Ride outside this winter

With the clocks rolling back and the days feeling ever shorter, there is a quiet solitude to riding outside in the colder half of the year.

A chance to slow down, take stock and begin to make preparations for adventures to come in the warmer months.

We spent a morning with Rob Roy Cameron and Sarah King to find out why they choose to ride outside in winter.

Rob:

There's something special about training near to home over the winter. After a long year, I find myself embracing the off-season, fine tuning my endurance and building strength. It’s a good time for testing my bike setup, luggage, lights, sleep system and clothing.

I really enjoyed this past year of racing because I learnt a lot, built confidence and did better than I was expecting. Next year I'm aiming to ride the Atlas Mountain Race and the three Further races. I want to finish all of them and try to better the results I had this year.

I find riding through the winter is a good way to find out what’s working and what doesn’t in terms of cold weather kit. It’s something you have to do if you want to be competitive, and I enjoy the change it provides.

Sarah:

It’s quieter and calmer out there in the winter, so you feel like you have the lanes to yourself almost. Going out when it’s a bit cold and wet and no one else is out there, it’s always better for me to be outside.

It’s the end of the racing season for my team, London Academy, which keeps me busy over the summer, so we now have the weekends back to ride together. These rides are where all the getting to know each other happens.

I’ve ridden through about 15 winters now, and I’ll always ride outside if I can.