Winter training

This is my first year having to train in the winter. Is just me or is it much tougher pounding out the miles in the colder weather. In the warm weather 40 miles a pop was nothing but in this cold 10 starts killing me!, its getting very frustrating

I must agree. I hate riding in the cold, it pisses me off big time. Plus, I feel it in my right knee.In a ride at 34degrees c though, you won't ear me complain.

Hey what's this?!?! Guys competing with me for the biggest softie in the forum.

I will go out and ride (at 63) 60 kms at anything above 7C which is nearer 3/4
on the downhills at 60 kph. Just fold a small hand towel into 4 and wear it in the centre of your chest for added protection.

The only thing that bothers me is, after about 30ks my nose starts to run.
Bah!

I regularly ride (about 11 km a day) at -15 to -20 C, but I don't push it, I notice my breathing rate is adversely affected by cold temperatures, and it isn't good to hyperventilate when the air is this cold. At 0 degrees to -5 I've gone out for 20 kilometers wearing thin underpants, bib pants, a t-shirt and a thin red jacket over it. I ride at a crawl when it's cold, maybe 35 km/hr max, mostly 24 km/hr. It feels so slow compared to riding in the summer.

-Bikeguy

I agree. Trying to maintain the same speed and distance just seems so much harder. Went out Sunday for a 42 miler. Temp was 30 and wind was 16. It felt like 60 miles. The upside is that most guys aren't goofy enough to ride in that kind of weather so i'm making up ground on them this "offseason". It's not as much fun tho so getting out the door is harder.

i live in central indiana. the winters are weird. this year it has been mild; usually 35-45 F. i wear Performance brand neoprene tights, some booties, Performance Toasties to cover everything from the waist down. after about 30 minutes, my toes freeze! so i took a hint from my hunter/fisher father and did what he does when winter hunting. i sandwich a chemical toe heater between two layers of cycling socks. from that point on, i can routinely go on rides and my feet are warm the whole time. as for the upper body, it is up to you. most cyclists who ride in the winter know how to take care of themselves, but keeping the hands warm is tricky. i dont like lobster-style gloves, so i will sandwich a chemicle heater between a really thin glove and a really thick glove. it works ok, but the tops of my hands will be hot and my fingers cool. if im going against the wind, my fingers get cold, but otherwise ok. nessecity is the mother of invention, so if you are clever and willing to try new things in order to get some winter miles in, then you will find something. i personally would rather freeze for 3-4 hours outside than spend 1 hour on the indoor trainer in front of a TV! i hate that! happy riding