Switching Up My Winter Riding Strategy

I'm changing my approach to winter riding this year.

Ever since I started mountain biking, I’ve mostly just ridden when the weather was good and the trails were dry enough to avoid doing any damage. Which sounds responsible on paper, but in reality it meant I barely rode at all from November to March. If I got out twice a month, that was considered a win. And every spring, without fail, I would find myself gasping for air up climbs I used to push up with ease just a few months earlier.

Last winter I tried to break the pattern by using a spin bike to keep my cardio going. And let me tell you, it was one of the most mind numbing experiences I’ve ever had on a bike. It took the worst part of mountain biking, those long, boring climbs and made them the only thing I was doing. No foothill views to keep me sane, no descent to look forward to, no sense of achievement when I finally got to the top of a climb. Just… spin, spin, spin in my garage. Going nowhere but crazy.

This year, I’m doing a couple things differently. I invested in a modest small home gym setup and picked up a used Wahoo Kickr Core smart trainer. And yeah, I know what you're thinking: “Didn’t you just say you hated stationary bikes?” Yes, I did. But I hope there are a few key differences this time around.

First, I’m riding my bike.
Not some generic gym spin setup with a one-size-fits-all handlebar, saddle, and geometry. Riding my own bike has made a huge difference already. I've invested a fair amount of money into making my riding cockpit feel comfortable for me and this does a lot mentally to help me want to ride the bike.

Second, I’ve set practical goals.
I’m not just spinning for the sake of spinning, I am training with a purpose this time. More about this below.

And third, I’m gamifying the process.
I’m experimenting with virtual training platforms like Zwift, but I’m also creating my own system to make the ride feel more like a challenge and less like a chore. Most of this will be experimental, but I think this has to be fun in order for me to want to continue doing it.

Here’s my real goal: in 2025 I did not ride Around the Mountain a single time. Not once. And the reason was simple, I knew I didn’t have the cardio for it. I had a tough year personally and I couldn’t find a rhythm with training or riding to build a strong enough base to safely make that loop. So this winter, my target is clear: build and maintain enough fitness to open the 2026 season with a solid ride around the mountain. That’s the foundation I want to begin on the trails in 2026.

I’m planning to document the process as I go, both to keep this site alive during the off-season and to stay accountable. That said, don’t expect weekly updates of an old dude sweating on digital rides in his laundry room. I’ll post when I have something worth sharing.

If you’ve got smart trainer tips or have some fun ways you keep your sanity during the colder months, let me know. This is my first full season using a smart-trainer setup, and I’m doing everything I can to keep it fun and avoid living in the pain cave until March.

Forever one wheel?

-Myles