Although it may not be everyone’s favourite time to ride, in the UK we’re pretty lucky to be able to ride bikes pretty much all year round. And as winter approaches, I only get more excited about heading to the hills, so much so that I actually prefer it over dusty summer trails.
There’s something about riding in the winter that makes mountain biking feel a little more rebellious. Even pedalling over-optimistically through storms and battling whatever may cross your path makes average rides become mini adventures. A tree might have fallen across your usual route, so it’s time to find a way around it. I’ve even crossed flash floods, knee-deep in raging water, to get to where I needed to go… yep, it was stupid, but only in retrospect.
While there’s nothing quite like summer riding, navigating a mountain bike or even a gravel bike down a trail that’s far from grippy poses fresh challenges, and that’s where bike skills really develop. The extra hint of unpredictability that gets thrown up when dirt turns to mud not only hones technique for when the trails dry, but it adds an extra bit of thrill, and holding a surprise slide often leaves me feeling like an absolute hero… although admittedly, my skills are far from top tier.
All of those startling lapses of grip and all of that time learning to hold onto them then matures into more confidence when the summer finally turns up. Every year, I’ve been surprised by how much more comfortable I’ve found myself on the bike than the year before. Although I love riding in the wet, wet roots are still the work of the devil, but learning how to ride them only makes it easier to ride them when they’re dry.
Riding in the wet also makes me appreciate my kit even more. When the heavens open and the ground softens, I’m busy fitting the tyres that I decided on months prior. And some of my favourite tyres are those that are designed for wetter weather, where they bring traction in areas that certainly shouldn’t.
Clothing choices become even more important, too. Through the summer, it’s usually shorts, a T-shirt, and done. But when it’s cold and wet, or even not-so-cold but definitely wet, picking what to wear can be one tricky endeavour. I’m one of those who prefers cold over warm and being able to make myself warm when it’s cold, which is probably why I like winter riding so much.
Finally, there’s the feeling of outright liberation that comes after a horrendous ride. Yep, it was difficult to force myself out of bed to spend a few hours pedalling about in the lashing rain, but there’s nothing like the feeling of coming home covered in shit after having the best time out on the bike. Peeling off that crud-lined kit, hosing down a filthy bike and washing off after the most disgusting of spins can feel like the whole idea of riding was a mistake, but sitting on the sofa, clean and tired, is a handy reminder of what it feels like to be comfortable.
Motivation is certainly tougher to come by, even for someone who loves winter riding as much as I do, but overcoming the urge to stay at home is rewarding in itself.
Riding in winter is flipping great. It feels like something that shouldn’t be done, and because of that, it’s ridiculously fun. Of course, I love a clean, fast and dusty ride in the summer – but the extra touch of general uncertainty that comes with riding a bike through rain, snow and filth just heightens the whole experience for me.
