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COLDPLAY

By Rick Crawford

It’s cold. For cyclists it’s a hard time. Frosty fingers, popsicle toes, rosy chapped faces, shrinking members. Most of us in the lower 48 will have to deal with some crappy weather. There is the banana belt below the 35th degree that enjoys moderate temperatures in the winter, but for the rest, it’s a full load of laundry every day. Of course, the weather should be no deterrent; the typical cyclist makes the postman seem timid. As noble as the pursuit is, it is a crime to get bundled up and suffer so, and not get the just rewards from the effort. Here are some tips as to how to make the most out of the chilly months.

First, it should be obvious that the right clothing for the job is necessary. Yet, I am always shocked at the variety of creative fashions I observe on the often snow-packed roads in Durango. Rule number one, protect the core. If head and core are warm, the overflow heat will trickle out to the extremities, which are the first to suffer. Protect your knees well; there’s no fat there to protect the superficial tissues that hold you together, and cold weather can bring on some wicked joint pain. Layer up so that comfort can be arrived at by peeling off and adding on as needed. High-tech fabrics are compact, light, and effective. Some watertight and insulated booties will go a long way to prolonging your comfort zone on long cold rides. Your old enough to dress yourself… enough said.

I should add that mid-winter isn’t the time to see how lean you can get. Having a little of your own homegrown adipose insulation is a natural safe-guard to cold conditions. I recommend that my athletes take the winter to eat like normal humans, and enjoy the off-season, so that when the time does come for the Spartan life, they have plenty of reserves. That small layer of subcutaneous fat goes a long way in keeping you warm. Don’t diet during the winter… it eats away at your brain too. Be happy with the skin you’re in and the fat underneath it too.

I found a secret weapon that really helps the winter go by with less slush up my backside, drier feets, and opened up a new frontier of training possibilities. I recommend a special winter training rig for the nasty days, with real front and rear fenders, and a go-anywhere constitution. I actually had a mutt built from an old mountain bike that would essentially go anywhere in any condition. Nothing stops the mutt. It will roll through six inches of slush leaving the water in the gutter and not on me. Skinny 26” commuter tires are just about impossible to flat. When it gets really nasty outside, I’ll head for the snow-covered dirt roads where I’m unlikely to encounter motorists slipping around out of control. The mutt is a heavy rig, and ugly as sin, but it is a Hummer of a bike, and I don’t worry about getting it dirty, or missing days because I’m afraid of trashing my equipment. Let me reiterate about the fenders… you need a front fender that goes a good ways around behind the tire so you’re feet aren’t wet the first time you hit a slush puddle. A cyclo-cross rig that has ample room for a hefty tire and the fenders is the ultimate winter rig. I don’t recommend taking your ultra-sweet racing rig out in the nasties… get a beater and thrash it… beaters love that stuff and it just makes your sweet rig so much better when the weather breaks.

I go to this trouble because I know that the alternative is sweating puddles on the carpet while watching the Seinfeld marathon on TV. While entertainment is varied and abundant these days, making indoor training much more pleasant, I recommend avoiding long trainer sessions on a regular basis. I limit my riders to no more than 3 hours indoors per day, split into two rides of 1.5 hours, and that is drastic measures. It is inherent as a cyclist to be outdoors, and we are hard-wired for it. Simulating riding on a trainer is a poor substitution, and will most likely lead to premature burnout. Every minute on the trainer indoors has some burnout factor with it and it varies per individual. Best be aware of it, and prepare. I can personally say that there isn’t much that Mother Nature can throw at you that can’t be trained through if you are prepared. Some trainer-time is necessary, but keep it in check. Be prepared to cross-train. When it snows here, we get out the skinny skis, or go snowshoeing, or take the mutt on a backroad jaunt. If rain is your foe, there’s gear to handle it; rain should stop no rides.

Another popular winter training solution is to load up the truck and head south. Get yourself to those warm places down where the weather is likely not to pose a threat to you on a daily basis. This is when you cash in those favors with friends that live there. Or you just go, knowing that you may have to sleep on someone’s couch, but the sun will shine on you, and it will be warm… things that make a cyclist sleep well anywhere. I really think that some cold weather makes for tough, hard cyclists that can endure the elements. But I won’t judge you for heading south to put in some big winter hours.

If heading south isn’t an option, try to keep it real. Use a common sense factor in your training schedule. I create training programs daily, with the knowledge that the recipient will suffer all to complete it. It’s important to make realistic adjustments when the conditions are poor. Forging through without awareness of how the Central Nervous System is depleted is foolhardy. Winter is a great time to get fit, if you are prepared for it. Opportunities to get off the bike and cross-train should be welcomed. The day will come for the great thaw. In the meantime, be prepared for winter’s rigors. Don’t get pissed when it snows or rains. Just get the necessary gear and go enjoy it. I love winter. I came to Durango so I could enjoy winter. Get it in your head that you will enjoy it, come rain or snow, sleet or hail. I remember jumping in puddles when I was a lad and life was good! With the right gear and the right mind, bad weather can be what makes cycling special. You may not remember all the pretty days you went out, but you’ll definitely remember the nastiest ones… get out there, be prepared, and giggle like a kid on a slippy-slide. Or head south and enjoy the warm. Take care of your CNS during the winter and it will take care of you in the long season to come.

To learn more about Rick Crawford and Colorado Premier Training CLICK HERE