Lack of Motivation
 

Every day while i am at work i cannot wait until i get home to ride, i think to myself i will ride here or there or out to the beach and back 3 times (my regular afternoon ride is 2 times = 18 miles). I get home gather all my crap, mount the bike on the roof and go. I get on the bike and start riding and within minutes i dont want to ride anymore. Today had to do somewhat with the fact that the wind blowing on the beach trail was like someone was holding my handlebars and trying to stop me from riding, which isn't all that out of the ordinary because the tail wind is usually awesome. Not today, the wind was coming from everywhere. In general i just dont have any motivation at all once i am riding. I think a lot of it has to do with riding the same route 6 times a week, but i dont have many options other than that in NY. People driving on the roads are very very evil. What can i do. I have tried setting goals in my head like makng it there in whatever amount of time or beating some rollerbladder there by some amount of time. Help!

My situation is somewhat the opposite. Oh, the night before I ride I may be excited about riding for a record speed or distance, but when the next day rolls around, I often don't feel like it.

Instead, I find myself thinking about the bad traffic areas, wind, etc.

But once I'm actually riding, I feel pretty good about it.

Bob

Just get a new handlebar tape.......it'll get you going again, I guarantee...

Riding the same route often is a guaranteed way to lose interest in cycling. Been there done that. Is it possible to do the ride with someone else? Are there really no other places to ride or are you afraid of riding in traffic and the possible consequences? Have you had an accident recently?

I once had an accident that prevented me from enjoying cycling for several months. I wasn't injured but I was a bit worried that something worse might happen. I found myself riding the same loop for 6 months and became very bored with it all. It would only take the smallest thing to stop me from riding, too hot, too cold, wind, too dark etc.

I think you have to find new routes or maybe ride a different type of bike for a while Road to MTB or vice versa or ride with some friends. A change is as good as a holiday.

CHEERS.

Mark

Headwind is evil! It kills all the fun.

I have a similar problem. I'm unemployed and ride the s-a-m-e route 6-7 days a week.

As George said, "Just get a new handlebar tape.......it'll get you going again, I guarantee..."

Try buying something new - cycling clothes, shoes, water bottle, socks, whatever. It usually works for me.

Once, after leaving an interview that I didn't feel good about, I stopped by the LBS and bought some new tires for my bike. (I neeeded them anyway). Got home, mounted the tires, and when for a wonderful ride. What a motivator that was. :beer:


On my daily ride I go past several office buildings. I know a few cyclists are inside because I've seen roof racks on some of the cars in the parking lots. I always wonder what these folks are thinking when they see me riding by. As I ride past I say to myself (and to them), "Look at my jersey. You like it? It's new." Or, "It sure is great to be out here in the sunshine and not inside." Then I shift to a harder gear and ride faster. What a tease. :o :rolleyes:


You could also find a riding partner. Knowing that someone is depending on you to show up (maybe you're their motivator) will keep you going.

Be creative and find new reasons and ways to "push" yourself. It's definitely worth it.

No major accidents, and i ride alone, everyone i know rides on the weekends pretty much. I found a riding partner for wednesdays but thats mtbing and i prefer the road bike during the week. I just bought new shoes -Sidi Genius 4 and New Pedals -Ultegra '03. I want to upgrade my cannondale cranks to ultegra soon to.

Riding buddies are the answer for your problem. They provide some healthy competition and keep you company on the ride. Check out the cycling groups in your area with regularly scheduled rides. You should be able to find a regular ride at the level you want to ride at. Alternatively you could mix up your riding. Set goals for yourself. Make a plan, intervals on Monday, Active recovery on Tuesday Hill climbs on Wednesday, etc... Plan to do a century later this summer and train for it. Tailwinds.

Im kind of that way too. I sit at work all day just thinking about getting home and riding, but when I get home I have no motivation. The good thing is I know that as soon as I get on the bike im going no matter what so then im fine. I forget about lack of motivation once I begin riding. I do hate riding into the wind though. A few days ago I took off for a ride and it didnt seem windy at all, I didnt even feel a tailwind. I rode fifteen miles one direction and then turned around to head home and boom, a huge wind pushing against me the whole way home. By the time I got home I swore I was never going to ride again. haha
Like everyone else said though, changing your routes and getting a riding partner definetly help!!!!!!

Riding with other people is great, much less boring than alone. I basicly only have one route to train, its a big trail around here. And my training schedule is whatever i feel like doing that day, most times i explore, its fun seeing things you have never seen before, visiting diffrent places. I keep going further on the trail, now i have seen over half of it, and cant wait to see the rest. keep options open, if you have never been down some road, then its time to make a detour! this will keep your sence of direction on you toes. even if your ride goes from 1 to 3 hours, you'll be riding!!

I've been feeling that way sometimes. Going out alone can be kind of tedious sometimes, especially when it's the same route. And going out with a group often makes me feel inadequate because I'm not the strongest person in the world, I don't have 20 years of racing in my legs, I can't sprint for s*** and I often get left behind, so I feel all insecure. So sometimes it's hard to get motivated. Although I admit I like riding with others better than riding alone, because then I don't have to worry about things like emergencies or accidents as much. But to motivate myself I think of all the nice weight I've lost and how much better I look these days, and all the hot guys I see on the bike path, and once I get out on my bike it feels a lot better. But if i REALLY can't think of getting on a bike and it has no appeal at all, I'll just take a day off or even a couple, until I feel that feeling again of "I gotta get out on my bike!"