Road Cycling Training Over Winter

The sun's set on your local evening ten for another year. Those sunny sportives are a distant memory. All that lies in front of you is short evenings, even more rain than summer and road salt eating away at your bike. It's enough to make anyone reach for the pizza menu and TV remote. Stop! It's time to make a decision that'll make next summer's rides your best ever: the decision to keep training right through the winter.

As the wise man knows, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and with winter training that first step is to start. Now.

It is important to build some down time into your training schedule when the season ends, but that needs to be a part of your schedule not instead of it. Building towards next year's goals means more time on the bike. Put it off until the guilt-ridden first weeks of January, and you'll be fighting just to get back to last year's level of fitness. So this time it's going to be different. Right? Here's five top tips to help you keep going right through the darkest months.

Keep score

Keep a training diary. It doesn't really matter whether it's on your computer or in a dedicated diary (eg Joe Friel's Training Diary, £11.99) to put on the side of the fridge; what matters is that it's accurate and complete. Set yourself goals, and try and stick to them. It'll spur you on to keep going, and it's a permanent record of the work you've done over winter. Be honest with yourself, and you'll be able to see that your training is getting results.

Turbocharge your sessions

Daylight hours are limited in winter, and however committed you are some days are so abysmal that even leaving the house seems unthinkable. A turbo trainer, which essentially turns your bike into an exercise bike, addresses both these problems. It helps you fit more exercise into a shorter period, and it's not weather dependent. Winter rides can be great, but your training should be built around a solid base of turbo work.

Tacx T1460 Cycleforce Swing Turbo Trainer - £139.99

Put your heart into it

Training with a heart rate monitor (HRM) means you can spend the right amount of time doing the right amount of work. HRMs are especially helpful when you're working on the turbo trainer, as you can really tailor your time to fit your goals.

Polar F4M Heart Rate Monitor - £69.99	Polar RS200 SD Heart Rate Monitor - £174.99

Sort your bike out

A few adjustments will help you to cope with whatever winter can throw at you. Fit full length mudguards (the excellent SKS guards come in many sizes, £26.99) if you can, or race guards (SKS Raceblade, £39.99) if it's not possible. Armoured tyres, such as Specialized's Armadillo range, can cope with road debris washed into your path. If you're serious about keeping track of your miles you'll need a computer; make sure it's weather-proof - Cateye's range of computers starts at just £16.99. From a maintenance point of view the biggest issues are seized components. Keep your chain well oiled - Finish Line Wet Lube (£3.25) is a good winter choice - and flush out your cables regularly with GT85 (£3.99) or a similar thin lube.

Cateye Strada Cadence Computer - £34.99	SKS Raceblade Mudguards - £39.99

Fuel up

Winter riding is hard work, and you can't always rely on your friendly cake stop to be open on a wet January afternoon. Keeping hydrated is key, and energy drinks help to replace water and salts lost through sweating. Make sure you bring enough food with you to last for the whole ride. Energy bars and gels are a great way to get the boost you need; they're very portable and formulated to keep you going for longer. Pack a banana too!

SIS GO Energy Bar - £0.99	Powerbar Gel - £1.25

Click here to view Turbo Trainers

Click here to view Heart Rate Monitors

Click here to view Cycle Computers

Click here to view Energy Products

Click here to view Mudguards

Click here to view Road Bike Tyres

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