I don't get it :-(

[rollinstok]

get a riding partner so you can encourage each other there are days i cant be arsed to go out purely because the weather and being lonely even with an mp3 player it still gets boring on the road alone lol.

Try some off road out in the country. When you are finally at one with nature you will never be bored. Roads are a necessary evil to get me where I want to be.

 

[brokenflipflop]

Wait for a sunny day. Go for a SHORT ride somewhere pleasant - enjoy the scenery, birds singing, etc.
Come home. Feel smug that you've exercised.

Repeat a few times on sunny days. Begin to notice that is is easier to do 5 miles, and try a bit longer.

Notice that you are feeling fitter/looking trimmer....

DO NOT try commuting to work (when you feel you have to get on the bike) until you decide you want to

I get out every time it sunshines - 6 times last year (it ain't called rainy city for nowt)

 

[brokenflipflop]

As per the title of this - I just don't "get" cycling.

Bit of background - I bought a (by my standards) reasonably expensive bike and the usual gear (helmet, lights, lock, hi-vis etc etc) through my Bike To Work scheme quite a while ago. At first I was cycling part of the way to work (commute involves a train) and found it tough - I am very overweight - and then when the weather turned, my enthusiasm waned and I've never gone back to it. Therefore I have a nice bike and lots of gear sitting round doing nothing.

I keep pretending to myself that reading this forum will encourage me to get back on the bike but I just simply can't be bothered. I keep reading about the appeal and getting bitten by the bike-riding bug but it just didn't happen and I just simply can't motivate myself to get the bike out - always finding excuses eg too wet, too cold and too dark.

I'm not after a magic answer, just some thoughts on how to get started again - In my head I really want to enjoy cycling but just don't have the "oomph" to do it.

I only recently started cycling as a challenge really. I joined a club and I cycle with some mates and if I'm honest, it's the rides with this lot that motivate me to go, on my own I'm bored out of my tree.

Why don't you try sports that require skill. I play team squash and tennis and I used to play football. I play them because it's fun and competitive and the side effect is you get fit. Another plus is, if you're knackered, you can just stop. On a bike, if you're knackered, you might be 30 miles from home....oh crap!

If I were you I'd eat three square meals a day, cut out the crap and pick sports that you find fun and then integrate a bit of cycling, walking or whatever. As you get fitter and leaner, that will motivate you to stick at it.

I hate cycling, but because I look so bloody good in lycra, I just do it

The important thing is never and never

 

[yello]

You don't have to go cycling. You don't even have to like it. Only do if you want to.

What I'm saying is take the pressure of yourself. Drop all of this 'ought to go cycling' nonsense. If you stop thinking of it as something you have to do then you might find yourself wanting to go out. But stop thinking of it as an obligation. Some people don't respond to being told what to do, evening by themselves. I know, I'm one such person!

 

[brokenflipflop]

Any chance of a photo so we can all appreciate this?

Sure:

 

[buddiebuoy]

I have just started cycling and I am hugely overweight, but so far I have to say I quite enjoy it. I never really had a bike when I was a kid, although I did have a couple of failed attempts previously and I think it was down to lack of motivation and poor equipment choice. I have a badly damaged knee so can't run and find going to the gym extremely monotonous. I haven't been on any long runs yet but I intend to keep upping the distance, shift some weight and get off some of my long list of medication. The physio I see has already noticed an improvement in my dodgy knee. Eventually I hope to graduate to different types of cycling but quite happy to keep it simple for now.

 

[daSmirnov]

Don't worry about getting out when its freezing cold. If anything it'll put you off even more.

Try and into a routine, one day a week at a certain time. Have a couple of exceptions you'll stick to, for example no ride if its wet, or if its colder than 1°C but otherwise you have to go. Do at least a couple of miles and come home when you're fed up, keep going if you're having fun. Then remember how good it felt to have actually done something when you're struggling to get out next.

What got me out cycling a couple of years back bar commuting (which I did anyway) was being able to use geeky tech stuff to makes things more interesting. Used a free smartphone application Endomondo, there are others too, to track my rides. That way I can look back at averages, ride distance each week and see how I've been doing. Not saying that works for everyone, but for me it meant on my next ride I can something to beat plus it helped tie various hobbies together. Now all the electronic jib jab on my bike is probably worth more than the bike.

 

[gb155]

Guys

You need to do whatever you enjoy, that in turn will keep you motivated and help you achieve all you want to

that might NOT be cycling (SORRY)

Try running/swimming/Walking etc

then KEEP doing the one that YOU enjoy the most

GOOD LUCK !

 

[brokenflipflop]

Guys

You need to do whatever you enjoy, that in turn will keep you motivated and help you achieve all you want to

that might NOT be cycling (SORRY)

How very dare you

 

[Edwards80]

Now all the electronic jib jab on my bike is probably worth more than the bike.

Phew, thought that was just me. I think I could re-sell my bike computer for more than the bike Good point on endomondo and the like, I log all of my rides and like looking at the data from time to time. . I work in IT though so I am allowed to be a little bit geeky.

 

[NormanD]

Do you really need a motivational talk from me?

 

[gb155]

How very dare you

Had a feeling i'd get that

 

[mickle]

You need a much more expensive bike. And lots more kit.

 

[Grizzly]

There is a lot of good advice on here, a lot of different opinions which is important as everyone is different. I started exercising a good few years ago as I was unfit and unhappy so I thought I should do something about it. Getting started was really hard, I'd look outside, see the weather and think of a reason not to go, problem was I then felt worse about doing nothing. I started to concentrate on what it was about exercise that I liked, it certainly wasn't getting out the door in bad weather, nor was it the first 10 mins when everything hurt. I enjoyed the feeling of finishing my run and the warm shower after it, I enjoyed getting back home and feeling smug about the fact that I was doing more that most about doing something positive. I still go through this every year when I start out after the winter, I started again this week. I hate trying to get fit after a winter lay off, I try to exercise during the winter but I don't cycle in high winds and we've had a lot of that this year so I'm very unfit at the moment. Its is important to find a form of exercise you enjoy but we all go through times when we are low on motivation and cant be bothered, it is also important to find something within yourself that pushes you when you cant be bothered. For me it is the look on peoples faces when I run or cycle past them, I know I'm doing something they wish they could do. I have a story about running on the West Highland Way and passing a group of 4 girls with 4 blokes. I passed them on the way back to the car later that day and the 4 girls were so impressed with my efforts they wouldn't leave me alone, the blokes were not so impressed. The feeling I got that day has kept me going for years.
Good luck with whatever you do, but do something that makes you feel good about yourself.

 

[cyberknight]

Do you really need a motivational talk from me?

Can you motivate me? going through an enforced less bike time atm and its doing my head in !