Winter is an odd time for cyclists. Gone are the razor sharp tan lines, short sleeves, and vented shoes of summer, to be replaced by base layers, bulky gloves, and enough lights to shame Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach.
Like many I took a break at the end of the racing season to rest my mind and body. I returned to my bike mid-November having put on more weight than I ought to have done, and feeling distinctly out of sorts compared to a month earlier. No longer did I have the sensation of weightless legs driving over the top of a climb. No it was back to wrestling for a series of lower and lower gears before my derailleur finally reported back the inevitable conclusion that there were no more gears to give.
As I have written previously much of my riding and training is done on my commute. This is made up of a 30 mile ride with over 1600 ft of climbing, and a 5-15am start. In the summer this is not a lot of fun. In the winter it can be pretty tough when you are woken in the pitch black, to a thick layer of frost on the ground, and a cold house an hour and a half before the central heating chunters into life. Getting up, getting out and conquering the first 5 miles is the biggest challenge. I have a lengthy 30mph descent about a mile from home. When the temperature is below zero this can only be described as really quite chilly, and this is followed a couple of miles later by a 16% climb. On cold legs. In the dark. It’s all good training though right?
Having come back in November I think I’ve wintered ok. December and January were both over 400 mile months. I’m certainly not race fit, but I’m only about 3-4 lbs over my race weight, and I’m putting in some decent times and other numbers, especially when considering the time of year. I had even managed to get through the winter without tasting the tarmac. At least I had done until yesterday when a patch of ice caught me out and dumped me savagely on my left hand side. I have the usual cuts and bruises to show for it, and, more importantly a scuffed Ultegra STI lever just one week before they are going to be replaced. I took my frustration out my punching the road, so I also have a sore hand to add insult to my injuries.
A few words on winter bikes. I was schooled that you ride a cheap bike for winter, and that in a complete about turn from your race bike, weight is your friend rather than your enemy. With this in mind I have a pannier rack on, and most rides have a 7kg pannier bag in addition to all the lights and other paraphernalia that goes with riding in freezing temperatures. I have allowed my gears to degrade to the point where they hardly function – necessitating a proper clean - and smashed my Mavic Open Pro rims in and out of pot holes so hard that the rear split in two separate places, and is so out of true I had to keep letting the brakes off a bit. Hopefully slogging around on a below-par bike will pay dividends come the racing season.
It is with more than a little jealousy that I look at a number of the guys who I was racing with in the late season who have been off on training camps in Southern Italy and Portugal this month. One would assume they have been able to do a fair bit more riding than I have managed, and will start the season in better shape. For my part I have a two week holiday I Croatia at the end of March so hopefully there won’t be too much snow to prevent me getting some miles in.
As the race season coughs its way into life, my thoughts have turned to what sort of season I would like to have, and when it may begin. I am half tempted to put in a “tester” race before I go to Croatia as this will give me a good guide as to where I am, and provide a good base to get the most out of my time when I am there. In terms of objectives this year, I would like to push on and obtain my First Cat licence. It would be nice to race a Premier Calendar race. And I would look to be competitive in some of the lesser E123 races. Sounds easy when you say it like that!
