I wish I was a bear. I could eat myself fat in the summer and then hibernate in the winter and by the time spring comes I have a beach body, or at least a thinner body. As it is I have to work out in the winter to keep my summer body and fitness level. If I put on weight in the winter, it takes me half the summer to get it off again.

How do you stay motivated. Are you a winter cyclist? Cycling through all weathers and temperatures? Or do you head onto a trainer and work out with Strava, Rouvy, Zwift or Peleton? Do you sign up at a gym and take part in their spin classes.

The question is how to stay motivated? It can get soooo boring cycling on a trainer in the basement. I am not a competitive cyclist, I do not have to train and keep my fitness level up ready for a race or a competition. However, I am getting up there in age and find it harder every spring to get out there and ride 50 – 60 kms. I have to break myself in gently and it is taking longer every year to get back to the previous year’s fitness. If I put on winter fat it takes me longer to get it off again. The trials and tribulations of getting older.

How do I stay motivated to ride my bike in the winter? First and foremost, I no longer ride my bike(s) outside in the winter. If the truth be told I usually stop riding outside when the temperature drops below 5 – 10 degrees C (41 – 50 F). However, in the spring I will be out there as soon as the snow and salt have been cleared and it is above 5 degrees. I love cycling outside.

Honestly, I usually have two slug months. One is in November, the weather is changing and I don’t want to ride outside nor do I really want to commit to the basement so early. The other is February, no particular reason other than, by that time I am bored with the indoor cycling and I want to be outside again. However, in Ontario it is still below freezing and often snowing. Therefore, I have to ride in the basement.

2024 was a different year. We were cycling in Taiwan in November and I felt awesome when I came home. Summer fitness level was good, goal weight had been reached and maintained and I committed to basement dwelling (cycling) in December. I cycled most days and I only added one pound over Christmas – amazing. I have already lost that pound.

Motivation came easily when Ralf bought me a new trainer for my birthday in December. I couldn’t let that go to waste. It is a semi-Smart Trainer, it can connect to Zwift/Rouvy but it is still a wheel-on trainer. I didn’t want to connect or pay for Swift/Rouvy or any of the “video cycling games”. I barely connect to Strava, why would I want to cycle with and against other cyclists. I have a cadence/speed metre on my bike and wear a heart-rate monitor which connects to my Garmin bike computer so that I can record the rides.

I record my rides and kilometres in the summer and set myself goals. Not so much in the winter. So where does my motivation come from? It is a struggle every year.

This year I have found numerous virtual rides on YouTube. I have cycled in the stunning mountains/hills of the Austrian/Italian Tyrol. Followed the River Mosel and the vineyards above the river and the River Saar, a flatter, more relaxed ride along riverside bike paths in Germany. I have cycled in the warmth of the Andalucian sun in Spain.

Yesterday, my ride in the Austrian Tyrol started at +17 degrees, the outside temperature in Brockville was minus 17. It was a lovely ride, a good steep hill to start and then flat for a while then rolling hills to finish. No competition only me trying to keep the same cadence and speed with the rider who has produced the video and finish with the same kilometres. That isn’t always possible, as some of the videographers are on ebikes and go up the hills a lot faster than I can maintain.

Ralf and I usually train together, (another motivation) we pretend we are outside. O.K. I pretend I am outside actually riding in Austria, Germany, and Spain. I warn pedestrians on the cycling paths that we are “am den linken seite” (on their left). They all move out of the way. I complain about the car drivers, I complain about the headwind (fan). I talk to myself going up the hills – “o.k. just get to the next light post.” I comment on the scenery, thank the dog owners for keeping their dogs under control (in Germany). I thoroughly enjoy my virtual rides. I even wave to other cyclists, some wave back, others not so much. I know I am daft, but it helps.

There are usually new rides every week. Although you may ride in the same area there is a lot of variety in the rides. Some of them are flat, some hilly, some on dedicated bike paths and a few on forest trails. I am not so keen on mountain biking, so I usually don’t pick them. Although Ralf picked one last week. Some single track that I really should not have been doing on a skinny tired road bike. I had to get off my bike twice to lift it over logs that was over the path, I got hit by a branch and stung by nettles. I will not be doing mountain  biking routes again. O.K. maybe I am taking these virtual rides too seriously!

On other days, just to mix it up, we join a group of cyclists in Melbourne, Australia. This cycling club adds interval training to their rides. We are still riding along some great roads but testing our stamina with the intervals.

The scenery is always good and gives me ideas of where  to tour in that country.

We still use our old DVD’s that have virtual rides in Lake Placid, Arizona and Maryland also some indoor spinning workouts. I know, how old are we that we have a DVD player?

After the rides Ralf will map them and we can see the elevation and routes that we have taken. It keeps us interested and up to now (end of January) motivated.

After the ride I usually do about half an hour of yoga, to keep the old muscles and bones supple.

Motivation also comes with looking forward to the year of riding ahead. I really enjoy the Rotary Club Lilac Ride at the end of May In Prince Edward County. I always sign us both up for the 100 km ride. On the day I usually switch to the 50 k ride and let Ralf ride the 100 km ride, as I don’t feel ready for the 100 kms.  NOT this year I am going to be so fit and ready for a 100 km. Plus I have my new Trek bike that fits me perfectly. I am looking forward to some great riding this summer. At least one (metric) century ride every month. Goal for the year 6700 kms, outdoor kilometres.

Enjoy your winter riding, however you do it.