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Thank God it's winter again. The cold weather firms up the ground and allows some great biking you don't get in the summer whith the rain and constantly mushy ground. Im finding more and more that my fitness improves in the so called "off season" I get most of my dryest and best rides in the winter. Summer and the monsoon can wait.
Ive got to agree, the clear skies and hard dry ground is fantastic, but when I opened to the curtains this morning to -5c and sheet ice I wimped out of my 5.30am cycle commute and reached for the car keys. I convinced myself it was only on health and saftey grounds, mixing it up with lorrys in trafford park on two wheels and ice isnt fun, but we all know the truth is I was being a big girl. 😆
The weather has been fantastic in Yorkshire too but not sure the ground has completely dried out. The ice has firmed it up a little but still very boggy on Baildon Moor. Colder weather also means less walkers 🙂
Not dried up down south yet, although it's not rained for a while either.
I think there's an element of MTFU in winter as the weather is always cold whereas in summer I'm inclined to say stuff it I'll ride tomorow. Haven't been commuting though, a mix of the commuter being in the process of being fettled in the few hours of spare daylight to get it working properly and drivers down south being f*****g scary! Seriosly, did anyone south of Watford actualy take a driving test?
yep, checked the weather forecast for tomorrow morning and it's going to be -4 at 06:30-07:00 when I'll be heading out. Should make for a lovely ride through the woods on the way to work, it'll start off dark and I'll see the sun rise. The frozen ground should make for a speedy summer-esque ride -can't wait!
The last few days have had some great days but also some terrible unridable ice... I love riding in winter but sometimes it's just too much. I guess not everyone gets the same amount of winter!
i'll be off out tonight. 😀
Nice down here is morning although did need the warm gloves and over boots for sure. Ground firmer but after the rain lots of hidden suprises where water erosion has created some dramatic trail erosion. Almost lost my bike at one stage today!
Incredible mix of cloud, sun, frost etc over the Devils Punchbowl this morning.
Best riding for weeks/months?
Thats me off for 3 days now - can't wait to get to cannock tomorrow - empty trails, starting the Dog to the sound of Shakin Stevens Crimbo hit, dry as a bone - lovely jubbly.
Forgot the obvious downside until now - cleaning the bike with icy cold water is a nightmare. My fingers are dropping off now!
Connect the hose to the hot tap when cleaning your bike 🙂
It doesn't often get cold enough to properly in the mild mild west. I'll be out tonight.
Not quite cold enough yet in Herts (not sure where Jedi plans to ride 😀 )
I overheat in Summer and find winter riding can be better as long as the mud firms up. Also less walkers about, and less tree cover meaning I normally spot more wildlife too. I like the bleakness of mid winter but I am a bit weird like that.
Ground's getting hard here in South / Mid Wales, faster going than most of the summer!
First section of my commute had well churned up mud with an icy crust. The frozen bits batter your bike into submission, then as you slow down you break the crust, sink and stagnate in the mud.
couple more sub zero days and it'll be reet.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2655237 ]Oh[/url] 🙁
I've had some really good winter rides over the years, hoping for a proper hard freeze. Gorgeous clear blue skies and rock hard trails but I predict rain ice rain ice slush ice rain rain rain spring.
Took the afternoon off work to use up some days and have just been out on the roadie for a short but hilly circuit; damned cold and on the main A road climbing a gentle hill in a shadowed bit where the road looked wet, my back wheel was skittering about all over the place. I even stopped to check the tyre but no, it must have been black ice lying on the polished top-dressing. I took that as a timely warning and ditched the last circuit and hill, now sitting by a warm Aga drinking tea and eating chocolate biscuits.
Forgot the obvious downside until now - cleaning the bike with icy cold water is a nightmare. My fingers are dropping off now!
SS and don't wash it untill the weather improves. Chain get's de-grotted when it's dry enough to be brushed off then re-lubed.
not really weather based but i tend to find less family stuff/ other commitments during winter so always seem to end up with more riding and better fitness in the 'off season' and then find once it warms up im too busy to get much riding done again!
I went out on Sunday and it was still as boggy and mucky as it's ever been.
Had some frost the last two days so hoping for the ground to harden up, but we need weeks of hard frost for a proper hardpack down here in the South Downs, it's still boggy.. and hence hard work, and bike cleaning means it's a trip to the jetwash on the way home, and then new bearings..chain/cogs/freewheel*
*delete, your choice.