Generally speaking - when it rains, stay in bed zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - far nicer way to start your day!

But for those of you die hards who refuse to lay low please bare the following in mind when riding in cold, wet weather:

From a health point of view

1. Dress for warmth there are various ways of keeping warm this winter, I find that if my hands, feet, head and chest are well covered - my core body temp remains constant.

2. Increase your vitamin C intake, if you are using a multivit or health supplement just increase your dosage by half, your body burns more calories and energy keeping warm, you are more likely to feel run down and pick up all those nice germs flying around this time of year - so keep your vits up and eat more fruit and veg.

3. Less haste........ same as when driving a motor car - when roads are wet and dark, braking distance increases, cyclists are less visible to other road users, painted lines in road become a hazard and punctures are more common due to debris (glass etc) washing into roads. So please ride with more caution than usual.

4. Adequate lighting! If you insist on early morning rides, you HAVE to be visible and you need to see where you are going, gone are the days where one could rely on municipal street lights actually providing adequate light. Pop in to shop to see what light solutions we can offer you.

5. Maintenance - If you ride in wet weather - You MUST service your bike regularly. Cables, Head Sets and BB's tend to rust more frequently, especially at coastal areas!! If you like cleaning and maintaining your own bike, it is advisable to use a de-watering spray/fluid like DWF or Q20 and to apply to all moving parts on your bike. Try to dry your bike off after riding in the rain............. or like I said - stay in bed and wait for sun :)