6 reasons outdoor cycling is the best, even in winter (or a lockdown)

Unconstituted, whilst we are on the subject of guff:

1. Indoor cycling is as sociable as outdoor group rides - people on Zwift chat using VOIP, form supportive communities and race tactically together... I think that's because Zwift and similar apps attract a lot of progressive minded riders, who tend to be outgoing and friendly.

Ahhh some of my bestest friends have no faces too - must be nice for you to self categorise yourself as progressive and friendly. Will pop along for a chat about FTP, WPK and the best excel sheet to monitor your cadence.

2. Riding in a group outdoors pushes you harder? It can push you hard, but most people will likely never find any group ride outdoors that kill have you throwing up as you pass the lamp post. In Zwift, races are hell, and people who will never race hard in real life for many reasons will get to experience dark places that the road outside never will.

You can ride slow on Zwift too right?

3. Cold weather burns more fat - pretty sure this nonsense makes absolutely zero difference to some guy who does a handful of 0 degree rides for a few hours at a time. Shameful guff. 

It makes a diference, 0.00000000001% is a difference - don't let your ranting get in the way of fact.

4. Spectactular views - sure, most people just have spectacular views within reach of their doorstep?  And even if they did, diminishing returns and having to keep your eye on the road means you only really get the occassional feeling of satisfaction from it. If you really want this sort of experience you go hiking, or climb a mountain on your bike in Europe where the low speed means you can take it in.

Er... Yes. I challenge you to ride 10 miles from your house and not see something of interest to look at. Let's face it, 2 pigeons fighting over a chip beats the 'feature wall' mosaic paper the Missus made you buy. I can't actually believe you think there is only option a. Your wall or b. A beautiful mountain pass.

5. Cycling outdoors is interesting - no it's now. You pedal your bike. What's remotely interesting about that unless you're on some technical descent? New things are interesting. Trying new indoor trainer software and racing on it is way more interesting that riding along crappy roads in gray weather.

But it is - see just as valid an argument as your "no it's now" (sic). If you are unsure about what is interesting about pedalling your bike then you may be on the wrong website. Trying new software is interesting - did your VOIP progressive friends tell you this? I mean I get excited by the super oled retina 4k screen on a phone as much as the next geek but is it as interesting as trying to hold a bend that you've taken a little too quickly?

6. Making you happier - more guff - how many hours would a rider have to ride and what times of the day would they need to ride at to relieve to what extent SAD? ... If you want some sort of happiness boost, use achievement - train smart, lose weight

For me, 1hr52 minutes last night, made me happier than watching Hollyoaks. Train smart and lose weight, they are your goals, why the hell should I be interested in them?

"Can't believe I got baited by this rubbish but oh well".

Seconded.

"proper training gets done in a controlled, structured way - and for the modern cyclist, that means getting your act together, stop making excuses and getting on a trainer to do the work"

No it doesn't, you are confusing your opinion with fact again.

Again the "not a single solid point in there" is massively applicable to your heartfelt "usual irate have-a-go nonsense".

Are Zwift riders more sociable - I assume you have done extensive research?

You talk about "most people" but then just state a somewhat narrow minded opinion - sample of one!

"Spectactular views - sure, most people" again, you may live somewhere dull, your view of what is in reach of the doorstep may be tiny (with all your structured training I'm sure you could find somewhere nice) but spectacular is subjective. I saw a spectacular sunset across a Cheshire field last night...

I tried to read your rant objectively, you have every right to question the opinion piece of the article, equally your opinion can be challenged. The fact that you automatically find this cringeworthy suggests you only really value your own opinion, bit strange then that you engage in comments sections of online articles... 

Both have benefits really..

Okay alan, I'm sorry.

Everyone's glad that you had a spectacular sunset across Cheshire last night and that means that spectacular views are within most riders' distances from home. This is not anecdote, this is fact. And that sunset was definitely spectactular. Even better than double rainbow.

And yes, local club rides meet up more than Zwift clubs per week do. Chat more often too. Alan knows this because he's a Zwift regular and local club hero, so he can compare!

Anyway, lets all meet up for a ride this weekend and cure SAD and you can impress us with your 25% FTP gain from all those unstructured rides.

Your sarcasm is actually more reasoned than your rants.

Indeed, you're arguing against your original rant. I may have found a sunset spectacular, you may not, it's subjective. As are the other points you made, but you present them as fact.

I didn't state who met up more or less, who were more or less sociable - you did!

And no, I wouldn't know whether my FTP had increased because I'm too busy out on my bike and enjoying myself. I'm getting quicker, the weight is improving, bike handling is imrpoving and I'm having a laugh with my mates. They are my aims and they are being met mainly outdoors with the odd 20 miles on a turbo.

"Both have benefits really"

This.

Hello

I agree to all of the points mentioned..riding is great et all

The reality is a bit different in Montreal...we just got hit with 30c of snow..and another 10cm is comming. When you add the cold cold weather..the clothing will not help.. we are not talking minus one here..minus 15 with windchill factor

most of the bikes will not work..the derailleurs will freeze..the tires are too narrow..except for a fatbike.

this, great article..but taking the chance of being in a wheelchair for the rest of my life for the fun of riding in winter in montreal..nope. I'll stick to indoor training with peloton.

Lucky chap who rides in 4 centigrade withour gloves! Us type 2 diabetics need the gloves as our circulation is limited by the disease. BTW genetic cause not obesity or lifestyle! Lots of layers including the feet too!

"There’s only one place to ride a bicycle and that is outdoors"

and the velodrome 

ITS LIKE COMPARING MASTURBATION WITH SEX... COME ON GUYS....

Y'know, I've had some better winter rides than summer.

There's nothing like heading off for a bit of work-dodging, with the right amount of layers, having a lovely crisp ride, a couple of pints afterwards and getting home nicely tired to a warm house, hot shower and masses of stodgy food.

I’m going to buy a turbo and set it up in the garden to appeal to both sets of riders. Then I’m going to argue with each set that they’re either too stupid riding in dangerous conditions, or too weak riding indoors.

Nobody's mentioned the other benefit of winter cycling. My steel winter bike weighs a few kilo's more than my carbon summer bike so I inadvertently get more training in during the winter.

Mountain biking with studded tires when the trails are frozen is otherworldly fun.     If the snow is too deep I ditch the bike for XC skis.      I tend to stay off roads in winter with any bike I value because of the salt.      

I've never owned an indoor trainer so I have no idea what I'm missing.      

I've found a Gravel bike superb for riding through winter - stick dual sided (Flat one side, SPD the other) pedals on, and either 32mm or 35 mm tyres, and managed to commute four days per week all winter.  So far not had to dab a foot down at all cos of ice. But if its less than 2 degrees I will commute in MTB Teva flat shoes. My fitness feels amazing because of being able to keep going all through winter. Previous winters i've used a cyclocross bike, but I think the gravel bike feels more stable in dodgy conditions because of the longer wheelbase. I sold my mountain bike which I used to commute on as the Gravel bike feels even safer.

Hi I guess I am the counterpoint. I do cyclocross as the winter gets worse etc and love sliding about and have been happy riding in winter and avoiding Turbo. On 30th Dec I waited till afternoon to go out and for things to thaw. I got caught out riding into bank of freezing fog, suddenly road had black ice end result collar bone broken into 3 bits.

I now own a turbo and am hopping to get back out sometime, but even six weeks on I cannot grip bars, still wearing a sling. And I waited for  the thaw. Honestly I should have been indoors. It happened time to move on, but I am angry at myself.

I've put my turbo trainer away now that the days are getting longer.

I'd rather be out on my bike.

I do use the Wattbike at the gym if I can't go out.

Riding and turbo sessions are different things entirely. The first is cycling, the second is going to the gym (without leaving your own home). Really, all of this article after the subheading "Riding outdoors makes you happy and healthy", is restatement in different variations. 

As far as this winter has gone, I haven't got the turbo out once - I might just be lucky in that the times I've wanted to ride it's not been icy or wet enough to go to all the trouble of getting it out of the utility room, swapping the wheel over (for the one I use with a turbo tyre on), setting up a table fan, and blocking out half of the kitchen for a couple of hours. I do also find it very tedious, but I will do it if I haven't been outside on the bike for a while - but then again it's not one of these new fangled interactive jobbies that you can use with Zwift, so maybe if it were I might use it more often. I think if I did I might find it a bit addictive!

As for commuting - I think I've done more this winter than I ever have, at least three times per week, which must also point to more favourable conditions. Even when it has been well below zero, it's been dry enough for no (or very little) ice. There was only one day a couple of weeks ago when the council hadn't gritted and really should have - most of the roads, including A roads, were ridiculously icy. So much so that there were a spate of collisions involving cars/vans etc in a very short space of time.

As for the 'should you or shouldn't you' debate - I don't really see the point. If you don't want to go outdoors, that's fine - we're all adults (technically), we don't need to justify our choices in this respect.

Leviathan reminded me of something that puzzles me a lot. As soon as the weather warms up I only wear bib shorts and a t-shirt for cycling and yet even at the height of summer I see people cycling in what looks like their entire cycling wardrobe. Bib tights, long sleeved jackets, shoe covers, the works. The daft sods must be roasting . 

I think its a mixture of both which sees me through winter.  Most of my miles are commuting with club mid week social and an endurance over the weekend but I stop commuting in Oct/Nov by bike as the shorter route just isnt worth the extra faff so I use Zwift.  I am pretty fair weather these days as after a bad off and plate surgery I cant risk further damage so I avoid outdoors if there is a risk of ice.

The good thing about Zwift is you can push yourself further as you don't want the risk of bonking 25 miles from home so you can go deeper into the red.

Most things winter can throw at you can be dealt with the right clothes and a bit of rule 5, and getting out is pretty much always more enjoyable than time on the turbo.   The exception to this is ice.  Ice does not respond well to HTFU.  Nor does it respond to "taking it a bit easy", dropping the pressures a bit, running fatter tyres or even elite bike handling skills.  If you hit black sheet ice, the first you'll know about it is when you hit the tarmac.  It's simple physics: once your front wheel starts to slide, unless you reach the edge of the ice patch, it's only going to get worse.  

When I was young, I parked a car in a ditch after hitting a big patch of ice on a hill.  Even after getting out, the ice was impossible to see yet covered the full width of the road and was difficult to stand up on.

There are three things that ice does respond to: studded tyres, gritting and unpaved surfaces.

Studded tyres work, but the ones I've tried are so draggy as to suck all the fun out of a ride.

Gritting is very effective, and the authorities are actually very good at doing it.  Most councils publish their gritting routes, and in some cases, live information about when they're doing it which can be a very good clue as to whether you should be worried about ice.  Depending on where you are, a route sticking entirely to gritted roads may be very pleasant, or it may be not worth bothering with.

Off road, ice can't form into sheets (except in puddles!), and if everything is properly frozen, you don't even get muddy.

Came off on ice 6 weeks ago breaking my arm.  Prior to that I was an infrequent turbo user, now I don't have the option. 

I think there is as much mental toughness involved in turbo sessions as there is in riding in the cold, at least for me, keeping going when I'd rather get off.  Haven't got into Zwift though, so maybe that would make it more engaging. 

A 3 degrees and rising policy is going to be my starting point for outdoors from now on, 8 weeks of no outdoor cycling is a high price to pay for watery winter sunshine!

Went out and the weekend and, thanks I must admit to a woeful lack of preparedness and unsuitable kit, I could not feel my toes after half an hour. Well, I could but they were painfully numb.  I just kept going as I was just thankful to be outside, away from city roads. The best bit: my drink was ice cold if only that happened in the summer!

i do have a turbo but it's buried somewhere in the shed. 

I have no issues with anyone going outside versus turbo work. What I objected to, was the OPs negative and misleading comments about turbo work. I enjoy MTB in the winter months. I personally prefer to do 80℅ of my cycling on a turbo and choose nice days for outdoor work. I suspect there as many who prefer the percentage reversed

some people are strange, 16C and because I sweat like a pig most is off ...

In some ways I love the cold because for once I am not having to continually wipe sweat off my face and not having to refill all the time ! 

Rather glad I spent the day on the trails today.

Comments from me about zwift (or any other virtual) trainer boring me senseless are my own personal opinion (the clue was in my opening statement, "each to their own"). That's why I agree with the sentiments of the article which is an "opinion piece" at the end of the day folks.  I really don't want to spend my spare time on a static bike chasing an avatar on screen when I can be riding a bike, i.e. outside, experincing motion with all of your senses engaged. Doesn't make zwift wrong or a waste of time for its fans but it's not for me if it's all the same to you.

Why does everyone have to make cycling so macho? I spent yesterday morning on the turbo as it seemed a more fruitful way to get fit than freezing my arse off and getting my bike plastered in assorted road grot again this weekend. Do I feel less of a cyclist for doing so? Nah, not really.