Categories: Belgian AffirmationsThe HardmenTradition

Winter Training

There is drafting, and then there’s this.

Merckx famously professed that after a night of sinning, the body must be cleansed. He obviously meant this figuratively, not literally, because those mud guards on his bike aren’t going to take a big bite out of whatever that lorry has to offer him by way of a Flandrian facial.

Winter is a tough time for those of us pawing about in search of our climbing weight. With the shortening of days, the nesting instinct awakens. Darkness falls in late afternoon and when we wake, we are greeted by the same darkness that wrapped us all through the evening. Nature urges us to combat the darkness with food and drink; summer’s dinner salads are replaced by slow-cooked meat and potatoes served with a side of pasta and bacon and washed down with a few bottles of red.

Weight defies the conservation of mass; it is more easily gained than lost. Fitness occupies the opposite realm; it is more easily lost than gained. Riders like Kelly, Merckx, and De Vlaeminck were famous for their discipline throughout winter; training long and hard to lay the groundwork for their Spring and Summer campaigns. With a sea of months between us and next season’s goals, there is little urgency to train properly. But keeping our weight down and putting in the long base kilometers will reward us throughout the season. Besides, it hardens the character to train in the cold, wet winds that characterize the winter months. The training we do in summer feels a luxury by comparison.

I cherish the winter months when my training is peaceful and free of pressure. I look forward to the sun warming my muscles, but for now I am content to stock up on fresh Flandrian Best, prepare the bike for the winter roads, and submit to the solitude of the cold training hours that lie before me.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

dissolved says:

Oct 30 2013 at 8:14 am

@frank my post was expressing a desire (and previously defined plan) to follow @deakus ' eat drink and be merry idea, it's all out the window now that I've mentally committed to one of the Spring Classics.

As it is I climb well for my weight so this is going to be a serious winter.
gaswepass says:

Oct 30 2013 at 8:53 am

@frank

@gaswepass

@frank

the sad truth of the first 2 Segments of that video was the start of my race sunday costing me a carbon tubbie front rim (fortunately didn't realize at the time, was discovered well after the race). But if u run with the big dogs u cant cry when u get bit. That's racing...

It's amazing how hard some people are on their gear. Have you managed to finish a race on your main bike yet?

thats actually first time in 2 seasons had to jump on pit bike- and it wasn't that per se that was necessarily the issue at the time. mechanic found the damage that evening. rode 3.5 laps of race like that. Ruckus composites gonna take a look, see what happens.

oh, and yeah- i am the gear destroyer. at least twice per season the shop mechanics provide a rousing chorus of "I've never seen that before" when they check out the evidence of my destruciton
frank says:

Oct 30 2013 at 9:15 am

@scaler911

I suppose one of the nice things about living in the PNW is that it very rarely gets so cold that you can't get out and ride. Once in awhile we'll get freezing rain or snow for a couple days, but that's it.

It's not fantastic to ride in the rain at 2-3C, but at least it's not 2M of snow all winter like the mid west, rockies and NE. When it gets intolerable, I can always take a 3hr drive to Bend and get some sun (even if it's cold, the sun reinvigorates the soul).

Word word word.

@Lukas Wrong.
frank says:

Oct 30 2013 at 9:23 am

@mauibike

I think I owned a trainer for about a week in the early 80's. I was sweating up a puddle on the floor after about 45 minutes of going nowhere. I looked out the window here on Maui and thought of the guy in his basement in MN sweating up a puddle too and him looking at me and thinking about what a pussy I was. Trainer retired that moment, I can't even use one to warm up before a TT.

Anyone living on Maui is not a member of the power base for this discussion.
frank says:

Oct 30 2013 at 9:25 am

@Lanterne Rouge

Good post. I got a couple of free Flandrian Facials at the weekend, two days of wind, branches and broken glass. No big frosts here in the southern UK yet, so at least there is no road salt to make the cuts sting. I have a turdbo but its just not the same as exfoliating your every orifice with whatever the autumn has left out on the road. Then there are the squirrel brains and other roadkill. Mmmm.

Flanders Facials, Flemish Tanlines, I love them all.

Oh and Eddy is pushing that truck, BTW

I love that he's sitting on the tops. It could well be that they're going up a false flat. Anquetil would go on motorpaced rides where the car went 50kph uphill, downhill, anywhere. His objective: don't get dropped.
RManneck says:

Oct 30 2013 at 10:18 am

This reminds me I need to build the old #1 as a "Winter" bike. Salsa Campeon with 32h H-Plus Son TB-14s, mix of Shimano 105 and Ultegra. Fun bike!
Chris says:

Oct 30 2013 at 10:18 am

@frank

Word word word.

@Lukas Wrong.

Whilst there is no case to answer for fenders in any circumstances, is fitting a rack to your #1 (where #2 is as mountain bike and #3 is a BMX) in anyway acceptable if it is done to allow commuting to double up as training? Or does that sort of thing fall under the Masturbation Principle?
wiscot says:

Oct 30 2013 at 10:23 am

@Chris

@frank

Word word word.

@Lukas Wrong.

Whilst there is no case to answer for fenders in any circumstances, is fitting a rack to your #1 (where #2 is as mountain bike and #3 is a BMX) in anyway acceptable if it is done to allow commuting to double up as training? Or does that sort of thing fall under the Masturbation Principle?

If fenders are unacceptable (which I don't believe they are) then a rack is way out of line. Of course, instead of a rack, you could stuff all your gear in your rear pockets if there's enough room after putting everything that might go in an EPMS in them. (Emoticon here btw)
Chris says:

Oct 30 2013 at 10:30 am

@wiscot I'm not quite so fat that I can fit a laptop and a change of clothes into my jersey pockets!

The difference between a rack and fenders is that the rack is necessary to carry the things I need for work whilst fenders a merely to lessen the enjoyment of rule 9 days.
gregorio says:

Oct 30 2013 at 10:50 am

@Deakus

Forgive me father for I am about to sin.....can you request forgiveness before the act? I am afraid I will follow Big Migs winter regime...eat...drink...and be merry and worry about spring when spring comes. I will however still be riding but I lack the discipline....no fuck that...I simply do not want to deprive myself of all that the festive season has to offer...and...over indulge I shall!

Bread pudding with heavy cream sauce!