Clancy BriggsBlog

We’re lucky to live in a country with a diverse weather system.  It may not always seem fortunate in the winter months, but actually, from a cyclist’s point of view, it’s a real advantage.

Our co-founder, Graham Briggs, explains more:

“I always used to thrive when it was raining at a race.  At the starting line, I knew half the riders  there would not be relishing the thought of a race in the rain, so I used to see it as a competitive advantage, potentially giving me more chance to win!”

But the only way to ensure you feel like that, is to make sure you’ve had plenty of practice.  Passionate cyclists don’t shy away from the changeable winter weather.

Obviously, if it’s unsafe - we’re talking risk of ice, gale force winds, or settled snow on the ground - it’s not a good idea to get on your bike.  At our academy sessions, our expert coaches would always make the call to cancel a class if there were any safety concerns.  

But the reality is that the need for this level of caution is extremely infrequent.

We don’t cancel classes for rain or wind or because it’s cold.  

1. We’re here to make your kids better cyclists.  And practicing in ALL weather conditions is a critical part of our coaching - whether they ride a road bike or a mountain bike.  They need to develop winter riding skills and knowledge to help them read the ground conditions and cycle accordingly.  For instance, leaving more space to brake when the ground is wet.
2. Resilience - It’s an important part of our role as influential adults in your kids’ lives to coach them to be resilient, adaptable children who are able to create healthy habits that last a lifetime. In life, they will need to be able to cope with changing conditions.  We want to help you to educate your children to crack on, no matter what!  
3. Kids still need physical exercise, even in bad weather.  In a 45 minute session, any rainy or cold weather conditions will be short lived, but keeping their exercise going is important for their mental and physical health.
4. Weather is changeable!  You might have a downpour one minute and bright sunshine the next.  It’s also worth bearing in mind that it might be raining at your house when you’re ready to set off for your class, but could be totally fine at the track itself.
5. The weather conditions can actually make a session more enjoyable!  In our experience, kids love to cycle through massive puddles - it makes them laugh and smile! It actually adds interest to their ride and can get them thinking about how to tackle potential obstacles in their path.

For further information about how to prepare for cycling at this time of year, take a look at our kit checklist for kids attending our PEDAL & RACE classes.

Or you may like to visit our shop: From winter jackets to bib tights we know how to help you stay warm on the winter roads.  We even offer a winter perfect pair of socks!

If you need help with bike maintenance and servicing, email us at [email protected] - it’s more important than ever during the winter months to ensure your bike is as safe as possible.  We can help advise on everything from looking after your bike chain to ensuring you have the correct bike lights.