Combat the Cold- Dress Well
It seems that the key to enjoying your times outside is to dress properly. Though wrapping up in a padded coat with a balaclava and boots up to your knees may be over doing it a bit, it is on the right track. If you dress to accommodate for the conditions then you will have a far better time outdoors. So for rain you are looking at waterproofing, for frost you are looking at thermal wear.
Winter is the time when people put on weight; all because those fun outdoors activities do not seem as much fun in the gloomy cold. Finding the motivation to get out there on your bike goes out the window at the first sign of a cloud. This shouldn’t be the case however, because quite often once you are outdoors it is quite pleasant. It is like when you are a kid, and you look outside to see the snow, so you run out to play and within minutes you are cold and wet with water in your shoes.
The difference is that when you go cycling you have to add in a few more factors. Your cycling gear should ideally protect you from injury with padding and durable materials. The clothing should be unrestrictive so that you are not fighting the clothing to move, and it should also protect you from the weather. This goes for all weathers. You should have shades and eye protectors for the sun and flying gravel and dust. You should have waterproof clothing for those rainy days, and warm heat retaining clothing for the cold days. Your cycling gloves should offer a mixture of grip, padding and heat retention, as should your shoes ideally.
A lot of cyclists will cycle during the winter to keep their physical fitness levels up and lay the endurance foundations for the coming year, so that they may cycle more in the warmer months without becoming uncomfortable.
If you have trouble motivating yourself during the colder months, and it will take more than a good coat and cycling gloves to convince you, then why not try caffeine. A cup of strong coffee or a Red Bull can help you regain your pep so that you can get out there and start cycling. Quite often it is just the getting outside and on your bike that is the hardest bit. Once you are up and cycling, you often find yourself having more fun than you expected. Obviously, if you have to rely on caffeine to get you on your cycle more often, then maybe try another means of transport or hobby. Don’t forget to take a few calcium supplements if you are using caffeine as it depletes your calcium levels, and get outdoors and have some fun.