Brand new member here for advice and motivation...

[cycling fisherman]

hi all...

i'm brand new here this is my first post, i come in seek of advice, i am struggling.

i am a keen cyclist and ride vigorously (allmost as if i'm on a time trial somedays)

i have a 3 year old standard specialized hardrock sport with conti sport slicks fitted.

The problem is motivation, i started cycling again 3 months ago and was 22 stone then, i'm now down to 18 stone 7 and i am feeling fitter and a lot better.

My commute is 8 miles each way and i would say i average 18-19 mph, i just seem to have lost all motivation all of a sudden, i do have a car and i have been using it on these recent rainy mornings !

The trouble is i get round the corner and feel let down as if i have failed somehow, i would like the willpower to cycle every day that is my goal but the car has been winning... do and members have any advice or motivation to keep me on the bike ?

Ultimately i would like to get down to 15 stone 7, which is achieveable and realistic and continue with the riding forever i just need some motivation to succeed.

I have been reading some of the posts on here and i have taken heed.

The car is now parked inside the garage gates with a padlock fitted to the gates and my bag is now waterproofed and packed for work the night before, these were great tips and have helped.

Any more ideas ?

 

[Slim]

Get your bag and clothing ready the night before.

Leave your cycling clothes right next to the bed so they're the first things you see when you wake.

PUT THEM ON STRAIGHTAWAY.

If you're anything like me you'll be too lazy to take them off to put on civvies later.

By the time you've gone a hundred yards up the road you'll know you've made the right decision.


The trick is to leave absolutely no excuses for not getting on the bike.

Oh! and well done with the weight loss. I'm fighting that battle myself at the mo' (and winning slowly).

HTH

 

[spindrift]

By the time you've gone a hundred yards up the road you'll know you've made the right decision.

Slim speak troot.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Welcome cycling fisherman.
Worry not. I think we all get periods of low cycling motivation. I had one for a few months last Autumn, but the desire returned back to its usually high level.
What is great motivation is to ride with a buddy once in a while, just for fun, instead of bashing your way into work again. In that way the bike becomes your friend again rather than an instrument of torture/the solution to your weight problem/whatever.
Sounds like you've done bloody well with the weight loss and the commuting, maybe you just need a break.


(Failing that, get a grand, buy a sexy road-bike some new lycra and become as sad and addicted as the rest of us...)

 

[boydj]

Sounds like classic over-training. Try taking it easy once or twice a week instead of time-trialling every day. Relax and enjoy the ride - give your body a chance to recover from all the hard work. In doing this you'll probably only take a couple of minutes longer and maybe find that cycling does not have to be about working hard all the time - it can actually be an enjoyable experience and something to look forward to.

 

[Maz]

Are you happy with the Spesh Hardrock for your commute? Just wondering if it was a bit inefficient if you're mainly road riding...

 

[Mr Pig]

Hi there and welcome :0)

I am also overweight, by about three stone. I hate it but I've found that cycling doesn't shift it. I get fitter but not thinner! :0(

This year I've not been out much on my bike, sometimes you just get bored. I bought a new bike with the idea of doing more off road cycling, I live in the country. With the stinking weather I've not made good on my intentions yet.

Not much help I guess, but at least you know you're not alone. Many people, even some very keen cyclists I know, sometimes struggle to get out on the bike. Best of luck with finding the urge again dude :0)

 

[Amanda P]

Do you find the ride to work boring? Mine is rather unexciting flat country roads, with a bit of single-carriageway trunk A road at the end. It's deathly dull, especially in winter when it's dark. Only one junction each way, and no real traffic problems to concentrate on and take my mind off it. And it's this tedium that tempts me to use the car.

To make it less dull, I've got a choice of bikes to use, and that gives variety. And I sometimes use an mp3 player. I can choose a different soundtrack every morning to travel to, or let Wogan choose the tunes. Or be all serious and worthy and listen to Radio 4...

Having two (or more) radically different bikes helps a lot. Why not try a recumbent? Or an arse-on-fire flat-out no-compromises road bike? Or a fixie? Variety is the spice of life. And you can justify buying another bike by saying if you're going to rely on a bike to get to work, you really need a spare.

Or two.

