Get out and join some of the SBRA Winter rides to maintain your fitness! All you need is one or two hours for riding a week -- be sure finding a ride matching your level.

Dress warm, use "a strategic placed" wind breaking layer, but also make sure not to overdress -- as nothing is worse and more uncomfortable than getting soaking wet and finally cold as you loose the insulation properties of most materials! If unsure how to dress, be sure to get good advise on our club forum.

A few tips to be very comfortable and confident in winter riding:

• to keep your extremities (fingers and toes) warm: used loose (not snug/tight) fitting gloves (wind breaking), same with shoes. Best is a pair of winter cycling shoes (like Defroster/Specialized), use a 1/2 to 1 size bigger to comfortable fit a warmer thicker wool winter sock or even double up sock. I often use a regular cycling sock and a nice wool winter sock on top! But a good winter bootie (neoprene style) over your summer shoes will do as well in most less extreme cases.
• Also keep your core warm -- this helps also your extremities! But dress right for the ride level your are doing -- not only temperature/wind! You may wonder how riders get along with these skinny jerseys on a well paced A ride while riders on a C ride are bundled up and possible are still cold -- more work/speed = more heat generation = less layers!!
• You may cover up you helmet's vents to keep your head warm! Tipp -- do you ski/snow board? I love to use my snow board helmet with cosy ear covers for winter rides. (Even not sure about the official specifications, but I be leave it is even heaver duty than any bike helmet. DH ski is way faster and collisions are collisions!!) And hey, it very aerodynamic as well to cheat these cold wintery winds!
• Any question, write me or on the forum!

Your Webmaster

A nice wintry day -- if only those snow barricades were not as huge -- usually I strongly dislike ramps and the Floyd, but had not much of an option for where I wanted to go: