Mid-December 2010

How are you managing through the snow? Still riding? A lot of people are. Tyre traction is a big problem. Knobbly tyres work well, special snow tyres are even better, but they are hard to find in this country. One really simple idea I’ve seen is putting tie wraps around your tyres and rims.

You need at least one for every gap between the spokes. Just loop them over the tyre and rim, making sure that the locking bit is off-centre, where the tread meets the sidewall. Cut off all protruding ends, and the ridges the tie wraps form are just big enough to grip the snow. If you make the locking bits stick out on alternate sides of the tyre they will give a little extra security on corners.

As a solution it’s not as good as a knobbly tyres, but if your bike won’t take knobblies it works. However, riding on snow-covered roads is not ideal. Stick to bike paths, bridleways and off-road where cycling is allowed.

Loads of pro riders are doing off-road riding through this bad weather. Another way to get the miles in is find a short circuit that the council keep clear of snow and ice and ride laps of it. I did a Cycling Weekly ride with Rob Partridge the other day in Yorkshire, and that’s what he did. The hills of lower Wharfedale were knee deep in snow, but his 20-mile route was
perfectly clear.

Of course there is always the turbo trainer, but mind-numbing boredom is the thing to beat there. One thing that gets you through is total dedication, the miles have to be done so just man up and do them. I heard of a new pro with Team Sky who had done four-hour sessions on his turbo. Others, like Russell Downing do split days on the turbo, a 90-minute morning and 60 minute evening session. Sarah Storey is the most inventive, though, the other day she took her turbo outdoors and did 2.5 hours in the garden!

You can pass the time listening to an mp3 or watching a DVD. Don’t do as I did and try to do intervals while watching comedy. I tried watching a dvd of Bottom Live I had