Winter Training Faqs

Top coaches and riders tackle the six fitness questions every cyclist asks when the temperature drops

- Michael Stokoe

Winter is never easy for British cyclists. Trying to build fitness in wet, cold weather brings many challenges and sometimes, let’s be honest, isn’t entirely pleasant. But we know that winter training provides the fitness backbone for the season ahead: it must be undertaken, if you want to be in good shape come spring. And despite its bad reputation, the British winter isn’t really so formidable, provided you’re well prepared.

In fact, triumphing over winter is all about the preparation. Of course, the weather occasionally throws a spanner in the works, but most of the time winter training can be enjoyable as well as effective. A hatred of winter usually only arises out of mistakes and misjudgements. To that end, CW provides a winter training troubleshooter, answering the six most commonly asked questions.

1 Do I need a winter training plan?

Yes! Drafting a winter training plan is essential. Without structure, your winter training could end up being a hotchpotch of activities without focus and without translation into real performance benefits for the coming months. The important thing to remember is that no one training plan suits everyone.

Matt Rowe, a coach at Rowe and King, says: “There’s no one-size-fitsall approach. No two people we coach have the same programme, and that’s important to remember. But there is a key theme that always applies: you need to work through a series of phases. The first phase is strength and endurance, looking ahead to becoming more powerful, and then it’s top-end speed as spring approaches.”

The winter is about evaluating the season that has just gone, thinking about what you got right and where you could have done better. Coach Gareth Pritchard from Cutting Edge Cycling believes each winter plan should start with addressing a rider’s weaknesses.