Have I become a fair-weather commuter?

[potsy]

2012 and 2013 saw me ride to work over 95% of the time and cover 4000+ miles each year just in commuting.

This year I'll be lucky to reach 2000 commuting miles the way it's going, and am struggling to hit my modest 4000 yearly target, what's happened?

There was a time I very rarely considered driving in, now I seem to drive at the slightest excuse (rain, too windy etc) how do I get back to my previous figures and start enjoying the commutes again?

 

[summerdays]

2012 and 2013 saw me ride to work over 95% of the time and cover 4000+ miles each year just in commuting.

This year I'll be lucky to reach 2000 commuting miles the way it's going, and am struggling to hit my modest 4000 yearly target, what's happened?

There was a time I very rarely considered driving in, now I seem to drive at the slightest excuse (rain, too windy etc) how do I get back to my previous figures and start enjoying the commutes again?

Don't give yourself the option of the car for commuting!

Or if you want to do it occasionally give yourself a ration of number of times you can use it, and everytime you do, that is one less time that you can opt out when it gets into the winter dreary stuff when you really want the opt out card.

Or accept that some years you go through a lull and come out the other side next year? (At least it would make it easier to beat the previous years target).

 

[Hip Priest]

The carrott or the stick? My company has a waiting list of people wanting car park passes and lockers, so if you aren't cycling in every day, the facilities manager threatens to take them off you. That's normally enough to get me on the bike when I can't otherwise be bothered.

 

[snorri]

how do I get back to my previous figures and start enjoying the commutes again?

Have a chat with your GP regarding availability of youth restoration medication.

 

[Brad123]

Bye a new bike that will help

 

[I like Skol]

Have I become a fair-weather commuter?

To be fair, I think it is a bit like dieting and other similar 'hard to achieve' targets. Once you get there it is very easy to sit back and enjoy the success while slowly slipping back to your old ways. What did you do last year, it was 6k or something wasn't it? That is a hell of a mileage and even with the best intentions you are unlikely to match that without going out simply to match/beat it and where is the fun in that?

Don't beat yourself up, it's meant to be enjoyable and you have had a fairly mixed up year so it's not surprising the cycling has taken a hit.

On the other hand, I hit 4k last year and decided it was too much so would do less this year to give me and my family a break. I'm currently well on target for matching that 4k

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Stop being a pussy you big Jess!

 

[luckyfox]

Push the car in a lake, problemo solved.

 

[KneesUp]

Work out how much it costs to drive in per day (fuel, parking, a proportion of the cost of serving, tyres etc)

Put at least half of that amount in a jar every day to spend on whatever you like. If you are well off this might not mean much, so dedicate the pot to your chosen charity instead, then each time you get in the car you will have to think of the money you are taking from charity.

 

[Dan B]

I've had the same no-motivation problem recently (though for me the warm dry alternative to cycling is the bus not the car). I (1) resolved that in August I would be riding at least 4 days a week, (2) started looking for new routes: instead of taking the usual major roads and just putting my head down and riding, I've been finding bits of towpath, bits of riverside path, quiet roads, parks etc. On some of the more off-roady bits I've even been using the small ring from time to time.

Not going to feature on Strava any time soon, but sometimes it's nice just to slow down and look around, if you're anywhere worth looking at

 

[beanzontoast]

Sounds a bit like my own recent experience, Potsy - except in my case it's discovering a bus service that runs 6 times an hour plus my daughter working in the city that has been my undoing. Now she has her own car, I can get a lift in with her twice a week, which also gives us chance for a nice chat on the way. So it's tempting to accept the lift even on relatively nice weather days.

I used to commute by bike almost 100% of the time - even in foul weather, I'd climb into my kit and tough it out. Nowadays, I'm commuting by bike a couple of times a week and if there's rain forecast, I let the alternative transport take the strain!

So I would say, be relaxed about it. Enjoy cycling as and when the fancy takes you. It should be a pleasure, not a chore.

Weird thing in my case is, I have more bikes now than ever in my life! It's just that commuting has become less the dominant part of my riding.

 

[fossyant]

Routine. Do not reach for the car keys. Im in our new building in a new location. No real alternative other than to cycle. The drive or public transport would be horrible. I don't have any site visits to do but my commute is over 30 miles a day now. Bear minimum would be 20 but that involves the A6 hell hole.

PS if I can do it with dodgy undercarriage and messed up hormones, you can. Get out there.. Come on. The weather has been pretty good.

 

[potsy]

Cheers, I think the major factor has been going from an 8 hour working day to a 12 hour, saying that I'm not exactly racking up the miles on the off days either.
Had a few different routes to the old job but this one I have only been doing the shortest way bar a few slight deviations, leave the house at 5.45am and don't get home until 7.40pm so extending the route is not an option I really fancy.

Will commit to 2 days (out of the 4) and see if I can summon up the energy/enthusiasm to do a few joy rides on the days off

 

[cyberknight]

My problem used to be listening to others when they told me not to ride and it became a reason , now i just

 

[Hacienda71]

Get yourself out for a few of the rides on the Saturday ride group. No pressure we won't hammer it and will keep it flat.
My commuting is not out of necessity but it is easy to lose your mojo on a commute, doing some rides simply for fun will make the commutes seem less mundane.