Bella Velo and Winter Cycling Tips

This lovely dark and rainy November day is the perfect time to be talking about winter cycling!

In case you haven't heard last week my road bike was stolen- the police are looking into it and have already arrested one youth so hopefully there should be a positive outcome, although I don't expect to get my bike back. Fortunately it was insured, which does mean I get the fun of trying and buying a brand new one 🙂

In a funny way, despite that horrible feeling of somebody stealing from you (and the guilt that you should have looked after it better, even though you did everything you should!) it actually works out quite well. I hadn't really ridden the Trek Lexa for ages, and was thinking about swapping it for a hybrid or something a little more off-road friendly. I'm not a confident road cyclist, mainly because of traffic- quiet country lanes are fine! But like with running, trails and off-road tracks and paths are so much more fun to explore.

To that end I've been test riding a few options from my local bike shop, and have whittled it down to these two beauties:

To be honest, they're both quite similar- a mountain bike hybrid cross with lockable front suspension, and chunkier tyres than a road bike, but still light and speedy. It will really just come down to fit and which feels more comfortable to ride, so I'll hopefully be making a decision in the next few days!

I'm lucky enough to have the newly opened Bella Velo, a specific women's cycling store, as my local bike shop- or at least local to my workplace. It exclusively stocks bikes, clothing and equipment designed for women and has had huge support from the cycling community, with Lizzie Armitstead backing the shop to get more women into the sport.

I've been dealing with Pete, one of the co-founders who's been so helpful- knowledgeable without being pushy, letting me try different bikes and ride them up and down the road outside.

Yesterday evening Bella Velo held a Winter Cycling event, which was a great opportunity to socialise with some of the women cyclists in the area and listen to some different speakers

Bike Maintenance

Pete went through how to change a puncture, how to keep your bike clean during the wet weather, and the importance of fitting lights and mudguards.

• Mudguards aren't glamorous but they're great for winter, and are mandatory on a lot of group rides! You can now get slim,light ones for road bikes that stop the muddy splatter up your back and keep your feet dry too.

2. An all over bike cleaning spray- Muc-Off is the most well known brand.

3. Re-lube your chain (once it's dry). During the winter, ie. wet conditions, a wet lube is better, as it will stay on your chain longer than a dry lube, although it does pick up more dirt.

Lexie Williamson, is a yoga teacher who specialises in yoga for sports. She went through some stretches you can do on your bike, if you get achy on a long ride, as well as some yoga poses to do afterwards.

She currently has two books, Yoga for Runners and Yoga for Cyclists, which I will definitely be checking out! This is just an example of some of the poses she recommended:

1. Seated pigeon pose- a great glute stretch
2. Cat/cow- great for stretching out the back and chest
3. Forearm plank- good strengthening for the core, and if you pedal the legs it also stretches the calves and achilles
4. Runners lunge (also good for cyclists!) - stretches the hip flexors and quads, and if you clasp your hands behind you can combine with a chest opening stretch as well

Winter Cycle Training

Kerry from Revolution Cycling, a coaching company specifically designed for women, spoke to us about winter cycle training. A lot of if was more applicable if you are targeting events, or train for particular races, rather than as a recreational cyclist (which I most definitely would be!), but it was still really interesting!

The winter is usually the time for endurance riding rather than sportives, so Long Slow Distance rides are more common. It's also important to supplement these with core and strength training to help maintain your fitness over the winter months. And you can use a turbo trainer for cadence drills, or single leg training if you can't cycle outside.

Winter Clothing

Finally Belinda showcased some of the winter clothing that Bella Velo stock, and talked through the importance of wearing high visibility items so that you can be seen.

NB: She also made the tasty treats in the photo further up the page- kale and orange cupcakes, protein balls, beetroot gluten free brownies- seriously amazing! 

The changeable British weather means that the best way to dress in winter involves layers, so you can remove/add pieces as you warm-up. You also need to make sure you're kitted out in garments that are waterproof. Gloves and overshoes are two great items that can make your ride a lot more enjoyable!

This has turned into rather a long post, but honestly there was so much information packed into Bella Velo's Winter Cycling evening that I could have gone on even more! I'm really excited for the future of the store- they've already held one weekend group ride on 9th November which had a great turnout (35!) and are now planning on running them every 2nd Saturday. There are plans for converting the basement of the building into a workshop for bike servicing and a studio for yoga classes which would be amazing! They also want to keep running these informative evening events, with the next one being held on December 11th- perfect for any Christmas shopping ideas- come along!

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