Winter is about to start and so is the preparation for the 2012 season. Winter is a difficult time to train as a result of fewer daylight hours, cold, wet, poor roads and the often difficult task of setting objectives for the upcoming season.

Basic bicycle maintenance is not difficult but needs to be done regularly and an understanding of training equipment is vital.

Athlete Service will be holding basic bicycle maintenance courses, covering these aspects, on Friday evenings. The sessions will last approximately 90 minutes and the cost is £15 per person. Sessions are limited to a maximum of 4 individuals.

Equipment

Wheels

• Tyres – 25mm are the preferred choice on bad roads, providing better grip, and greater protection against pinch flats.
• 32 to 36 spoke wheels on hubs that have cones and bearings as opposed to pressed in bearings are a must for winter training for adjustability and ease of maintenance.

Gears

• Opt for more robust (possibly fewer gears, even as low as 12 speed) and lighter gearing.
• Single speed and fixed gear provides very good training and provides a way to spare precious equipment

Brakes

Use the best brake callipers possible. Too often individuals save on the quality of the brake calipers and therefore decrease brake performance
Check brake blocks every week and also check wear on rim braking surface.

Clothing

Always overdress and make sure that heat loss is minimized. Ask for recommendations from Rob or Filipe at Athlete Service - wide selection of kit available

• Head gear
• Leg and arm warmers
• Shoe covers (even plastic bags in shoes if weather very wet)
• Wind proof jackets (beware of wind chill)
• Gloves

Nutrition

Vital for winter training. Carry more than you would normally use and drink regularly. Do not wait until you feel thirsty! You will be wearing a lot more kit than in summer and will still be producing sweat and heat (and creating your own micro-climate within your clothing). Do not underestmate dehydration in the winter!

Bike Maintenance

• Winter bikes must be well maintained before the wet season starts especially when roads start to be salted.
• Service (grease heavily) the headset and replace if any sign of pits
• Check all wheel hubs
• Constantly lube all pivot points, and areas that may rust (bolts, nuts) on bike
• Grease seat post.
• Lube spoke nipples

Brake cables should be checked and greased every week (obviously depends on mileage – so 300 to 400km).

Mudguards

These are very important and crucial when riding in groups (the SKS Raceblade guards are some of the best we have used, best money you can spend for comfortable winter riding!)

Technique Development and Training

Rollers

Slection of rollers available from Athlete Service including the very popular Kreitler rollers

Fantastic for improvement of riding ability with all of the elements below developed.

• Skill
• Technique
• Economy
• Gear selection
• Cadence

Sometimes difficult to do interval training and strength training on rollers. Be careful when riding fixed gear on rollers!

Turbo trainers

• Very good for specific training – intervals, power
• Do not use any wheels that have pressed bearings with a turbo as you will ruin the bearings (we see this with a lot of cheaper end wheels and Powertap wheels)
• Use turbo specific tyre to reduce noise and save money on your road tyres!
• Very poor for development of technique and balance - (beware of riding next to individuals on the road, who have been doing large amounts of turbo training)

Position Development

Remember – in the winter athletes wear more clothing and so saddle height should be decreased slightly to accommodate this.

Retul bike fitting assessment (available at Athlete Service)

• Check current end of season setup both of the individual and the bike
• Have all the bike data so that can adjust winter bikes and summer bike if changes are made during the winter
• Assess and possibly modify current position
• Develop TT position
• Part if the Retul assessment will analyse your current flexibility and provide guidance on a flexibility and core strength programme.
  Stretching should be a major emphasis of training through the winter.
  

General Training Guidance

There are various mechanisms that apply when training in the cold and maximal power will be decreased. Exercise capacity will also be reduced so aerobic capacity and heart rate will be decreased, so care must be taken when using power and heart rate ranges for training intensities. It is important to develop a perceived exertion capability in order to not train too hard. As the effect of cold increases and core temperature falls, there is an increased reliance on anaerobic metabolism resulting in increased muscle and blood lactate levels, and so glycogen levels must be maintained.

All athletes, especially those who are more likely to be exposed to higher speeds (either wind or themselves on a bike), must be aware of the effect of wind-chill and not only dress appropriately but limit their training time.

Most of all take care, be sensible and enjoy your training!