to eliminate any remnants of the doping culture from the sport.

My daily cycling supplement: 2 gummy bears!

I am convinced that professional cycling today is as clean as it has ever been, and that it is no worse than most professional sports. But the cynic in me does not believe that it is an absolutely clean sport. Any abnormally great performance is unfortunately greeted with my skepticism, but I think that's the price the sport must pay for years of cheating. I am also hopeful that the continuing efforts the sport itself is making will result in fewer and fewer bad apples.

For me, the essence of cycling is honesty. You and your bike against any limits, any elements, any mountains. Getting the best out of yourself is what it's all about, and cheating defeats the purpose of cycling at all! I do however admit that I do take my 2 gummy bears every day!

WINTER CYCLING GUIDE Part 2 - What you need to know to ride through winter!

As I wrote last week here on VeloDiet, you can keep riding your bike through winter if you are dressed correctly. But after a few seasons of cycling through snow and cold temperatures, I've learned a few additional lessons that can help you enjoy being out pedaling through the frostiest of seasons!

Let's start with the bike! Winter is tough on the equipment, specifically the salt and/or sand being used to treat snowy roads can do a lot of harm to your bike parts. I currently own two bikes, my race-oriented road bike and a budget oriented mountain bike. During winter, I find myself riding the mountain bike much more often, as it is capable of riding through snow and it is built to take much more abuse.

Keep the "beauty" at home and take out the "beast" to handle ol' man Winter!

 Route selection is also more important when the weather is less than ideal. First, I stay much closer to home and ride a few loops or route variations close to populated areas. You don't want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere at -10C. Second, I try even harder to stay on quiet roads with less vehicle traffic. Motorists get nervous around bikes and snow - actually, motorists get nervous around any snow, period! As a matter of fact, I don't go out riding when it is actively snowing - it's just not worth the risk. As I am lucky enough to have access to the mountain bike, I can instead explore some quieter trails and stay off the roads more often as well.

Road condition is also something that takes some getting used to. Again, having a mountain bike will allow you to ride much more often when roads happen to be covered with snow. Riding through snow is not as hard as you might think. The key is to be smooth. Smooth steering and smooth pedaling are essential, as it is keeping your weight balanced on the bike. You want to avoid abrupt changes in speed, cadence or position. Stay seated and keep a nice smooth pedaling motion, steering through the handlebar (not by leaning). These techniques might also come in handy if you were to encounter some ice that you could not avoid - just relax and try to ride through it. It's best to avoid any icy roads altogether, but if you find yourself heading towards an inevitable icy patch, don't try to brake or steer while on the ice.

Be prepared. It might be pretty, but you don't want to be stuck outside
 in the middle of nowhere.

Be prepared. A cyclist should be self sufficient when out on long rides, carrying basic tools, tubes, etc. This is even more important when the weather is dangerously cold, specially if you are standing around waiting for your ride to come pick you up. Take extra food and drinks as well. You will burn a lot more energy keeping yourself warm during cold rides, so you might need to eat more often than during your usual rides. For drinks, I have insulated bottles and start each ride with a mix of energy drinks and very hot water. Although it may taste like you are drinking tea during the first few miles, the mix takes enough time to freeze so that you can still stay hydrated on longer rides.

Another lesson I learned the hard way is temperature control. When riding through colder temperatures, you will eventually start to warm up with the exercise. I like to feel a little cold when I first head outside for the first few miles, knowing that I will warm up quickly enough. You also want to avoid sweating during cold weather rides, especially if you are not wearing a good moisture wicking base layer. The moment I feel it's getting too warm, it's time to either remove a layer or lower the zipper of your jacket for some ventilation. I personally found that exposing my wrists a bit is a great way to control my body temperature - it's my thermostat!

After a few miles, this may few warm. Maybe even too warm!

There are two schools of thought when it comes to stopping for a coffee break during winter rides. Many cyclists don't stop for any breaks when it's cold outside. Once their bodies have warmed up, they will keep going until they return home for their warm shower! The other school of thought actually looks forward to getting off the cold roads and warming up next to a nice cup of coffee and a treat at the local shop. As you might guess, that's the school I belong to! If you do want to enjoy what will feel like the best cup of coffee you will ever taste and let your feet thaw back into the world of the living, there are a couple of things to remember. When entering the coffee shop, remove your winter jacket or jersey and roll up the sleeves on your next layer. You don't want to overheat, and you will need the extra layers to help you warm up again once you leave the coffeeshop. Bring the bottles and helmet with you - they could probably use the warmer temperatures as well! And lastly, prepare yourself mentally for the departure. The coldest part of the winter bike ride are the first few miles after the coffee break.

Winter Riding - it's good for the body, it's good for the soul!

Winter is the season to ride slowly. I don't even have a cycling computer or any speedometer mounted to my winter bike. This is the season I ride just for fun, at any speed my body feels like riding. I always say that riding in cold weather makes for very contemplative rides. You are more aware of your breathing and more aware of your body as it cuts through the wind. The environment  feels more peaceful and quiet, but any sound feels much crisper to your ears. Coming around a bend on the road, coasting for a moment while you face a frozen lake and the world feels like a sublime black and while abstract painting. The sound of the bike chain moving through your derailleur as you shift into another gear and your breathing again falls into rhythm with the pedal strokes. You are one with the machine as you pedal up the snow covered hill, against the wind, against the elements, against Winter. It is an amazingly therapeutic experience. The reward comes from being outside and feeling alive when most people are struggling through cabin fever.

