When I first started riding a bike as an adult, I commuted in the winter but recreational riding came to an end with the snow and the cold. Fun riding was summer riding on my road bike with skinny tires in the sunshine. I trained indoors all winter but I did it for the sake of summer riding.
Over the years I’ve changed, as a cyclist, and I’ve come to appreciate the change of seasons for the different kinds of riding it brings.
For me fall means the return of my adventure road bike and fun riding on gravel. It’s my go-to commuting bike but it’s also good for weekend country rides. We dial back the distance and go out for an hour or two on bike trails. It’s relaxing to ride with no cars in sight. This past weekend Sarah and I did some riding in Turkey Point. See the gallery below.
I’ve got my eyes on the Guelph to Goderich rail trail too.
But it’s not just the fall and cyclocross/gravel riding. I’m also looking forward now to the winter and to riding in the snow on my fat bike. It’s a fun and joyful way to play in the snow on bikes. Check out my smile!
I think I’ve honestly come to love all the seasons of cycling. They’re different things, each with their own kind of pleasure.
Some road riding friends don’t get it. They question the fitness benefits of fat bike riding. They ask about my heart rate and training zones. I say that’s not the point. I don’t fess up that I am not even wearing a heart rate monitor. I’m doing it for fun and for mental health benefits. I need to be outside in the winter. I love riding through the woods. Fat bike riding makes me feel like a kid again as I ride over all sorts of obstacles in my path.
I still ride inside all winter. I put a road bike on a trainer and ride virtually in Zwift. That’s fun too and that I do do for fitness reasons.
Fat biking? That’s for fun and the love of riding a bike.
I’m now the kind of cyclist who loves all the seasons of cycling. See you out there in autumn, winter, spring, and summer!
How about you? Do you ride year round? How many seasons of cycling do you like?
I used to love cross riding in the fall, out in the woods, even after dark! I’ve gotten out of that habit. Maybe time to reinitiate, with the help of my still-newish-to-me gravel bike.