Introduction
As the temperature drops, some cyclists have decided to put off their bikes. Another group of strong-willed guys plans to continue riding their bikes, going out into nature, and riding with the wind.
But the biggest pain of cycling in autumn and winter is the cold and wet of the body. It's below 10 degrees, you're wet, you're numb, you're in tears, you're running your mouth, and the cold wind is blowing in your body... The feeling of pain will make you want to plunge into a steaming sauna....... Give up not willing, continue to suffer.
In fact, you don't have to ride so painfully. If you choose the right gear for fall and winter cycling, you can experience a different kind of fun from any other season. Riding on the country road, breathing the fresh air, enjoying the unique beauty of autumn and winter, is fantastic.
Summarize the editor's own 30,000 km cycling experience and learned knowledge to share with you my personal opinion of the fall and winter cycling matters to pay attention to. For reference only.
First, choice of gloves and shoes
It is important to keep your hands and feet warm. Stiff fingers make the bike inflexible. Feet frozen blood circulation will be worse, easy to chilblain. In several cycling activities, I have seen some cyclists wearing leather gloves. In my opinion, although leather gloves can better protect against wind, they are not recommended because of their insufficient air permeability, which makes the palms of the cyclists feel damp and uncomfortable. A pair of windproof gloves is your best bet. Gloves should be able to tightly cover the cuff, to ensure that the cuff is not filled with air, for the best choice. People say that feet are the second heart, and it is equally important to keep your feet warm. Wearing boots will cause your feet to be cold and wet when you do not exercise. So it's not recommended. A pair of high-waisted shoes that are comfortable and warm is very important. Use thick soles and insoles to keep the soles of your feet warm. Uppers, uppers to thick, protect the feet, feet warm will warm the whole body. Right! There are ankle guards, autumn and winter days riding, the ankle will feel very cold, a good pair of ankle guards can let ankle warm-up. Of course, wearing thick socks to protect the ankle is also ok. Remember to run hot water on your feet to improve circulation and eliminate fatigue.
Two, the choice of protective equipment
In cycling activities, the knee joint is the most frequently moved part. Due to more activities, local congestion is more, capillaries are dilated, and cold is easier to enter. Therefore, knee pads are essential for autumn and winter cycling. It's best to wear a kneepad for cycling rather than hiking with a hole in the middle. Kneepads should not only be windproof and warm but also have good elasticity. It is also recommended to wear wrist guards for long-distance cycling. Remember to take them off when resting, and exercise your wrists, which can effectively protect your wrists and reduce the damage caused by long time vibration when riding. Wrist protector, elbow protector, and ankle protector can not be ignored in the autumn and winter when the car is easy to fall.
Three, the choice of clothes
Autumn and winter cycling is the most afraid of when just go out will feel very cold, you can go out before the appropriate warm-up exercise at home, let your body moderate fever and do joint and ligament stretching and then push out, autumn and winter warm-up exercise is an essential step, can not be less oh. Last winter, a cyclist went out for a drag race with another cyclist without warming up and pulled his knee for a long time. In terms of clothing, the most important thing for cycling in winter is windproof and breathable, and the choice of clothes does not advocate the wearing method of pure cotton autumn coat cotton-padded clothes inside. If it is not hot, you can not take off and wear it. The cotton autumn clothes stick to the body and the damp air is suffocated on the inside. It is very uncomfortable to taste. Polyester quick-drying clothes + fleece or cycling clothes + windproof coat is more appropriate. It is ideal to wear coats with multiple layers, which can be removed one by one when heated. It is best to wear autumn and winter cycling clothes with windproof front fabric and breathable back fabric. This kind of design clothes both for you to block the cold wind, but also can the sweat out of the exercise, avoid sultry, the effect is really good. The choice of lower body trousers should also avoid pure cotton long Johns, because the two legs are the main force of the activity, do not wear too thick too bloated, or after the movement, you will feel the legs very tired, ah ~, appropriate clothes, and trousers plus kneepad are enough, do not need to cover a lot of layers. Riders who can't figure out what to wear can carry a bag and coat for emergencies.
Four, head, neck insulation work
Many cyclists in autumn and winter are often sweating hot, nasal discharge is constantly flowing, the face will feel frozen stiff. The greater the difference in temperature between the head, face, and torso during cycling, the more likely it is to catch a cold and cause a physical stress response. So be sure to protect the temperature of your neck, face, and head. Even if it is sweating wet and then change a face towel do not let the cold wind directly on the face. So, always wear an extra headband. I arrived autumn-winter still has an exclusive secret recipe, wear a few swimming caps with good quality namely,(the density of swimming cap is better than add thick headscarf, the windproof effect is better) wear helmet again, classics test, the effect is good. Especially when riding at high speed, no longer afraid of wind from the hole in the helmet blowing into the forehead uncomfortable. In addition, the best collar around a neck protects the neck and throat, this place, if you do not protect a long time, will often cough, very uncomfortable. In addition, helmet-wearing cover head, ears, neck cap is also a good choice, practical very high. (The kind that looks like a bank robber's black velvet pullover hat.)
Five, other matters needing attention
- Bring boiling water in a thermos. In autumn and winter cycling, you must drink hot water, preferably hot water without sugar. Cold sugar drinks are not conducive to a smooth throat. Secondly, hot water can also be in the coldest time to moderately restore body temperature, warm heart warm body. You can pick up a few candy bars to replenish your energy.
- Wear cycling glasses. To buy a special mirror, in each event, the speed of the bike more than 35 will tears stream flow, also can feel eyes uncomfortable, after research is a cycling process, caused by wind and fine sand, also must be so dedicated mirror, suppose that a foreign body under the high speed suddenly eyes, dealing with inappropriate, the consequences are very serious, so the eye Mirrors are not just cool. Winter windy sand more need it!
- Tire pressure is not easy to be too high in cold weather. It is cold and the rubber is hardened. At this time, if the tire pressure is too high, it is easy to burst the tire. In addition, the lower the temperature, the friction of the ground and the tire is smaller, and the tire pressure is too high to slip and fall. Let alone in case, there's ice.
- Maintenance of bearings. The low temperature within the butter and front fork of the bearing grease into solid-state, so this time we need more than a dozen kilometers ride to grinding oil-soluble solid-state drive, it is made at the start of the journey we can not send force fierce ride, is ordinary speed slightly higher with frequency hot car as soon as possible, lest cause because of the uneven oil power damage to the bearings and ball bearings.
- Pay special attention to traffic safety. Autumn and winter are frequent seasons for vehicle accidents. We must pay special attention to traffic safety when riding bicycles. First, we should dress in bright and eye-catching colors, and secondly, we should observe more traffic junctions and lane changes. Learn to use cycling gestures when riding in large numbers, and be sure to pull over to the side of the road. Make phone calls while riding by gesturing in advance to get out of the queue and pull over to make calls.
- Reflective signs. In autumn and winter, the days are short and the nights are long. So the car body warning and lighting is indispensable, it is a good way to paste reflective stickers on the car, do not like the paste can be put on a few taillight frog lights to remind the warning role, the more reflective signs on the car, clothing, the better, there is no harm.
- Pay attention to appropriate cycling intensity and journey. Don't leave early in the morning. Be sure to eat some hot breakfast before you go. The early evening should stop riding rest. Those who suffer from heart, lung, hypertension, bronchitis, and asthma diseases must have appropriate activities in winter. Riding friends like to conquer mountains. They must not stand in the tuyere when they rest after sweating. There is a ride down the mountain when you must put on the coat again, the autumn and winter wind should not be underestimated, the wind blew easily to fall the root of the disease.