Nice weather for ducks.

Serves me right for waxing lyrical about how nice cycling can be on a sunny winter’s day, yesterday's ride was wetter than an otter's pocket.

I left the house just after 8am to head out to The Plains, Virginia, for a group ride with Team Z. As I left the city the weather was overcast and there was a light drizzle. No problem I can live with a bit of light drizzle and of course I had my trusty Gore jacket. As I got closer to the start of the ride the heavens opened. Everything in the US is bigger and this can include the rain, it was coming down so hard that I had the wipers on full speed and still couldn't see where I was going.

When I got to the start of the ride the rain fall had slowed but it was heavy and wintry and the temperature was sub 40 degrees (3-4 degrees Celsius). Everyone was getting dressed underneath their 'tail gates' and you could tell it was going to be a bad day by the way in which everyone got dressed in slow motion.

It is on the first really sh**ty ride that you realize just how unprepared for winter you can be. I had come prepared for cold but dry conditions. Luckily my clothing held up pretty well to the conditions especially my Gore jacket that repelled some pretty serious rain. The only part of my body that actually got cold were my feet. Neoprene is great for cold dry conditions but will not save you when it gets wet. I also put on wool socks which again work well in the dry but as soon as they get wet they have no thermal properties. On a practical level I did not have a plastic bag to keep my Cue Sheet (directions) dry and therefore I had to rely on others to navigate (not too clever).

The ride was supposed to be 38 miles but we took a wrong turn (unfortunately I think while I was at the front - sorry everyone) and ended up adding 3 or 4 miles to the end of the ride. I am supposed to be doing my base miles on fairly flat terrain but so far this has not worked out and this ride was probably the hilliest of the lot so far. End result is that my legs were really tight after the ride and my calfs felt a bit crampy on the 8 mile run at lunch today. It is probably even more important to warm down when your legs have been really cold but like an idiot I just jumped in the car at the end of the ride and rushed home to get a bath and unpack some more boxes from the move.

Lessons learned:

• When you go to a winter ride you need to have lots of clothing choices in your boot/trunk.
  
• You need a supply of plastic bags (little clear ones for your directions, phone etc. bigger ones for your wet gear post ride, you can also use them over your socks but inside your shoes if you want to stay dry).
  
• Your sunglasses have to be clean.
  
• Dark lenses are not much use when it is dark.
  
• Take warm dry clothes for after the ride (especially fresh socks).
  
• Always warm down - especially when your legs are chilled to the bone.
  
• Do not switch off. There were a couple of close calls on this ride and it is very, very hard to stop a road bike in the wet as you have so little contact with the road. When I get cold I tend to get lazy and normal bike routine e.g. eating can go out of the window. I didn't take any nutrition on this ride and just about got away with it. If I had been out 20-30 min longer I would have suffered for it.
  
• Quit your job and do your winter training in the southern hemisphere.
  

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No its ...

... a man dressed for winter cycling and wearing some pretty gaudy cycling tights.

So what do you wear for winter cycling and why am I writing this? Winter cycling can be great, I know that I said I do not like the cold but a ride in the winter sun can be beautiful and you often find that you have the roads and trails to yourself which is bliss compared to the congestion you get in the summer (obviously this statement is a bit less applicable back in the UK). I am writing this post for anyone that is starting out in the sport and is in the same position I was a year ago.

The temperatures here in North Virginia plummeted this week (down to about 17 degrees farenheit, -8 degrees centigrade) and as you can see there is still a little snow left on the garden of the house behind me. When the temperatures are just above freezing you have to dress appropriately otherwise the cold is going to ruin your ride and probably bring you home early.

Starting at the top and working down I am wearing:

• Balaclava (I find if it the temperature goes up to the high 40s/low 50s a skull cap is enough).
• Sun glasses (important with winter sun which is often low in the sky - Watch out for misting and make sure you wipe them before you set out especially if you are wearing a balaclava).
• Base Layer (wicking layer - the same shirts I use for running. You need a few of these as they will get sweaty but they save you from having to wash your mid layer every ride).
• Mid Layer ( I have a warmish fleecy cyling shirt made by Spiuk - again if it is another 10 degrees warmer a base and mid layer are enough - worth spending a little money on your mid layer as you only really need one).
• Outer shell (the Gore jacket has been great. It is windproof and fairly water proof. It has arm pit zips which are great for regulating your temperature. I leave the arm pit zips open throughout the ride and regulate my temperature on climbing by unzipping the front of the jacket).
• Bib tights (I know the looks are pretty 'in your face' but that is why they were on sale. I got some pretty technical Spiuk tights for 1/5 of what you would pay for the equivalent Assos tights. These tights have windproof panels on the knees which really helps you keep warm. They have stirrups which stop the bottoms riding up and these come with the cycle pad in them. There are tights that do not have pads and they are designed to be worn over the top of regular cycling shorts. Wearing tights over shorts is clearly warmer but I have always found that as long as my core temperature is right I am not too bothered about my legs).
• Winter Socks (I wear warm walking socks).
• Cycling shoes (I wear my triathlon cycling shoe as it is easier to wear thick socks with them as they have one broad velcro strap).
• Toe Covers (Little neoprene covers that slide over the end of your shoes).
• Booties (As well as the toe covers I wear neoprene over booties. I find that my toes are the first thing to go when it gets cold. The aim is to keep the heat trapped because when your toes start to get cold it is really hard to warm them up again).
• Gloves (I wear two pairs of gloves. A thin pair which are also good for running and then thicker winter gloves over the top).

Today's ride was great. I didn't get out until 11am as we had been to my office Christmas party the night before. I woke up with a bit of hangover, there was an open bar and I wanted to recoup the cost of the tickets, and the cold air really helped clear my head. It was a 2 hour ride and I just weaved my way around the neighbourhood roads enjoying the sunshine.