Winter Clothing

Seeing one of our junior cyclists dripping wet and shivering on my door mat last weekend, in summer-weight clothing, made me think that a bit of clothing advice won’t go amiss in this weeks column. (He was still shivering after a hot shower, change of clothes and mug of hot tea!)

This is an important time of year for cycling. The old adage about summer races won on winter training wasn’t coined for nothing and you need to get out and do the mileage now to get into shape for the summer. But you can make life much easier for yourself by looking at the weather conditions and dressing correctly. So starting at the bottom (not literally) here are my tips for clothing.

Overshoes – essential for this time of year. Don’t go anywhere without them. Invest in a good pair, neoprene are the best and are excellent in wet weather. I have had a pair of Pro Tarmac neoprene overshoes for about 18 months and they are brilliant.

Bib longs – probably better than shorts and leg warmers in the cold and wet. If you get a pair without a pad you can wear your shorts underneath them for extra insulation. Roubaix lined ones are really warm. Talking about bottoms, using a good quality chamois cream, such as Assos, will help chaffing around the nether regions by cold wet clothing.

Jerseys – put all your summer jerseys in the bottom of the drawer and leave them there. Also put all of your cotton ‘T’ shirts away, including the one you bought at the last Led Zeppelin concert, even though you paid a fortune for the thing and you’re desperate to show it off. First thing you put on before you go out on the bike at this time of the year is a long sleeve, thermal, moisture wicking vest such as a ‘smelly’ Helly. If you haven’t got one your Grandma might be able to lend you one. There are plenty of cycle specific base layers available. Next layer should be a winter-weight long sleeve jersey or winter cycling jacket. Some of these have a fleece lining and are good for very cold days but maybe a bit warm on mild days. Finally, a wind-proof and shower-proof packable jacket. This is essential at this time of year. If it’s warm enough not to have to put it on at the start, roll it up and put it in your pocket for later. If its raining when you start out you may want to wear a breathable water-proof jacket because a shower proof jacket lets the water in after 30 minutes or so. Your jacket should be in luminous yellow, orange or another bright colour so that when you get knocked off by a car at least they can’t say they couldn’t see you.

Gloves – wind-proof and waterproof gloves are a must. You need to be able to retain feeling in your fingers, otherwise you won’t be able to change gear or use the brakes. And cold fingers are agony.

It’s always a good idea to leave the lights on your bike all the time so that if it gets a bit gloomy or misty you can switch them on and be seen. Also, a set of mudguards will stop rain and mud splashing up your back.

So, in summary, assess the weather, use the layer system with your clothing, wear sports specific base layers, always wear overshoes and carry a wind proof and shower proof jacket.

So now you’ve got no excuses to go out there and do it. A good motivational tip is to keep telling yourself that while your out training in the cold and wet, everyone else is at home with their feet up, but you’re the one who’s getting fitter.

‘If it doesn’t hurt you’re not doing it right’.

Happy cycling

The Coach

Questions to the Coach

Q. Dear Coach, every time I go into a cake shop I start sweating. Does this mean I’m unfit (from Fat Boy).

A. Dear Fat Boy. No, not at all. A recent research paper has discovered a psycho-sematic reaction caused by fat secretions from the skin cells at the mere thought of lard. My advice is to avoid cake shops and use the Tesco home shopping service (mine’s a custard slice!)