motivation needed

[aliene]

hey peeps
i'm ali and in need of help...
I've signed up to do 100km for charity this year (only starting cycling last year!)
so far i was training inside on a spin bike and out on the rds...till a couple of weeks ago when i met a 4x4 on a blind bend no one was badly hurt
however this has rocked my confidence and ive hit a brick wall in regards to training
i only know a couple of people who cycle (they have been great but not always available)
i need some kicks up the bum, hugs and motivational support
please someone help me get back on track!!!!

thank you xx

 

[Steady]

Incidents can very easily dampen the confidence to go out on the roads.

There's always a little internal struggle for me to prep myself before I go out.

The truth is though, quite a lot of vehicles pass you perfectly safely, far more than those knobbers that don't and that's something you have to keep in mind.

If you're able to, try these early mornings whilst the kids are off school, the roads are beautiful to cycle along at six am just to regain a bit of confidence. Not for everyone though though, but it is a special serene experience.

 

[lee1980sim]

Don't know what cyclingbuddy.com is like in your area but you could always try it to find more like minded people to go out with

 

[vickster]

Or you could try the local CTC if you fancy riding with a few people

http://ctcfifeandkinross.org.uk/newbies.html

http://cyclingtayside.btck.co.uk/

 

[raleighnut]

Also check out Skyrides in your area.

 

[Dayvo]

One day you'll be here

and no more

So get out and do it!

 

[mcshroom]

Incidents knock confidence, and you have to build back up slowly to where you were before. Don't worry it's something that most people go through. I found riding in groups great for motivation. The Skyrides and CTC have already been mentioned, but look around for local clubs/leaisure groups and also see if there are any 'Belles on Bikes' rides round your way. @Telemark and @Pat "5mph" may be able to help with those. Also the Cyclechat Ecosse rides on this forum are good, have a look in the informal rides section, or just drop into the Irn Bru thread in Tea to see what they're like

Another approach is to pick somewhere to ride to, rather than just go for a ride. Something like riding to a cafe for lunch. Then there is something else to think about other than just riding and cars.

Whatever you try, I hope it works, and you'll be back enjoying your charity ride soon

 

[Fubar]

hey peeps
i'm ali and in need of help...
I've signed up to do 100km for charity this year (only starting cycling last year!)
so far i was training inside on a spin bike and out on the rds...till a couple of weeks ago when i met a 4x4 on a blind bend no one was badly hurt
however this has rocked my confidence and ive hit a brick wall in regards to training
i only know a couple of people who cycle (they have been great but not always available)
i need some kicks up the bum, hugs and motivational support
please someone help me get back on track!!!!

thank you xx

Hey Ali

Some good advice there and I can only echo what @mcshroom says above - riding in groups motivates you to go out and once you are there they are most enjoyable - The Belles post their rides on http://www.meetup.com/Belles-on-Bikes-Glasgow/ - not sure if there is a Perth group, though there may be other Meetup groups.

The hardest step is "from bed to shed" (credit @Scoosh for that one!) especially at this time of year but once you are out there a lot of the fear disappears as you are just concentrating on the ride. @Edwardoka is in Perthshire so could suggest some quiet routes for you to try?

When is your charity ride? Good idea to set a target mileage for each week (upping it slightly) so you can keep an eye on progress toward your 100k target.

Good luck and keep us updated! Cheers, Mark

 

[aliene]

thanks everyone.
dragged myself off the sofa and did a wee tootle up my local hills (bagged a personal best on one)
some great ideas re finding some buddies to cycle with..
i feel somewhat refreshed

 

[aliene]

One day you'll be here

View attachment 84368

and no more

So get out and do it!

you are so right.... i did 6.5 mile more than sitting on the sofa

 

[aliene]

Hey Ali

Some good advice there and I can only echo what @mcshroom says above - riding in groups motivates you to go out and once you are there they are most enjoyable - The Belles post their rides on http://www.meetup.com/Belles-on-Bikes-Glasgow/ - not sure if there is a Perth group, though there may be other Meetup groups.

The hardest step is "from bed to shed" (credit @Scoosh for that one!) especially at this time of year but once you are out there a lot of the fear disappears as you are just concentrating on the ride. @Edwardoka is in Perthshire so could suggest some quiet routes for you to try?

When is your charity ride? Good idea to set a target mileage for each week (upping it slightly) so you can keep an eye on progress toward your 100k target.

Good luck and keep us updated! Cheers, Mark

thanks mark, will check out some of the suggestions
my ride is in july so still have plenty of time to get it together

 

[aliene]

Don't know what cyclingbuddy.com is like in your area but you could always try it to find more like minded people to go out with

Incidents can very easily dampen the confidence to go out on the roads.

There's always a little internal struggle for me to prep myself before I go out.

The truth is though, quite a lot of vehicles pass you perfectly safely, far more than those knobbers that don't and that's something you have to keep in mind.

If you're able to, try these early mornings whilst the kids are off school, the roads are beautiful to cycle along at six am just to regain a bit of confidence. Not for everyone though though, but it is a special serene experience.

as a derby born n raised lass, i can appreciate the joys of the area first thing in the morning..now the mornings are lighter im hoping to take advantage of these quieter times

 

[aliene]

Hey Ali

Some good advice there and I can only echo what @mcshroom says above - riding in groups motivates you to go out and once you are there they are most enjoyable - The Belles post their rides on http://www.meetup.com/Belles-on-Bikes-Glasgow/ - not sure if there is a Perth group, though there may be other Meetup groups.

The hardest step is "from bed to shed" (credit @Scoosh for that one!) especially at this time of year but once you are out there a lot of the fear disappears as you are just concentrating on the ride. @Edwardoka is in Perthshire so could suggest some quiet routes for you to try?

When is your charity ride? Good idea to set a target mileage for each week (upping it slightly) so you can keep an eye on progress toward your 100k target.

Good luck and keep us updated! Cheers, Mark

loving the 'from bed to shed' will look out some of the name of members mentioned...thanks

 

[Edwardoka]

Hi Ali,

While the worry that you might encounter an idiot driver never really goes fully away, the trick is to dust yourself off and get straight back on as soon as possible before the thought of it becomes overwhelming.
After my big crash I had The Fear about riding along unlit roads at night for a long time, but thanks to @mcshroom's night ride last year it is no longer something that bothers me so much. And now I see that you've been out on the bike so that's great

As @Fubar said I too am in Perthshire although it's such a large place it would be difficult for me to suggest quiet routes for training purposes. I'm in the Carse of Gowrie and most of the roads around here are pretty quiet (flat too!) and if you head north of the Sidlaws there's lots of good, mostly quiet roads. Very hilly though!

Pick a destination not too far away, ride there, have cake and coffee, and ride back!

 

[Fubar]

thanks mark, will check out some of the suggestions
my ride is in july so still have plenty of time to get it together

Club Bun Runs are a standard offering and a really good introduction to group riding and extending your distances -
If you are near Kinross they have a very healthy club http://kinrosscyclingclub.co.uk/home_about.php

EDIT: sorry I should have said that a "bun run" is exactly that - ride to a cafe in a group, get coffee and a bun, ride back - usually 30-40ish miles with options to extend the distance.