longest stretch off the bike

[Tickdoc]

Will be three weeks tomorrow. Yikes! Just been too busy with travel and work and family; a new dog, new technology added at work, a new building going up, homecoming... yada yada.

I feel bad but there just hasn't been enough time lately and I'm kinda burned out this year for some reason.

Now we are edging in fast on colder weather and the time change which is only going to make matters worse.

How do you get motivated to get out there and suffer when the desire isn't as strong?

Oh, and meet Oreo....
https://i.imgur.com/hwWr1qWl.jpg

[Veloo]

Hello Oreo!

Maybe ditch the suffering and enjoy some lighter riding. Pickup a trailer for the pooch and enjoy his company as well.

[oldpotatoe]

Tickdoc;2612781]Will be three weeks tomorrow. Yikes! Just been too busy with travel and work and family; a new dog, new technology added at work, a new building going up, homecoming... yada yada.

I feel bad but there just hasn't been enough time lately and I'm kinda burned out this year for some reason.

Now we are edging in fast on colder weather and the time change which is only going to make matters worse.

How do you get motivated to get out there and suffer when the desire isn't as strong?

Oh, and meet Oreo....
Good morning Oreo!!

I'm been very unmotivated lately...more than lately..even when warmer, just not really interested...NOW it's cold and snowy..so really not interested...BUT no big deal..I'll ride when the mood strikes me..

[skiezo]

Loving the parti doodle. Is he a labradoodle? Heres mine year old parti.
https://i.imgur.com/fo1DkG3l.jpg
I have been doing just short rides since I started chemo and radiation just to keep active.
I have been off for a month or so when working 7 days a week and 12 hour days but it gets better.

[weisan]

How do you get motivated to get out there and suffer when the desire isn't as strong?

Picture yourself:

[MattTuck]

3 weeks off the bike?

Seems like a lot, but it isn't. (Trust me!) When the desire comes back, start turning the pedals again.

[Steve in SLO]

I’ve been there several times over the last 40+ years of riding. The longest stretch was probably over a year and a half.
A few suggestions:
Realign your thinking from suffering to pleasure and ride with that in mind.
Ditch the guilt and your computer.
Ride without expectations.
Consider an alternative exercise regimen for a while.
Good luck!

[biker72]

Since July 27 has been the longest stretch for me. Fractured hip and clavicle. Presently I have plenty of motivation but lack the ability to get on a bike. I have borrowed a 3 wheel recumbent from work to ride but it's just not the same as a good ole 2 wheeler.

[oldpotatoe]

I’ve been there several times over the last 40+ years of riding. The longest stretch was probably over a year and a half.
A few suggestions:
Realign your thinking from suffering to pleasure and ride with that in mind.
Ditch the guilt and your computer.
Ride without expectations.
Consider an alternative exercise regimen for a while.
Good luck!

YUP, this 'stop riding and you will get fat and die', with pictures..helps nothing..find something else..like walking..I play pingpong..not your gramma's pingpong either...but if you are tired of the bike, so what, do something else..

Being 'surgically joined to a bike' can cause 'infections'...:)

[d_douglas]

Weird - we have a good friend who just got a labradoodle named Oreo - is your name Linda, by chance !?!

As for Riding , ditch all expectations and just go if/when you feel like it! It’ll be a revelation!

[Matthew]

I go nuts if I miss 3 days!! Begin to feel guilty, etc. But this time of year here in Michigan can suck so it's easy to forgo an outdoor ride for a trainer ride. Typically my motivation wanes now as well. This year I got more into the MTB thanks to a riding buddy and was having a blast this fall. Did a race and really am hating to see the season come to an end. Looking forward to next year. Also making it easier to not feel so bad has been the lousy weather here lately. Just like spring, it's been wet and cold. But to the OP, don't beat yourself up about it. Life happens as they say. The time for riding will likely come back and so should the motivation. Great looking new pup too!!

[redir]

If you were racing then three weeks would be the end of your season, you'd be done. Lemonds training book said one week off the bike requires three weeks training to get back where you were and from my experience it's true. But for us regular folks three weeks is no biggie. You will feel it when you get back on the bike but you will get used to it again.

Great looking pup there and same with Skiezo, I love that black head hahahha.

[CDM]

the internet doesnt care...nor should I

[Spaghetti Legs]

A new bike always cures the bike riding blahs for me. New routes are a cheaper way to go. Being more aggressive about seeking out gravel roads has opened up my local ride palette quite a bit.

[paredown]

I'm kinda in the same boat, although I did get out on Sat for a short ride for the first time for about three weeks. Kind of sucked--

I should say, being out of shape kinda sucked--and then half way through the ride, I was gawking at a flock of wild turkeys and really digging the fall air, mist and all...so I had a good ride despite feeling like a slow old git...

So yeah there is startup pain, but also lots to remind you why it is fun too.

I've got the Nordic track set up, and it is probably back to that over the winter, unless I can sneak out on some not-to-cold days (gets down to freezing, I can really convince myself anymore..)

Oreo looks like a good pup!

[denapista]

This has been my lowest year of mileage and climbing... I just don't have the mental fortitude to go on 7-8hr rides by myself, like I used too.. I don't know what it is, but it just feels like cycling is down all over. I share the same sentiments that a number of my friends feel. Maybe it's the just the maturation of being a working professional adult and trying to coincide with cycling?

I also feel like building new bikes, or buying new parts give me motivation to get out and ride more.. I still get a couple of rides in a week, and I make sure they're super punchy to shock my legs and fitness back into shape.

