January and February are the perfect time to get some miles under your belt. A couple of hours solitude on the open road is just what you need after the madness, and let's be honest, boredom of the Christmas break.

Shaving a few grams off your bike weight aren't going to make nearly as much difference to the upcoming spring and summer cycling season as training through the winter will.

Cycling in winter does have its risks, so please bear in mind the below tips when you’re out cycling in the wind and the rain.

Be visible

With any luck the winter will be bright, dry and sunny; and having your bike lights with you will be the last thing on your mind.

However, the dusk can draw in very fast at this time of year, and you don’t want to be caught out on road without your lights.

Make sure you take them just in case. If possible also make sure that your winter kit has some high-viz. Every little helps.

Prepare for the worst and layer up

It’s fairly common knowledge that the weather in the UK can change in a pedal-stroke, so don’t be caught out - make sure you layer up. It’s a lot better to be too hot and peel layers off than to be shivering on the bike wishing to high heaven you’d brought a rain jacket.

Think about the little things - will I need gloves, a snood, over-shoes (the most important thing you can own). The chances are the answer is yes, and worst case you can just take them off. Think ahead.

Just because it’s nice and sunny when you set off, doesn’t mean it’s going to stay like that. If the weather turns and you’re not prepared you won’t enjoy the ride!

Ride what and where you know

Whilst we here at Dirty Wknd are all for cycling in new places and discovering new routes, we recommend that you actually play it a bit safe at this time of year, and ride somewhere you know.

With conditions and road surfaces likely to be a bit more treacherous, you don’t really want to be dealing with the unknown.

If you know the route, and you know what to expect (i.e. how certain corners will change in the wet) then you’re much more likely to have a safe and enjoyable training ride.

If you're a London cyclists, why not stick to riding in Regent's Park or cycling in Richmond Park?

Keep it short 

Unless you’re a hardened pro, used to riding though driving rain and snow, then we suggest keeping your winter training rides short.

Whilst you might be able to spend a whole day in the saddle in the summer, it’s much harder, and much less fun, to do so in the Winter. Once you’re muscles start to fatigue and your body temperature starts to drop it’s very difficult to keep your moral up.

This is not to say it should be an easy ride, just a shorter one. Give it everything for the few hours you’re on the bike (and we do recommend 2-3 hours at a time) and then return home to the warmth.

Ride in a group or bring a friend (or at least tell a friend)

Ideally you will be cycling with a friend or a group, it massively helps with motivation, safety and enjoyment when cycling the winter months.

However, there will be times when you're out on your own. Letting someone know you're out riding alone is very sensible advice for the rest of the year anyway, but especially so in winter.

Let a friend or partner know that you’re going out, where you’re going and roughly how long it should take. Make sure your phone and GPS device is charged to avoid being out of reach or getting lost.

This might seem like an extreme measure but it’s best to be safe.

Ride (or exercise) indoors 

Indoor cycling is now such an in-depth and enjoyable past time that sometimes opting for the turbo trainer or rollers is a much better choice. Especially if the weather is really bad outside. 

If you have a turbo trainer, then why not get a Zwift subscription for the winter. Or make use of the many online indoor cycling workouts on platforms like YouTube. The GCN indoor workouts are particularly good. 

If you don't yet have a turbo trainer or Zwift then you can read more about what you need to get set up here.

And if you don't want to cycle indoor, then do another workout indoors. Cross training has been proven to benefit your cycling performance, so doing some yoga, a weights workout or going for a swim are all great options.

And the good old-fashioned run, whilst still outside, is a fail safe option for a short winter exercise. 

Exercising through winter is very important for your physical and mental health, but it's important to be safe out there.

Image Credits: CLEMENT Ader on Unsplash  | Dmitrii Eliuseev on Unsplash