Bicycle through the icicles: Cyclists can train in winter

The weather outside might indicate it's time to grab your skis and hang the bicycle on hooks in the garage for a few months.

But a little snow and frigid temperatures shouldn't to force the avid cyclist into hibernation. Rather, the changing season simply requires changing training techniques.

And with only minor alterations in the bike and gear, even the casual cyclist can get outside and train like a pro — almost.

"Now that we're actually getting some real winter," Burke Swindlehurst, a Salt Lake resident and one of the top professionals in the country, said, "I find there really isn't an opportunity for big, 5-hour training rides. So I get really specific. I condense it to about an hour and a half, and it's all business."

Few cyclists have the skills or ability to train as hard as a pro like Swindlehurst, Jeff Louder or David Zabriskie. Still, it's not impossible to maintain cycling fitness throughout the offseason — and it does not require long, boring journeys to nowhere in the basement while riding a stationary bike or trainer.

If it's outdoor riding you crave and must have, Swindlehurst has a few tips — dressing appropriately, perhaps, being the most important.

"One thing I've found over the years of riding here in Utah, is that staying warm has mostly to do with the head and the neck," said Swindlehurst, who rides for the Bissell Pro Cycling team. "If you're going to ride outside, you absolutely need something that keeps the wind from going down your collar."

Swindlehurst suggests wearing high-collar base layers or a balaclava to keep the frigid air from messing up your ride. No matter how cold it is outside, any hard, physical exercise will create sweat. And if that cold air hits the moisture clinging to your chest, you will be in for an unpleasant ride to say the least.

That said, knowing how to keep the sweat off the body is also important. Swindlehurst said he usually wears at least three layers of clothing on rides during the winter. A long-sleeve base layer with breathable fabric is a must and helps wick the moisture away from the body where it can evaporate. A jersey adds another layer of warmth, and a long-sleeve jacket can top things off.

But after an hour or two in the saddle — even in below-freezing temps — the body heats up. Swindlehurst said having clothes with zippers is important because, even though it's cold outside and a cyclist is trying to stay warm, allowing some of that body heat to escape will prevent the sweat from building up and eventually freezing to your skin.