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Winter alternatives to cycling?

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marybeth062
marybeth062 Posts: 24 Member
in Social Groups
I haven't been road cycling long, and I'm curious. What types of alternative workouts everyone does during winter when it's too cold and the roads are icy?
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  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Turbo training (i.e. Hamster in a wheel), though with the onset of things like Zwift etc. it's much more interesting than it used to be ;)
  • britzen
    britzen Posts: 143 Member
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    Snowshoeing, Snowboarding, XC skiing for me. Fortunately my backyard is a 1.5 million acre Wilderness.
  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
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    As @cloggsy71 said, turbo trainer/indoor trainer. It can by mind-numbing but very effective. Look at TrainerRoad.com and Zwift.com to help with boredom and provide some specific training plans.
  • sufferlandrian
    sufferlandrian Posts: 8,229 Member
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    Turbo trainer, Fat tire, XC skiing. There's a lot of new training videos like Sufferfest, Endurance films and others that allow you to have something besides the wall to watch and it breaks up the monotony with shifts in training during the videos.
  • marybeth062
    marybeth062 Posts: 24 Member
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    Thanks so much for the replies, I will definitely check out turbo trainer and the sites mentioned. I would love to snowshoe or xc ski but we usually get drifts of snow and ice instead of nice coverage. It would be great to have a wilderness in your back yard!
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,531 Member
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    I don't live where it snows anymore. But this idea really hit home with me. :)c0fppivr4aak.jpg
  • Roza42
    Roza42 Posts: 246 Member
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    I commute to work year round. I have a heavier winter bike with fenders for rain storms. But honestly it doesn't even rain much here, CA coastal area.
  • cowbellsandcoffee
    cowbellsandcoffee Posts: 2,975 Member
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    Turbo trainer or fat tire bike and layer up!
  • Archon2
    Archon2 Posts: 462 Member
    edited September 2015
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    I usually give up road riding outside in late Nov to early Dec. Then it is turbo or exercise at a gym.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Trainer and mountain biking.
  • Spatialized
    Spatialized Posts: 623 Member
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    As a year-round commuter I ask: what is this too cold/too icy you speak of? Fat bike, off-road, studded tires, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing and a trainer as last resort. I can't stand being cooped up so I get out and do whatever I can even if that means shoveling snow.
  • marybeth062
    marybeth062 Posts: 24 Member
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    allaboutthecake wrote: »
    I don't live where it snows anymore. But this idea really hit home with me. :)c0fppivr4aak.jpg
    That could be fun!
  • mikeyrs
    mikeyrs Posts: 176 Member
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    It's been said before by others, so I'll just parrot it here: There is no such thing as poor weather, only poor preparation. Dressed appropriately, it's all good!
  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
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    mikeyrs wrote: »
    It's been said before by others, so I'll just parrot it here: There is no such thing as poor weather, only poor preparation. Dressed appropriately, it's all good!
    While this is certainly a true statement, for me at least, riding outside when it's cold out is hard to work up to mentally. I've got the gear for temps into the 30s (I live in the South, after all) but anything much below 50 and I'm not terribly interested. Especially since it's always sunny and warm on Watopia.

  • denversillygoose
    denversillygoose Posts: 708 Member
    edited September 2015
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    89dcd3gt1k58.jpg

    This is my winter training alternative. I really prefer colder weather riding. I have never been too cold on the bike in winter, in fact, I'm usually sweating my *kitten* off.

    I still have a trainer set up in the dungeon but it makes me sad to use it.
  • mikeyrs
    mikeyrs Posts: 176 Member
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    ntnunk wrote: »
    mikeyrs wrote: »
    It's been said before by others, so I'll just parrot it here: There is no such thing as poor weather, only poor preparation. Dressed appropriately, it's all good!
    While this is certainly a true statement, for me at least, riding outside when it's cold out is hard to work up to mentally. I've got the gear for temps into the 30s (I live in the South, after all) but anything much below 50 and I'm not terribly interested. Especially since it's always sunny and warm on Watopia.

    For me, Indoors is always Out of the Question. Same thing with TV monitors cuz that's how I got fat and sickly in the first place. If I ever waiver, I reference Velominati Rule #5 engraved on my RoadID and I'm not even half as fit as you are, ntnunk. But I ain't ever going back to the couch, the exercycle, or the trainer again! No way! :-)
  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
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    mikeyrs wrote: »
    For me, Indoors is always Out of the Question. Same thing with TV monitors cuz that's how I got fat and sickly in the first place. If I ever waiver, I reference Velominati Rule #5 engraved on my RoadID and I'm not even half as fit as you are, ntnunk. But I ain't ever going back to the couch, the exercycle, or the trainer again! No way! :-)
    I hear ya! I know a lot of folks absolutely despise the trainer but I just never got there. I started using a trainer and TrainerRoad the first year I started riding and I saw the kind of fitness gains I could make. It's been a staple for me ever since.

    You're right about TV though!
  • CentralCaliCycling
    CentralCaliCycling Posts: 453 Member
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    Move to California where the roads are dry and the weather not too cold. Otherwise, rollers.
  • m1xm0d3
    m1xm0d3 Posts: 1,576 Member
    edited September 2015
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    Being plagued with minor outdoor riding mishaps this year, I really don't mind the trainer either. But I DO make it as enjoyable as possible. Set up right in front of my 55" TV with a windtunnel running on high and either a very engaging TV show or ride along cycling video from youtube. And now, Zwift!

    My threshold is 45 degrees and I have zero cold cycling gear, for now. Just some Sugoi MTB capris and a zip up jacket. I need to get some ear covers and full finger gloves as those are what bother me most before I warm up on the ride.
  • mikeyrs
    mikeyrs Posts: 176 Member
    edited September 2015
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    I'm good to 15 or 20 degrees F on a bike depending upon wind chill. Below that range, I'm likely beatin' feet. But, we rarely see temps fall that low on Long Island; only a handful of days each Winter. And I really enjoy snowshoeing, so it's pretty much all good to me.

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