Road Cycling

Q: Why not train indoors this autumn and winter?
A: See below:

Wife
8 yr old daughter
12 yr old daughter
Labrador & 2 month old puppy presently locked into a power battle

Yep, outdoors all the way! :p
 
Seen that her world record attempt lands end to john o'groats was abandoned in the night? Shame. Must have taken ages to build up to that.
Yeah shame, she was 'feeling unwell', hardly surprising! 370 miles wasn't it? Don't think the weather conditions helped her much... She'll probably reattempt.

I've been using arm warmers for weeks now. Arm warmers! In August! It's been like 11-12 degrees in the mornings for ages.
Same, leg warmers in any temperatures below 15 degrees too! Short commute problems! ;)

Just need to fit my turbo tyre on to the rear wheel I bought. Made me rage last time to the point my neighbors must think I'm a right potty mouth.

Going to try again tonight, if not am working from home tomorrow and will pay a trip to the LBS and get them to do it while I also hand in my man card.
Lol @Man card. Zwift? Add me! :D

What was the issue last time? Really tight tyre to get on the rim? Mine is similar, it hardly stretches being more of a plastic feeling material than a rubber one. Warm it up with a hairdrier or such and it might make it more friendly. Good tyre levers (Park tool), persistence and technique will help you more than brute force!

Well, I'll simply be out in the evening in the dark with lights on.

Indoor training is not for me. :)
I like to do both but more and more find myself indoors... It's just more convenient & avoids getting wet! :o

KOM toppling by Dowsett and Mullen today.
 
Usually braving the winter weather for a weekend or two is enough to make me retreat back indoors for a few weeks before heading out again :p
Commuting in it regardless is far more than enough! ;)

Q: Why not train indoors this autumn and winter?
A: See below:

Wife
8 yr old daughter
12 yr old daughter
Labrador & 2 month old puppy presently locked into a power battle

Yep, outdoors all the way! :p
Q: Why train indoors this winter?

A: British weather, British drivers, commuting outside in British weather & with British drivers 4 times a day 5 days a week regardless. Attractive prospect of only getting wet 15 times per week maximum. Stop/start convenience. Baby due in ~3 weeks so being on hand to accumulate $man_points$ (so I can redeem whatever saturday mornings the weather gods deem club/group ride attendance a possibility). Unlocking new kit on Zwift is cheaper than buying new kit in the real world. Castelli don't do newborn & baby kit so I can't get him riding outside that soon.
 
Looking forward to some indoor training. My hours are now 9:30-6 so I'm never home and ready before 7, so my outdoor riding is now well out the window during the week. So will basically be 90% turbo training apart from riding at the weekends where I will try to make the most of the weather :(
Go out early in the morning? 2.5 hours before work this morning :)

Though it is starting to get to the point where it won't even be light before 7am now :(
 
I've considered it but mornings are my only quality time with my son during the week, by the time I get home in the evening he's just getting ready for bed :(
 
Indoor training through Winter is the only way.

I rode outdoors all through last winter and never again. January & February the roads were mostly iced up and I was taking too many risks. Also, your bike gets absolutely trashed - keeping it running well (cleaning it and lubing) is time consuming and depressing.

This winter I'll be indoors, my sexy setup will be ready soon :)
 
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Cycling clothing noob question!

I'm spending more time road cycling than previously, for some reason I've entered a 85 mile sportive on Saturday, a cotton t-shirt and my mtb baggy shorts aren't going to cut it. But I've no idea how to layer up properly.

I know a lot of it is down to personal prerference and how you deal with it. I popped by Evans on my way home and picked up the following – Jersey, Gilet

Is that going to keep me warm enough? The forecast is predicting 10-15 degrees over the day with rain in the afternoon.

I've a softshell jacket I could add (or use in place of the gillet), but I usually find myself getting too warm when I've attempted to wear it in the past. Plus it's too thick to roll up and jam in a pocket, although the sleeves do detach.
 
Bib-shorts. F riding 85 miles in anything but decent bib-shorts.

I've you want some versatility, wear a base layer, take a gilet, arm/knee warmers and a rain-cape. Carry a cap if you're that way inclined, personally I don't wear them in anything less than 5 degrees as I cook easily.

I'd pay attention to what the wind is doing and whether there will be cloud cover or direct sunshine as these will impact the real-feel massively. Strong winds can make moderate weather feel cold, no wind and/or direct sunlight on a long climb can make it harder work than anticipated too.
 
I've considered it but mornings are my only quality time with my son during the week, by the time I get home in the evening he's just getting ready for bed :(
How old is he? It's things like this which I'm worried about in the future - if I do any riding after work then I'm not back until 7.30 (at the earliest) and with a 8am start at work I'm convinced that I'm going to ride less to avoid any guilt! My first little one arrives in a couple of weeks!

Also, your bike gets absolutely trashed - keeping it running well (cleaning it and lubing) is time consuming and depressing.
Tell me about it! I've been utterly slack about cleaning anything other than my drivechain recently, it's only going to get worse in the winter! :o

Is that going to keep me warm enough? The forecast is predicting 10-15 degrees over the day with rain in the afternoon.
Don't worry about the softshell, save that for colder weather. Gilet and Jersey look good, you're best getting some arm warmers to pair with them. Thickness will depend on preference and how you feel the cold/wet. You might be best investing in some overshoes as wet feet over that distance will be miserable! Padded/bib shorts will make a huge difference but if you've been doing ~50-60 mile training rides in preparation with no shorts issues then it's not worth changing now. If you had more time to get used to bib/padded shorts then they would be recommended. A packable 'rain cape' you can carry and throw on in a shower is very much recommended this time of year/with that forecast!

If you don't want to invest in lots of kit last minute then a 'rain cape' alternative is a very light thin normal anorack kinda thing (if you already own one) jammed into a pocket. You could even use a bin liner to save for a real thunderstorm and half hope you don't need it! Electricians tape over the vents in your shoes to keep the worst of the rain/road spray out is a bit of a 'hack'. A pair of dry socks in a plastic bag to carry with you for when the weather clears is an old school trick - there's nothing worse than cold wet feet! Merino socks if you have them (hiking etc) will stay warm even when wet. Or any other kind of 'sport' sock (non woolen & quick drying) may suffice!
 
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How old is he? It's things like this which I'm worried about in the future - if I do any riding after work then I'm not back until 7.30 (at the earliest) and with a 8am start at work I'm convinced that I'm going to ride less to avoid any guilt! My first little one arrives in a couple of weeks!

Congrats :) I guarantee any less riding will be more than worth it, it's the best thing in the world being a dad.

As for my son, he's 2. They grow up so fast and one thing I learnt when he was in his first year is that they just grow so quickly, make the absolute most of it when they're so young as before you know it they're walking and talking and they aren't your little baby any more.

Your riding shouldn't suffer too much, it's all about compromise with your partner. Mine has always been good at letting me keep my hobby, be it the gym or cycling in the evening, and in return at weekends, I'll take him out for the day if she needs some time off and let her chill out, or if there's an evening during the week then I'm happy to swap. But you saw how much I've ridden over the summer, it certainly wasn't lacking and nor should it for you. It's just difficult in Winter as I can only go out after 7 but that's fine with indoor training.
 
Don't worry about the softshell, save that for colder weather. Gilet and Jersey look good...

That's my current thoughts too, I generally get pretty warm on a bike.

Padded/bib shorts will make a huge difference but if you've been doing ~50-60 mile training rides in preparation with no shorts issues then it's not worth changing now.

Well I wear padded shorts under my baggies on the mountain bike. As for training riders ... errr :o

Thanks for the useful info!
 
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