In an effort to hopefully improve my bike leg in 2015, it hit me that I may actually have to ride outside this offseason. With that said, my time is pretty limited (aka married, child) and I’ll most likely have to get it done early in the morning. As it stands, I’m up at 4am anyway, so I might as well ride, when I’m not running. Does anyone have any tips for early morning riding, especially in the winter? I have lights, a vest with lights, blinkies etc…but I’m sure there is an art to doing this too.
and I dont mean commuting. I plan to ride and come back home and then go to work. My job is way too far to commute.
I ride to before work 1 or 2 days a week in the winter and have to use lights for the first half of my ride.
I wear a bright vest (Rapha high vis) and a pair of lights - especially a blinking tail light. I use these Lyzyne lights but generally i ride from 6 - 7:30am so during the second half the sun is coming up.
I would suggest a brighter light if you are going to be doing everything before the sun comes up.
I do a lot of riding at night (morning time), and do my best to be seen. Doesn’t always go as planned but I do my best! (thats another story)
I rock this light on my bars (Light) and a blinky USB rechargeable Led on my seat post and one more clipped to my jersey.
This gives you plenty of visibility in the front and it would be hard to not see blinking red lights. Reflective clothing is also a plus.
Use the turbo in the week. You get a focused session and you don’t have to waste time getting kitted up and lights set etc etc etc.
With the hours saved - build up brownie points by doing family things there.
Find time for a bike ride at the weekend though to get some miles in.
Ok, this is going to sound silly, but I found the key to doing these early morning rides is making sure everything is laid out/prepped (clothes ready…tires pumped etc) the night before. I cant tell you how much time is wasted trying to get all that crap together in the morning while you’re stumbling around at 4am. I exclusively do all my training before 6am (like you …kids…demanding job, etc) and its all about the preparation the night before.
a mirror is very helpful. There are people who just won’t see you so you need to see them. Training on a MTB allows you to ride slower with the same efforts and nip off onto the shoulder if you feel spooked by a huge county snowplow bearing down on your position.
If the activity is going to increase the risk of your kids being without a dad, then use the trainer for a while, it might make you fitter in less time anyways
Others have pretty much covered it. What I would add is that when looking at lights the rechargeable ones have been so much more convenient for me when in heavy use. I personally have always felt safer riding when it is dark out…assuming you light yourself up.
As you and others have already commented on, having good lighting is critical. What has worked best for me over the course of an entire winter (rather than individual rides):
(as an OP already wrote) lay stuff out night before, it optimizes time and keeps things quieter in the house (everyone wins)If you have the luxury of more than one bike, winterize your training/old/cheaper bike and make this the outdoor bike (get fenders if possible)Save the higher intensity workouts for the trainer. Outdoor winter riding in cold temps (<40F) is for mileage and maintaining “road legs” as best you canCarry your waterbottles in you (jersey pockets) to keep liquids warmer, BUT…Put waterbottles filled w/ pennies in your cages for extra weight (your legs will calibrate to more weight, and will love it in the Spring when you lighten up)Mouth covered when below 30F and keep effort easierIf doing hill repeats - keep efforts very controlled (again, save intensity for indoors)If possible on a Saturday or Sunday, get errands/chores done in the early morning and free up the middle of the day when its warmest to get outside for a ride. BONUS: Take care of child early morning on weekend to let Mom sleep in. When Momma Bear is happy, everyone is happy. Can’t overstate importance of giving time to family.This is pretty obvious, but I’ll state it anyways: Know/learn how you need to dress at various temperature ranges (50-60F, 40-50F, 30-40F, 20-30F).Another obvious one: If its going to be cold, cold (mid 30’sF or colder), good gloves and good booties are imperative.From a safety standpoint, assume cars don’t see you. At 5:00am, lot’s of drivers on road barely awake and certainly NOT looking for cyclists.
I used to work nights and would keep a night shift schedule on my days off. That meant I would swim at around 6-7pm and bike or run at anywhere from 12am-2am. Definitely zero dark thirty.
Gear wise I pretty much did everything for night cycling the exact same as during the day. Same setup with hydration, nutrition etc. The only difference was that I wore a reflective vest, and I utilized a “headlight” and a large blinking taillight.
Riding wise, I changed my riding routes from in the country (people seem to think it is okay to drive 100mph at night and don’t pay attention because they don’t expect to see many if any other vehicles, especially a bicycle) to staying in town doing laps around neighborhoods where the speed limit is 25-35. More reaction time for myself and the drivers. Plus, there is a lot less traffic at night in neighborhoods so riding in town wasn’t a big deal.
I don’t think you need to ride outside to improve. If your time is limited, I think you get a bigger return from indoor riding. Wake up, hit the head, stumble to the trainer. That’s how my day starts for much of the winter.
This. With a solid training plan you can makeep HUGE improvements indoors that will translate to race season. Plus, just the thought of riding in the dark at 30 is degrees? I love to ride outdoors but the trainer sounds like more fun in those conditions. Just my .02 though
I do most of my riding in the dark. Try to find a place with little traffic where you can do laps, like a big park. My opinion is a darker environment with little traffic (like a park) is better than a partially lit environment with traffic, especially because if you carry your own lighting you’ll contrast more with a dark background. Also, my guess is the average driver is even less likely to expect other people to be on the road at early hours.
I use this light on the front, and I love it. It’s super bright, and it let’s me see very well. The light and the battery are heavy and the exact opposite of aero, but I don’t use them for races so I don’t care. It will last a long time on a full charge although not at max light output (although there’s still plenty of light output). I wish it had a flashing option for times near and after sunrise, but I’d still keep it over a flashing light:
http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Bicycle-HeadLight-Flashlight-Headlamp/dp/B006QQX3C4
On the seat post I have an older cateye (couldn’t find a link) and on each seatstay I use a Red Spok Micro (http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3043.html).
