We all expect seasonal variations in the weather but what we have been experiencing of late is beyond a joke – it’s bordering on a disaster movie!
Whatever the weather, it seems training must go on. There doesn’t appear to be an off-season anymore, but just because the pros do it do we have to follow? Most of us don't earn a living by riding our bikes. Maybe we should cut ourselves some slack.
Soldiering on through the winter months can actually have a detrimental effect on the coming cycling season. A case in point: a few weeks ago our editor came to grief while out riding, hitting a patch of black ice and briefly knocking himself out (think Thomas Voeckler but without the talent). The accident only kept him off his bike for a week or so but it could have been a lot worse – one of the riders he was with broke his hip and will be off the bike for months.
We believe you should always enjoy your riding and should never feel pressured into going out when the conditions are less than favourable. Whatever the Velominati say, passing on a foul-weather ride doesn't make you a fair weather cyclist. Off-season training is vital but sometimes it’s good to remember that the turbo is your friend.