I'm looking for another Ti project and ultimately build a commuter style 650b/27.5 gravel/rando/commuting build just to get out on the bike without getting fully kitted up. Those are the kinds of rides I need right now. Strap the Medium Format camera onto the rack and go on photo missions..

[Dave]

Almost 8 years off was a long time. Now that I'm back, it looks like I'll be riding about 3500 miles per year rather than 5000. I used to always ride 3-3.5 hours, but now I'm riding a little under 3, most of the time.

In the really cold winter, I won't ride unless it's in the 40's and dry. No wet rides for me. I got a new cheap kinetic trainer. I'll try to use it 3-4 hours a week. About an hour at a time is all I can stand. No strava for me.

Just finished putting the snow blower on the lawn tractor.

[Tickdoc]

Loving the parti doodle. Is he a labradoodle? Heres mine year old parti.
https://i.imgur.com/fo1DkG3l.jpg
I have been doing just short rides since I started chemo and radiation just to keep active.
I have been off for a month or so when working 7 days a week and 12 hour days but it gets better.

Parti Golden doodle. That is one handsome pooch btw. Crazy thing is he was free. Previous owner wanted him as a "picture taking dog" for a wedding event center but it didn't work out. Still got some puppy in him at 8mos, but he is one good dog. He goes in for training to become a certified comfort dog here shortly.

[Tickdoc]

I'm looking for another Ti project and ultimately build a commuter style 650b/27.5 gravel/rando/commuting build just to get out on the bike without getting fully kitted up. Those are the kinds of rides I need right now. Strap the Medium Format camera onto the rack and go on photo missions..

That's funny because that is what I did last year, only al not ti. Made a gravelly commuter with dynamo and 650 interchangeability/fenders and haven't made it out of the neighborhood with it yet.

I like the road so much that I'm afraid I will stop riding all together when the time comes to not ride on the road anymore.

[jwalther]

Tomorrow will mark four weeks for me :eek:! Started with a week out of town on vacation, followed by a nasty bug I've yet to fully recover from. I'm heading out of town tomorrow for a long weekend trip, and hope to start my fall/winter indoor training program next week.

[PeregrineA1]

Two months yesterday. Following my human lawn dart impression on an MTB ride. 8 broken ribs, broken and winged scapula, broken T2, and concussion. Going to give the bike a shot this weekend, tempered by the fact I can’t do anything sudden with my left arm/shoulder. Looking forward to a return to normalcy....


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[Lanternrouge]

How do you get motivated to get out there and suffer when the desire isn't as strong?



I'm never really motivated to go out specifically to suffer. Riding with a friend or friends is what helps me get out, especially if I'm not going into my main office. Lack of motivation can happen for me even when the weather is pretty good.

It's also helpful to find at least one other thing to do for yourself that isn't cycling. Even taking the dogs for a walk is more exercise than a lot of people get.

[yarbsr02]

As others have said ditching the computer is a great step in the right direction when not feeling fast or motivated. Can always record on your phone to record the route.

Also nothing wrong with short rides. I find that often when I go out thinking “maybe an hour” it ends up closer to two. As holds true for running, “the first mile is the hardest”.

[joosttx]

I went 5 years during my PhD and post doc and first year of work. I really couldn’t afford to race and was working too hard. Anyway, it happens. I think I went like a month off when my daughter was born. And the went 2 months when I broke my wrist. It happens.

[Clydesdale]

I'm in my longest stretch right now, but not by choice. Dealing with some health issues and hoping to get the green light soon. Try to remember for most of us cycling is something we get to do not have to do. Just go for a ride and remind yourself what you love about it.

[denapista]

I've noticed that when I'm off of the bike for a few weeks, doing my regular routes that I kind of BANG out, it's more refreshing to just cruise them. Instead of trying to average 12-14mph up the climb, just cruise at 5-7mph and enjoy being out.. It kind of rekindles my love for cycling and just being outdoors.

Sometimes when you're constantly banging out your local loops, you miss all of the beauty of being outside to begin with. Riding a pace fast enough to say hello to people walking dogs in secluded areas, etc. It's like a whole new ride.

[Tickdoc]

Update...tomorrow will make 8 solid weeks with no biking. That's a record for me. Still not that interested. I'm hunting instead with what little free time is avaialble.

Each week that goes by makes me wonder just how bad it is going to be when I do finally decide to climb back on.

[54ny77]

a few years. life happens. :bike:

[YoKev]

I'm in this club too.

Between selling my house, living with inlaws for the better part of 4 months, and now settling into a new house, this year has been terrible for my bike time.

Bike time has been consumed by fixing things in the new house, painting, trail building, and picking up some extra professional work on the side.

Going into winter though, I typically ride a lot. I hope to be back on some sort of regular schedule by the beginning of December :banana:

[LouDeeter]

90% of a good exercise program is walking out the door. My rule is never go more than 3 days without doing something. When we travel, often for up to 3 weeks, I don't ride, but my wife and I always exercise, even if it is only doing pushups, sit-ups and stretching. There are many times when I get on the bike, find that the wind is high, the streets are wet, or I just don't have the umph; but pressing through to ride at least enough to get the blood flowing is worth it for my mental and physical well-being. When I was younger, riding was primarily to keep me physically fit and a precursor to enjoying good food and wine without feeling guilty. Exercise is a main contributor to brain health and as we age, brain health becomes more and more a priority.