By Hayley Simmond
I must admit that it feels a little cliched for a Brit to be writing a blog post complaining about the terrible weather. I also feel somewhat guilty when I spent a significant amount of time between mid-November and the end of January in the Middle East. However, in the 5 weeks that I’ve been back in the UK I’ve only ventured outside on two feet and not on two wheels so I feel both justified and qualified to continue!
March is that strange time of year when some days offer warmth and glorious sunshine; cyclists rush to snatch their white short sleeve jersey from the back of the wardrobe, grab their race bike and head out for as long a ride as schedules allow, celebrating the arrival of spring. Then the next day…? Back to 9 degrees, grey and drizzle. I’ve not yet reached the point of summer attire because I feel it will only end in bitter disappointment shortly after. Luckily I am heading to Mallorca in a little under 2 weeks and that’s likely to be the turning point for me; if I don’t get warmth and blue skies for that mini-camp I’ll be requesting a refund!!
I’m now in my 10th year as a full time cyclist and my approach to winter has changed drastically over that time. Many years have included fortnight-long stints abroad on team camps and just before Covid hit I was fortunate enough to spend 7 weeks training in New Zealand and Australia (partly at altitude) for a race season that never materialised. However until around 2021, when at home in the UK I would steadfastly head outdoors to train, regardless of the weather. Needless to say, I didn’t always return from rides in the cheeriest of moods and that often deteriorated further when I would then have to clean my bike. The balance of not training vs. putting up with bad weather would always tip in the favour of the latter and I suspect that most people can relate; regardless of your level or motivations for exercising, missing a planned session is normally the worse of two evils.
So, what are the options?
“Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder”
One of my best friends that I’ve made through professional cycling is Swedish and she taught me this expression which effectively translates as “there is no bad weather, only bad clothes”. I’ll leave it up to the Scandinavians to argue whether this saying originated in Norway or Sweden but the sentiment is that you should be able to go about your endeavours regardless of the weather, as long as you are dressed appropriately. This was 100% me in the first half of my cycling career and I know a lot of people who would still much rather go out on the road in freezing wind and torrential rain than face the indoor trainer. Though I do have to question why I see so many Nordic riders on virtual training roads if this is their philosophy…
Take it off-road
For some reason, getting wet and muddy is a lot more acceptable if you’ve chosen to train off-road on a mountain bike or gravel bike. A few winters ago I did a lot of my longer weekend
endurance rides on my gravel bike at Thetford Forest and it was much more enjoyable than taking the road bike out for 4 hours in the cold. It doesn’t always work quite as well for structured interval sessions but for low intensity base rides it’s a perfect alternative. As an added bonus you’ll also be away from cars and traffic and can really enjoy some peaceful hours on the bike. I’ve said several times over the last few years that if I could only keep one bike of all those I own, it would be a gravel bike. It’s a discipline I only discovered at the end of 2022 after having iliac artery surgery but I fell in love with the freedom my gravel bike offers; more so than a road or time trial bike. In the past 2 years I’ve raced gravel in some truly incredible locations (in every weather condition imaginable!) and I’m looking forward to discovering more this year. Appropriately clothed, of course.
Turbo-charge it
The advancement in turbo-trainer technology, along with development of virtual training platforms has been truly game changing, especially in relation to winter training. When I first started cycling I had an old Tacx trainer for emergencies and TT warm ups; I distinctly remember having a separate rear wheel with a bright orange tyre (specifically made to withstand the roller of the trainer) and having to jump off the bike several times in the first 10 minutes to have to adjust the pressure of the roller on the wheel. I also went through more blue plastic resistance levers than I’d like to count (IYKYK). The difference between the turbo of 12 years ago compared to now was nicely summed up in a conversation with a friend about a year ago. Anna had been a University Cycling Club teammate of mine and as a fellow exercise-addict continued to ride and commute by bike in post-PhD life. Unfortunately she lost a fight with a tree root in winter 2024 and messaged me to ask if I knew where she could rent a turbo trainer to prevent her from going crazy, as she hadn’t owned one in nearly a decade. I offered to post her one of my smart trainers to use while she recovered. A few days later I received a message. “WTF is this?! Have you sent me a spaceship? Hang on…this thing can tell me how many watts I’ve lost since I stopped racing?”. I replied suggesting she also get a Zwift account for added motivation. That Christmas her husband bought her a wahoo smart bike and I am responsible for a new addiction.
I started using Zwift in 2021 for some of my more ‘regimented’ interval sessions and also threw in some community races. That December I became part of the Movistar e-team and began racing on the platform at an elite level. Having been dubious at first about virtual training platforms, I now love them (both for training and racing). In fact, I am far more likely to be found on a virtual road at the moment than I am on a physical one. For specific interval sessions I will choose to use the turbo even if the weather is good, simply because I find it easier to execute certain efforts at a higher level on the indoor trainer. But with the weather as it has been in the UK recently it’s a no-brainer for me; I’d much rather pedal out my hours inside. It’s very much a personal choice and several athletes that I coach hate the turbo, but with the ability to join groups, chat to other riders or challenge yourself with a race at any hour of the day makes winter far easier to endure. I’m currently racing Sunday Race Club on MyWhoosh almost every week and not only is it one of my hardest workouts, I’ve also made lifelong friends from all over the world through the team that I race with.
Fly south for winter (or at least part of it)
Let’s face it, escaping the UK for a foreign ‘camp’ is what gets a lot of riders through the winter! Even just a long weekend can be enough to recharge the batteries and top up the motivation levels until spring finally arrives. I’m incredibly lucky to have spent a lot of time away this winter and I’ve been invited to Zwift Community Live at the end of March; somehow this will be my first ever trip to Mallorca! Obviously a foreign trip isn’t an option for everyone but if it is possible then a few days of short/short can work wonders mentally.
As I sit writing this (knowing that my intervals tomorrow will be done indoors) I can hear birds outside and see patches of blue sky. In a few weeks the clocks will change and we will be treated to more daylight; we are coming out of winter and heading towards warmer weather and the start of the race season. For now, you’ll still find me mostly in Watopia but I’m hopeful that the winter kit can soon be moved to the back of the wardrobe…for a few months at least!