I've been off my bike for over a couple of months now and, as in the past, stuggle with the psychology of exercise/physical exersion and motivation. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE bikes, I check out BF and a couple of other bike blogs almost daily, and read a commuting related magazine.
But when it comes to actually putting forth the effort to go do it, or any other forms of exercise, I hit a block. I feel guilty for not doing it, I tell myself I want to, I make preparations, and then just don't and beat myself up about it.
Those who have dealt with something like this, what did you do to combat it? Any good books on the subject? Saying, "Just go ride" isn't working, although I'm sure that may be part of the solution in the end.
Help me get back in the saddle, literally.

Do any of your friends ride? Company always makes it easier to motivate yourself.

Do you set your goals so high that this becomes work?

Sounds like me. Read Heft on Wheels. (Even if it doesn't work for you, it's darn entertaining).

can you commute.... building biking into daily routine?

That first step is the hardest for many people, myself included, and is the largest hurdle between success and failure whatever the activity is. Here are a few things that I do to minimize that same stumbling block.

- I think about how much I enjoy it even three pedals in.
- Usually I ride early morning or late at night on bike paths that nobody else is on so I listen to music, which I greatly enjoy. When I do that I ride for the purpose of the music.
- I involve others. At work and in my neighborhood there are a few others that I have roped into joining my morning rides and my once a week commutes. I'm happy to say that two of the people have caught the bug and they go riding without me.
- I have worked on doing full commutes to and from work. Right now it is just partial distance but we keep moving further back towards my house.
- I try to remember how different I feel when I've been off the bike for even two days.
- I joined in on the 150 mile/month thread to hold myself somewhat accountable even if it just on this silly forum.

Even with all the above getting up and putting my shoes on is difficult. Once I actually get up, I'm as good as on my bike but I feel your pain in that is hard.

It is a matter of perspective. I ride to ride, for the pleasure, for the challenge. I don't ride for exercise...I train and workout to improve my riding.

So enjoy riding, don't set unreasonable goals, make some rides shorter and easier than usual, make a few rides longer and harder than you thought possible. Ride with friends, ride solo, ride for fun, not from guilt....

Sometimes when I don't really feel like riding, I go hop on the bike anyway, and by the time I get to the end of the block, I'm all smiling and glad to be out there.

My daily rides have been largely preparation for longer rides, and that helps motivate me.

There's some people I really enjoy being around on some of my rides, and that's some good motivation to get out there.

In a broader sense, I bicycle BECAUSE i like it. Consider if you can come up with some other sort of exercise that you like rather than riding?

I find it better to do a lot of short utilitarian rides. Working the bike into my daily routine is how I started and what keeps nee on it.

Marc