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anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)?
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Just wondering how many people do it. I went out today for a couple hours and it was 7-8C, raining sideways at times and very windy. I'll take that to cycling indoors on a trainer any day though. Still trying to get my hands on a trainer (I'm in line at a LBS for a tacx Neo 2t or kickr v5, which ever comes in first).

That said, rain is one thing but it'll be another thing once it starts to snow. I'm in the North East (Ontario) and this is my first season actually training. The cold isn't a thing imo. You can dress for it. The biggest concern would be ice/snow/salt. I'd be forced to work out on the trainer on days that it's actually snowing since I'm pretty sure it would be a bad idea to ride my S2 with it's 23mm tires in the snow. What about days where the snow's gone on the roads but there's maybe some slush, or even if it's completely dry but at freezing point (so potential for ice)?

I have a carbon bike but there are metal parts on it. Would road salt kill my bike over time? I'm not even sure what the roads would look like since the roads I'm cycling on are not the roads I drive on (when I still had to drive to work).

Would appreciate any comments or experience people can share.
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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I always skipped road riding and used my mtb bike in the winter. Plus I would rather avoid the salt.

I used to break up my trainer rides with some winter night riding (sometimes up to three hours).

Coldest I did was around -30C (lasted about 1.5 hrs in that). Down to -20 I could last longer though.

I would ride a mountain bike (backup 26" mtb bike, not a fat bike) on packed trails with studded tires for ice. Used my ski helmet and goggles, massive gloves and winter riding boots. So maybe if you were interested in picking up an older mtb bike you could use that. Remember # of bikes = n+1 ;)
Last edited by: JStirfry: Nov 1, 20 19:23
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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You need a fat bike. Once you accept that you are only going to go 3 or 4 mph on the trails it is a ton of fun.

Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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Trooper wrote:
Just wondering how many people do it. I went out today for a couple hours and it was 7-8C, raining sideways at times and very windy. I'll take that to cycling indoors on a trainer any day though. Still trying to get my hands on a trainer (I'm in line at a LBS for a tacx Neo 2t or kickr v5, which ever comes in first).

That said, rain is one thing but it'll be another thing once it starts to snow. I'm in the North East (Ontario) and this is my first season actually training. The cold isn't a thing imo. You can dress for it. The biggest concern would be ice/snow/salt. I'd be forced to work out on the trainer on days that it's actually snowing since I'm pretty sure it would be a bad idea to ride my S2 with it's 23mm tires in the snow. What about days where the snow's gone on the roads but there's maybe some slush, or even if it's completely dry but at freezing point (so potential for ice)?

I have a carbon bike but there are metal parts on it. Would road salt kill my bike over time? I'm not even sure what the roads would look like since the roads I'm cycling on are not the roads I drive on (when I still had to drive to work).

Would appreciate any comments or experience people can share.

I have plenty experience with this :)

1. Yes - road salt kills your bike. Dont ride your SRAM RED groupset outdoors in winter. No mater how much you hose your bike down - even if you do it every ride - it will rust/corrode. The frame will hold up just fine (IMO), but your chain and cassette will need changing every season. Crankset every other season. Discbrake-pads every season.

2. Snow - clothes is easy to figure out. Just stay warm. Best investements Ive made are good WINTERshoes, and gloves. Other than that, a road-bike with road tires is out of the question for me. Most of winter I am on spikes :)

3. One you just get everything ready - riding in alot of weather is actually great fun! :)

Good luck:)
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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I live in Switzerland, so fair to say we get some snow.

I continue to ride outdoors all winter, however, I also ride a turbo trainer indoors. During the summer my Turbo gets very little use

The worst weather is rain when it is just above or below freezing. Damp penetrating cold is awful

Once the weather is down to -3 then there is no moisture in the air and doesn't feel as cold
In cold weather roads are dry so salt doesn't spay everywhere

You need to invest in good clothes when cold, properly dressed, it is still enjoyable to ride outdoors in the cold
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Sulliesbrew] [ In reply to ]
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Sulliesbrew wrote:
You need a fat bike. Once you accept that you are only going to go 3 or 4 mph on the trails it is a ton of fun.

