The motivation is low for cycling at the moment

[12boy]

Or, not motivated, just try a short ride. Once on the bike you may find its more fun than expected, if not, go home for another day. I've ridden three miles or so to work on a still day over snow and ice when it was - 25C and it was a blast after getting over the initial shock. Not something I would want often but still was an interesting ride.

 

[johnnyb47]

There's been some great posts here and have found them really useful. Thank you all for taking the time to put your 2 pence worth in.
I went out last night for a ride and came home feeling good. The weather was actually not bad but the lanes where flooded in places.
This is the time of the year when cycling is at its hardest mentally during the cold dark days. I can imagine many a new cyclist who started in the summer would of given up by now, but its not long now until spring shows its face again. Funnily enough i saw a fair few snow drops and daffodils last night even though it was dark. A sure sign of things to come. If you are new to cycling and feel a little underwhelmed and unmotivated at the moment don't despair. It looks like your not alone at the moment.
Just remember spring is not that far away and you've got a nice bike ready to enjoy tucked away somewhere 😁👍😁
All the very best

 

[PaulSB]

Clubs do weird things.

The rides get faster the further you go. The opposite of the way speed works as you go up the distance in any physical activity.

Clubs don’t cater for longer rides at a moderate pace.

Certainly doesn't apply to the clubs I've been in.

 

[PaulSB]

It can be true - I thrashed myself doing turbo trainer 'miles' one winter and had my fittest summer ever following that. A mate of mine, however, overdid his winter/spring miles and had burned out by the summer. It took him 3 months to get back to a reasonable level.

Out of interest why did your mate burn out? I ride 150-200 miles a week year round. The lower mileage in the winter. I, nor the guts I ride with, don't burn out. We might drop the mileage for a week but nothing like a burn out.

 

[Drago]

Done a 26 mile round ride to see a chum in Northmpton today. Coming back I got caught again in the torrential rain and wind, but was better prepared this time clothing wise. My legs and feet did eventually succumb to the rain, bit not badly. Gloves (9 year old Sealskinz, the lighter weight of my 2 pairs) remained watertight, and my core and head remained dry too, although I did get somewhat sweaty from the goretex skull cap. Hell, if you don't like getting sweaty then stick to darts for you sporting fix!

Some quite nasty surface flooding and run off, but my 10 year old Sportive with full guards, 28C Conti slicks and 105 rim brakes (not to mention set ups nd maintained to absolute perfection) handled it magnificently. Anyone who tells you they "need" flat bars, discs, 35C cycle cross tyres etc to handle those conditions is talking out of their behind - not one of those things will compensate for a fundamental lack of training, experience, or skill.

I'm now in the bath nursing a glass of single malt, aglow with the sense of achievement and adventure. It was bloody good fun, and it's now taken me to 202 miles for this year so far in only 9 days or riding. There are those who do, and those who make excuses, and I know which I'm determined to be for as long as I'm physically able to.

Get out there Johnny - its natures ever changing playground, and the challenge will make you a better rider, a fitter human, and put a smug smile of satisfaction on your fizzog.

 

[ColinJ]

Out of interest why did your mate burn out? I ride 150-200 miles a week year round. The lower mileage in the winter. I, nor the guts I ride with, don't burn out. We might drop the mileage for a week but nothing like a burn out.

He was trying to ride further and faster. When he eventually started to get tired, he slowed down. He decided that he was getting slower because he wasn't trying hard enough so he rode more and tried even harder to get faster. That made him even more tired... And so on.

Eventually, he was so knackered that he could barely sling a leg over his bike, wasn't sleeping well etc. As described in THIS Cycling Weekly article.

He cut right down on his efforts and very slowly built his fitness back up again.

It was the only time that I have been fitter than him!

 

[PaulSB]

@ColinJ - thanks. I get that - not the best way to go about it!

 

[Algarvecycling]

I'm more of a fair weather cyclist - I'll only brave rain etc if I'm racing or already out and get caught in it.
When I lived in the UK I really struggled in the winter, I'm a complete wuss - especially according to my Belgian wife . Here in Portugal, I get 300 days of Sun on average and temps that are never too low or too high. Needless to say, I very rarely train indoors and nearly always get out 5 or 6 times a week.

My friend in Scotland on the other hand has succumbed to Zwift for his training in winter - reckons he'll not get out until March!

 

[Slick]

I'm more of a fair weather cyclist - I'll only brave rain etc if I'm racing or already out and get caught in it.
When I lived in the UK I really struggled in the winter, I'm a complete wuss - especially according to my Belgian wife . Here in Portugal, I get 300 days of Sun on average and temps that are never too low or too high. Needless to say, I very rarely train indoors and nearly always get out 5 or 6 times a week.

My friend in Scotland on the other hand has succumbed to Zwift for his training in winter - reckons he'll not get out until March!

He may live in Scotland but he's obviously not Scottish.

 

[Drago]

Zwift isn't training. It might assist with (only certain aspects of) fitness, but does nothing for road craft, race craft, control skills, etc.

 

[Pedropete]

Zwift isn't training. It might assist with (only certain aspects of) fitness, but does nothing for road craft, race craft, control skills, etc.

Kind of agree with you on that, and while I wouldn’t use a smart trainer to avoid foul weather (quite enjoy riding In the wet) the big appeal for me would be getting miles in without clashing with the rush hour psycho squad.

That said, I’ve had this mutant cough/cold bug and haven’t stopped coughing since new year! Drove down to see family last Sunday and it was a gorgeous day with bikes out everywhere. Think my wife got fed up with the constant stream of ‘b@stards, lucky b@st@rds’ from my side of the car

 

[Ming the Merciless]

He was trying to ride further and faster. When he eventually started to get tired, he slowed down. He decided that he was getting slower because he wasn't trying hard enough so he rode more and tried even harder to get faster. That made him even more tired... And so on.

Eventually, he was so knackered that he could barely sling a leg over his bike, wasn't sleeping well etc. As described in THIS Cycling Weekly article.

He cut right down on his efforts and very slowly built his fitness back up again.

It was the only time that I have been fitter than him!

Sounds like he was missing the appropriate amount of recovery / rest part of the equation to get stronger / faster.

 

[tyred]

I don't mind the cold too much and can deal with rain. I usually get a good few miles in during winter at the weekend if I have time available.

However I can't really be bothered riding in the dark any more. I used to regularly go out after work in the dark - 10 or 20 miles most evenings but these days I struggle to motivate myself to do it. I have excellent dynamo lights, it's not that, just I don't find it enjoyable, if it does rain, I can't see where I'm going (glasses wearer) and I find an increasing amount of drivers don't seem to dip their lights for cyclists any more and it hurts my eyes (I try to minimise driving at night nowadays too for the same reason).

Hence why I am sitting here with a glass of orange squash, listening to the radio and posting crap on the internet whereas a few years ago I would more than likely have gone for a ride on my winter fixed wheeler.

 

[ColinJ]

Sounds like he was missing the appropriate amount of recovery / rest part of the equation to get stronger / faster.

Yes!

I don't understand the thinking behind "I'm too tired to get fit so I must train harder and get even more tired - that should work..."

 

[Algarvecycling]

He may live in Scotland but he's obviously not Scottish.

By birth he is! 😄 But, like me, he has lived in South Africa for most of his life and used to a warmer, less wet climate. Now he is back living in Scotland and relying upon Zwift for his winter training.