The coldest time of winter is also a rare holiday time of the year. Winter cycling is all about keeping warm and cold, so what should we pay attention to?
1.Kill the cold with a complete set of equipment.
Some people like to go and enjoy a mountain bike ride. But when the cold wind slashes across your face like a knife, pouring into your thin coat, your body and heart will not feel the enjoyment. Cycling in the mountains and forests can cause hypothermia and decreased resistance caused by humidity and cold, ranging from colds and fevers, and even fatal in severe cases. Therefore, preparing enough cold and warm equipment is the premise of riding out in winter. Don’t wait until the top of the mountain to find yourself shivering from the cold.
2.Avoid stiffness of fingers.
Mountain cross-country requires strong upper limbs for precise control. When encountering obstacles such as rocks, you need to decelerate and brake frequently. The flexibility of your fingers determines your safety to a large extent. Ordinary winter gloves are warm enough to go out, but are often too bulky for riding. You can first bring the thin gloves that are most suitable for your control to provide basic cold protection for your fingers, and then put thick warm gloves on the outside. Wear two pairs of gloves to keep your hands warm on uphill and flat surfaces. When it comes to downhill sections, you need to remove the outer gloves and concentrate on riding. The cheap way is to put on a pair of plastic gloves, the disadvantage is that it is not breathable. If your hands are prone to sweating, they may slip and pose a safety hazard.
3.Keep your head warm.
The next step is to keep the head warm. Although head frostbite is rare, it’s still important to keep your head clear. Minimizing heat loss, changing pads that are warm enough, and wearing a riding cap are all good ways to keep warm. In addition, using tape to attach the front vents can also greatly reduce the loss of temperature.
4.Wear cycling glasses.
Riding in summer, some riders choose not to wear goggles because of the heat or sweat. In the blink of an eye, the cold winter months have come, and eye protection is very necessary. The goggles can not only completely block the sundries from entering the eyes but also block the intrusion of cold air and maintain the temperature of the forehead and face. Go downhill in the cold winter or off-road on a windy ridge, and you’ll know the importance of goggles.
5.Protect your buttocks.
If you encounter a wading section, the mud rolled up by the rear wheel will be thrown directly on the buttocks and back. Waterproof cycling pants are a must for winter riding in wet areas. For example, waterproof cycling pants with GORE-TEX fabric, or DIY.
6.Check the route in advance.
Bumpy surfaces can make riding more difficult, especially in winter when the limbs are less flexible. Careful planning before heading out is the beginning of a great riding experience. Choose to travel with familiar and reliable teammates, plan your route on GPS in advance, and avoid deviating from the track. Prepare the necessary portable repair tools to be able to independently deal with common problems such as flat tires and shifting.
7.Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
Unlike paved roads, off-road riding is full of unknowns. Moisture quickly removes heat from the body’s core, depleting precious energy reserves. Even if the core temperature is only lowered by 2 degrees, human physiology will be weakened, and people will have hypothermia with different symptoms. Don’t be afraid of trouble in keeping warm, and equip yourself according to the lowest temperature at the top of the mountain. In mild cases, chills may occur, and in severe discomfort, it may be life-threatening. Keep in mind the three-layer dressing rule, and add clothing in time during breaks. Don’t give up packing spare clothes to travel light in winter riding. Even if you take complete cold protection measures, when you arrive in the real mountains, it is still completely different from what you imagined.
