Is it just the circles I run (slowly) in, or have other people noticed...

[Ray]

...a reduced amount of / intensity of / enthusiasm for riding this year?

I've definitely been riding a lot less. Part of it is because readying a condo to move into, moving, and getting a house to ready to sell was a pert near full time job for a few months. But even during other parts of the year, I was just less willing to go out when it was real cold, raining, real windy, real hot, etc, etc, etc. And when I have ridden, instead of generally riding 45-60 miles, most of my rides have been 30-45 miles. The long and the short is that while I've ridden 4,000-6,000 miles per year for the past ten years or so, I doubt I'll be at more than 2,000 - 2,500 this year. Today was the day that one of my favorite centuries is run and the weather was PERFECT. But I wasn't even up for the metric. I did a 50 mile ride on my own, stopped in at one of the rest stops to say hi to some folks, and went about my business. And, despite taking it pretty easy, was pretty spent by the end - the price of not riding long or often.

If it was just me, I wouldn't give it another thought. Ebb and flow and all that. But a LOT of my riding friends and acquaintances have had similar experiences this year. Many report a lack of motivation and a BIG reduction in miles this year. I was talking with a couple of the real hard-cores in my club the other day, guys who regularly ride over 10,000 miles a year and even THEY were having off years. One guy was guessing he'd end up with 6,000 or so and the other guy was guessing well under 5,000.

I wonder what's up? The weather hasn't been particularly bad this year, although there were some tough stretches. We're all getting older, but only a little at a time... Could the general disillusion with the racing aspect of the sport affect folks all the way down to the highly non-competitive recreational level? I hope not, but there was a bit more buzz around the sport when an American was kicking regular a$$ in the Tour every summer. Global warming? I really have no idea.

But the first question is - is it just my strange little circle of friends. Or is it happening to the same degree it always has and I'm just more aware of the people having that experience this year because I'm having it too?

Just wondering,

-Ray

[Fixed]

bro give it time ..if the fire comes back you'll pack on the miles ..if not you 'll be a fit cat maybe not like the old days but better than most cats ..
maybe your other bros are goin through the same things you are imho
even a hour ride is good for the soul
cheers :beer:

[regularguy412]

I've been riding more this year, but I've sort of had a 'plan'. Currently at approx. 5,000 miles since January 1st,, and should easily surpass 6K by the end of December. However, I've had a bit of additional incentive. I've been trying to get back into the vicinity of my old racing weight of 150 lbs after having been off the bike completely between mid-1999 and January 2005. During that off-time, I gained over 70 lbs. I'm down to 167 lbs and still have about 12 lbs that I'd _really_ like to shed, but I'm not really losing much sleep over it. Some of the racers I routinely ride with are trying to get me to go do our State Champ. Crit later this month. I haven't firmly committed to it yet. After all, I'm almost 10 years older than when I last raced.

That said, I think it's good to have some kind of goal ( even one that might not be realistically attainable ) like: working up to doing a double metric or a double century. You may not actually _do_ one, but the thought of it swims around in the back of your mind and helps with motivation.

It hasn't hurt (the riding potential) that the weather around here has been rain-free for about the last six weeks -- though it sure has been super hot (Hx approx 105 degrees ).

Lastly, when your OTD (Out-The-Door) Factor is low, call up a riding buddy. If no one is available to ride, go do something else athletic. Your body still gets a workout, you retain fitness and your mind gets a break. Just switching up your riding regimen helps break the monotony and freshens up your perspective.

Mike in AR

[Kevan]

you ain't alone. Last year was 5k +/- and this year will be about standard schmoe stuff, 2.5k. I'm thinking of rekindling the century-a-month ridefest of last year.

Otherwise, I ain't sweating it. My talent is off and my weight is up. Starting this month I'll be Rocky Balboaing my butt back into shape f'r next year.

[Ray]

That said, I think it's good to have some kind of goal ( even one that might not be realistically attainable ) like: working up to doing a double metric or a double century. You may not actually _do_ one, but the thought of it swims around in the back of your mind and helps with motivation.In the past, my goals have always been the rather general goals of being in good enough shape to do a tour and do a few centuries in the fall. But I never felt those were driving factors - I just dug riding so much that I naturally got into that kind of shape. The last couple of years I haven't done tours but still rode a bunch and did centuries. This year, neither.

