tpelle

First some background information: I'm 58 years old, Type II diabetic, about 6' - 2" and 260 lbs. I have a fairly high-pressure job as an engineer, which includes a lot of travel for a week or two at a time.

Up until this year I was a fairly dedicated recreational bicyclist, taking a short ride (when in town) of between 5 and 10 miles a couple of evenings after work, and a longer ride of 30 to 35 miles on the weekend. Sometimes during trips, if possible, I'd take a bike with me and explore new areas when I had time. I ride exclusively on the road, and have a Trek mtb, a Surly LHT, and this year, while on an extensive long term (three month) out of town assignment in California, I bought a Motobecane Mirage to commute to work (only 5 or 6 miles each way) and to ride on weekends.

But since I've been home from California I haven't been on any of my bikes at all! For one thing it's been an extremely HOT summer, and my wife and I have been babysitting our one year old and three year old grandkids a lot (my daughter is an E.R. nurse and works a lot of nights), plus I've needed to catch up on a lot of chores around the house that were neglected because of business travel.

So, to get to the point, I am in the midst of a period of extreme lack of motivation to ride!

Anyone else ever gone through this? Any tip on how to overcome it?

UberGeek

What I do, is I use RunKeeper. It posts my rides to my facebook page, and it sets me up with a "street team" (Facebook friends using it too). Kind of like positive peer pressure. It also "rewards" you, with Longest Duration, Longest Distance, Furthest Week, etc. So, it becomes a game.

Also, I plan weekend rides with my brother. We both make sure we both show up, to avoid the "letting down your team" mentality.

Also, Earndit.com gives you points for various activities. You can use these points to buy things, so that's another motivation.

Rick@OCRR

It sounds to me like not so much a motivation issue but (on several levels) a time management issue. And it's not just you, of course, all of us are limited by this rude restriction of only 24 hr. per day!

The way I solved this problem: Moved to California (SoCal in my case). Now I'm 1,500 miles from the grandkids, hence, no grand-kid care duties (well, I do send them cards and presents on their birthdays!). I am from MO, so not far from KY and I understand the brutality of hot summer days (and nights). So, when you move to SoCal, find a place kind of near the ocean.

Anyway, now I ride to work, ride with the club on Tues. and Thur. evenings, ride in the mountains on the weekends (paved roads on my road bike sometimes, dirt roads and trails on my mountain bike sometimes) and throw in an occasional fixed gear ride on a local MUP for a bit of variety.

Yes, I realize this fits into the "Easier Said Than Done" category, but you might want to consider it. Worked for me!

Rick / OCRR

jethro56 

Retire

DnvrFox

Get yourself a kid trailer and go out and bicycle with them while you are baby sitting. If one is too big, get a tag-along. Your wife can ride and pull something, as can you. Problem solved. Take lunch, have a picnic, have a ball!

jackb

Second that. but I have motivational issues sometimes as well. I tell my self that I will feel better and probably be more active as I age if I make the effort to get exercise even when I don't feel like taking a ride.

Phil85207

I am going through the same thing now. The wife and I did the RV thing with a new great grand daughter, and was gone for 2 & 1/2 months. I did some bike ridding while gone but I fell on one of my rides and sprained an ankle. Now home I did one ride and my ankle didn't like it. Just finished painting the office and laying a new wood floor in it. Next week is the carpet. Somehow I'm to busy to ride. I just need to get my motivation going again too. I've put on some weight and am just plain lazy about ridding. I was ridding 3days a week about 60+ miles each ride, and now nothing. Maybe after the carpet I will feel more like ridding. I wish I could help the OP but I'm in the same boat.

Northwestrider

Join a club and make a few club rides as time permits.

ModeratedUser150120149

Take stock of yourself and your priorities. Perhaps it isn't in your best interests to overcome it. Perhaps this is a season change in your life. Perhaps your personal and family activity review will show you either need to take a vacation from riding, or even go on to something else with riding becoming something you either do casually, or not at all.

