A nip in the air, a drop of moisture on the breeze and a puff of wind in your face – the adventures of winter cycling are getting closer.

The chance to enjoy your bike in different conditions shouldn’t be dismissed, at least not without trying it once or twice.

What do you need to do to ensure problem-free winter cycling? Not a great deal more than usual, just pay attention to the following tips and maybe invest in some cycling specific waterproofs, but even that isn’t mandatory.

First, make sure that your bike is in good condition even little problems get magnified when you’re already struggling against a gale. Get your bike serviced, and pay special attention to brake pads, tyres and cables. It’s probably better to attend to a foreseeable problem before it happens.

It’s the law to have reflectors and lights fitted on the bike, if nothing else these might save your life so be realistic when buying them. These days there are lots to choose from, from cheap battery lights to retina burning rechargeable set-ups, there is something for everyone. One type of front light that I felt had a great future was one which plugged into the USB port on your computer and charged up while you worked.

Myself, being a bit of a traditionalist, I use a dynamo which powers the front light as I ride along. In the past, this system had a couple of downsides; people thought that it created a significant drag on the wheel and also that it slipped when it rained. Not any more, this dynamo can be adjusted so that it just skims the tyre and still generates power.

When it is very wet, I just turn the pressure up a bit to stop any slipping. What I like is that it’s always there ready to use, no worries about flat batteries or remembering to charge it up. If you’re concerned about slipping dynamos, Shimano makes a hub dynamo which definitely won’t slip.

If you want the brightest lights possible and don’t mind the cost, a set of rechargeable lights is the best route to take. They are usually quite quick to attach and remove, and invariably offer two or three settings of brightness. Though you can spend £400 or £500 on this type of light, they usually start somewhere around £75.

For a normal set of battery lights expect to spend £12 to £25 for a front and rear light with batteries.

With the prospect of the odd wet day, it might be wise to consider a pair of mudguards. I know that some cyclists consider them sacrilege but they do stop all that dirty water going over your bike, and they offer the bonus of a totally mud-free back.

If you’re really unsure about them, you can always go for the short easy-fit variety which takes only a moment or two to put on. A pair of these sells for around £20 and a back one on its own for about £14.

If you are committed to the idea of mudguards, then buy a full length pair that will give you the best protection. They only weigh about two pounds, are almost unbreakable and fit snugly around the tyre. These cost about £25 depending on the quality you prefer. They take a bit of fitting, so if you can’t fit them by yourself then allow for a fitting charge.

Next week, we’ll look at waterproofs and reflective clothing.

Braking News
Is Shimano going electric?

In Europe at present there is a strong, and growing, market for electrically assisted bicycles. If one takes the Dutch, as an example, they purchased 125,000 electric bikes in 2008, which represents about 10% of their bicycle market. And many in the cycle industry feel that this is just the beginning, they forecast that in the future electrically –assisted bikes could well account for a third of sales.

One of the greatest endorsements for the future of electric bikes came at the recent Eurobike Bike Show at Friedrichshafen, when Taizo Shimano, head of marketing and planning at industry giant Shimano, indicated that Shimano had some electric bike components in the pipeline.

Naturally, one can only guess at what Shimano engineers could be creating, but one part that electric bike specialists think likely is an electric motor inside a hub gear. It’s thought that such a component could be retro-fitted into existing bikes, which would give whoever developed it a massive potential market.

For the woman who has almost everything
One very lucky lady is going to have the surprise of her life at the Cycle Show at Olympia in early October.

The surprise, a wedding anniversary present, is a specially commissioned titanium bicycle decorated with diamonds and 18ct gold.

Work started on the project in August. A titanium frame, with woman-specific frame geometry, was obtained from Enigma, a company that specialises in titanium frames. The jewellers entrusted with the job of setting the stones was Hatton Garden’s Nicholas James. The owner of Nicholas James, Nick Fitch, said that it was one of the most difficult jobs that they had undertaken. Because the wall thickness of the tubing was so thin, 0.8mm, it was the thinnest material that they had ever used.

Cavendish runs out of puff in the USA
British Tour de France hero, Mark Cavendish, was forced to abandon the tour of Missouri this morning, Thursday 10 September.

Cavendish, who has had a remarkable season this year with 23 race wins and being Green Jersey runner-up in the Tour de France, was forced to retire with a respiratory infection. Until this morning, he was having a great race, having won stages 1 and 2 and coming fifth on stage 3 on Wednesday.

At present Cavendish’s Tour de France nemesis, Thor Hushovd is in the lead.

And Finally,
Punctures- the perceived nightmare of the occasional cyclist could soon be a thing of the past. French tyre manufacturer, Hutchinson, has launched a totally new concept in tyres, one which the company says gives: “No more flats or punctures, tube or tyre repairs, or air pressure maintenance”.

Cycling nirvana is on the way!