Lastly, when your OTD (Out-The-Door) Factor is low, call up a riding buddy. If no one is available to ride, go do something else athletic. Your body still gets a workout, you retain fitness and your mind gets a break. Just switching up your riding regimen helps break the monotony and freshens up your perspective.I've always ridden mostly solo and, for the past couple of years, mostly during the week when others couldn't ride anyway. So I don't think that would be a motivator even if it was available to me. But I DO walk our dog 2-3 times per day for 15-20 minutes at a reasonably good pace, which gives me consistent, if not very intense, exercise. Walking her definitely gives my mind a break!

But I didn't intend this to be about ME as much as whether anyone else has noticed a trend in this direction this year, as I have. Sounds like maybe not, which is a good thing. Maybe my awareness of others having slow years is heightened because I'm having one. I'm not going to figure my fire is gone unless it happens repeatedly.

-Ray

[Bruce K]

I'm afraid I'm the reverse this year.

Any excuse to get out, better planning, more discipline. I wil break 4000 miles this weekend at The Sunflower Revolution.

I can certainly understand changes in attitude (and even changes in latitude). Maybe just enjoying the year fo=r what it is is enough and things will change next year.

Hang in there,

BK

[stevep]

try something different to recharge.
mountin bike.
cross bike.
something altogether different like swim.
need a change to relight the fire.

[manet]

no worries Ray, A.L.Breguet has picked up the slack for you and me!

[Ray]

Didn't really mean it to just be about ME having a slow year. I have reasons. I'm kind of enjoying the shorter rides for a change. I'm not going to worry about it until and unless it happens repeatedly, and probably not even if it does - I'd probably just figure it was a change in priorities. Just wondering if anyone else saw a pattern this year like I have. It doesn't look like it, which is a good thing. I guess I'm just more sensitive to others who are having slow years because I'm having one myself.

I've REALLY lost interest in riding off-road. I used to do a lot of it, then less, then less, now practically nil. I work sections of dirt roads into my road rides, but trail riding just doesn't appeal much anymore. I love walking my dog on the trails these days. So that's not an option I'm likely to pursue. But I'm not too worried about general lack of conditioning - I'm not as bicycle fit as in past years, but still probably more fit than 95% of the population and certainly fit enough to feel good. I know what its like to feel like a lug and I'm nowhere close to that.

-Ray

[Ken Robb]

how old are you and your friends? :)

[1centaur]

While you were not asking about you, the responses here suggest it IS about you. If you had not had a down year you might not have connected the dots to your riding acquaintances. I see more people than ever, by a lot, riding in my quiet suburban/rural environs, with women up to 40% from probably 5% 5 years ago. I don't think doping is half as important as baby boomer demographics, disposable income, and the Lance ripple continuing to have positive effects on people exercising. Road cycling has become cool and posh, not just dorky, which attracts attention by newbies who then get addicted in some percentage to finding out what they can do and how much they can eat.

Those of us who have been cycling for years are mostly in our forties or older, have ridden all our local loops enough times to find them boring, understand that intervals=pain=progress and will inevitably reduce miles (typically) over the next 10 years. However, if we retire healthy and move to good cycling country, I'd anticipate a few more years of route and fitness discovery.

[johnmdesigner]

I started riding really seriously this year after I lost my job in February. I was doing 40-50 miles per day 3-5 days per week. But even though I've ridden a 60 and 70 miler this year I just can't motivate myself to go further. The lack of riding buddies doesn't help and being in the NYC area I just don't find the routes interesiting anymore. Last week I was riding 15-17mph and really didn't give a d**m. It's really hard to get to the next level. I really wonder what other people do to keep themselves motivated.
Fixed is right - sometimes I go out and hurt like hell the first hour but the last one is bliss.

[DarrenCT]

Ray,

No big deal at all. Get a new bike and you'll be stacking on the miles! :)

I'm actually down a bit from last year also. Last year I did ~9,000. This year I'm on pace for 7,000.

It's nice every once in awhile to just relax and do nothing imho...

time for a beer
-d

[Ray]

how old are you and your friends?
I'm 48. Most of them are 40s and 50s, a few younger or older.

While you were not asking about you, the responses here suggest it IS about you. If you had not had a down year you might not have connected the dots to your riding acquaintances.
Agreed - I think I acknowledged the same thing in previous post. I count this as GOOD news, btw.