On the other hand if bicycle riding is still something key to your life the review will tell you how to make time for it.

Triode

Realize how much better you felt when riding.

Hard to remember how good you felt. No way you can feel that good now as a couch potatoe.

doctor j

You're a technical person. Choose some parameter, miles, calories, time etc., set some goal that is realistic and compatible with the requirements of your job, and then track your progress.

I track miles, and that keeps me motivated. I've improved every year since I started riding again, and my weight is where I want it to be.

Business travel sucks, especially if you're 6'2" (as I am) and any of that travel involves regularly scheduled airlines. Been there, done that. I loathe being herded around, inspected by Federal employees, and then jammed into an aluminum cylinder with my knees in my chin. It was difficult for me to maintain any semblance of decent eating habits while traveling. People asked me about frequent flyer miles, and I told them the very LAST thing I wanted to do was get on another commercial airliner if I didn't absolutely have to.

I digress.

You might want to start tracking something as a means of motivation.

OldsCOOL

You cant count how many times for other activities (weight training in particular) I've dragged my butt out the door with this one thought, "it will feel so good tomorrow". And it does and I'm always glad for it.

Dude, get on the bike and ride it. Beats the heck out of hanging out with the hamsters (aerobics section) at the Y.

jdon

I went through a motivational challenge after a little sudden stop encounter with a car Nov 2009. It took almost 10 months to recover and get back on the bike and I found the weight gain and lack of conditioning were tough to accept. I gave myself a 4 month BF ban, set up a work out routine, changed my diet and did it all long enough to make it habit.

So, for a short time, I lost my motivation. I found it again, turns out it was on a road trip with smokes, booze and broads. I can't blame it for leaving me.

tsl

The final kicker that got me back on a bike was when a close friend aged 54 died in his sleep of a heart attack.

My father, and his father before him, each had their first MIs at age 55.

I am currently 55.

That's all the motivation I need.

But, what really keeps me on the bike is how good I feel--both physically and psychologically--during and after the ride.

gcottay

For me the answer is simple.

Ride first and worry about motivation later.

John_V 

I have to agree with most of the posts. Get out and ride. Here is FL, we have been having some bad weather lately; lots of rain almost every afternoon. There are times when I get home from work wanting to ride and I look at the sky and say "No" and it never rains. Then I get angry at myself when getting on this forum because I should have gone out riding. It's easy to let things keep you from doing what you really want to do and you just have to find the motivator that gets you back in the groove. Today was my first good day riding since Sunday (because of all the rain) and it felt fantastic.

dahut

Ive gone through it. What I do is just ride for fun. I don't look outside at the weather, I don't worry about my shoes or helmet... I just get on the bike and ride. I have a fun rider just for this reason. And it DOES include a ding-a-ling bell - you cannot keep up a bad attitude when people are smiling at you and your little bell.**
I don't care where I go and I don't care where I end up, either. I just ride.

HOT is good, by the way - you were adapted to it. It beats the crap out of cold, I assure you.

** The only thing that beats this, in my experience, is a trampoline. It is universally impossible to frown when jumping on a trampoline. Maybe you should get a small one, and jump on it before you ride your bike.....

bobdell

I got rid of the computers, clipless pedals, road bars, and skinny tires. I no longer track my mileage. Riding is much more enjoyable now.

NOS88

Just ride. Even if it's only a mile and with street clothes on. Just get out and ride. Caring for kids can be a killer, but is should never be short changed. So, shift the way you think about riding. ANY ride is better than no ride.

dahut

That is right!

bruce19

I find that I can easily make excuses to leave the bike in the workshop. Most of my reluctance to ride is related to putting pressure on myself to ride faster and faster. If I just tell myself to go have a good time and concentrate on something other than speed (expl.: spinning) I go out and have a pleasant ride and then find myself wanting to ride more. I've been off the bike for a week because of "Irene." So, I'm riding today no matter what.

bruce19

Couldn't have said it better. And didn't.