thehammerdog

days shorter, cooler just feels harder to motivate self to ride.
how do you cope ..

Thomas15

I am slowly starting to transition back to my indoor trainer and Zwift. Not due to the cold yet but lack of sunlight when I get home from work. Outside on days off.

delbiker1 

I set what I call soft goals. Miles, hours, days, etc. I would like to reach, but if I don't, it's ok. Honestly, I usually do not need anything to motivate. I love riding my bikes, it is one of the best things in my life. Also, being comfortable on rides is more motivating to me than avg. speed, length or duration of a ride. Stopping for breaks for whatever reason, or no reason.

Speedway2

Fall...or whenever....my Mojo is affected by weather. Too hot, too cold, too wet, too windy, etc. I'm a suck when it comes to riding conditions.
Fortunately, I don't mind riding my stationary bike. It's parked in front of a tv in the basement and allows me to catch up of some mind numbing shows.....

Phil_gretz

I thought @thehammerdog had just taken a bad fall, causing him to back off on aggressive riding. That's happened to me in mountain biking. Now in my 60s, I'm not nearly as reckless as I was in my 40s.

As for autumn, it's my favorite time of year to ride. The air is cooler and significantly drier in the DC/Virginia area. That's a huge factor for my enjoyment. I love fall because the scenery gets transformed from lush green with its loamy scents and dull insect buzz to varied colors, cool breezes and the first whiff of leaves decaying.

Not so sure about mojo, but I hope that this helps the discussion. PG

DorkDisk

I love the fall, and actually ride more. For winter, I like to switch bikes to something slower and hit the woods.

Reflector Guy

Indeed! Already I am having to eat quickly as soon as I get home from work if I want time to ride for an hour afterward. This won't go on much longer.

Flip Flop Rider

feel the same

Notso_fastLane

I use my bike to commute. This at least keeps me motivated to do a minimum number of miles most days. The weather has to be really atrocious (I have a velomobile for snow and bad weather) to keep me from riding.

Mojo31

This is how I cope.

OldTryGuy

SERIOUSLY >>> moved from NJ to FL in 1986. Things were awesome until Prostate Cancer whacked me down in 2015 and treatment began with a bilateral orchiectomy. Believe me when I say that it took the snap out of my legs and poured molasses over my mojo.

A little PSA about making sure that y'all should keep tabs on your PSA.

ofajen

Yeah, I was just noticing that it was a month and a half since I switched back to only riding SS and I’m riding significantly longer rides and a bit faster, but I think the perfect riding temps and beautiful weather have a lot to do with it. Our trails are so pretty now that I just want to keep riding and ride every single day.

Riding SS mostly means not having to think about shifts and less dust/grime collected by the chain.

In winter, when everything is grey and brown (and sometimes white) and it’s cold, that’s when I will probably be content to get out, get in some decent work and get home before my fingers are numb.

Otto

Altair 4

I think I'm reaching this stage on a philosophical level. Riding has become more of an anti-depressant than it used to be. I enjoy it for the rhythm of the pedals, the sights, sounds, and smells around me. Different rides bring different sensory gratifications.

Litespud

depends where you are I suppose. We’re starting to see fall temps here in central NC - mid-50s in the morning, peaking ~70. Time for knickers and arm warmers. Perfect cycling weather. Helps that I’m working from home - I can get a ride in as soon as there’s enough light, and just work a little later in the evening

Cyclist0108

I'm finding this plus the whole region having been incinerated isn't helping.

freeranger

Same here. I'd rather ride in the fall, without the summer heat/humidity-whether road or trails.

Chuckles1

I take shorter rides, as cooler weather takes more out of me fatigue-wise. Also, I tend more to gravel roads with less traffic, as the lower sun angle, more shadows on the road, more wind make it less safe to ride paved roads with lots of traffic. Also it's the time of year I stop thinking about speed/ training, and just enjoy being out in the blessedly bug- free fall air.

CAT7RDR

After all the extreme heat and still ongoing forest fires, I am looking forward to real fall weather but that does not arrive in So Cal until November if at all.

thehammerdog

nice boat.....😀

BobbyG

There are a few factors that combine to motivate me to bike to work year-round, in all weather including snow.