+1 to this ^^^^^
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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Get some ā€˜cross knobbies for your road bike. Got me through many winters without having to resort to riding my mtb on the road.

Also helps to have an old winter bike. Winter slouch and ice chemicals/salt are hard on bikes. I built an old Frankenbike with disposable parts just for the purpose.
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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We had our first snow of the season on Friday (five inches) and they salted the roads pretty heavily. We got a heavy rain overnight last night though and it is supposed to warm back up to the mid 60s for the rest of the week, so hopefully the rain cleared the salt enough to squeeze a few more outdoor rides in for me. I donā€™t mind bundling up for the cold, but once the roads get salted regularly then Iā€™ll retreat to the basement to ride the trainer through the winter.



"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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I train outside in winter as much as possible and for me its my hands and feet that are the deciding factor in when to head indoors.
Im kitted out in full Craft winter cycling clothing head to toe but I have yet to find a pair of gloves that can fend off the cold.
For my toes I use the Hot Hands toe warmers on top of my socks and that helps tremendously!
Also, when the temps are below about 45F I opt for my mountain bike since the speeds are slower and thus warmer.
What sucks is day light savings time since I cant get out on the bike until after 6pm so its all headlight riding in winter and I can say that 35 degrees in the daylight is a whole lot different in the dark!
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [mattsurf] [ In reply to ]
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mattsurf wrote:
I live in Switzerland, so fair to say we get some snow.

I continue to ride outdoors all winter, however, I also ride a turbo trainer indoors. During the summer my Turbo gets very little use

The worst weather is rain when it is just above or below freezing. Damp penetrating cold is awful

Once the weather is down to -3 then there is no moisture in the air and doesn't feel as cold
In cold weather roads are dry so salt doesn't spay everywhere

You need to invest in good clothes when cold, properly dressed, it is still enjoyable to ride outdoors in the cold

What triggered my thought about continuing to workout outdoors was the Assos campaign for their new winter system featuring the JohDah jacket and s9 bib tights (I'm a big Assos guy and both look super sweet imo). It got me thinking that if a company like Assos is going to create a layering system that costs upwards of 2 grand for winter, SOMEONE must be buying it...

Are you on an actual road bike outdoors out of curiosity? My biggest concern is the bike itself. You're saying on days with dry roads salt is not a big problem (do they use a lot of it in Switzerland out of curiosity?). I wouldn't even consider taking a road bike out on slushy/snowy icy days. But you don't feel like crushed salt dust spins up into your groupset and onto cables causing problems?
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [s5100e] [ In reply to ]
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s5100e wrote:
Sulliesbrew wrote:
You need a fat bike. Once you accept that you are only going to go 3 or 4 mph on the trails it is a ton of fun.


+1 to this ^^^^^

+2

Also if going this route plan to invest in warm gear, pogies, boots, etc. Also if the bike comes with crappy tires, plan on sticker shock for good tires.
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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Get a fat bike. I live in Alaska and ride mine all winter. Really fun and translates well to triathlon - I had an olympic distance bike PR at a March triathlon coming off a winter of 75% fat bike outside and 25% trainer inside. There was a good slowtwitch article you should be able to find on 'Why a Fat bike should be your next bike."
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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I'm a massive fan of Assos winter kit, I use Bonka 6 Top and Bonka 4 leggings, I do layer up with a merino wool layer and possibly one tight themal vest. Its still fine riding at -10 degrees C.... but wouldn't go too much lower than that. I think I paid around $800 for top, leggings and Gloves, which is the most I have spent on cycle clothing, but well worth the investment. What I really like about Assos winter kit is that it is still pretty tight fitting and aero, while being warm and breathable. Ultimately it is the fingers and toes that get me (I have winter shoes with Assos shoe covers)

I normally ride my good bike on club rides, even in the depths of winter, because it makes me feel good, as soon as I get home it goes into the shower and gets a good clean. but sometimes ride an old road bike, which is pretty decent, but I don't worry about it (still goes in the shower)

