Coach’s Corner: Top Five Tips for Winter Handcycle Training

When the temperatures drop and the weather becomes unpredictable, keeping up with a training regimen for spring endurance races, such as marathons and half marathons, can be especially challenging for athletes with disabilities who use adaptive cycling equipment.

There are various types of adaptive bicycles designed for riders of different abilities and needs. A handcycle, which has gears, allows riders who may have lower limb mobility impairments, such as amputation or paralysis, to propel forward using their arms.

In the winter months it is important to be cautious when using a handcycle outdoors due to ice and the impact of freezing temperatures on the body and equipment. Oftentimes, Achilles chapters pause handcycle workouts until spring, summer and fall.

Domenic Romano, Equipment Manager and Handcycle Coach at Achilles, has been an avid handcyclist for almost 20 years and leads the Achilles NYC handcycle workouts every Tuesday and Saturday in Central Park. He has helped countless athletes with disabilities, from beginners to avid marathoners, train on a handcycle.

Below, he shares his top five handcycling tips and ways to stay active during the winter.

1) It’s Not About the Miles

When training, it’s more important to focus on maintaining your speed than completing long distances. If you’re not able to handcycle a long ride, focus on minutes and time on the bike. Try to keep as much resistance as you can on your bike and gradually increase with each practice.

2) Get Lifting: Consider An Indoor Trainer or Stationary Bike

Purchasing an indoor trainer, which can start at $150, is a good option to maintain your training consistency. Some even allow you to mount your own handcycle for indoor use. If that’s not an option, lifting light weights is another great way to keep riding muscles active.

3) Read the Road

The more you ride, the better you’ll be at reading and understanding the road. You’ll know what gear to shift in your favor. Practice shifting gears on flat terrain as much as possible so you can learn how your handcycle works – whether it’s your own or a rental – adjusts and find what benefits you best before race day.

4) Layer Up, Stay Alert and Hydrate!

If you do decide to train outdoors and can do so safely depending on your health situation, make sure you layer up your clothing to stay warm. It’s also incredibly important to stay hydrated, especially for long distance rides. It can be very tempting to avoid fluids when it’s not always easy to make a pit stop or it's uncomfortable in the cold, but dehydration is still possible. It’s often less noticeable when you feel as though you’re sweating less.

Stay alert and watch out for wet leaves and black ice! If you do encounter an unexpected slippery patch, do not slam on the brakes as you can skid. If you are going downhill, think about creating X’s, and turning the bike right to left as stopping on angle is easier.

5) Check Your Air Pressure Regularly

Remember, you may notice more flat tires in the winter months. Tires tend to lose air pressure in the cold. You don’t want to show up on race day with an unexpected flat if it’s been awhile between rides! While your local bike shop can often provide assistance with a flat tire, as of course your local Achilles chapter can as well, it might be worthwhile to invest in a USB air pump. USB air pumps are compact and as small as a soda can and can cost anywhere between $30 to $50. I often put slightly less air for practice in the chillier months to aid in resistance training and max out our team’s bikes on race day for max speed.

Want to find out if there are handcycle workouts near you? Learn more about our Achilles chapters around the world here.