The year ahead

It's been another busy year for Simpson magazine. 2014 has seen us participate in a number of events from the retro to the nocturnal and take to the boards at the Lea Valley Velodrome with the launch our own team. As ever, we live to ride but we also want to share, captivate and involve others in this beautiful sport through the publication and this website.

Prompted by numerous inquiries about our trade team kit, we're now working on the launch of our own cycling club, Simpson CC, together with a range of clothing for on and off the bike. We're also in the process of organising our own rides and we'll be actively encouraging you to join us on the road. There'll be no membership fee or forms to fill in (life's too short), we just want as many people as possible to get the most out of their cycling. We're big fans of the increasingly popular idea of non-affiliated cycle clubs - groups of riders getting together and riding, just for the sheer pleasure of it. We also admire the graphics being generated by this new independent scene. They are unique, original and 100% homegrown and we love them! Just like the magazine itself, Simpson CC will be open to everyone. It's not about elitism - all ages and abilities are welcome.

Issue 7 of the magazine will be making an appearance early in the new year and it will be full to the brim with the broad spectrum of content you've come to expect from us. We know we drop off the social media scene every now and we understand that this might create the impression of inactivity - but more often than not it really signifies intense spells of offline work. We hope you agree it's usually worth the wait.

We firmly believe that all work and no play might make us as dull as some of the other cycling titles out there (titles that we're far too polite to name, obviously) so we fully intend to kick back and address this by signing the trade team up for some challenging rides for 2015 season both in the UK and on the continent. Watch this space for further details!

Clean up your act

Riding through the winter months demands more commitment: fact! Low temperatures dictate the need for extra layers of clothing, which in turn create their own challenges. Anyone who has tried to retrieve a bar or gel from a rear pocket with numb fingers encased in winter gloves will know what we're talking about. The point when frustration turns to anger is the moment a ride ceases to be enjoyable.

From sportive to daily commute, if you're not suitably attired or haven't bothered to tuck in and pull up your clothing, the damp and cold will inevitably find a way in. Only time out on the bike in wintry conditions will determine the layering options that work for you. We all have different needs; our bodies react uniquely and must be listened to. Being too hot can be just as bad as being too cold.

The elements cause just as much mental suffering as physical. There's an aspect of primitive isolation to any long ride which can force us into a survival mode of sorts. There's always the possibility of being stranded, however much care we take over our equipment choices. It's these moments that lay bare our reliance on our creature comforts. There's nothing quite as humbling as finding yourself alone on a country lane, miles from home, in the face of a pending storm. It's at times like this that reliability suddenly seems much more important than speed.

As we outlined in the second edition of the magazine, there is a strange nobility in suffering. It's good to be taken out of our comfort zones once in a while and to come face to face with the age old challenge of survival. The reward - the successful completion of a ride - strengthens the bond between rider and bicycle.

What we must never lose sight of is the essential clean up and re-lube of your bike after such epic winter journeys. Just as your kit should go in the wash straight after a ride, so too does your bike need some TLC. Back in the comfort of our centrally heated homes, it's too easy to overlook the very machine that delivered us safely back.