Transition into Autumn

An overarching sense of dread often overcomes cyclists when autumn comes around, but it doesn't need to be a season that you fear. Autumn can be the ideal time to try out something different, such as grabbing your gravel bike or indulging in some off-road mountain bike pursuits, or even getting on the road for some longer rides.

It’s a season for fun and to cultivate motivation, and with comfort and enjoyment at their core, a Lapierre bike puts you in safe hands.

Keeping it Fun

 The traditional road season is many people’s favourite time of the year to go for a ride, but there are plenty of other disciplines that can add to the fun and ease the transition into autumn.

The best way to take on the elements is to dive headfirst into them by setting off on an MTB adventure. While you may think that you need to find amazing trails and wonderful vistas to properly enjoy an MTB ride, you can think again! The simple pleasure of cruising around your local woodland or even a grassy field can be enough to experience the thrills and spills of MTB.

There are plenty of great Lapierre mountain bikes to enjoy, however if this is your first season of exploring the wild then the Lapierre Edge range is the perfect way to get a taste of the trails. Acting as an introductory level range, the Edge offers all the basics that you need with a refined Lapierre finish. Once you’ve mastered the trails, the Overvolt, Zesty, or XR range are ready and waiting.

If you want to try something completely different, gravel riding may be for you. This relatively new craze has swept the world of cycling and is now one of the most popular disciplines during the Autumn and Winter months. 

Gravel riding and racing resembles regular road racing, but taking place largely off-road. It really is the ultimate combination of bike handling and endurance, and its distance from road traffic is one of the major perks. If you want to give gravel a go, Lapierre now produce an excellent range of gravel bikes including the Crosshill and E-Crosshill.

Tips to Keep Going

As autumn begins to shift towards winter, the temperatures will drop even further, and this is especially true for those who enjoy getting out early before work or for the daily commute. This can be a challenging time for those who want to get their cycling fix, however with the rise of in-home trainers you can simply hook your bike up to a turbo trainer and watch the hours tick by as you explore the world of virtual reality cycling before or after work.

It may seem like an obvious point to make, but having a goal in mind can be another of the best ways to keep going when out on the bike. This can be anything from simply reaching an invisible marker in the road, to planning for a sportive even next season, all the way up to having a Grand Tour to train for. The need to keep training does not recognise the changing of the seasons and if you stop for too long your fitness levels will regress.

Using the autumn and winter seasons to train for the coming spring can make them a truly rewarding time, and will make you look forward to the challenge every year. It doesn’t really matter what discipline you take on during the early part of your training, so try and make it something that you’ll enjoy.

How to Tackle De-Motivation

As the nights draw in and the weather worsens it’s easy to understand how people’s motivation to ride can drop, but there are some ways that you can combat this and keep yourself up for the challenge.

We all know that battling the elements can be one of main challenges of the transition into autumn, as both your body and bike may not be ready for the fluctuating weather conditions. Taking a saddle bag on your longer rides can help solve that though, allowing you to carry heavier duty clothing in the event of the temperature plummeting while you’re out on the bike, or indeed to stow those extra garments if you overheat. The Lapierre Crosshill is the perfect bike for this situation, with its ample storage for saddle bags it can be the saviour you need on a cold day.

Finally, though staying motivated in the colder months is possibly the hardest thing about cycling, once you’re out there on the open road, trails, gravel, or anywhere else you want to explore, you will feel better for it, even if it is a little cold and wet. Rest assured that with a Lapierre bike at your side - or beneath you - you will have a trusted workhorse that can see you through the autumn months.