miljam

It seems that every year around this time my motivation to ride and train completely goes out the window. I inevitably gain 15-20 pounds through December and pick up the bike again in January. I am determined to not let it happen again this year. Trouble is, my will to ride is already starting to wane. Anyone have some ideas that can spark the desire? Anyone else experience the same thing?

johnny99

I take a break from the hard mountain rides during the winter and focus on the base miles. I also do a lot more fun rides: scenic, social, urban, etc.

iansir

My burn out happened about 3 weeks ago. I picked up running 3x a week and a few recovery type rides, and now I'm ready to put in a few more hard miles before winter really sets in. For me, all it takes is some variety.

Psimet2001 

Happens to a lot of riders. Thus the "Old men who get fat in winter" moniker....

I find I have to take at least a month off from the bike every year just to keep me energized. That month is usually December. It makes family obligations easier during the Holiday season....no, "honey can you help decorate the tree?" - "I'm in the middle of intervals!"

I run on a treadmill to keep exercising, and I don't beat myself up over 5 lbs (but I make sure to keep it under 10).

Last winter I started riding a fixed gear during the winter months (yes outside) and it is different enough, and fun enought that it keeps me happy. Plus the trails around here are deserted during the winter months.

I think the other suggestions about going on social rides, making it fun it spot on...that's basically what I am doing with the fixed gear.

So I guess I'm saying take time away from your regular bike routine, keep active, but make sure it is fun. You'll be amazed at how recharged you will be when you get back to riding.

Ryleeryno

Join a gym. Especially one that offers spinning classes. I normally train on the stationary for 30 - 45 minutes and do leg workouts and treadmill to maintain weight and strength over the winter.

badkarma

You gain 15-20 lbs in a few months, damn what are you eating?

SaddleBags

Find some centuries during the fall. It'll keep you training for a goal. Another option would be to cross train. Depending on your geographic location, do some cross training that's appropriate to your area then pick up your bike in January like you always do. Or maybe pick up another bike discipline like mtn biking or CX during this time of year. I just tuned up the mountain bike and hit the trails last night (lights and all) and had a great/refreshing 20 mile trail/road ride.

Another suggestion would be buy a new bike What could be better motivation than riding that new bike!

Hipcycler

Yes, it happens to others .... like me.

Here's my spin on this....

This season the one thing about completing my first century ever at the end of August that I NEVER anticipated was the dropoff afterward. I trained all season for that goal. I did it. Then I rested, and ever since my desire has been mediocore at best and I have already put on about 4-5 pounds.

A couple of things I will do to re-motivate (once my back injury finally heals up)....

--Set a personal milage best for the season. I have 3,004 miles as of this writing. My PR last season before I put it away in December was 3,526....so that's the mark I want to break this fall.

--Also, I keep telling myself that it is a long winter on the trainer, so keep bundling up and going outside to ride as long as the pavement is dry up until the end of the year.

My month of taking it real easy and away from anything except a little trainer spin a few times a week is January. I can ride, barring snow, up until Christmas. Then it's the holidays and eating. So pretty much mid-December through mid-Jan. I'm away.

Feb. means to start getting serious on the trainer and the eating...
March....the first of the outdoors rides begins.

briscoelab

AS others have said... do some centuries... take it easy. Then... get a cross bike and start racing again! (If that's your thing) Or just get a cross bike to do some gravel riding and enjoy goofing around. Mixing in some cross and MTB rides really help avoid burnout. Plus, you get the buy some new bikes Which is always fun!

Machka 

Do other stuff. Run, ski, snowshoe, hike, weightlift ... try a different type of cycling like mtn biking, or snowbiking.

I don't know if I could cycle all year round ... I really wonder how people in warmer climates do it. I need the break in the winter to do other sports activities.

botto 

been fighting it for the past 3-4 weeks. 2006 has had some of the most consistent riding i've done in a very long time. i probably went over board after missing a few months due to work last year, then quitting smoking in january.

maybe i should start smoking again?

bitterken

I'm feeling the same thing. I have one more century next weekend, but was burning out on cycling...

So I did two things - dusted off my CX bike to give it another go in the mud, and looked into a cross country skiing clinc.

dogwatch

Move to North Florida - it just started cooling off here yesterday (still over 90F most days) - no concerns of fall or winter issues here for a long time -

kirklau

Man, if we had warm weather all year around here, I'd bike and golf everyday! I would love it!

mollusk

It gets hard to ride during the work week when it gets dark around 5 pm. So when winter rolls around any training rides take place on the weekend. The good part is that the grass does stop growing and it isn't so blasted hot and humid in the middle of the day.

