General Cycling Discussion - Anybody else feel depressed/crappy when you don't get to ride?

I understand that it is advisable to take a rest day at least one day a week from cycling to let the muscles heal and grow. But I have discovered that I feel crappy on the days I don't get a ride in. I sometimes feel downright depressed. I read something someone said that they had "developed a relationship" with his bikes. I can say that I have done the same. I love my bikes and the time I spend on them. Sunday I had a wonderful easy ride through the country. I didn't push hard at all, just kept a leisurely pace for about an hour and a half. I took a day off today as is recommended and I just feel like crap; all down in the dumps.

I am about to just ride every day just to keep myself in high spirits. I am at the beginning of a training plan, but I am thinking of on my scheduled off days, I can just have an easy recovery ride at my leisurely pace to keep me from feeling depressed. If I actually get to the point that I really do need a real off day, I can alway take it.

Has anyone ever come to this type of decision before? What did you do? If you have not, what would you do? I absolutely love my bike. She is my baby...lol. Time apart from her is just unbearable.

Taking a day off once a week can be a good idea to help repair the muscles and become stronger. But riding at a very leisurely pace on the day off might not be a bad thing ... or you could try doing something else like going for a walk or playing a different sport.

I'm 67 and ride every other day (advice in Cycling Past 50 (http://www.amazon.com/Cycling-Past-50-Ageless-Athlete/dp/0880117370/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348584260&sr=8-1&keywords=cycling+past+50)). Haven't ridden since last Wednesday because I had cataract surgery last Thursday and the doc said nothing strenuous for a week. Can't wait until Friday. :)

You can ride everyday without any problems.

I did a cross country tour where 10 riders rode everyday for 57 days.

Northern route riders got in 5000 miles
Southern route riders got in 4200 miles.

I rode ten straight days then took a rest day. (after 820 miles of hills)

It's the lack of endorphin that will leave you feeling a bit depressive. endorphin is secreted by the body when exercising, endorphin is good, hmmmmm (I'm a junky)

Try to keep it below the point I got to when my wife told me, "Go ride your bike!"

I did, and felt much better after that.

I... must... ride... every day. I'm addicted to riding my bike and I can live with it. There are far worse things to be addicted to. I ride everyday. If I'm tired I'll just ride shorter and slower, but I'll still ride.

It's the lack of endorphin that will leave you feeling a bit depressive. endorphin is secreted by the body when exercising, endorphin is good, hmmmmm (I'm a junky)

I know what you art talking about...lol. Every time I begin to pedal, I start to smile :)

Try to keep it below the point I got to when my wife told me, "Go ride your bike!"

I did, and felt much better after that.

That's funny. I am the opposite, though. I once had a girlfriend tell me I spend more time with my bike than I do with her. This was when I would only ride 3-4 days a week. Lord, if she could only see me now...LMAO

I thought I was the only one. I feel downright crappy and my wife says that I'm also cranky.

Not me, I don't miss my Urban Combat Commute ™, and equally enjoy my off days from the bike.

Taking a day off occasionally, no problem. With my schedule I can't ride every day. BUT, when you've planned a ride a s**t happens it is a bit depressing. Sometimes, we even get rain:(, but not very often:)

I agree; I feel down when I do not get a ride in....nothing like dispersing all the negative energy from the long work day with a nice long bike ride!

I need to start a local club called 'Velo Junkies' around here...LMAO. Who's in?

I hate the days when I can't go out because cycling is the only thing that makes me forget all of my worries and helps me clear my head.

I feel like I should drive at least once a week, so I don't forget how to drive a stick.

Addictive personality? I know all about it! At this stage i need days off, i'm sore and my butt hurts to go back-to-back.

Not really when it is just one day. I commute everyday but do not always ride my bike after/before work, and with the days getting shorter this time a year, I cut back on cycling (*though I ride throughout the year).

The thing that really gets to me is when I either:
-Dont get to ride for a week
-Plan a ride but for whatever reason cant

Like last week, friday evening, 2 hours till sunset, about to leave the house when my sister and a friend show up. Trains are stuck and so they are stuck in the city, so they come visit me...

