We caught up with Katy Curd, Joe Connell & Fergus Ryan to find out how they maintain their skill and fitness through the colder months of the year. Here are their top tips for a fruitful winter.
Conquer the Cold
Dial in the skills:
All 3 of our pros suggest you spend time this winter dialling in your skills. Not every ride needs to be the longest or hardest ride. Spend some time sectioning trails and working on your weaknesses or even just sections you really enjoy. Sectioning trails is the fastest way to develop your skills and in just 10 minutes riding your confidence can increase masses. Fergus prefers to find some corners in the woods, stay In there and session them with your mates, its good fun and you’ll push each other to go harder and faster each time.
Tricks to try:
Katy reckons Skids! Get out and get your rear wheel skidding on a fire road, field or easy slope.
The trick is to get used to the wheels sliding as this is a common issue during winter riding. The second riders feel the wheels lock up and skid, they panic, freeze up and start losing control. If we are comfortable with the feeling of the wheels sliding we can stay central, stay loose and feel calm that we can control the slide in the muddy conditions.
Hit the gym:
Top tip from Joe - If it's snowy or icy outside, get to the gym and hit the turbo trainer 2/3 times a week. This will get you fitter and stronger for summer.
How to stay motivated this winter
Plan ahead:
Joe & Katy couldn’t agree more with this one. Plan and prepare for your rides, get your kit ready the night before, plan your route, get your food and water prepared, make sure you have an easy set-up for cleaning the bikes and kit down after your ride, make everything as easy and as faff free as possible. The more preparation you have done the less you have to think about getting out and the more you can just get on and get out.
Accountability:
Ferg suggests riding with others, it’s always easy to back out of a ride when it’s just you but you never want to let a friend or fellow rider down so plan rides out with at least one other.
All the Gear:
All of our Pro riders have the same train of thought on this one. Invest in the right kit, it makes heading out for a ride so much more enjoyable. Sealskin socks, winter gloves, Waterproofs, a good jacket, a mud guard, glasses, thermals, overshoes, hand warmers perhaps even flat pedals. Whatever you feel you need, it’s worth it. If you have the right kit the weather is never a problem.
All the Gear:
All of our Pro riders have the same train of thought on this one. Invest in the right kit, it makes heading out for a ride so much more enjoyable. Sealskin socks, winter gloves, Waterproofs, a good jacket, a mud guard, glasses, thermals, overshoes, hand warmers perhaps even flat pedals. Whatever you feel you need, it’s worth it. If you have the right kit the weather is never a problem.
Keep it Interesting:
Switch up your rides, try ride somewhere new once a month. It keeps things interesting and keeps your mind active. Sometimes if you plan to head out on your same local loop you know like the back of your hand it can become tedious and we lose motivation to leave the house.
Try something new. Pump track, gravel rides, road, cross country, skatepark, cyclocross, it’s all riding a bike and all keeps your skills sharp and your fitness up and keep things interesting, it’s always fun to start learning something new as it feels like a fresh challenge.