It's 'Winter Week' on Cycling Weekly: Your guide to riding through the colder months

Our week-long specials celebrate the joys of riding through the winter and what you need to be fully prepared

Image shows a rider cycling in winter.
(Image credit: Future)

From 14-18th November, here at Cycling Weekly we'll be celebrating the virtues of riding through winter and showing you how to best prepare yourself and your bike so you can enjoy it to the full.

If you are starting at the start with a winter set up, or needing to finally replace old faithful gear after a few seasons of a hard life, then your in luck. The best Cyber Monday bike deals have arrived just in time for you to save big on all you need to keep riding over the coldest months. 

For many, the arrival of the colder weather and the clocks going back is a signal to hang up the bike and hibernate, or just prepare for a few months on the turbo trainer. But it doesn't have to be that way, as the right kit and some essential changes to your bike can allow you to enjoy those crisp winter mornings in the lanes just as much as you do in the height of summer.

Our tech articles will look at the most significant changes you can make to winterise your bike, including the type of tyres you should look out for and whether you need to swap out your wheels out for something winter-specific. Getting cold is, of course, the most important factor to consider before you head out for four hours in the winter months, and we'll show you how best protect your extremities as well as a checklist of the best winter cycling clothing – which is an absolute must.

Motivation can be a huge hurdle for all of us as the days get shorter and the sun makes fewer and fewer appearances – so we share some ways to approach winter with the most enthusiasm!

We all know that the winter period is also very important for building your endurance, ready to make the most of the sunnier spring and summer riding. But there's a good chance you're doing things on the bike that could actually be compromising your fitness gains. We take a look at how to avoid these mistakes.

That's all coming up, but if you can't wait and want to get stuck in right now, we can give you the lowdown on the:

1. Best winter cycling jackets

2. Best bib tights for cycling 

3. Best winter tyres for road cycling

4. Best bike fenders / mudguards

5. Best cycling overshoes

6. Best winter cycling gloves

7. Best waterproof cycling jackets

If your winter wardrobe is lacking in a certain area, now could be a really good time to drop into our best Black Friday bike deals page to pick up the missing item in your cold weather layering system to make chilly rides a more comfortable affair. 

Winter week content schedule

Image shows a rider cycling in winter.

(Image credit: Future)

We'll be adding hyperlinks as the pages go live...

1. How to handle winter like a cyclist: your step-by-step guide

2. Is your bike winter-ready? Five easy ways to increase comfort and minimise wear

3. 16 ways to stay motivated through winter

4. Winter bikes: do you really need one? 

5. Riding with friends is a great way to enjoy long winter miles – here's the lowdown on cycling in a group

6. Ask a cycling coach: ‘Are there any actual fitness benefits to doing winter miles on a heavier bike?’

7. Suffering from numb feet or hands when cycling? Here's how to combat the cold

8. Should you change your wheels for winter?

9. What kind of tires do you need for winter? 

10. Five ways winter cycling ruins your fitness

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Anna Marie Abram
Fitness Features Editor

I’ve been hooked on bikes ever since the age of 12 and my first lap of the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit in the bright yellow kit of the Hillingdon Slipstreamers. For a time, my cycling life centred around racing road and track. 


But that’s since broadened to include multiday two-wheeled, one-sleeping-bag adventures over whatever terrain I happen to meet - with a two-week bikepacking trip from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia being just the latest.


I still enjoy lining up on a start line, though, racing the British Gravel Championships and finding myself on the podium at the enduro-style gravel event, Gritfest in 2022.


Height: 177cm

Weight: 60–63kg