I do some gravel riding in the winter too, however, Ice is more of an issue on gravel tracks
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [mattsurf] [ In reply to ]
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mattsurf wrote:
I'm a massive fan of Assos winter kit, I use Bonka 6 Top and Bonka 4 leggings, I do layer up with a merino wool layer and possibly one tight themal vest. Its still fine riding at -10 degrees C.... but wouldn't go too much lower than that. I think I paid around $800 for top, leggings and Gloves, which is the most I have spent on cycle clothing, but well worth the investment. What I really like about Assos winter kit is that it is still pretty tight fitting and aero, while being warm and breathable. Ultimately it is the fingers and toes that get me (I have winter shoes with Assos shoe covers)

I normally ride my good bike on club rides, even in the depths of winter, because it makes me feel good, as soon as I get home it goes into the shower and gets a good clean. but sometimes ride an old road bike, which is pretty decent, but I don't worry about it (still goes in the shower)

I do some gravel riding in the winter too, however, Ice is more of an issue on gravel tracks

You got a great deal on that Assos stuff. The new Assos jacket is like 850 CAD and the leggings are like 500CAD. Thermo booster is another 250 and then base layer is 134, gloves 180ish iirc. Haven't decided if I get them this year or next. I've spent a lot of cash on gearing up this year.

I agree that the Assos is totally worth the money though. I love how well the layering system all fits together. I've got most of the Equipe RS S9 summer and spring/fall collection. I don't like going back to my old bib shorts. Seriously looking at that winter kit once it is back in stock...
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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Yes, MTB. All winter.
So much fun and you can go as hard or easy as you like. Slower speeds mean less chill.


You don't need ridiculous expensive clothing/gear.
Just layer properly (base layers/mid layer/ outer layer). Unless you race in winter, aero certainly is very down the list..air insulates!

Booties, lobster gloves and a big enough helmet to fit a beanie.

Oh yeah, forget Gore-Tex. Unsuitable for heavy exercise.



Trooper wrote:
Just wondering how many people do it. I went out today for a couple hours and it was 7-8C, raining sideways at times and very windy. I'll take that to cycling indoors on a trainer any day though. Still trying to get my hands on a trainer (I'm in line at a LBS for a tacx Neo 2t or kickr v5, which ever comes in first).
That said, rain is one thing but it'll be another thing once it starts to snow. I'm in the North East (Ontario) and this is my first season actually training. The cold isn't a thing imo. You can dress for it. The biggest concern would be ice/snow/salt. I'd be forced to work out on the trainer on days that it's actually snowing since I'm pretty sure it would be a bad idea to ride my S2 with it's 23mm tires in the snow. What about days where the snow's gone on the roads but there's maybe some slush, or even if it's completely dry but at freezing point (so potential for ice)?

I have a carbon bike but there are metal parts on it. Would road salt kill my bike over time? I'm not even sure what the roads would look like since the roads I'm cycling on are not the roads I drive on (when I still had to drive to work).

Would appreciate any comments or experience people can share.
Last edited by: windschatten: Nov 2, 20 19:37
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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I ride my road-bike outdoors in the winter in New England only when the roads are clear and dry. But I had a hard time making that work until I invested in battery-heated socks/gloves and Bar-Mitts. That was what it took. But it was worth it.

Once the snow/rain hits in the winter though, it's Zwift
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Jon] [ In reply to ]
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Jon wrote:
Get a fat bike. I live in Alaska and ride mine all winter. Really fun and translates well to triathlon - I had an olympic distance bike PR at a March triathlon coming off a winter of 75% fat bike outside and 25% trainer inside. There was a good slowtwitch article you should be able to find on 'Why a Fat bike should be your next bike."

This plus riding a fat bike in 4-6ā€ of fresh snow is a blast.

Formerly DrD
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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It depends on your definition of training.
Even in summer my training is 50% trainer 50% outside.
The hardest part is rain and just above freezing. I've already stopped riding road bikes and use my gravel or cross bike now. The mtb or fat bike are there for when the snow comes.
Finding gloves and shoes to keep warm is so important
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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Winter biking is awesome with the right gear. Pogies are must.
Tons of people do it year round here.

That being said, I'd rather be skiing than on a bike in the winter.
If the conditions for skiing suck (too cold, ice storm, etc) then they probably suck for biking too.
Zwift keeps me going on those days.