Get rechargeable batteries to save money. Also, make sure you remove any batteries and dry the lights out well after any wet rides.
I wear a bright shirt, but no lighting/slowing stuff on my head/body.
Also, if you don’t already use it, get some sort of tracking device so people know where you are and when to expect you back. RoadID has a free app that does a number of things including sending out emergency info to designated friends if you stop moving for more than 5 minutes.
Good luck!
I am saving tons of time by just riding the trainer in the basement. Of course I live in Michigan so once the thick snow hits, it will be hard to get a good training session in outside. But I just have my shorts, socks, and shoes next to the trainer. I roll out of bed, slip on the gear and start cranking.
I am getting a 20something inch TV and a chromecast so I can do GCN HIIT videos. Really gets the heart pumping.
“Save the higher intensity workouts for the trainer. Outdoor winter riding in cold temps (<40F) is for mileage and maintaining “road legs” as best you can.”
“Mouth covered when below 30F and keep effort easier”
Why? Do you think XC skiiers adhere to this philosophy as well?
Do you MTB? That would be the first choice. If not, I’d suggest a dedicated road/CX bike…something that can take wider tires and at least a rear fender. You ought to be able to pick up a used something or other for around $300 or so.
You definitely want the most bulletproof tire you can find…changing a flat in the cold/dark blows at best, and can be dangerous if it is cold out. I had to change a flat once when it was 20 degrees out and my hands got so cold I couldn’t zip the flat kit back up…if I’d gotten a 2nd flat I’d have been up the creek as no way was I going to be able to change another one.
Your lights are for two purposes, 1st so you can see where you are going, and 2nd to be seen. I like to have at least 2 rear lights going. Since you can’t really see them blinking when riding, you’d hate to have one and have it turn off mid-ride unbeknownst to you. I like to clip one to the back of my helmet, and one (steady red, not flashing) to the back of my left shoe. The track of your foot making the light go up and down makes the light much more visible than even a flashing light. I’m usually wearing shoe covers, so I clip it to those. Along the same vein, I get some reflective tape and put it on the back edge of the cranks and rear seat stay.
I also like to have two headlights, one on the helmet, and one on the bars, although I’ll often just use the helmet light. It’s nice to be able to direct the helmet light at cars which might not see you as they come up to an intersection (for example). There’s nothing worse than having a light go off mid-ride (malfunction…battery didn’t charge all the way, etc) and not having a backup.
If you really want to go deluxe, for around $500:
Here would be a good winter bike:
http://nh.craigslist.org/bik/4783529475.html
If you are a hipster looking for a fixie…move along, sir. This bike doesn’t mesh with skinny jeans very well- particularly because with a 42x16, the quads necessary to push this bitch down the road won’t even FIT into skinny jeans.
If you’re an a-type roadie who needs to match his helmet to his bike… Not for you, unless you embrace the fact that the 4 different types of bar wrap/tape have been carefully chosen to match almost any shirt ever made. My God, look at the drops. Soft foam grip for absolute absorption of hand sweat, and comfort for those extended times when you are riding away from your buddies. Shhh. Listen. If you put your ear to the hole where the bar end plug is missing, you can almost hear the sound of them yelling at you for pulling away so easily on a 1-gear. You can’t help it…you only have 1 speed.
27x 1 1/4" tires for ride quality. Before you go out on the group ride, tell your friends that on the odd occurrence that you happen to be riding behind them in the paceline, they don’t need to point any roadkill, broken glass, or babies out. You can run them all over with ease.
Note the pump, with the hand-crafted mounting system. I’m including that as an extra. You’re welcome.
If you base every ride on a certain percentage of your max wattage, you’re out of luck- mostly because here in hilly NH, every ride will be at max wattage on this bike. Deal with it, and maybe you’ll become QUADZILLA over the winter. Or maybe you’ll just ride on your trainer all winter and come out in the Spring swinging at the same disappointing level you did last year.
If you’ve read this and aren’t frantically crafting an email to me trying to purchase this steed, I’ll close with this:
This is one of the last bikes to ever be made in America. Shit, this bike IS AMERICA: fast, stiff, and beefy. Come and get it.
Good point and I agree with what you are saying. You could say the same thing for cyclecross folks too who are working toward peak fitness in the winter months (even more relevant given that its cycling.
My comment is based on assumption that the original poster was seeking guidance on training through the winter to then build towards peak fitness in the warm weather months. I could be wrong w/ that assumption.
As for the keep mouth covered comment, my n=1 experience has been that I will be more susceptible to getting sick/bronchitis when not covering month below 30F. Whether that’s reality or my perception, don’t know. But I’ve stayed healthier if I keep it easier when its really (for me) cold and keep the mouth covered. I’m a big fan of keeping intensity as part of the regular, ongoing fitness regiment. I just prefer it indoors in the winter if I have the option.
Gotcha…I’m coming from the 'cross camp so I guess “Cross Cough” is just a way of life…
I ride around Boston and managed to avoid the trainer all last winter. I did a lot of my intensity on a frozen bike path with studded tires…most exciting part of the winter was ripping along on an interval at 9 pm on the empty path with a little snow on it…head down…I look up just in time to see this guy sitting right in my path. I think we both simultaneously crapped ourselves and thought “What the hell are you doing here at this time of night?”
Take advantage of the fair weather law abiding types who aren’t on your local mup/greenway/bike path and enjoy having it to yourself.