Voodoo76

Yea, one of the advantages of a colder climate is xc-skiing if you take advantage of it. Funny how some riders, even with this great alternative, choose to slog away on a trainer.

I would suggest finding something that for 2 or 3 months has nothing to do with a Bike. Roller Blade, Run, Basketball, Volleyball, Weights. A lot of alternatives.

miljam

When I slump, I don't excersize at all and I just eat whatever I want. So, in addition to keeping the riding up. I definitely need to eat better in the winter - I live in San Diego, so its not like we have a real off-season.

Cromulent

I just got a fixed gear cyclocross bike as a winter/bad weather commuter. Riding that has been really, really good for my burnout. I think I'll be giving my roadie a long rest.

Hipcycler

Me personally...I can't.
Sucks, but the bike or swimming is all I have.

No impact....
No falling on that ceramic hip.

here and there

Well this is my first year of cycling and I took a forced break during the summer. I hardly rode for a month and a half. If I had not been forced off the bike, I would have taken a short break anyways. It seems no matter what sport I do I peak in late spring and take a break during the summer. I have more energy and am more motivated to get out and exercise in the cooler weather.

Since riding year round is easily done here, switching things up helps a lot too. When I first got back on the bike after my time off I did almost nothing but mountain biking for a month. Right now my mtb has been converted to my "road" bike and once the goathead season passes, I'll head back to the trails with a new mtb (assuming I can find a job and get the money for a new mtb).

oboeguy

Try running. I pick it up around this time of year until April or May. Run with a friend if you can. Run in the cold, run at night, etc. It's all good and a nice change of pace, so to speak.

krazyderek

Lower back pain is going to force me off the bike for at couple of weeks so i'm just going to take a month or two (oct-nov) to chill.
It's perfectly natural to take time like this off the bike, even professionals do it.

It's also normal to put on 5lbs or so during the winter, just don't let it get out of hand. In northern climate's it's beleived this is just a natural reaction to the cold, the body needs insulation-fat.

Keep off the weight by eating right, ADJUST YOUR DIET. That's a big one, you're not burning 1500-4000 calories laying on the couch so don't eat like you're doing a century. Even if you're eating pasta which is low in fat, all those carb's have to go somewhere. Once glycogen stores in muscles have been topped off and the carbs aren't immediately needed the rest is converted to fat, good fat, but still excess fat none the less. You can still have all your favorite foods but maybe cut back on the proportion's if you're just keeping generally active 6 hours a week instead of working out just below your threshold for 10-15 hours a week in the saddle.
Have supper as early as possible (usualy 4-5 hours before bed), then don't eat anything after supper except maybe a very light snack... i'm talking one plain rice cake here. I'm guilty of all those, after a summer of sports i would often plant myself infront of the TV every night during the winter, after eating an entire family size lasagna, i'd then proceed to have icecream and popcorn with loads of butter into the late hours of the night then go to bed. So i was always 20lbs overweight until i realized what i was doing.
Really you want to go to bed hungry so you're not carrying any excess calories with you to bed that just get converted to fat. Then you can wake up hungry so you can have a proper sized breakfast to get you thru the day or at least lunch. This is where you can kind of get away with a bit more, some bacon if that's your fancy, or for me it's waffles.... mmmm sweet sweet home made waffles. I still use light syrup, but having a generous protion (5-7) waffles is something you can kind of get away with in the morning since you have all day to burn off those calories.

Snack, often but light, and healthy! If you're hungry an hour of two after breakfast then EAT! Eating during the day encourages your metabolisme to stay high since you're also moving. And again, you've go all day to burn off the calories here. The trick is to eat the right snacks. Carrots, apples, banana's, muffins instead of donuts, no chocolate bars, or cinnamon buns, deepfried anything should generally be avoided as convenient as Toonie Tuesday KFC may be during lunch. Lastly drink lots of water, it's a simple way to keep things moving and help keep energy levels up but it's often overlooked.

Keep doing strength excersizes, a general weight routine can be a good idea although there are some cyclist specific ones out there, work on the abs, walk as much as possible, maybe run, swimming is excellent if you have easy access to facilities or 80$ for a wetsuit and a nearby clean lake, ski, and just generally keep active.

Beleive it or not people do maintain a healthy weight without cycling.

aham23

Great advice already. I am trying out new routes and buying near gear to test out and keep me on the bike. Add to this the exciting development of the BFNIC and I do not ever want to get off my bike. Later.

MrCjolsen

Sell your car. Get some rain gear and fenders.
You'll keep riding through the winter.