Getting Ready for Autumn Riding
The end of summer always creeps up on you. You’ll head out one morning in September in kit that felt right seven days ago, and by the time you’re home you’ll be trying to remember where you shoved the winter gear back in April.
Autumn’s one of the best times of the year to be out on a bike, once you’ve got the kit sorted. The Dales look great in the softer light you get from September onwards, and the roads and trails start to quieten down again once the summer crowds have gone. It does need more from the bike and yourself than July did, though, so here’s a run-through of what to think about before things really turn.
Give the Bike a Look Over Before You Need To
The bike’s had a summer of dry roads and long days, and a lot of the small things that stopped working during that time will start to show themselves the moment things get wet.
Brake pads are the obvious one. If they’ve done a summer of riding and are starting to look thin, change them before the roads get slippery, not after. Tyres are much the same. Slick summer rubber that felt fine in July becomes less reassuring on a wet October road, and a set with a bit more tread and some puncture protection built in will pay for itself the first time you avoid a hedgerow flat on a rainy Sunday.
Chain and drivetrain need thinking about too. The dry lube that saw you through summer stops doing its job the moment the rain arrives, and a chain running dry through the first few wet rides will wear out faster than it should. Switch to a wet lube, and if the chain’s already looking tired, replace it before it starts damaging your cassette.
If any of that sounds like more than you fancy taking on yourself, the workshop is the place to send it. An autumn service catches the things that get missed at home and gets the bike into a state where you can ride it through the season without having to think about it.
You can find out more about the workshop and book a slot online here: 3peakscycles.com/collection/workshop
Lights
Lights are the thing most riders leave until they’ve been caught out in the dark. Every year the shop sees the same pattern: someone coming in on a Monday morning after a ride home in gloom that crept up on them faster than they’d realised.
A decent front and rear set is one of the best autumn purchases you can make. Even on rides you don’t think will run into dusk, being visible from behind on a country lane at four in the afternoon in October changes how drivers give you room. USB-rechargeable sets have come on a long way in the last few years, and a good one will run a couple of commutes on a single charge.
If you’re riding unlit roads after dark, you’ll want something with more punch than a commuter light. Pop in and tell us what you’re actually doing on the bike, and we’ll point you at something that suits.
We’ve been particularly impressed with the range of Moon lights we’ve got in stock this year. Modestly priced, seriously well built, and packed with more features than you’d expect at the money. They’ve become the easy first recommendation for most riders coming in.
Have a look at the full Moon range online: 3peakscycles.com/moon-sport
Kit for When It’s Colder and Wetter
Getting the layering right for autumn is the difference between a ride you enjoy and one you spend counting down the miles home.
New in for the season, the latest autumn and winter range from Madison has landed at the shop, and it’s a genuinely strong collection this year. Jackets, tights, gloves and base layers that hit the sweet spot between price and quality, and are cut for real riders rather than catalogue models. Come and have a look through what’s on the rails, or have a look at the full Madison range online: 3peakscycles.com/madison
A decent waterproof jacket earns its money back the first time you get caught in something serious. There’s a real difference between a “showerproof” jacket that gives up after ten minutes and a genuine waterproof that keeps you dry through a full ride. Waterproof trousers work on the same principle. If you’re commuting or riding whatever the forecast throws at you, a pair that pulls over your shorts and actually keeps your legs dry is essential to enjoyment. Once you’ve got a pair, you’ll wonder how you ever did without.
Gloves need thinking about early, because cold hands ruin a ride faster than pretty much anything else. There’s a range from lighter autumn gloves for that in-between weather right through to insulated winter ones for the coldest months. Waterproof gloves are their own category, and if you’ve never tried a good pair, they’ll change how you feel about riding in the rain.
Waterproof socks are the item most riders are surprised by. They sound like a bit of a gimmick, and then you try a pair and realise you’ve been putting up with cold, wet feet for years without needing to. Madison also makes socks that will keep your feet dry through hours of rain, and they make a bigger difference to how a wet ride feels than you’d expect.
Beyond the outer layers, a good base layer makes more difference than most riders give it credit for, and a buff or neck warmer costs next to nothing but earns its place in the back pocket on any cold morning. Something to keep your ears warm under the helmet is the other small addition that changes an autumn ride for the better.
Come and Have a Chat
Half the autumn kit conversation is about what you’re actually doing on the bike. A commuter riding twenty minutes each way needs different things from someone heading out for four-hour rides in November. Someone picking up a hire bike for an October afternoon needs different advice again.
If you’re not sure what you actually need, come and have a chat. We ride these roads and trails at this time of year ourselves, and we’re happy to talk you through what’s genuinely useful and what you can do without.
Enjoy the autumn out there.