Those of us who have been cycling for years are mostly in our forties or older, have ridden all our local loops enough times to find them boring, understand that intervals=pain=progress and will inevitably reduce miles (typically) over the next 10 years. However, if we retire healthy and move to good cycling country, I'd anticipate a few more years of route and fitness discovery.
I'm in my late 40s, have been riding a lot for about 10 years, live in GREAT cycling country, have explored it thoroughly for most of those 10 years and am just having trouble motivating for longer rides and to ride as often as I used to. Ironically, I quit my office job a couple of years ago and work for myself now in a capacity that lets me ride plenty during the week if I want to. Last year I took full advantage of that and did lots of long rides during the week. This year, not so much. This IS sort of like a retirement in terms of riding options and after a couple of years of it, I'm riding less, not more. And, ironically, drinking more coffee than when I was working in an office. Strange.

Again, though, I'm gonna treat this year as an aberration until and unless it proves not to be. And if that happens, maybe I just take cycling to a different, less intense, level. That probably wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either. I seem to enjoy my short-hop errand rides almost as much as any these days. Strange but true - no sense in fighting it.

-Ray

[don'TreadOnMe]

Yo RAY!!!
Let's hit it, you know, light up the roads a little, eh?

Some of the folks in that club are still rolling sub 3 hour metrics, if you know what I'm saying, and not in an a55hole manner...but just pulling the train along and enjoying some fast descents along the way.

Lemme know holmez. It'd be an honor to hang w/you no matter the style.

don'TreadOnMe

[Ray]

Yo RAY!!!
Let's hit it, you know, light up the roads a little, eh?

Some of the folks in that club are still rolling sub 3 hour metrics, if you know what I'm saying, and not in an a55hole manner...but just pulling the train along and enjoying some fast descents along the way.

Lemme know holmez. It'd be an honor to hang w/you no matter the style.

don'TreadOnMe
Hey Larry - that you? Did you do the century yesterday? Man, it was such a beautiful day that I was bummed not to be climbing that big-a$$ hill out in Lancaster before the next to last rest stop and seeing all the folks hurting as much as me.

It's ALWAYS fun to run into you out on the road, even if you're driving your kids to daycare :cool:

Yeah, I know there are plenty of good riders in the club doing some great riding, but when FD and KT mileage is down to what they're doing this year, I figured maybe SOMETHING was up. Glad to hear I'm wrong.

3 hour metrics exist in my dreams and under your wheels, and that's not what I dream about :)

But I'm gonna try to hit it a little harder in September, so lets ride mon!

-Ray

[toaster]

Blame global warming.

[pale scotsman]

I burned out in early May. Too much time away from the family, which in turn created too much friction with the wife. Decided my bikes will still be there when our son is grown and out of the house.

Ended up getting back into dirt bikes, the motorized kind, which was the most fun I had as a kid. Our son loves it, I like it, and we get to spend time together doing what we want. Besides I think I'm in the best shape I've been in in years from MX riding and shorter bike rides.

[pdonk]

Must be a planner thing, I only rode my road bike 10 times this year (500-600k) and my mountain bike maybe 20 times (500 -600km)

I've only ridden less a few times in the past 20 years of riding.

Heat, work, school part time and generally feeling low has kept me off my bike.

Now that I am going to school full time, my goal is to ride more in september than I did the rest of the year.

[Ray]

Besides I think I'm in the best shape I've been in in years from MX riding and shorter bike rides.
That kind of mirrors my experience. I actually feel, in some ways, like I'm in better shape also. Combination of shorter rides (which rarely leave me feeling wasted and sore the next day, which the longer rides sometimes did) and all the lifting and other odd physical work associated with moving and working on the house have me feeling really good too.

Clearly not in as good shape ON the bike, but good enough to still have fun (as long as I don't push too much on the distance) and possibly better all around.

-Ray

[Len J]

That kind of mirrors my experience. I actually feel, in some ways, like I'm in better shape also. Combination of shorter rides (which rarely leave me feeling wasted and sore the next day, which the longer rides sometimes did) and all the lifting and other odd physical work associated with moving and working on the house have me feeling really good too.

Clearly not in as good shape ON the bike, but good enough to still have fun (as long as I don't push too much on the distance) and possibly better all around.

-Ray

ebbs & flows year to year.

For me, it's a function of other life stuff.......Biking for me is best when it compliments my life not dominates it. I'll probably end up with 20% less milage this year than the past few, but that was mainly due to too many rainy weekends during the winter.

For me, there is nothing better thn a goal to get me motivated for those longer rides. Without a goal, I tend to have my longest rides around 3 hours which allows me time with the family.

Len