1. Consider timing
In summer, with the sun in the sky for up to 19 hours a day, you can stay away from boring planning as you can cycle almost whenever you like, no matter if before or after work. Once autumn stretches across our cycling playgrounds, the right departure time is the key. That’s why so many accidents happen within the forthcoming autumn when riders, used to riding until nightfall, are suddenly surprised by earlier twilight on the way home. Anyone willing to stay on the bike till winter is encouraged to reschedule riding to weekend mornings or to acquire sufficient lights.
2. Stay visible
Top-quality lights are a must – white for the front and red for the rear, both flashing and loaded with a myriad of lumens. To make sure you stay visible from a safe distance, you can buy an innovative helmet with integrated LED lights we wrote about recently. Bright or even reflexive colours will also help the drivers to see you not only in advance but also from different angles, from which the lights might seem dim.
3. Get used to cold
Regular cyclists can get on with any kind of weather, however, cold autumn weather accompanied by widespread cases of flu and sore throats might get you off-bike inevitably. Thus, cold showers in the morning may strengthen your immunity and teach your body better handling of self-thermoregulation. After a few weeks, you’ll feel more comfortable even in bad weather and with long-term hardening, you can prevent getting cold.
4. Take the mudguards on
Some people vow that mudguards are the second ugliest thing on a bike after Boris Johnson yet this simple device can keep you cycling over the whole winter. You can buy thin ones that stay tight close to the tyres so you won’t miss the sporty feeling.
5. Take on layers
Taking warmer clothing on cold days is a no-brainer since you got cold from building your first igloo, dressed in just a T-shirt. Cycling industry developed an unbelievable range of hi-tech wears that could be differently combined so you can keep up with almost any type of weather, no matter how foul. A clever cyclist would advise you to wear additional water- and windproof folding vest in one of your rear pockets, just in case you got caught by rain or a sudden temperature drop.
6. Stay away of puddles
After the rain, some roads look like Finland from space; small lakes are scattered all around. Some of them are harmless to ride through but you might hit a hidden stone or edge that would shatter the inner tube or even worse – break your rim and send you off the bike. The puddles should be taken into account to avoid dangerous crashes that we saw during the recent World Championships in the rainy UK.
