How to stay motivated over winter: 5 tips for eMTB riders

You know what’s great about winter – nothing! At the end of every epic summer, we enthusiastically proclaim, “I’m not going to stop riding over the winter.” We mean it too… but soon we find ourselves sitting in front of the TV while our fitness ebbs away and the eMTB goes rusty in the shed. What the hell happened, and how do we hold onto that summer stoke?

Nobody likes winter, but don’t let a bit of cold weather steal your stoke

Of course, we would all love to lead the lives of professional adventurers, with the time and money to follow the sun and dust around the globe – but for most of us, life’s not like that! One way to keep motivated during the winter is to avoid going out at all, visiting the pain cave with a turbo trainer. While this is fun for some, others would rather poke an angry grizzly bear in the eye with a very short stick! Another option is to head to New Zealand, but then your buddies will unfriend you on Facebook! No, for many of us we have to settle for infrequent rides on home trails in the mud and rain. This time of year daylight is short and precious, and so are our rides, so we need help to stay motivated. If your resolve has become unstuck, we have five tips to keep your game strong, using nothing more than your normal fun ride.

Misery loves company

First things first: you’re going to have to call in help! On those days where it looks marginal and motivation is weak, call your friends or get on social media and find someone to ride with. Not only is a regular ride a sure-fire way of helping you escape the lure of the sofa, but it also makes shredding muddy trails a lot more fun!

When it’s freezing cold outside, call in some reinforcements to keep that summer vibe going

No stopping, keep her lit!

Everyone loves talking nonsense, and during summer rides we probably spend more time engaged in banter than actually riding our bikes – but that does not make you warm, or fast! Next time you are out, climb hard to the top of the hill, but this time, rather than stop and wait for your heart rate to drop out of the red zone, keep on going! Not only will you keep your body temperature on the boil, but you will start building some epic fitness too! We are not advising leaving your buddies behind, but make them work and keep your ride at full gas!

Try less chatting and more riding, keep the motor spinning for maximum fun!

Free your feet, free your mind!

If you are a clipless rider, winter is the perfect time to refresh your bike skills, and nothing sharpens you up faster than a return to flat pedals. If you haven’t been ‘keeping it real’ on flats every now and again, you will quickly learn a lesson about how lazy your style has become. Not only will riding in flats free your feet and teach you proper movement over the bike, but they will also free your mind! The loose connection between you and your bike will result in a smoother, more relaxed style, allowing you to play with the bike and explore some new creativity. Try it!

Flat pedals will supercharge your skills, give them a blast this winter

Track your rides on STRAVA

More and more eMTB riders are using STRAVA to track their rides and compare themselves with their mates. Does your normal loop feature some sharp technical climbs? Yes? Well, next time you’re out, put the hammer down and smash them. Race your buddy and see who can claim the king of the mountain! Don’t forget to join our new E-MOUNTAINBIKE club on STRAVA to compare yourself with readers around the globe.

Smash those technical climbs, the steeper the better. But try and stay out of the bushes.

The fire road schoolyard!

Gone are the days when we could while away hours practising wheelies in the park – grown-up life’s too busy for that now! However, winter is the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill. If you’ve ever wanted to pop an epic manual or perfect a bunny hop high enough to wow the opposite sex, now’s your chance to learn! Set a goal and make every fire road your schoolyard; manual every puddle and jump over every stick! Keep doing this for the winter months and you will become a fitter, stronger skills machine. Not only will you keep nice and warm, but you will also hit summer with a brand new trick bag that will stay with you forever. Find some inspiration in our article: King of the Car Park – 16 skills to impress your mates

Make every fire road the opportunity to practice manuals and cutties

There is no denying it – in the winter it’s harder to get out of the door. Leaving for a ride when it’s raining is often as appealing as going to a stag-party sober! However, once you’re out on the trails, railing ruts, detonating puddles, and carving through the mud, it’s always amazing fun! A wise man once said, “Shoot the bear while it’s there,” so hit the trails and don’t let winter get you down!

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