it ALL StArtS At 40 it ALL StArtS At 40 - Spokes Magazine

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by joe foley jfoley441@gmail.com
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Winter Options
With the crisp days of fall fading fast and the long
days of summer now nothing but a distant memory,
what is the mountain biker, or any cyclist, to do to
make it through a long wet winter?
While some riders may be content to settle in for a
while, spending some time with the family they’ve
lost touch with during weekend long riding trips, and
enjoying some lazy days on the sofa, for others that’s
not a choice. Racers want to keep as much of the hard
earned form they’ve developed throughout the year
and for many others, not riding just isn’t a choice.
Cyclocross season makes for a fun way to keep riding
into late fall and the beginning of the winter and help
keep that peak form a little deeper into the winter.
But unless you’re a pro riding in Europe or heading
to the world championships, cyclocross season ends
just as the worst of the winter is starting to settle in.
So what’s a rider to do? There are a couple of options
to help keep you riding through the winter. With a bit
of preparation you can keep yourself riding outside
-- on the trails or at least on the road -- through a lot
of the winter. When the weather is too bad to ride
outside you can hit the trainer or rollers inside. And
when all of these options fail you, or when you just
need a change, winter can be a great time to do some
weight training or change things up and cross train.
While the winter can be tough on mountain bikers,
as overnight freeze-thaw cycles soften the trails we
love making them especially prone to damage. There
are ways that you can get out on the trails over the
winter. When the mercury drops below freezing for
an extended period of time the trails will freeze hard
and as long as you’re prepared for the cold -- more
on that later -- you can get great rides in on the frozen
tundra. You can also find frozen trails early in
the morning, but be aware that the combination of
sun and above freezing temperatures will warm the
ground will lead to trails softening up very quickly.
Another great chance to get out on a mountain bike
during the winter is once the snow has fallen. Many
riders already know that a good snow ride is one of
the joys of the winter and anyone who hasn’t should
make the effort. The conditions can be tough on
riders and equipment, but if you’re prepared it can
be a real blast. How to prepare for a good snow ride
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could fill an entire column (see this column from
March of this year for example) but there are a few
keys: keep your head, hands, and feet dry and warm,
simplify your equipment -- singlespeeds are great for
snow riding because there are less parts to be affected
by the cold and derailleurs are particularly prone to
freezing, and make sure you’ve got a way to keep your
water from freezing.
When the trails are out of the question, the first resort
of most riders is the road and if you’re well equipped
you can stay out on the road for most of the winter.
Olney resident Tom Vaughn will hit the road when
the trails are too wet “if the wind chill is above freezing.”
Commuting is also a great motivator to stay moving
through the winter. DC resident Matt Donahue
keeps commuting through the winter. In spite of living
and working in the district, by riding the long way
in the morning he’s able to ride 20-25 miles a day.
Many riders try to keep some structure to their winter
training riders, including some intervals in with
tempo riding but Donahue enjoys the opposite in
the off season. ”In the winter I don't have a training
agenda like during 'cross season or MTB season” he
told SPOKES. “It's more riding to enjoy the ride and
stay fit, but not chasing any sort of specific racing goal
or fitness.”
But how to stay on the road when the temperature
drops? When you’re riding your body is going to be
generating a lot of heat, but it’s also going to be generating
a lot of sweat. The key is to dress in layers and
to make sure that your clothing wicks moisture away
from your body. Wicking fabrics help keep you dry
-- and dry means warm -- and dressing in layers helps
you regulate your body heat so that you don’t overheat
as you warm up. As Donahue told SPOKES “I
own a few wicking layers and three different 'grades'
of cycling jacket which I choose from to wear depending
on the temperature.”
Overdressing can be as much of a problem as under
dressing as it can lead to excess sweating which will
end up cooling you down, especially if you stop or
slow down.
Once you’ve taken care of your core, the next step is
to take care of those extremities. The head, hands,
and feet are the first parts of your body to get cold
and lead to a lot of heat loss.
Evan Ellicott from College Park likes Pear Izumi’s
Amfib lobster gloves for the coldest of days and I’ve
found that for all but the coldest days, most days a
pair of fairly thin gloves with a good windstopper
layer and some fleece insulation will do a great job.
As far as your feet are concerned you can add a pair
of insulated booties over your shoes, pop some chemical
warmers inside your shoes, or go all out and get
a set of winter riding boots. Ian Spivak from Vienna
swears by his Sidi Winter Boots. “I would not be able
to ride at all without my really nice winter shoes” he
told SPOKES. He also prefers to use a balaclava for
his head, “because it covers your neck.”
When all else fails, it’s time to head inside and spend
some quality time getting to know a stationary trainer.
The key to trainer workouts is structure. While no
rider is going to relish an hour of tempo riding on a
trainer, a good structured workout can really help to
keep your mind off the fact that you’re riding a bike
to nowhere.
Some riders suggest cycling workout DVDs as a way to
get some structure into your trainer workouts, while
others just have workouts that they know. Many riders
swear by music and movies, both cycling and noncycling,
as a distraction technique.
Photo: Mike Joos
Michael Klasmeier from Crofton recommends using
rollers instead of a trainer, saying it’s “way more fun”
than the trainer, and also recommends group workouts.
He joins other riders at his local bike shop,
Family Bike Shop, in Crofton.
Many racers also use the winter to get back into the
weight room for some strength training or to work on
their core strength. Those “other” muscles that are
neglected all year long need some love too. Improved
core strength can improve performance and minimize
pain and soreness associated with the aggressive position
of many road and mountain bikes. Weight training
can help to reduce muscle imbalances that cyclists
are especially prone to, which can reduce injuries.
And last but not least, what about cross training? For
a lot of riders, the winter is time to take a break and
focus on other sports they love. Like many mountain
bikers, Takoma Park’s Mark Drajem looks forward to
cross country skiing in the winter.
commuter continued from p.25
Anna Kelso enjoys a winter ride
conditions, and provide a voice for bicyclists
in Maryland.”
The newly-named organization is still led by executive
director Carol Silldorf, who took over the helm at
One Less Car in 2008. Likewise, program coordinator
Rachel Myrowitz, will remain as a consultant, helping
organizing events such as Tour du Port, the annual
Annapolis bike symposium and the nonprofit’s legislative
goals.
Bike Maryland’s board of directors include Alex
Olbriecht, a bicycle store owner for 32 years and the
owner of five Race Pace/Bella bicycle shops in central
Maryland; Greg Cantori, executive director of the
Marion I. and Henry Knott Foundation and a longtime
bike commuter; Tom Blanks, pricing director at
Constellation New Energy and also a dedicated bike
commuter; and Stu Sirota, founding principal of the
TND Planning Group, a consulting firm specializing
in the integration of sustainable transportation and
land use.
Bike Maryland advisors include, Buddy Alves, a
senior marketing specialist with Commuter Choice
Maryland, and Rebecca Ruggles, of the Association of
Baltimore Area Grant Makers, and the Green Funders
Affinity Group.
Four more board members are expected to be added.
26 Winter 2010/11