BykOfALesserGod

I almost always ride by myself since I can't deal with weekend roadies riding like they are above the traffic laws.

What motivates me are data and music. I like tracking my progress and listening to James Brown.

WC89

I just happen to be one of those people who are self-motivated to work out, with or without others. I've always been that way. How riding makes my physique look (fit, trim, athletic) for my age (51) is a big motivator.

waterrockets 

I have a plan for the ride, which includes goals. I do the workout and get home.

roadiejorge 

I love to ride so motivation is never a problem. One of the many benefits of riding year round in the northeast is you endure the elements in the winter so the bad weather excuse is a non option unless it's really bad. There were two winters where I didn't ride and getting that fitness back was a bit of work so I vowed to not repeat that. I love to ride solo and without music because I want to be completely aware of what's on the road behind me and take the time to absorb the sounds of the environment around me. When I first started riding I used getting to a destination as the motivation, then once I could make it there I made getting there faster the challenge; I found that very motivational and entertaining. Nowadays I ride with more purpose (i.e. improving/maintaining fitness) and my daily commute becomes training/impromptu races with racers I know who commute. Bon chance!

RT

Get on up.

For those of you who use data and a little competition for motivation, I have a good project going, stickied at the top of this forum. If you want to compete with others in this forum, it is quite an extensive set of data that has worked to keep the participants motivated. Strava and other data trackers do this, but we don't all use the same trackers, and besides, this is more fun.

Info on how to join is in the original post, linked above. Just break down stats thus far by week if you wish to join.

androidtt

Not for everyone, but I count. Every second. When I'm on the bike segment of a triathlon you can see me counting.

I start from zero. Zero point zero. Zero point one. Zero point two. Zero... I just get in the zone. The bad news is that after a race I can't stop counting in my head for several hours! I also count my cadence in running one to eighty. I can recall the pace I'm going at based on how fast I'm numbering off.

If it's not a race, music is a nice background filler to the counting~

Cactuskid

Ride alone training to get in shape to ride with saturday club ride, its a vicious circle.

Best part of some rides if my thoughts are so "elsewhere" I actually will forget doing a few miles of the route at all

MetalPedaler

That happens to me all the time. What happened to that long upgrade that is always such a pain? I don't remember doing it. Someone must have flattened it out since last time! How did I get HER without going through Glockamora?

Beaker

This is a big part of the therapeutic benefit of a solo ride - it empties the mind; the one part of my day when that happens.

bikerjp

You mean it's not empty when on BF? You must be one of the few.

four de trance

I actually like riding solo more than group rides! I dig going on a few group rides a month, but would rather do solo work or with my wife as well. I like going on 70-100 mile rides in the beautiful scenic country that I live in around my house. There are plenty of county roads, farm land and open grass fields. The free feeling of just riding gets me going and keeps me motivated... if I lose that feeling, I need to take a break, but I haven't lost that amazing feeling just yet. I NEVER listen to music in fear of not being able to hear my surroundings and I think it's kind of intrusive.

I also love the sounds of the country side as well- birds, cattle, the wind blowing through the trees and the grass, et al.

the fly

It's getting tough for me. I get bored easily and the same roads over and over can get tedious. Unfortunately, alot of country roads around here are crap. Currently trying to find some group rides, or at least some companions. At present, if I didn't have my music, I'd go bananas. As it its, I usually find a reason to ride in the city some. Pretty bad when you want to mix it up with traffic because the rural areas just suck.

MetalPedaler

I get bored easily, too...but amazingly, cycling is one of the few things I can do for 2 hours or more...and not get bored. The time just seems to fly by....even on a very limited supply of rural roads. I don't know what it is.....but it just works for me!

four de trance

Interesting, I never get bored with riding and the same goes for running. I have been a runner all of my life (I prefer cycling over running now) and it is the exact same thing for running, I never get bored of the natural scenery and sounds from the environment whether it be urban or rural. The speed of cycling gives me a lot of excitement too, I like the pace and movement during rides. I've only been riding for about a year, but I am hooked for life, I really LOVE cycling. It has done so much for my mental and physical well-being in only one year!!

I've been on rides that have taken up to four to five hours and besides a little muscle/ butt fatigue, I was fine. I'm injured right now, but oh man, I cannot wait to get back on the road. I'll gradually start on the trainer and work my way back up to getting back to full speed. The one thing that does bug me though is the condition of some of the county roads I ride on around here in Texas.

The one thing that scares the mess out of me are those big cracks in the concrete that look like you're done for if your wheel gets stuck in one of them!!!! I remember hearing about a rider here in Texas that sued the city because he injured himself badly due to his wheel getting stuck in one of those hideous cracks. I'm aware of their locations on my usual rides, but I have to be very cautious when riding new routes. That's another thing about riding the same routes over and over: the ability to mentally "let go" and just have a nice, healthy, relaxing ride without worrying about road hazards.

The condition of many of the county roads around here sucks, but they're rural county roads for large farm vehicles, machinery, et al. so I don't think that it's worth getting all upset about. I'm just thankful for having a long routes that I can ride on. The cities around here are nicer, especially in Austin, TX!

