Desire to cycle from AM - PM

[Rooster1]

Despite the fact I cycle to work at both ends of the day, I seem to have an issue wanting to take the bike out in the afternoon at the weekends. I much much prefer a morning ride when I am fresh, and when there is no time limit . A few years back I don't remember being so stuborn.

It's annoying me massively, and yesterday was a prime example. I was out with the family at 9am until 3pm. I could have gone out for an hour and a half or longer but I just had no desire to get into my gear and do a 30 miler. I can't blame the weather, it was clear, dry and not that cold. BAHHHHHHHHHHH.

I put a stupid graph together for fun.

Anyone else prefer NOT to ride in the afternoon ?

 

[MichaelW2]

What are your units of desire?

 

[Rooster1]

What are your units of desire?

Feeling / being bothered - Just a measure out of 100

 

[Alex321]

Well for me, I only really have any choice at weekends. During the week I'm either commuting on the bike, or jumping on for an hour to and hour and half after work.

At weekends, I probably have a slight preference for going out in the morning, but only slight, and if we have any shopping or household chores to do, those normally happen in the morning, so I'll then go out in the afternoon.

I do notice there are always more other cyclists out in the morning than when I go out in the afternoon though, so I suspect quiet a few share your preference.

 

[fossyant]

Ideally mornings at weekends - mainly due to traffic - either of the road and shopping kind, or people out walking more on bridleways in the afternoons. I can then I can 'oh and ah' from various creaks for the rest of the day, whilst I do the chores. I commute 3 days a week and if the weather is good, will try and get out for an hour around lunch, although have sometimes ended up with a late lunch around 2pm.

 

[Jameshow]

What are your units of desire?

Stravas or cafes!!

 

[Mike_P]

Usually afternoon, an 11am start is early for me, but it does have an advantage on a Sunday doing a long ride in that traffic volumes decrease as the ride goes on.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I note you haven't asked about this but here's my tuppenceworth anyways....

I much much prefer a morning ride when I am fresh, and when there is no time limit .

That's pretty common, especially if there's an element of training or performance involved. It makes sense - we typically have more energy in the morning.
How do you feel about your evening commute home?

I could have gone out for an hour and a half or longer but I just had no desire to get into my gear and do a 30 miler

This is possibly heresy but.....
Why does it have to be a 30 miler? Why not recognise the fact that it's later in the day and adjust distance accordingly?
Or, how about changing the unit of measurement from distance to time? Instead of a 30 miler an hour, or two?

The purpose could also be changed. Instead of "getting out on the bike" how about going somewhere - on the bike. A nice café or a tasty pint? Visit a friend taking the scenic route?

In that vein, if you have a more general purpose bike is there even a need to change gear? What about going out just for the experience of being out? (Possibly more heresy )

Surely it's better to get out than not at all?

A few years back I don't remember being so stuborn.

Well, a few years ago we were all younger!
And things other than energy levels and age change over time. Commitments. Relationships. Desire. Habits change. New ones form. And not always for our benefit.
It's no harm to have a look at those and ask ourselves "why?" every now and then.

As to

Anyone else prefer NOT to ride in the afternoon ?

I'm happy to ride anytime, but I'm not a performance cyclist and the bike for me is for travelling, utility or recreation. Not a fan of snow, though.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Despite the fact I cycle to work at both ends of the day, I seem to have an issue wanting to take the bike out in the afternoon at the weekends. I much much prefer a morning ride when I am fresh, and when there is no time limit . A few years back I don't remember being so stuborn.

It's annoying me massively, and yesterday was a prime example. I was out with the family at 9am until 3pm. I could have gone out for an hour and a half or longer but I just had no desire to get into my gear and do a 30 miler. I can't blame the weather, it was clear, dry and not that cold. BAHHHHHHHHHHH.

I put a stupid graph together for fun.

Anyone else prefer NOT to ride in the afternoon ?

View attachment 677037

I prefer to do everything (cycle, hike, walk) in the mornings - after midday I totally lack any enthusiasm to start such activities.

I know a fair number of people of the same disposition and a fair number of the obverse too.

You are what you are so why worry?

 

[Rooster1]

I note you haven't asked about this but here's my tuppenceworth anyways....


That's pretty common, especially if there's an element of training or performance involved. It makes sense - we typically have more energy in the morning.
How do you feel about your evening commute home?


This is possibly heresy but.....
Why does it have to be a 30 miler? Why not recognise the fact that it's later in the day and adjust distance accordingly?
Or, how about changing the unit of measurement from distance to time? Instead of a 30 miler an hour, or two?

The purpose could also be changed. Instead of "getting out on the bike" how about going somewhere - on the bike. A nice café or a tasty pint? Visit a friend taking the scenic route?

In that vein, if you have a more general purpose bike is there even a need to change gear? What about going out just for the experience of being out? (Possibly more heresy )

Surely it's better to get out than not at all?


Well, a few years ago we were all younger!
And things other than energy levels and age change over time. Commitments. Relationships. Desire. Habits change. New ones form. And not always for our benefit.
It's no harm to have a look at those and ask ourselves "why?" every now and then.

As to

I'm happy to ride anytime, but I'm not a performance cyclist and the bike for me is for travelling, utility or recreation. Not a fan of snow, though.

All fair points. I guess my benchmark ride is always a fair distance, whereas when I first started, 15 miles was perfectly acceptable.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I know it’s got seriously bad when you have a spreadsheet for such matters. Perhaps time to reflect on why you go for a bike ride, and the benefits you get from it.

 

[MichaelW2]

When I had a fairly short commute I would ride a detour around the country park. Once you are on the bike, no additional willpower is required.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

All fair points. I guess my benchmark ride is always a fair distance, whereas when I first started, 15 miles was perfectly acceptable.

My first ride as an adult was about 6km, totally flat and nearly killed me
It's no harm to look back at where we used to be and remind ourselves how far we've come. That might be inspirational to get out and do more or it might be the reassurance we need to take things a bit easier.

You are what you are so why worry?

It's an interesting question.
The OP has said that it's massively annoying.
It's perfectly reasonable to investigate that massive annoyance and ask why it exists.
Sometimes the source of the annoyance isn't what we might instinctively think.

I am not aware of the OP's situation but given a scenario of one half of a couple with a couple of young children it might seem selfish for one parent, unilaterally, to head off for a couple of hours leaving the other with two tired children to feed and entertain. Perhaps the annoyance is not at not getting out but at the wider responsibilities now or even the effort required to work around them.
(Not at all suggesting this applies to the OP, just a general point).

However, with respect I disagree with "you are what you are".
I used to be an overweight, unfit, stressed out, miserable example of a human being. That was what I was. It's not who I am now.
We can change! If someone had said to me ten years ago that I'd enjoy sleeping in a tent after a day on a bike I'd have looked to have them committed!

The thing is, though, sometimes the tools that help us to change aren't the tools we need to maintain ourselves after.
A cyclist going from couch to 100 miles may find that after 100 miles has been consistently reached that a change in motivation, in process, in whatever is what keeps them on an even keel. And that's not even taking the more mundane changes that occur in life into account.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

View attachment 677045

I've had (almost) that experience, relatively recently.
I met a bike tourist who had toured in some wonderful parts of the world. Excited to talk I was hit with a boatload of statistics. Kms covered. Meters climbed. Gradients. Tyres, chains and cassettes consumed. Percentages of surfaces. A monotone readout.
One place in particular lit a fire within me and when I asked him what it was like he looked blankly. How did he feel? didn't help at all.
Of places we had in common I didn't recognise a single one because he was effectively speaking a different language to me.