Coaches Corner | Winter Training Setup

Altering and Accommodating Your Winter Riding Setup  Training in the winter can be a bit of a gamble and lead to compromised rides, lost motivation, or unfortunate situations. However, when prepared for, the winter can be an exciting time to get to chase your health and performance goals. The following article is a rundown of key areas that can be changed to make your winter successful.

​Clothing Layering
 Layers are the trick of winter riding…too many or too thick and you sweat (no bueno) but too thin and you quickly become frozen. The general idea is to have the ability to ventilate or shed them if needed and still have protection. Starting from the outside in, you can ensure a comfortable ride: wind/water resistance, insulation, base layer(s). The same goes for gloves, too thick and you can’t feel the bars or sweat and too thin and you also can’t feel the bars…but because you’re numb! 

Pockets and Bags
This is the perfect segway for storage spaces. As you accumulate layers and food and gear and…well you’ll need somewhere to store all that if it comes to it. Bar bags and frame bags can be helpful here, but also clothing that has pockets is huge. I utilize The Black Bibs “cargo” bibs because the thigh pockets are really accessible and they’re one of THE most affordable brands.

Bike Tires
​One of the most important alterations to your set up during the winter can be tires. Depending on where you are located, things can be wet, icy, and often covered in rubble. Not only that, you’re probably doing some long rides and that means comfort is more important. This is where higher volume (which = lower pressure), traction, and protection are paramount. I’ve always switched to a tire like the Maxxis ReFuse in 32cc and ride all winter long on them without a single issue.

Fenders
Whether you’re a “hater” or not, fenders work. When it’s often wet or cruddy during the winter, staying dry is a “must” for staying warm. Some fenders can assist in that and take the edge off of what could be a compromised ride by getting wet. They can be EASY to install + use and two brands that I recommend are here: SKS and AssSavers.

Components
 This can be the time of year to “down grade” your components or parts that you want to save. For example, you can swap a SRAM XX1 cassette with a GX one for a more durable and element-surviving system. 

Nutrition 
As the season changes, so should your nutrition plan around training. As my previous article dives into, the base season is a time (for most) where the focus is on aerobic fitness and efficiency on the bike. While it is important to make sure you have the glucose on board for high intensity sessions, you should be reaching for more “real food” or complex energy during the endurance rides. For example, I typically keep things like homemade bars, dates, and bananas in my pockets for LSD (long-slow-distance) rides. Additionally, you’ll want to be mindful of what’s in your bottles. Although you may feel like you aren’t sweating/losing fluid near as much, you certainly are. Your body is not only trying to keep you warm but is also evaporating into all those layers you have on in addition to breaking down the more complex food you’re eating. I stray from my “rocket fuel”, high calorie drink mixes but still opt for hydration-focused mixes…as water just doesn’t cut it.

Indoor Riding
When in doubt, indoor training can be time efficient, effective, and controllable. Not only that, it can be quite nice to break a good sweat while in the middle of the winter season as you spend weeks bundled up (this is not an objective, science-backed statement… just my subjective one). I’m not one to jump on the trainer if given the choice, but riding inside does offer a very dependable environment for knocking out your training. Now, between smart trainers and online social platforms, indoor training can be quite entertaining as well. Leverage these opportunities to keep your stoke alive and check off important workouts that may be harder to control by going outside. Also, if it’s rough outside, I will sometime either warm up or “warm down” on the rollers; I’m all toasty and can throw on my gear as I head out or thaw out as I come back in. 

Quick note: don’t forget about Vitamin D this winter! If you are inside, or more bundled up, it is going to be harder to keep optimal levels of Vit D due to lack of sun exposure. This is a key aspect of health AND performance in athletic folk, especially during this time of heightened immune threat.