I guess my main motivation is "smugness". Seriously. I may not be the fastest, the most stylish, or have the best and newest equipment, but I am riding when many others don't. I was missing too many days due to snow and ice in the winter, so five years ago I bought studded snow tires and I gained back all those "lost" winter days. I started to push my cold weather threshold down and I reclaimed even more days of riding. (I'm good down to 5F now).

Three years ago I experimented with DIY rain capes, fashioned one, that works, then another and now I ride on more rainy days, or days where it is likely to rain. ( I have always had adequate fenders on my commuter bikes.)

Then there's the "health" angle. I'm 58 and my daily 18 mile-round-trip ride keeps me healthy enough to enjoy life with better cardio, stamina and blood chemistry (like lower cholesterol). Riding also helps with my seasonal allergies...especially in winter. Sure, riding outdoors exposes me to grass, pollen and whatever (including smoke from fires), but after 15-20 minutes of riding my sinuses open up and drain, and it makes a positive difference.

Then there's the "endorphin factor". Riding just feels good! Okay, it's more than just endorphins, there's norepinephrine secretion, dopamine, and serotonin. All combine to give a pleasurable sensation, or "runner's high".

And I sleep better when I am cycling regularly.

And that ties into better mental health. Less depression, quiet time alone (alone with spoken word podcasts for me (one ear only). Freedom from stressful car-traffic (for the most part). And when there is stress and frustration in my life...mashing a bicycle pedal relieves it better than mashing a gas pedal.

Then there's the adventure and beauty factor. Fall colors, crisp cool air, pristine snow, not only traveling under my own power, but putting out enough heat to stay comfortable on my own. Riding home at night in the dark, during winter months I feel safer as I'm lit up from head to to and side to side. And on dark, quiet side streets I feel like a kid under the blankets with a flashlight.

Meeting the challenges of season and weather is just another hill to master.

Another big motivation for me was "The Year I Didn't Ride". In 2010 at 48 I suffered a bulging disk in my neck. I wasn't sure if I was going to ride again or not. Excruciating, unrelenting pain aside, the total physical inactivity brought all the things I enjoyed about cycling into focus through their absence. I gained weight, lost stamina, experienced sinus problems, became depressed, stressed and slept poorly. Getting back on the bike and getting in shape enough to ride to work took a few months, and reconquering the hills here in Colorado Springs took even longer, but I got back to where I was.

I guess that "fight" to get back has really been my main motivation over the last ten years. No one and nothing is going to keep me off the bike if I can help it...And as I approach my 60s I feel as if I am at least "cheating death" and old age, if not actually fighting back against them.

The motivational secret of biking to work is that you only have to have enough motivation to get dressed and ride 5 minutes. After that, if you don't feel like riding, it is more of a hassle to return home, change into your street clothes and drive, or take whatever transit you take to work. Not to mention the lost time. The same with returning home.

So those are my motivations for riding year-round in all weather...or perhaps the reasons to have me committed to an institution.

Everybody is different and you will have to find your motivation or motivating factors.

And if you don't ride in all seasons and weather conditions, that's okay, too. Most people don't.

Just ride your ride, and enjoy what you do.

Mojo31

Thanks. Notice the name?

55murray

I find someone to tell me to HTFU...
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.
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HTFU!! You're welcome.

Troul 

going to be more aggressive this year during the fall season as I am picking up attire that should ideally help with the cold & moderate wetness. Once it starts snowing, I'll be rerouted indoors.

Milton Keynes

I've actually found that I want to get out more. Cooler weather in the mornings, yet I still sweat a bit. When it starts getting too cold I'll put my bike on my trainer and spin on it in the morning.

Rhondito

This is my favorite time of year to ride - it makes my soul happy! After our brutal, sweltering summers in Mississippi, it's nice to be out in cooler temps and less humid air.
My favorite routes take me through roads canopied with huge oak trees and they're so pretty when the leaves change.
I do hate that it gets dark earlier but thankfully my work schedule allows me to get out with enough time to ride in the afternoons.