How to Win the Holidays and Stay Cycling

 

     The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the temptations of indulgent foods and curling up with family and friends around decorations. However, staying fit during this season does not have to be daunting. Cycling offers an excellent way to keep active and maintain our fitness while celebrating the holidays. We are going to explore some ways we can add cycling to our holiday routines. 

Embrace the Joy of Holiday Rides:

    The Holidays offer a unique opportunity to enjoy cycling with festive twists. 

    Decorate Your Bike: Get your wheels into the holiday spirit by decorating your bike with lights, tinsel, ornaments, or inflatable passengers. You can not only stay fit on your decked out ride but also bring joy. 

    Plan Themed Rides: Explore our beautiful area on themed rides. Cycle to see holiday lights, get to the Holiday Market downtown by bike, or explore new areas that are known for their decorations by bike. Main Street in Brockport does the holiday big so you could head down the canal towards our second location. 

    Family-Friendly Activities:

    Cycling is a fantastic family activity that can involve everyone, from kids to grandparents.

    Family Rides: Organize family rides to local parks, trails or nature reserves. These rides are a great opportunity for us to bond, have fun and stay active together. 

    Holiday Scavenger Hunts: Create a cycling scavenger hunt to keep the family engaged and excited about riding. Search for holiday themed items or decorations along your route. 

    Balance Your Treats:

    Enjoying our favorite holiday treats is a tradition for many of us, cycling can help us maintain a balance with these indulgences.  

    Plan Your Rides: We make our plans for our rides in addition to the parties and events filling our calendars this time of year. 

    Stay Hydrated: With the weather cooling down on us it is as important as ever to keep water close at hand. Carrying a water bottle out on all our holiday adventures is a great way to keep your hydration momentum going. 

    Stay Consistent:

    Maintaining a fitness routine during the holidays can be challenging, but consistency is key.

    Set SMART Goals: Establish specific cycling goals for the season. Some examples of goals could be hitting a certain distance each week, a set number of rides over the season, or checking off news routes explored. 

    Create a Schedule: Plan your rides ahead of time and include them in your overall holiday schedule. Treat these times like you do an appointment that you do not want to miss. 

    Explore New Routes:

    Cycling during the holidays can be an opportunity to explore our area and see it in new ways. 

    Fall/ Winter Wonderlands: Discover the beauty of the changing landscapes in our area. The festive decorations, fall leaves and quiet roads and trails can make for memorable rides.

    Take Detours: We can be more spontaneous and take detours during our rides to explore areas that catch our eyes. We may stumble upon hidden gems, neighborhoods that have amazing decorations or charming parks that we haven't taken the time to explore before.

    The holiday season does not have to be a pause in our cycling journey. There are many ways to integrate riding into the season, we have talked about a few in this post. To help everyone Win the Holidays this year we are holding a fun fitness challenge. 

    Bike Zone Win the Holidays Challenge:

    Join the Bike Zone Rochester Strava Group

    Ride your bike anytime between November 20, 2023 and December 31, 2023

    Log your rides in Strava

    Each Ride entitles you to one entry into a drawing for $75 in-store Credit

    Whether you take some of the ideas from this post or have your own routine, pedal through the holidays and make this season memorable for both your fitness and your festive spirit!

 

Fall Riding Comfort and Safety

 Cycling is not just a means of transportation or exercise; it's a way of life for many of us. Whether we are a daily commuter, a weekend rider or a dedicated cyclist, safety should always be our top priority. So lets explore the ways to stay comfortable and safe while the seasons are changing. 

    Weatherproofing for Fall into Winter:

 

One of the benefits of cycling is that we can do it year round. However, weather conditions can change in an instant. Being prepared for whatever Rochester throws our way allows us to be safe and comfortable throughout our rides.

    Rain: Invest in a quality waterproof cycling jacket, like the Trek Circuit Rain Jacket. One feature we love to see in a rain jacket is that it packs down small when not in use to not take up much storage. Next think about if you want to invest in some fenders or mud guards to keep you dry from road spray. Finally if the temperatures are dipping lower we want to think about a protective shoe cover to keep our feet warm and dry. A good option we like is the Lizard Skins Dry-Fiant Shoe cover.

    Cold: Layering is essential in cold weather. Wearing moisture-wicking base layers, insulating mid-layers and windproof outer layers. We will go into more information further along in this blog post.

Lighting The Way:

    Proper lighting is crucial for both visibility and safety.  Whether we are riding in the early morning, late at night, or during adverse weather, being seen and seeing the trail ahead is important.

    Front Lights: A strong front light, like the Planet Bike Dual Blaze 1500, is important for lighting the road or trail in front of us. These lights will also alert other road and trail users to our presence. Before every ride we want to ensure that our lights have enough power to light our way the entire ride. If your light is USB powered it might also be a good idea for longer rides to bring a extra USB power bank that you can use as extra power. 

    Rear Lights: Rear lights, like the Bontager Flare 1, make us more visible to traffic and trail users coming up behind. The best rear lights blink in a way to catch the eye no matter what the lighting conditions are. 

    Reflective Gear: Reflective clothing and accessories add an extra layer of visibility that requires no power. Consider adding reflective tape to your bike, a reflective vest or jacket as your topmost outer layer, and maybe even reflective ankle bands so we are visible from the side as well.

Layering For Comfort:

 

    Cycling in variable weather can be challenging, but layering allows us to adapt to changing conditions while out on the road. 

    Base Layers: Choose a moisture-wicking base layer to keep sweat away from your skin. This allows us to stay warmer in the cold than a fabric like cotton allows. A good example of a wicking base layer for riding is the Pearl Izumi Thermal Cycling Tight. 

    Mid-Layers: In cooler weather, and insulating mid-layer helps trap heat in close to our body. Materials like fleece and merino wool are great for this layer. An example of this type of layer is the Endura Singletrack Fleece Long Sleeve Cycling Jersey. 

    Outer Layers: Our outer most layer should be windproof, waterproof and breathable. A great cycling jacket can be a ride saver in windy and rainy conditions. An example we use is the Trek Circuit Softshell Cycling Jacket. 

    Accessories: We should not forget to keep all our body covered and comfortable. If you prefer cycling shorts a leg warmer is a good way to layer. Neck gaiters can protect our necks and faces from the cold and wind. Insulated shoe covers can act as jackets for our feet. Gloves can help us keep our hands from getting too cold.

    Cycling in the fall can be safe and enjoyable with proper preparation. We have talked about some of our favorite items, is there a layer or jacket that you love? Comment below with your favorites and Happy Cycling!