Still...I can't wait for spring to arrive!

WINTER CYCLING CLOTHING GUIDE - What you need to ride year-round!

Most people think of cycling as a warm weather activity. In fact, if you live in a cold climate country, you might've even heard that cycling season runs from April to October (northern hemisphere, of course!) Many cyclists put their bikes away just as the autumn leaves begin to drop and only venture out for a ride again as the flowers begin to bloom. But it doesn't have to be that way! I am a year-round cyclist and have gone out for bike rides even when the temperature has dropped well below freezing.
All it takes is the right clothing and the willingness to enjoy riding in cold weather.

Cycling can be a year-round activity
with the right mentality and the right clothing! 

There are three basic guidelines to follow when dressing for a cold weather bike ride. First, you should dress in layers. Each layer serves a different function and the air in between each layer will also have an insulating factor. Dressing in layers also gives you the opportunity to adjust on the run, by removing a layer in case the temperature rises more than expected. Second, wind and moisture are your enemy. Your outer layer should be able to block wind/rain/snow. Your base layer should also protect you from moisture, in this case, by wicking away any perspiration from your skin. And the third guideline is to avoid wearing any tight clothing. As the temperature drops, it is important to make sure your clothing is loose enough not to prevent any circulation. And as mentioned earlier, any air in between your layers of clothing will make you feel a lot warmer!
Now, if you commute by bike, or just ride your bike around town as a means of transportation, those principles also apply to you. But for shorter distances (say, less than 10kms ride to work) you probably won't need to go out and buy winter cycling specific gear. Just make sure to wear gloves, some sort of facial protection, and you will be surprised how you can still make it to work throughout most of the year with the winter clothing you would wear anyways. However, if you want to ride longer distances, enjoy cycling trips, or keep in form for the next race season without being a slave to the trainer, here is my guideline for appropriate winter cycling attire:

25ºC/77ºF - Standard cycling kit! Smiles all around!

Sunny and Beautiful! 25ºC/77ºF - Let's start with the most typical cycling attire and build from there. Designed for comfort, aerodynamics and to keep moisture from your body, your standard cycling kit will not work too well to keep you warm as the temperatures start to drop...

10ºC/50ºF - A little chilly. Cover things up! Still smiling a bit!

Cold! 10ºC/50ºF - Summer is winding down and temperatures are dropping faster than your willingness to put the bike away. Most cyclists will still find themselves riding around this temperature, even if not intended! At this temperature, you should already have all your body covered, so arm warmers and leg warmers are added. The light cycling socks and fingerless gloves are now replaced by light merino wool socks and full fingered gloves. As I am budget minded, I already use my cold weather long sleeve base layer and cold weather tights under my standard kit. That's my basic foundation to build on as the temperature drops further.

0ºC/32ºF - Things get serious! But winter will not keep me down!

Really Cold! 0ºC/32ºF - Now it's literally freezing and most cyclists are staying away from the roads! This is when you really start to tap into the quiet peaceful winter rides. At this point, you should add some protection around your face. A balaclava does a great job at keeping the cold air away from your ears and neck. Eye protection is also necessary, even if you have perfect vision, as the dry cold air and wind will start to bother your eyes if you stay out for longer periods of time. I also start wearing my winter long-sleeve jersey on top of my standard kit. Not pictured above, is a neoprene shoe cover that slips over your cycling shoe. This is also the temperature, late in deep winter, that you can head out for a ride and start to feel relatively warm. I still remember some of my best soul-cleansing rides having taken place in sunny days with the temperature just above freezing.

-12ºC/10ºF - It's war! But that's as cold as I can handle!

Really Really Cold! -12ºC/10ºF - Now things are really serious, and even hardened cyclists are staying off the road. That's the coldest temperature I still typically go out for longer rides. At those temperatures, you must be serious about preparation. A cycling winter jacket, and heavy winter tights are now a requirement for me. I will even double up on wool socks at this point, but it is crucial that you don't make your feel too tight (circulation is a huge issue at extremities). I purchased the warmest cycling gloves I could find at this point, while other cyclists even start looking a skiing gear! A heavy balaclava is used to protect my face, and I also apply vaseline at any exposed skin around my glasses.

Winter Cycling - less about the body, more about the soul!

As with anything in cycling, there is a certain level of experimentation that needs to take place before you find what works best for you. I found that my legs don't suffer too much with cold weather, but my hands and feet are definitely my weakest point, so I invested on very good gloves and shoe covers. And yes, there is a cost associated with all this gear, but if you search your local bike stores or online stores for bargain prices, you can purchase a pair of merino wool socks, winter tights, winter jersey, shoe-covers, gloves and balaclava for less than you would spend on a suit. In regards to brands, when looking at a purchase, I concentrate more on what is available, what is on sale and then research any on-line feedback for each model. I stay away from the cheapest products - as with most every in life, you do get what you pay for! For me, Castelli and Pearl-Izumi have proven to be the best value for winter gear thus far (my opinion might change once Rapha starts to sponsor me and starts sending me free stuff!!!!)

Now that you know what to wear for your next sub-freezing 100km bike ride, there are a few more things you should know...and we'll cover those next week!!!!