All by itself, riding a bike in the fall is great way to spend time. It's a chance to enjoy milder temperatures, take in the scenic sights of changing foliage, spend time with friends and family, and maintain a little fitness along the way. And if you happen to be a winter sports enthusiast, cycling in the fall is a great way to lay the groundwork for the snow season ahead.

"Cycling really complements activities like skiing and snowboarding quite nicely," says Ainslie MacEachran, a professional cycling coach and personal trainer who owns Fort Collins, Colorado-based GeminiTrainingSystems.com. "Cycling involves all of the major muscle groups of the legs, including quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, and calves. Additionally, there is a conditioning element that will enable a downhill skier or snowboarder to continue making turns all day."

Indeed, alpine skiing and snowboarding both have an anaerobic component, especially for people who like to take on technical terrain, such as long steeps, moguls, deep powder, and tree lines. "In these instances you can send your heart rate skyrocketing for short periods of time," explains Justin Daerr, a coach with Endurance Corner. "You can simulate this type of effort on the bike by doing brief intervals — say, 30 seconds at a time — where you try to drive your heart rate way up, and then allow adequate recovery before doing it again. This will help simulate some of the demands of aggressive skiing or snowboarding."

There's an even closer correlation when it comes to cross-country skiing, which is why so many elite XC skiers ride bikes during the summer months. "Cross-country skiing is a primarily aerobic activity," says MacEachran. "So cycling at a moderate intensity is a great way to prep the body."

Whichever your snow sport of choice, MacEachran suggests a pre-season routine that includes cycling at least three days a week, either outdoors, at a spin class, or at home on the stationary trainer. "Do that in conjunction with other exercises like lifting weight and plyometrics and you'll be on your way to jump-starting your ski season."

"Both [skiing and cycling] are extensive endurance activities," adds Daerr. "So they naturally complement each other. And in general, staying physically fit will make you better when you return to any sport. So given that cycling is enjoyable all by itself, I would strongly suggest it as means to stay fit for winter sports."

Are you a skier or snowboarder as well as a cyclist? How do you keep fit during cycling's off-season?

— Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

An avid cyclist, Jason has been writing about two-wheeled pursuits of all kinds since 2000. He’s covered the Tour de France, two Olympic Games, and numerous international cycling events. He’s also thrown himself into the fray from time to time, penning first-person accounts of adventures in British Columbia, Costa Rica, Peru, and Brazil, among others.