Have questions or want to discuss cycling? Join Now or Sign In to participate in the BikeRide community.

New: Take Part in the March Giveaway: Coming Soon 3/24


Motivation to ride
#1
At the moment I seem to be looking for any little excuses not to ride although once I ma on the bike everything is fine. Its not a physical and its not the bike but it feels more like my mind. I recently bought a new helmet and rucksack which match my riding shorts and it felt good for a while but now I'm back to that feeling. I usually commute through the Winter as it gives me a chance to test my hardiness and impress my work colleagues so its not that either. I think one of the things for me is that I don't have a commuting buddy so there were times when I have felt lonely doing the journey. I did try making friends along my route but in my 7 years no one really seems interested in teaming up and only want to compete.
I am interested in finding out what do other people do to keep their motivation up or pick themselves up when that drops.
  Reply
#2
Bike commuting for me is easy motivation - driving around here is AWFUL.

I am a loaner by nature, so riding along alone suits me fine. I do say 'hi' to people I meet on the bike trail.

Sorry, I don't have anything helpful for you.
Nigel
  Reply
#3
How many minutes is your commute and what kind of traffic are you running into? I'm sure it is not as enjoyable as recreational riding. I try to ride 25 minutes a day for fitness, but more then 7/8 of my ride is off road on a dike and a short trail. So I am not getting stressed from traffic like you maybe are? Before I retired I always drove back and forth to work or took public transit as the traffic were I live is extremely busy. I'm just not comfortable riding in traffic with people talking and texting on their phones and others maybe having too much to drink or too high from smoking.
"Where ever we go, there we are"
  Reply
#4
(01-13-2015, 10:44 PM)elmore leonard Wrote:  How many minutes is your commute and what kind of traffic are you running into? I'm sure it is not as enjoyable as recreational riding. I try to ride 25 minutes a day for fitness, but more then 7/8 of my ride is off road on a dike and a short trail. So I am not getting stressed from traffic like you maybe are? Before I retired I always drove back and forth to work or took public transit as the traffic were I live is extremely busy. I'm just not comfortable riding in traffic with people talking and texting on their phones and others maybe having too much to drink or too high from smoking.

My commute takes about 50 to 60 minutes depending on how fast I have to negotiate traffic each way especially since I do 9-5 so I get the full brunt of the traffic. Concentration has to be 100% and any switching off of the brain could be fatal as I agree you see drivers on their phones and even reading newspapers. The commute is enjoyable in an adrenaline boosting kind of way as I tend to ride pretty fast on my single speed bikes. I dont find my fellow commuters very friendly and I always try to be. I've decided that I'm gonna cut down on the commute and do some more long rides. I rode to Cambridge (65 miles one way) a few times last Summer with 2 mates and we took the train back and I really enjoyed that as we found some very quiet country roads which really allowed us to enjoy the bike.
  Reply
#5
Sounds like you found your issue. Traffic can take the fun right out of riding! We are always hearing of folks being killed here around Balt-Wash area. Folks in cars that do not ride don't get it. I was the same way until I started riding. I find that I pay more attention to bikes now as I know how scary it can be on the receiving end! When it's not fun we don't do it.

Bill
Nobody ever said "I wish I would have gotten less of a bike!"

Cervelo S5
Cannondale F29 1 alloy Lefty
Trek X-01 Crossbike
2017 Trek Farley 7
71 Ral Professional
72 Ral International
73 Ral Grand Sports
73 Ral Competition
74 Ral Super course
74 Ral Granprix
74 Paramount
2017 Trek Domane SLR 6

  Reply
#6
(01-13-2015, 10:44 PM)elmore leonard Wrote:  How many minutes is your commute and what kind of traffic are you running into? I'm sure it is not as enjoyable as recreational riding. I try to ride 25 minutes a day for fitness, but more then 7/8 of my ride is off road on a dike and a short trail. So I am not getting stressed from traffic like you maybe are? Before I retired I always drove back and forth to work or took public transit as the traffic were I live is extremely busy. I'm just not comfortable riding in traffic with people talking and texting on their phones and others maybe having too much to drink or too high from smoking.

Sorry; I did not make myself clear. 80+% of my bicycle commute is on a dedicated paved bike trail with no motor vehicle. The rest is on well marked (and mostly respected by motor vehicles) bike lanes. The motivation for riding my bike is that I hate driving a motor vehicle (Jeep in my case) during commuting hours. Driving it is ~½ hour each way; bike is a bit over an hour each way.
Nigel
  Reply
#7
(01-14-2015, 01:21 PM)nfmisso Wrote:  
(01-13-2015, 10:44 PM)elmore leonard Wrote:  How many minutes is your commute and what kind of traffic are you running into? I'm sure it is not as enjoyable as recreational riding. I try to ride 25 minutes a day for fitness, but more then 7/8 of my ride is off road on a dike and a short trail. So I am not getting stressed from traffic like you maybe are? Before I retired I always drove back and forth to work or took public transit as the traffic were I live is extremely busy. I'm just not comfortable riding in traffic with people talking and texting on their phones and others maybe having too much to drink or too high from smoking.

Sorry; I did not make myself clear. 80+% of my bicycle commute is on a dedicated paved bike trail with no motor vehicle. The rest is on well marked (and mostly respected by motor vehicles) bike lanes. The motivation for riding my bike is that I hate driving a motor vehicle (Jeep in my case) during commuting hours. Driving it is ~½ hour each way; bike is a bit over an hour each way.

Thanks for the input.
  Reply


Forum Jump:

[-]
10 Latest Posts
Santini fluted frame
Today 01:39 PM
Expensive bikes with crappy wheels
Today 10:15 AM
Where are you from and What is your favo...
Yesterday 11:43 PM
2007 Trek Pilot S.P.A. 5.2
Yesterday 07:06 PM
2010 Specialized Hardrock
03-26-2024 09:16 PM
1990 Specialized Rockhopper How to Fluff...
03-25-2024 07:05 PM
Thread busted on right pedal crank
03-24-2024 08:52 PM
Trek domane tyre
03-24-2024 05:48 PM
Modern rims crack at spoke holes
03-24-2024 05:32 PM
Cup & Cone — Simple & Durable or PITA & ...
03-24-2024 04:53 PM

[-]
Join BikeRide on Strava
Feel free to join if you are on Strava: www.strava.com/clubs/bikeridecom

[-]
Top 5 Posters This Month
no avatar 1. Painkiller
21 posts
no avatar 2. ReapThaWhirlwind
16 posts
no avatar 3. Jesper
16 posts
no avatar 4. GirishH
15 posts
no avatar 5. meamoantonio
15 posts