 

[BentMikey]

Sounds like classic over-training. Try taking it easy once or twice a week instead of time-trialling every day. Relax and enjoy the ride - give your body a chance to recover from all the hard work. In doing this you'll probably only take a couple of minutes longer and maybe find that cycling does not have to be about working hard all the time - it can actually be an enjoyable experience and something to look forward to.

+1

I would defo intersperse your normal riding approach with days where you ride sloooooowly. At a speed where you can hold a normal conversation, and feel like you're barely putting any effort in. I doubt you'll lose more than 10 minutes. Not only will you get fitter and faster doing this, but it should be more fun too since you'll then go a little faster on your fast days.

 

[PBancroft]

By the time you've gone a hundred yards up the road you'll know you've made the right decision.

Or you'll be vomiting at the side of the road after climbing the first steep hill and wondering what the hell you're doing.

In fairness, it's far more likely to be the former suggestion.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Apart from the facetious answer of 'sell the car', I do have some hopefully more helpful hints.

Are you sure you haven't linked riding your bike too strongly with your desire to loose weight? I've seen this frequently happen and leads to people's enthusiasm for cycling being inextricably linked to how they regard their success or failure on the weight loss front; failing meeting their weight loss expectations and suddenly riding the bike seems 'a waste of time' and their motivation drops.

Cycling can only be a small part of the weight loss program. It's easy to ride too hard or too gently for it to be any use and as it stimulates your appetite, it's also easy to inadvertently increase your calorie intake and mitigate all the calories burnt. Control of calories gobbled is the only ay to lose weight, with cycling and other exercise being a bonus for the other benefits it gives, including just having fun.

 

[mr_hippo]

I'm recently retired and I lost the will to ride about a year ago. I went onto bikejournal.com about last October and found that 'officially' logging my rides was a great motivator - if I have a few days 'off' and see my ranking fall then it gets me out and my ranking moves up again - until my next day off.
Mrs Hippo says that i should cycle for 'pleasure not measure' but I think its the competitive streak in me!
I was off on Monday with stomach problems and today is a public holiday so I was looking forward to very light traffic today and a long ride but it's the rainy season and has not stopped raining all day - there's always tomorrow!
Another site to log your miles is cyclogs.com but they have a monthly total so I am normally the first one to log in on the 1st and therefore number 1 in the table but quickly plummet!
How often do you weigh yourself? I have tried daily and weekly. I used to get despondent seeing my weight go up & down - now I just weigh myself once a month.

 

[cycling fisherman]

WOW...

I am truly astounded at the amount of replies, i feel a real community feeling here...

some fantastic replies thank you...

I have linked the bike to losing weight yes, there are no further questions your honour i am guilty on that one, however, i do like to get out on the bike for the pleasure of it but have been going hammer and tongs at it allmost every day.

But reading other posts and some of my replies on this thread, has definetley renewed my motivational streak,

I have been going too fast too soon i think, but, i don't know if another cyclist overtakes me (which is rare) i feel i must catch up i must overtake and i must be the cyclist in front... anyone else feel like this ?

I think i'm going to slow down a touch or do interval work as i have today and it broke the ride up really well.

I am edging towards a road bike to be honest with you, i bought the spesh as i was heavy at the time and felt a road bike would collapse underneath me !

I am looking at the spesh allez they are 600 ish on offer at the moment so that might be an answer...

And i do ride with an mp3 player all of the time in both ears, some cyclists are against this but i feel safe enough doing this.

thanks for all the replies

i do have renewed vigour !!!

i weigh myself monthly

 

[BentMikey]

I don't think riding with music is necessarily unsafe, given that I personally do it too, and I can hear traffic over my over-ear earphones. I hear emergency vehicles earlier than do most drivers, and can still hear more than drivers who have their windows closed, even without their stereo on.

Btw, when you do a slow day, don't just slow down a touch - slow down a lot in terms of perceived effort. It's very difficult to go slowly, especially if someone passes you, but consider it a challenge.

A road bike is very unlikely to collapse underneath you - they are a lot stronger than they look.

 

[palinurus]

I have been going too fast too soon i think, but, i don't know if another cyclist overtakes me (which is rare) i feel i must catch up i must overtake and i must be the cyclist in front... anyone else feel like this ?

I certainly do. It's hard not to jump their wheel but interspersing hard rides with easy ones will ultimately make you quicker.

To take it easy on a bike is tricky. Put it in a laughably easy gear, leave it there. Set off earlier if possible. Try riding without breathing through your mouth- that sort of easy.