Tips For Winter Cycling

Cycling in the winter can often be challenging due to the cold weather and adverse conditions under the tires.  There is no need to hang up the bike for the winter, there are ways of coping with the cold so that you can keep fit and feel good in the winter despite the dark days.  It is always difficult to decide what to wear as you will be cold from the get go, but will soon warm up as you get the blood pumping around your body from the exercise.  Below are a few ideas of what you can do to comfortably stay on the bike this winter!

Base layers are a must when cycling outdoors.  You can wear long sleeved base layers and full leg tights to keep you warm underneath your clothing.  There are also slip on leg warmers and arm warmers if you want to be able to loose a layer whilst cycling. 

Your feet and hands are also important commodities not to be forgotten about!  As the wind whistles past it can thaw your small fingers and toes relatively quickly.  In order to keep them going why not consider wearing shoe covers.  The idea is to buy covers that are slightly larger than your shoes to give you extra warmth.  Many are made of Neoprene which are windproof and fairly water resistant. 

For your hands Neoprene is also a good option and will give you more protection that just standard wooly gloves.  These are not great for rainy days however as Neoprene traps water close to your body so it's not a great idea to wear these on long rides.  If it is really cold outside, why not use a pair of ski gloves to keep you toasty warm. 

A lot of body heat is lost through your head so don't forget about that!  Heavy wool cycling caps are recommended to be worn underneath your helmet.  If you don't want to go the full hog with this then why not consider a head band at least so that your ears can stay warm.

There are of course many rubs that you can get which you can smear on your legs which promote heat on your legs.  Skiers often find it handy on their nose and ears in the harsh winter months.

Let's not forget that drinking hot fluids such as tea or coffee can also keep your inner boiler going to keep you safe and warm in the winter!