Told them "make yourself at home" , hopped on my bike and rode off :thumb:

If cycling is the only hobby then I can see why it's hard when one is not riding. For me I have other things to do beside cycling so generally it's not an issue.

I am addicted. When I am not riding I think about riding!

I am addicted. When I am not riding I think about riding!

I think we are all guilty of this.

The other thing is that I always want to get faster, stronger, better, and if I dont ride I feel like i would just get worse, weaker, slower. Obviously, that creates a problem. Once you already go out and ride plenty, spent too much money on your roadbike, and do core training off the bike, rollers when the weather does not allow a ride etc. At some point you have to realize this is pretty much as good of a cyclist as you will ever be..... :(

Though cycling allows you to be on top of your game longer than other sports. Most sports you are too old to compete and always weaker than you were before once you pass 30. The fact that people compete on the highest level, and some are half the age of others is appealing to me in this sport.

Me too and I'm just an old fart doodling around town on the MUPS. yesterday there were thunderstorms that brought much needed rains to this drought stricken area and the first thought through my mind was "Waaa, I don't get to ride". :)

I can identify. This morning, I can still feel the helmet band on my head after last night's ride.

My recommendation to the OP is to find other fun activities to substitute. Maybe yoga, card playing (with people, not on the internet), volunteer work, whatever... for those off days. Something that gives you a sense of belonging and accomplishment...men need these, too.

Good luck.

BTW, I'm the same way - love to ride always.

Yes, almost always. My wife thinks it's endorphins, she doesn't know about the occasional adrenaline rushes ... but even a short slow ride with the family can do the trick so it's more than that.

I get absolutely irate when I'm forced to work late and by the time I get out its already dark. Also if its really pouring rain and I can't ride i feel miserable, especially if the night before I had a good ride all planned out

Oh and I replaced heroin with cycling so its a bit more extreme in my case. If I don't get in atleast 30 miles a day I go to a meeting just to be safe.

Yes, I'm looking out the window right now and daydreaming how nice it would be to be on the bike.

I know I already chimed in but happen to think of this just now, how often do you watch TV and see a beautiful scene, perhaps a car scene and think "I bet that's be a great bike ride". I happen to watch the American Top Gear show last nigh and they took 3 American cars and did a trip from Monument Vally to Moab, all I could think of was how cool it would be to cycle some of that route.

I know I already chimed in but happen to think of this just now, how often do you watch TV and see a beautiful scene, perhaps a car scene and think "I bet that's be a great bike ride". I happen to watch the American Top Gear show last nigh and they took 3 American cars and did a trip from Monument Vally to Moab, all I could think of was how cool it would be to cycle some of that route.
Happens to me very often, watching tv or a movie or driving my car.

Oh and I replaced heroin with cycling so its a bit more extreme in my case. If I don't get in atleast 30 miles a day I go to a meeting just to be safe.
As a fellow recovering addict of many different illegal substances I just want to say good for you. I just went a year, and it sucked huge for the first 8 months, then things started to turn for the better. Now I truly do feel better. Keep the faith brother.

Since I'm car free I ride every single day, there's always somewhere I need to go, even if it's just the library. Now poker on the other hand, I need at least 3 hours of on-line poker a day. If I go more than 2 months without playing live poker at a casino I start to get worried that I'm losing my edge. There is a poker room within riding distance but the action isn't very good. Extremely slow pace.

As a fellow recovering addict of many different illegal substances I just want to say good for you. I just went a year, and it sucked huge for the first 8 months, then things started to turn for the better. Now I truly do feel better. Keep the faith brother.

Since I'm car free I ride every single day, there's always somewhere I need to go, even if it's just the library. Now poker on the other hand, I need at least 3 hours of on-line poker a day. If I go more than 2 months without playing live poker at a casino I start to get worried that I'm losing my edge. There is a poker room within riding distance but the action isn't very good. Extremely slow pace.

I was wondering this myself. I used to be a recreational drug user years ago. My brain feels like it needs the joys I get from riding.

I got hit last year, and couldn't ride at all for months... haven't been allowed to commute since then either, I only ride once a week (if that) now.

I hate it.