I didn't like the humidity when I lived out east... always made me feel colder than it was.
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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Even with winter tires on a gravel bike I would be very cautious of riding in anything under -10c. If you cannot repair a mechanical in less than ten minutes then you'll get very cold very quickly. Getting the layering right is crucial as if you get sweaty then this will accelerate the cooling process. On your own this could be fatal, it's amazing how quickly you start to slow down and make silly decisions.

With a small group you have a far higher chance of sorting things out but you all need to be respectful of the cold. There was some impressive online footage of Lisa Norden training on Swedish back roads ten or so years ago. She was with 3 or 4 other riders, all kitted out correctly and they're hammering. Immediate respect for all of them as they all had awesome bike handling skills and were chain-ganging it around deep snow roads, sliding, crashing but constantly regrouping. Alas I cannot find the footage again, but this would show you effectively how the pros do it.

Mind you the Swedes are a tough bunch, outdoor fitness is a way of life, happy to do extreme turbo sessions, but mostly get on their x-country skies and hammer the trails. Most keen riders will spend two weeks in Mallorca or the Canaries translating their winter fitness into cycling fitness come spring.
Last edited by: SteveMc: Nov 2, 20 22:38
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Broken Leg Guy] [ In reply to ]
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Broken Leg Guy wrote:
Jon wrote:
Get a fat bike. I live in Alaska and ride mine all winter. Really fun and translates well to triathlon - I had an olympic distance bike PR at a March triathlon coming off a winter of 75% fat bike outside and 25% trainer inside. There was a good slowtwitch article you should be able to find on 'Why a Fat bike should be your next bike."


This plus riding a fat bike in 4-6ā€ of fresh snow is a blast.

Depends on the type of snow.
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Sulliesbrew] [ In reply to ]
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x2, Fatbiking is the most fun you can have on 2 wheels. I'm in Southern Alberta where it gets pretty cold and we have plenty of snow. I try to get out at least once a week on the trails with my Fatty and we've ridden down to -20 c.
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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I ride a lot in the winter, a lot at night on some of the gravel trails around Denver. No Salt !

No fat bike, just my gravel bike (its Ti) and 45mm tires. No studs, I don't do ice.

45North gear and good lights ( nite rider) are your friend. Nowhere near the cost of Assos, but designed in Minnesota (45 North)

And I forgot who made the comment, but when riding in winter, you really have to be mindful of the cold. A mechanical can really ruin your day.

db
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Dbeitel] [ In reply to ]
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Dbeitel wrote:
I ride a lot in the winter, a lot at night on some of the gravel trails around Denver. No Salt !

What roads/areas? I 100% intend on putting in some rides outdoors in Denver this year on my cx bike.

@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri
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Re: anyone training on bike outdoors throughout depths of winter (in places that are actually get snow and frequently below 0)? [Trooper] [ In reply to ]
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Trooper wrote:
Just wondering how many people do it. I went out today for a couple hours and it was 7-8C, raining sideways at times and very windy. I'll take that to cycling indoors on a trainer any day though. Still trying to get my hands on a trainer (I'm in line at a LBS for a tacx Neo 2t or kickr v5, which ever comes in first).

That said, rain is one thing but it'll be another thing once it starts to snow. I'm in the North East (Ontario) and this is my first season actually training. The cold isn't a thing imo. You can dress for it. The biggest concern would be ice/snow/salt. I'd be forced to work out on the trainer on days that it's actually snowing since I'm pretty sure it would be a bad idea to ride my S2 with it's 23mm tires in the snow. What about days where the snow's gone on the roads but there's maybe some slush, or even if it's completely dry but at freezing point (so potential for ice)?

I have a carbon bike but there are metal parts on it. Would road salt kill my bike over time? I'm not even sure what the roads would look like since the roads I'm cycling on are not the roads I drive on (when I still had to drive to work).

Would appreciate any comments or experience people can share.

If you're in Ontario, you probably have access to XC skiing. Get a pair of skate skis and some lessons and you'll never want to ride your bike when it's cold. Your swim and bike will improve from doing it too.
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