Its one thing many of us cyclist suffer from this time of year but there are a few simple steps that will help if you begin to understand what’s happening and causing the problem.
The human body when exposed to extreme cold goes into self-survival mode and begins to direct all its energy to your main organs and ensuring that your central core remains warm, at the expense of your outer limbs. So one top tip is to ensure you wear the very best wind stopper fabrics, base layers etc. to ensure your central core remains warm at all times and then the body will continue to circulate blood into your arms and legs.
Keeping hydrated is just as important in winter as at any other time of the year but if you are gulping down icy cold water from your bottle you are simply cooling yourself down from the inside out! Again triggering the self-survival mechanism in the brain which will divert energy (blood) to warm up your inner core. So use insulated bottles or a hydration bladder kit filled with water that’s at room temperature rather than straight out the cold tap.
Hands and feet? Well it’s all about blood circulation, if you have addressed all the above then ensure your arms and legs are warm by doubling up on layers and that way all the heat energy will not be lost before the blood reaches your fingers tips and toes.
Hope these tips prove helpful as they have for me and help you get your winter base miles in feeling a little more comfortable.