Originally Posted by 1989Pre

Your experience and perceptions almost exactly reflect mine. I was a competitive runner till age 56 when my knee blew up. I don't know where you are located, but in mid-coast Maine, I don't ride from november to april, so I have six months of no-riding (except for the mtb to the local stores twice a week). I've been enduring this for four years, since I moved from Massachusetts (where the riding season is more like yours). I love Maine in summer, but I don't think I can hack this.
Tonight, the temp is going down to 39 degrees. Gentlemen.., I ask you.., Is this fair?!
...but seriously, like you, I'd probably lose interest in a gymnasium, and I can't run anymore, so I feel I need a longer riding (and gardening) season. I've gained weight this winter, and admire our fellow members from AZ, Cal, Tex, etc., who've been getting in quality rides for months, now.
You mention, "In the same way I think that if I rode nearly every day I would gradually lose a bit of enthusiasm." While I may or may not feel similarly (if I ever decided to try this), what would most-likely make me lose interest in cycling is embarking on a program of cold-weather rides. To para-phrase another BF member (he said he only rides when the weather is nice), "Cycling is not my job". I totally relate with that. You want to pay me? I'll ride in the cold. Have you considered moving south? (I have...)