At this time of year as March draws to a close and the days get longer, mountain bike lovers everywhere are starting to look forward to the long summer days spent riding through countryside local and further afield. The only problem is that those long summer days require a fairly good level of fitness and after the dark winter months none of us is in peak condition. So if you really want to enjoy the summer of biking then now is the time to start preparing.

Unfortunately, none of us feels too inclined to get out on our mountain bikes for a big ride, especially when the evenings are so dark and the weather so cold. However, many of the best mountain bikers recommend battling through this and making yourself get back on the bike. Apparently you won’t regret it!

Former professional rider and nowadays a bike designer, Isla Rowntree talks about keeping your winter fitness up by biking to work. She regularly commutes to work on one of her Kona mountain bikes, which she says is well designed for the road despite it being a mountain bike.

Commuting to work is a great way of keeping fitness up but biking enthusiasts can take the option of riding off the road. Local parks are relatively well lit even during the darker nights and offer something a little more adventurous than a commute to work along a main road. The experts also recommend taking a friend with you to keep each other motivated.