Time For Winter Riding

It’s Time For Winter Riding

I love to ride my road bike. Simply love it. I love cycling for many reasons. Where I live, it’s starting to get cold and the sun is down too early for an evening ride. So, morning rides become a necessary reality. 6AM style. As a Type 1 Diabetic, this is a significant challenge because you have to work that much harder to maintain a healthy exercise routine that you are also passionate about. As you consider modifying your riding to cold mornings, here are some thoughts to help or inform you:

Gear Up, Layer Up

Winter, or cold weather riding, can be very fun and rewarding, if you’re prepared. If not, you’ll think you’ve been spun into some kind of phantom zone with General Zod(Superman reference). Riding in the winter with little sun light is COLD! Layer up! Be sure to have three layers on your torso, a solid winter Bibb that goes down to your ankles, winterized gloves, wool socks, shoe/toe covers and a head cover under your helmet.

Get A Group

If possible, join a group or recruit one. Groups can share the wind and reduce your exposure to the headwind you create for yourself. Riding in a slipstream makes everything better!

Light It Up

Not a cigarette…safety lights. The night before you ride, be sure to check your batteries. Visibility is poor in the mornings and people who are driving that early may not have had their coffee yet. Think for them…

Finally, if you’re a diabetic, it can be tricky to master your blood sugar for an early morning work out. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t manage it perfectly your first few attempts. Remember, patterns and fixed behavior are what allow us to dominate this disease. Patterns are created immediately. Use trial and error with a little discipline and you’ll get it figured out.

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