For many riders, cycling is a means of keeping fit, with the satisfying fringe benefit of shedding a few pounds and trimming a few inches from the waistline. With riding schedules often severely disrupted by winter weather and the general lack of motivation that comes with it, it’s easy to undo the good work of a summer spent in the saddle.

Enter the bathroom scale. Cheaper than a power meter and easier to interpret, the scale never lies. Your lighter self tends to be a fitter self, with the added benefit of being faster on climbs (see Wiggins, B. and the transformation from track specialist to Grand Tour winner). Keeping an eye on your weight by transferring the numbers from the scale to a training diary or digital training aid can provide additional motivation as you see the numbers fall in line with increased miles and turbo sessions.