When the temperature drops and the leaves fall, it's time for a winter break for cyclists. It lasts between 3 and 8 weeks and can be active or passive. For cyclists, the season is very long, starting in mid-February and finishing in October. In between, there are peaks of fitness, slumps and falls, but plenty of great memories!
At Baouw, taking a break is sacred, so we're going to tell you our 5 reasons for cutting back during the winter!
#1 - DISCONNECTING FROM CYCLING
The break is certainly physical, but it's also largely mental. Taking your hands off the pedals for a few weeks and watching the rain fall instead of getting wet will allow you to do a real ‘reset’ in your head.
At the end of the season, many cyclists admit to being bored and tired of their regular, hard training. Taking your mind off things is a real solution. You can, for example, work on other sports such as trail running, skiing, climbing, swimming or general muscle strengthening! All these different activities will benefit you overall, and give you something fresh to do. You'll be able to get back in the saddle with a healthy passion.
Our athlete Nicolas Roux is a perfect example of this, putting on his skis at the beginning of December and getting back on the bike in March to win major cyclosportives like the Haute Route Alpes!
#2 - Take care of minor injuries
After a very intense season, it's common for cyclists to sustain a few minor injuries. Nothing too serious, but a cut is the ideal way to deal with them. It could be tendonitis, a shooting knee or a squeaky Achilles heel. You can then go and see a doctor to take stock of the situation, and take the opportunity to have a medical check-up for your licence... well, only if you want to ride in the pelotons next season!
It is also advisable to go to sports medicine for a more complete check-up. You can have a stress test, which is a home-trainer test lasting around twenty minutes. The doctor will place electrodes on your body, the aim being to stimulate the body (and the canes) with several degrees of intensity. The purpose of this test is to detect heart problems, but it can also be used for specific analyses to gather data on power or VO2 max.
#3 - check your equipment
Because a lot of cyclists are really addicted to their equipment, it's time for a change! It's sometimes risky to make changes during the season because changes in position can lead to tendonitis, strains and muscle strains. Making these changes during the break allows you to take the time to sort everything out, especially as when you come back you'll be taking it easy, so there won't be any problems there!
For your wallet, it's a good time because the new models come out during the break and a lot of riders want to get rid of their equipment, so few buy in November. Traditionally, equipment is bought in the spring, which is a shame because the season has already started and the cost is much higher.
You can also take the time to readjust your shims, adjust the height of your saddle, change your chain, or even your cassette. Do you know how many kilometres your chain has? It's estimated that a chain needs changing every 5,000 km or so!
#4 - TAKING A STEP BACK
The break allows you to take your head off the handlebars. Use it as an opportunity to take a step back from the past season and look ahead to the next.
It's a good time to ask yourself some questions: did my planned training peaks work, when was I on the cane, or why did I have that gap in June?
The aim is to analyse your season as a whole to determine whether your training cycles have borne fruit. You'll be able to determine whether this specific strength cycle made you too tired, or whether your recovery from a heavy race pace was too fragile. By taking a step back, you'll be able to look ahead to the next season by setting yourself goals and a plan for achieving them.
#5 - TEST YOUR SPORTS NUTRITION
When the season is underway, it's difficult to test nutrition protocols, as the risk is that you'll miss out on your objectives because your body has reacted badly to the food you've given it... which is a shame when you've done a lot of physical preparation!
Taking time out during the break will help you to familiarise yourself with new products that are perfect for achieving your goals. It's the perfect time to try out new recipes with unusual tastes, like some our Baouw recipes! Did you know that our bars and purées are concocted by Benoit Nave, nutritionist and former top-level cyclist?
CONCLUSION
The break is therefore essential for a successful season, so don't take advantage of it to overdo it on the raclette... good luck with the resumption!
