often times i go out for a ride, feel good for the first 4 miles or so while i'm warming up with some easy spinning. then i hit a dead spot and my legs feel like logs and my motivation drops off dramatically (sometimes i feel like heading home right then). but i find i can pedal right through it and get a 2nd wind which lasts until the end of the ride.

i really hate that dead spot of my training. what do you think causes it? is it diet or is it a mental thing? almost without fail i have a banana, clif bar, and a piece of wheat bread with a little peanut butter before i head out.

Try eating earlier before you head out. Maybe you're getting an energy spike from eating right before you go.

with my schedule that may be tough, but perhaps worth a try. i usually come home from work, eat, and head out on the bike for 2 hours. i have to do that if i want to be done by 10:00pm.

what do you think, maybe try eating an hour before riding?

Give it a try. Everybody's metabolism is different, you'll have to experiment & find the best recipe that suits you.

2 hr. rides in NYC at 8:00pm!? That's pretty hardcore. You must have a pretty good light setup.

actually, there are plenty of lights from street lamps to make it possible to ride without lights. but i have a basic white light on the front and red blinkies on the back, which are set at the solid setting (i.e. they don't blink). i also have a reflective strap around my ankle. pretty cheap and simple set up. i usually ride along the river and into the park, so i'm not in the thick of traffic.

We must have passed each other unknowingly a couple of times, esp. in December... These are my routes too and in December I used to ride them between 6 and 9 pm...

Now I'm only on a trainer... Besides, I've been really sick in the past week, with a bad case of flu/cold (hopefully receding)...