I've been off the bike for nearly 2 weeks. First I was out of town, across the country, visiting relatives for a week. I didn't have a bike with me but I did try to walk around town as much as I could. Then the day I came home I felt a cold coming on a few hours after I got off the plane and have been feeling cruddy ever since so I drove to work instead of my usual bike commute (it was rainy for a few days too). I haven't even looked at my bikes. Hope to be back on my bike commute next Monday.

There's something fishy about your avatar, dramiscram. You're going to need a lot more caster/rake for that lawnmower to have any kind of stability.

Man I can totally sympathize with you all. This year I have been riding about 100 miles a week which is roughly 3 rides a week for me. The past month and a half I haven't done 100 miles total. My wife is pregnant and doesn't let me out of her sight when we are not at work; and we work the same days. Now when we are in the car and we are driving a road that looks good for cycling I get this sad puppy dog look on my face and find myself thinking man this would be a great ride. I am however hopeful that I will be able to ride regularly again at least two days a week starting soon.

I rememeber a few years ago when I was living in Ottawa (the Big City), and I had been riding my bike from my apartment downtown, across downtown towing my son in a trailer to the babysitter, then across town to the college out in the suburbs every day. I probably did ~30 - 40 km per day. Then school ended and I didn't ride for about a week. I was staying up later and later, unable to sleep, then one evening I bumped into my neighbor, an older gentleman, who was talking about how he wished he had a garden in front of his building (another building in our co-op). So I said 'have you got a shovel?' And I furiously burned off all my nervous energy by tearing up and turning the soil in the front yard for the next two hours. It was only after that I realized this was an odd thing to do in the middle of the night.

So, no, I don't get 'depressed' but I certainly do go a little crazy when I don't get regular exercise.

I get absolutely irate when I'm forced to work late and by the time I get out its already dark. Also if its really pouring rain and I can't ride i feel miserable, especially if the night before I had a good ride all planned out

Nonsense. Get a headlight and tail light for your bike, and get out there. I ride year-round, even when I work late, or in the winter when it's totally dark by 6:00. I love night riding.

Same with rain. Get an extra-large garbage bag, punch a hole in the center of the bottom and two holes in each corner, and use that as rain gear.

Oh and I replaced heroin with cycling

John Lennon and Curt Kobain wanted to do that, but their women wouldn't let them. And look what happened to them.

No. I have a ton of things that I like to do. I ride 4 days a week, run 2, and strength train 3.
If I do not exercise I will become rather irritable but that is about it.

Kind of like a dog not getting a daily walk eh...?

My wife gets crappy when I don't ride..

There's something fishy about your avatar, dramiscram. You're going to need a lot more caster/rake for that lawnmower to have any kind of stability.

I wouldn't know, I never dared try the thing.

During the week when I'm watching cycling videos and reading forums between classes, and I don't have the time to go out and ride 40 miles.

BUT, if you want a good workout, you can really burn some calories if you want to do intervals or climb hills; I live in Tallahassee so there's a plethora of "short" hills that I can climb; this morning I put in 10 miles and climbed 500 feet, all within 1 hour from leaving to getting out of the shower.

TLDR: If you have an hour, you can get a work out in.

Now if it rains? That's the worst, because you would want to wait until the roads dry a bit, so your bike and your back isn't covered with road grit :/

Yesterday, I fell while mountain biking and got my shoulder messed up (AC separation Type 3). Today, I did 10 miles on my indoor trainer. Feeling good:)

Happens to me very often, watching tv or a movie or driving my car.

Same story on my way home today after buying a new ride :-)

TLDR probably just need to ride more.

I had to put my bike in the shop last week to get some work done on it. The guy at the LBS said that he would get to it the same day, but it turned out that he couldn't get to it. I had to leave it there, and since I worked the next three days, I couldn't get by to pick it up before they closed. I finally was able to pick it up last Saturday, but had plans and couldn't ride. I still haven't had a chance to ride, so I feel like total crap and the biggest slob on the planet right now.

I live in Nebr, and really dont like to ride if it is below 60 degrees. And yes during the 4 crappy winter months, I dont feel the best. I lift weights and ride a cardio rider, but they in no way make up for a nice ride.