It sort of jumps you from behind here in Britain, one day you are cycling in the sun to and from work and a weekend goes by in October and all of a sudden the dark has somehow extended itself into your daily commute.
A lot of people give up on their bike when this happens, can’t blame you it’s like having the pub close early or the carnival ride stop prematurely. That said keeping yourself on the bike over the dark winter months can be of great benefit and is surprisingly easy with the right kit. It’s not about flogging yourself against the harshest of weather conditions battling 50mph winds to climb up Rutland Road it’s about taking the opportunities when they arise.
Don’t be scared of the cold, layer up and get some thick gloves and a woolly hat; once you start riding you’ll not even notice its only 2 degress out there.
Lights are your best friend at this time of year and having as many as you can fit on your bike is good, a high powered light to show you all the potholes and keep you away from the kerb edge is a must (just remember to keep it charged). At the rear you should resemble the Christmas tree you’ll be putting up soon, in fact battery powered fairy lights are great for that. The extra weight isn’t going to damage your record Strava time especially over the 2 mile commute so don’t worry too much about that.
If you keep on your bike over winter you'll reap the rewards, remember how good you felt in April when you got back on your bike after your last hiatus? Well that feeling just keeps going every time you get your bike out on the road all through winter and if you are hard enough or, some might say, mad enough you could try riding in the snow (yes that's me in the photo arriving at work one snowy day).
