Struggling to get on the bike

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I don't know how many times I have to say this.....get a Springer Spaniel. If you don't exercise it it will eat your furniture.
 
I lost motivation during the latter few months of the initial furlough. I had all the time in the world but had no motivation.

I did have a nagging voice in my head to at least maintain in the Furlough and stay fit, so I didn't completely stop. I hopefully seen how being in an ok shape has got me through bowel cancer and chemotherapy.

I've since moved jobs which will probably see me have to move when WfH has finished. The new job has helped me get some motivation back. My outdoors mileage is down a fair bit but my time on the turbo has increased and I've the motivation to build again.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I do miss the café stops though.
Cafes here are still open and I suspect need cyclists more than ever. You just can't go in. Tomorrow is espresso from the waffle stand day! :hyper:

It would be easier for many if it wasnt effing raining every day. It's relentless. I dont mind cold dry days, but when its pissing down I only cycle to work, not for recreation.
1. Rain always looks worse looking out at it from indoors.
2. Get better clothes? Waterproof over padded jacket over merino over base layer will keep me dry and warm most of winter. Too warm, most of it.
 

Dan77

Senior Member
Location
Worcester
I've now switched almost entirely to Zwift for the winter and do 6 days a week and occasionally get 2 rides in on one of the days.

Am I motivated? Not in the way that I'm always keen to get on the bike, no but I do know that it has done me a great deal of good and that in order to continue the progress I need to keep it up. That I find is motivation enough.

The hardest bit is getting on the bike and getting going. Once you've committed to it, it is easier. I always ignore any doubts about whether I'm up for it on that particular day, get going and tell myself that once I'm past 5km it'll all be good and it is.
 

HMS_Dave

Grand Old Lady
There are different kinds of cycling.....

Instead of a hard and fast ride, cycle somewhere you want to visit. Take it easy, smell the roses. Take photos. Come up with a theme - bridges, churches, etc. See the things you usually miss if you're flying by. Watch the winter go slowly by and look for signs of spring!

Try a "virtual tour" Imagine some place you've always wanted to cycle to. Go for a ride every day and then look to see how close you are to your destination. If it's somewhere foreign, treat yourself to some local cuisine!

If you're just not comfortable on the bike consider your clothing, or roads that you're travelling.

Good lights and a predawn ride on quiet roads can be a great way to start the day, something I would have dreaded before I started to commute regularly.

Good luck!
I really can't recommend this advice enough. We're a target driven society, always looking for number improvements. Im not saying this is you, but having a trainer suggests you could be. Why not just take it easy instead? Could be worth a try.
 
Location
London
Really! I reckon I probably only get rained on maybe 1 in 10 commutes and only get really drenched maybe 1 in 10 of those times. Fear of the rain is much worse than the reality.
EDIT: And I live in Manchester, the home of rain.....
I read this simple if maybe counterintuitive truth in a motorcycle book in my youth when I commuted by Vespa.
And found it true.
(I did though come off it on ice on that commute - in short, beware/avoid ice - laugh in the face of anything else)
 

screenman

Legendary Member
You have found something you are preferring rather than riding your bike, many people do.
 

Landsurfer

Veteran
I'm taking the day off work on Thursday to have a gentle day on the bike ... 50 miles max at bimble pace on the flatlands north east of Doncaster ... my weekends are too full of childcare these days to get out on the bike ...
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
For those of us stuck WFH (when we aren't used to if) can I recommend taking advantage of any gaps in 'virtual meetings' and plan a quick 30 minutes to over an hour, arond either the weather or lunch, or a late start/early finish.

OK some days you can't do it - yesterday was one - too many virtual meetings and no big enough gaps, but today, I'm free of meetings from 11 until 2pm, so I'll take advantage with an early lunch and get out for an hour. It's so far dry, but with looming rain clouds, but I'll try and slot something in. Doesn't work every day, and sometimes plans get scuppered by stuff going on at home.

I'm looking forward to some cold frosty days, as I'm a little tired of the gloom.

I spent 3 hours on a night ride last week, and that really boosted the spirits. I fell lucky with the weather - well it was windy as hell, but the rain didn't fall until the end. I was absolutely filthy, and I'll have the big 'trug bucket' ready for my kit (saves dropping chunks of mud up the stairs and all over the bathroom floor - more cleaning).

Mix it up. Some short stuff, some virtual, some days off. Maybe even a walk - that's something I've done more of too.
 

straas

Matt
Location
Manchester
I haven't been out on the road bike for a few weeks for one reason or another - and felt like I was really having to persuade myself to go out - so I decided not to, and dragged the MTB out of the shed.

An hour and a half of off-road cycling made me feel so much better! No aggro or close passes or bullying.
 
I’m monitoring the wind waiting for it to drop and then I’ll be off out for a ride. I’ve been playing with my position so waiting to see what it feels like on the open roads as I do a couple of circuits around lunchtime.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
I just went out and did a 9 mile lunchtime circuit as I'm trying to get more movement into my working day if the weather is ok, no specific aggro encountered. I did have to leg it across a level crossing as the lights and bells started as I was just about to cross! :ohmy:
 
Same here @vickster went out in the end and grimaced at the wind but enjoyed a 9 mile ride at an avg of 16mph. Can’t decide if I need to nudge the seatpost up a little or not, when on the saddle I am on my tip toes when balancing so it’s it is in the right place but feels a tad too low.
 
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