On my longer rides, I usually keep my heart rate up at a comfortable rate, but I pace myself if I know I'm going to be on the bike for about four hours or more. I usually end up literally laughing out loud because I often get jolts of endorphins that make me high! I know people have heard me before speeding by their homes, laughing like a madman!! I've seen people just stare at me like I'm nuts, but laughter is awesome especially if it's brought on by our bodies natural feel-good opiate chemicals- endorphins and adrenaline!! Writing about it is making crazy with cabin fever now because I'm stuck inside due to my recent bike accident and it's also pouring down rain here.

Digitalfiend

My initial motivation was to lose weight and destress. Now I'm motivated to become as fit and fast as possible but I still primarily ride solo because I like being able to take in the sights and collect my thoughts during my ride instead of focusing on the person in front of me. It's nice to be able to set my own pace/intensity or take a new route on a whim. I'm also not a big talker so gabbing on a group ride doesn't really do it for me.

It's insanely hilly where I ride but we have some really nice rural roads (and some not so nice tarmac-wise) that just stretch on forever. I love planning new routes north to see how far I can get before the roads turn to gravel. Lastly, since discovering Strava last year I've become much more competitive. I've met some really nice people to ride with but I still generally prefer the solitude and quiet. I don't listen to music when I ride.

bhayes505

He said to find a fast group and get your ass handed to you. If the op is anything like myself or several others I ride with, we are very competitive. I don't like to get dropped, period. Even if it is with a group of Cat 1/2 that I know are faster than I am. I use that as fuel during my solo rides.

Standalone 

I get in the best shape when I'm commuting in heavy suburban/urban traffic. A sea of automobiles and a train to catch/ class to teach.... definitely motivating.

baj32161

With most of the days I have, it is the getting out by myself that IS the motivation.

four de trance

Funny! I do find that a buttload of traffic constantly passing by me and are close enough to feel the wind off of their vehicles to be a HUGE motivator to haul ass! It's funny, but I find that my average pace increases by a *minimum* of 15mph right around those areas for some reason, huh, go figure! :-)

When I first started riding, I rode with two other guys that were the only ones in the group that were willing to ride 50 miles that morning. They had an INSANE pace that literally made me see stars at one point from pushing so hard. Um, I didn't know about drafting at this point either... I knew about the concept/ theory of drafting, I just never practiced it and this was the worst time to practice it! The last 10 miles I stayed ahead of one of the guys and he dropped back to about a half of a mile's distance! The pace setter asked me where I suddenly got the energy to keep up from and I had told him that I knew we only had 10 miles left.

The headwind and the initial mental defeat of dropping back had really knocked me out, but I got my second wind from seeing only 10 miles left and feeling that I had a lot more energy to give. Since I had just started cycling, I didn't know how to properly pace myself, wasn't familiar with the course at all (and there were some SERIOUS climbs in there) as well as being in the dark about how to actually draft.

Now I know about all of this stuff and I do admit, I usually try a little more when in group rides just because I want to do well and I know that I'm not going to let myself let the aforementioned situation happen again. It's not about being too proud, but it's basically a bit of fun competition. I don't like it when other cyclists act like every single ride is the Tour! It's supposed to be fun and relaxing most of the time and I do push myself very hard riding solo as well.

MetalPedaler

LOL- I don't understand running. I get bored if i run 100'! Seriously! With cycling though, I think I could go forever, on days when the hills aren't getting to me. I love the rural environment where I live now- it's so nice to be able to ride 25 miles without having to come to a stop....but I think just being on a bicycle tends to make almost any locale enjoyable. I also enjoyed mixing it up with traffic in midtown Manhattan [It's really a lot of fun...it's just the darn pedestrians ya gotta watch out for!] as well as the suburban streets of Long Island. There' s just something magic about a road bike.

I've never yet experienced that runner's high on a bike...but wish that I would. I've experienced it when I used to walk a lot- always when the temperature was in the low 40's [Hmm..maybe that's why I don't get it on the bike...I haven't been riding when it's that cold!].

Roads around here are pretty good [Well, the paved oads, anyway...] but this one road that I have to take every time I ride, it had some cracks and pot-holes lately, which weren't a problem at all....but just recently they "fixed" those flaws by dumping gravel in them- and now I have to go very slow down the descent on that road because of the loose gravel! I did 17MPH down it today....on a descent where if I let it go, I could coast at 37!

dpt456

I set goals and keep track of numbers. It makes every workout seem like it counts, when it's really just me getting less slow.

John_V 

I don't know about the fast group, but if you have problems getting motivated to ride, solo or otherwise, maybe you should take up golf. I've been riding the same MUP every weekday for the past three years and still don't get bored riding. It's me and the bike and nothing else matters. On weekends, I ride different routes around our county with groups and I often do as many charity rides as I can during the year, but I much rather ride solo and really enjoy the ride.

caloso

Riding in a group is different than riding solo. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.

Nachoman

90% of my riding is in a group, head down, pushing hard, always chasing someone down.
Long solo rides give me a chance to go real slow, clear my head and listen to music.

Seattle Forrest

Why would you need motivation to ride your bike? It's a bike, riding it is fun. Leave the music at home, it's nothing but a distraction. Go outside, feel the wind in your hair.

Your motivation should be doing something you love and enjoy.