From Snow to Saddle: Why Road Cycling Is A Super Summer Sport 🚴♂️❄️
When ski season winds down and the snow begins to melt, many people pack away their gear and wait patiently for winter to return. Not me. As soon as the skis are back in the garage, another passion takes over — road cycling. 🚲
There’s something magical about riding a road bike. It’s simple, silent, and deeply personal. Just me, the bike, the road, and the rhythm of my legs turning the cranks. It’s a different kind of mountain adventure, but one that gives me the same sense of freedom and connection to nature 🌄. While winter gives me the mountains in white, summer gifts me the roads in green 🌿.
I’ve always loved cycling, but over the years it’s become much more than a hobby — it’s my favorite off-season training 💪. Why? Because it keeps me fit, clears my mind, and, perhaps most importantly, it’s incredibly complementary to skiing 🎿.
The muscles we use on the bike — especially the quads, hamstrings, and glutes — are exactly the ones that skiers need strong and responsive. Every climb on the bike is a strength session for the legs 🔥; every descent a mental focus exercise. 🧠
More than that, there’s a very specific connection between cycling and skiing technique: when you take a corner on a bike, you learn to lean in, manage balance, and control the outside leg — exactly what we do when carving down a ski slope ⛷️. When I’m descending a curvy road at speed, I can’t help but think how similar it feels to a clean GS turn on hard-packed snow.
Nowadays, I typically go for shorter, more focused rides — around 50 to 60 kilometers — which means about two hours or a bit more of riding ⏱️. It’s the sweet spot for me: long enough to get a proper workout, short enough to fit into a busy day.
I used to do much longer rides in the past — 100 km or more wasn’t unusual — and while I still love the idea of long, slow days in the saddle, lately I prefer a faster rhythm ⚡. Maybe one day I’ll find the spark again to go for those epic full-day adventures. For now, though, I enjoy the intensity and efficiency of my current sessions.
Cycling is also fantastic for the mind. It’s meditative, especially when I’m out early in the morning or riding through quiet forest roads 🌲. It’s time for myself — to think, breathe, or just switch off. As a ski instructor, I spend most of my winter talking, teaching, guiding. On the bike, I find my own pace, my own silence.
One of the best parts? The landscape. Whether it’s riding up to a mountain pass or along the valley floor surrounded by wildflowers 🌸, cycling lets me experience the Alps in a completely different way. No lifts, no crowds — just leg power and the sound of tires on tarmac. The same mountains I ski in winter, I ride in summer. And that, to me, is incredibly special 💫.
If you’re a skier and haven’t tried road cycling yet, I can’t recommend it enough. Not only will it keep your legs strong for the next season, but it will also sharpen your awareness, balance, and endurance. It’s the perfect cross-training — and it makes you appreciate winter even more when it comes back around 🔄❄️.
Curious about my rides? I share them regularly on Strava, where you can find me as @riccardovaraldo 📲. Maybe you’ll get inspired to hop on your bike and see where the road takes you!
Because in the end, whether it’s skis or pedals, it’s all about the ride — and the joy of movement 🚵♂️🎿
See you on two wheels… or two skis.
– Riky
