1- Dress for the weather you are about to ride in.

It sounds incredibly simple but making sure you have the right kit for the winter and the ride you have

planned will greatly help with giving yourself the right motivation to get out there when the temperatures get

into the single digits. Komoot has a great feature where you can check the weather forecast before you leave

which will give you accurate information on what the weather will be like whilst you are out. You can select

the time you are planning to leave and will be shown a breakdown of the temperature, precipitation, wind and

sunrise or sunset. Check out some of the lovely kit from Attacus

2- Ride with mates.

There is nothing better than sharing the road with a friend, so take the opportunity to crunch some miles with

a nice cafe stop where you can chat the whole way round. It’ll make the miles fly by and it’s the perfect

opportunity to set the world right. For me, I often plan a route to a cafe we haven’t been to before, which

keeps the motivation high to see some new roads. On a side note of this, I’d also say get some mudguards

on your bike. Your mate will thank you later.

3- Try riding to another town or city you have never visited by bike, and get the train home.

Even though the days are a bit shorter (remember those lights), you can definitely still get out and have your

own little adventures. I know so often we think about riding from our front door and then returning to it but

maybe plan a longer ride, to a town or city you have never ridden to before and then get the train back. It’s a

great opportunity to see somewhere new, sample the local cakes, a hot meal or other delicacies you may

fancy when you arrive and then wrap up with some additional warm layers for your train journey home.

Maybe planning a few of these little adventures will help keep winter exciting for you.

4- Explore some new roads or trails.

Are you getting bored of riding the same little loops or routes? I know I do often get a bit fed up of doing the

same so, the moment I do, I use this as an excuse to plan a new little adventure. I’ve used Komoot for route

planning for several years now, whether that’s from cycling across Australia or just trying to figure out a new

hour loop from my front door. Maybe this is the ideal time to try something a little different? That could be

some gravel riding or hitting some trails on a MTB. There is tonnes of fantastic bike parks across the UK

which all have great rental bike options and cleaning facilities.

5- Set off a bit later.

This one is my biggest tip, especially when the temperatures have really plummeted and we have started to

see some snow or ice. Setting off even an hour later when it’s a bit lighter and marginally warmer will allow

some of the dreaded black ice to thaw somewhat. No one likes crashing so have that extra coffee in the

morning instead.

6- Make sure you have lights and if you can, fit mudguards.

Your mates will thank you for the second part of this definitely. I know some people are not the biggest fan of

them but not only will mudguards keep your friends from eating half of the road spray from your rear wheel, it

will also help protect some of your drivetrain to help make it last longer. Winter is all about looking after your

bike in the best possible way you can. As the days get shorter make sure you have a good set of lights which

are charged just incase you get caught out.

7- Treat yourself!

It’s always worth pointing out that hard work deserves an extra treat at the cafe or when you get home. It’s the festive season after all!