Why do l find it harder in cold winter months...

[ray316]

Is there any reason why its harder to do my same weekend cycle routes on cold winter days...
l dont seemed to struggle so much in warmer weather..

 

[morrisman]

Because it's cold and it's winter

But more seriously, keeping warm takes energy and I find breathing really cold air harder work too.

 

[PK99]

Two key factors:

Physiological = longer to warm up and muscles remain colder, the body is working harder just to keep warm

Metereological = Cold air is more dense = more drag = (according to one source i read) a 58 min time trialler in summer would be 60 minutes in winter simply from the extra air drag

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I'm a mile or two an hour slower than I was in the summer, more clothing, colder weather, road conditions all slow you down.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

^^^^ What they said. Personally I seem to lose about 1 to 2mph off my average speed in cold weather. I wasn't very fast to begin with.

On the bright side though, after racking the miles up through last winter I was able to go further* and faster** this summer than I've managed before and hope for a similar improvement in the new year.

* First metric and imperial centuries this year. **Up to 15mph average over 50 miles in touring trim

 

[midliferider]

Yes, there are two main reasons. Those are
1. Physiological or how your body responds during cold weather.
2. Physics of riding
If I were to explain it in any more detail, I run the risk of being excluded from these forums for making them too boring and living up to the reputation that we cyclists are sometimes bit geeky.

 

[MikeW-71]

All true, but as Phil says, keep racking up the miles in winter and it will pay you back in summer

 

[50000tears]

No point worrying too much about speeds and times in the winter. Lots of cumulative reasons why you are slower in winter and they do add up.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well my avg this month is 2/100 of a mph slower than it was in June. Mind you at 15.5mph avg over each of the months its not very fast anyway. I seem to prefer the cooler months (above freezing is good), and compared with last Dec where my avg was 12.9mph I think thats not a bad improvement for the year. I have already passed last years monthly total for Dec.
@Mo1959 it may have something to do with having spent several year on The Isle of Skye, and creel fishing in winter that makes winters down here seem balmy.

 

[50000tears]

Well my avg this month is 2/100 of a mph slower than it was in June. Mind you at 15.5mph avg over each of the months its not very fast anyway. I seem to prefer the cooler months (above freezing is good), and compared with last Dec where my avg was 12.9mph I think thats not a bad improvement for the year. I have already passed last years monthly total for Dec.
@Mo1959 it may have something to do with having spent several year on The Isle of Skye, and creel fishing in winter that makes winters down here seem balmy.

Well with any luck you keeping your summer speed is actually you improving and by the time it warms up again you will be in the 16s for mph average.

 

[ayceejay]

Factoring in the wind it was minus 31 outside today, needless to say I didn't go outside today
As boring as the turbo is it is preferable to freezing to death - just.

 

[50000tears]

Factoring in the wind it was minus 31 outside today, needless to say I didn't go outside today
As boring as the turbo is it is preferable to freezing to death - just.

Wow that is extreme, positively tropical here then.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well with any luck you keeping your summer speed is actually you improving and by the time it warms up again you will be in the 16s for mph average.

I did peak in Sept at just over 16mph for the month. I must admit i am actually riding better than I was in the summer.
@ayceejay where are you ?

 

[ayceejay]

I did peak in Sept at just over 16mph for the month. I must admit i am actually riding better than I was in the summer.
@ayceejay where are you ?

Rural Quebec just south of Montreal.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Rural Quebec just south of Montreal.

Cold then