is it me? or is my bike just way not fun.

[itsflantastic]

Maybe it's because I've been running heavy armadillos

Maybe it's because I've got dt shifters and 7 gears in the back?

Maybe it's the 170 crank arms even though I'm 6'2

Maybe it's the spd pedals and mtb shoes that are too small on me.

or Maybe it's just me

Maybe it's the lousy roads for riding up near Bangor, Maine.

But I haven't enjoyed riding my bicycle in a while. And it's sad.

I want a new bike. I want to love riding again. I used to race, I've ridden across the country. I used to do a century a week. Now? nothing...

Maybe it's being self employed and working 60 hr weeks.



How can I fall in love with riding again??

Forum!

[Richard]

Hang it up, go running or hiking for a while, then get it out of the garage when the urge strikes and it will feel all new and fun again.

[PBWrench]

Borrow a really cool bike from a buddy for a week (before the snow). Go on a ride, enjoy. Think about that feeling all winter. Come spring, you'll be ready. :beer:

[RBaker2778]

I have been there so many times. For me, it has nothing to do with my equipment. I have tried to buy my way out of the cycling funk so many times, it is pathetic. None of that ever helped.

Here is what has worked for me: I pick up another activity. Running, hiking, weight training, Jiu Jitsu, etc.

Eventually, I get the cycling itch again. It usually happens pretty quickly, but I once took 6 months off the bike to focus on running. Did a bunch of races from 5K to 1/2 marathon. Burned out on running, and got back on my bike.

The one constant is that I always go back to my bike in one way or another. This summer, I got into track racing. Now, I am considering a triathlon. Just trying to mix it up a little to keep the cycling desire alive.

[David Kirk]

This might be sacrilege for me of all people to say this on a cycling forum but - there is more to life than cycling. There, I said it.

Cycling takes a lot of energy, effort and time and keeping yourself fit can go from fun to work in a hurry. So hang the bike on a hook and go do other stuff that gets you outside and keeps you active. If your heart isn't in cycling right now that is fine. Go for a run or ski or hike or whatever. Have some fun. Play a bit of pick-up B-ball and let the bike sit. It will be there when you are ready and IMO you will be ready sooner and with more conviction if you enjoy the other things life has to offer in the meantime.

Enjoy whatever it is you do and life will be too short.

Dave

[false_Aest]

. . . .

[itsflantastic]

Enjoy whatever it is you do and life will be too short.


That's a hell of a quote Dave. Thanks for the input. . .

[rcnute]

Just be glad you don't ride for a living! I can't imagine how unfun that would be.

[palincss]

Armadillos suck. There is nothing that can be done to improve them other than remove and replace. You should do that, unless you live in goathead country.

Downtube shifters and seven speeds can be fine. They won't make a bike suck the way Armadillos will.

170 cranks? Not likely they'd cause your bike to suck. SPD pedals are fine. I love SPD pedals. Shoes that don't fit, now they suck big time. Feet that hurt will really spoil a ride.

Lousy roads? Wider tires and lower pressures are the best thing you can do to improve how it feels to you. If your fork and frame won't let you use anything wider than a 23mm tire, you might consider a conversion using slightly smaller wheels.

584 rims with a 42 mm tire have the same outside diameter as 622 rims with a 23mm tire. A 42mm tire may not clear your chain stays even though the smaller wheel diameter brings the fat part of the tire a bit farther back towards the back of the bike, but it's highly likely that a 32mm tire would. For a 200 lb rider, that would mean you could drop pressure from around 120 psi in the 23mm size down to around 70 psi. That much of a change makes a huge difference in the plushness of the ride.

A conversion like that is highly reversible, and needs only longer reach brakes and wheels built with smaller rims.

[woolly]

Palincss beat me to most of it, but I'll throw my $.02 in here anyway.

I've never disliked a bike because of crank length, number of cogs on the cassette, or type of shifters it has. But those Armadillos can make me learn to hate pretty much any bike. And my custom D2 shoes have shown me that foot comfort rates right up there with saddle comfort.

So, put the bike away for a bit while you shop for some reasonable tires for that steed, and for some shoes that fit you. ;)

Oh, and don't beat yourself up about how much time you get to ride, or not. Every ride can be a good ride, and not every ride has to be an epic century. Sometimes an easy spin down to the corner store & back with the wind blowing through your helmetless hair can be both liberating & inspiring, YHUMV**.


** Your Helmet Usage May Vary

[itsflantastic]

good input - i think i need less plushness and more excitement. I'm 26, fit, and looking to go fast. Wide tires with low pressure is probably not what the doc ordered.

The roads suck because they are long and straight and shoulder-less with pick up trucks going 50-60 mph down them at any given time.

Road cyclists are rare and not looked out for by drivers.
Also lots of pot holes etc. from the rough winters.

I think I've done every ride in this area a million times now, so since the roads can't change I feel like maybe my bike should. I was considering a mountain bike so the cars can't get to me.

Ah well. . . I just spent the morning lusting after sweet bikes.

[MattTuck]

Go for a run. About 1 mile into it, you'll realize that you've run 1 mile too far.

The bike will undoubtedly regain it's appeal.


/I hate running.

[markie]

Sounds like you need a mountain bike ASAP. :)

[palincss]

good input - i think i need less plushness and more excitement. I'm 26, fit, and looking to go fast. Wide tires with low pressure is probably not what the doc ordered.

The roads suck because they are long and straight and shoulder-less with pick up trucks going 50-60 mph down them at any given time.



I thought maybe they sucked because they were like the roads on Cape Anne when I was there in 1994: potholes and patched potholes everywhere, and some potholes had potholes of their own. It was slam, bam the whole way. I had trouble sleeping at night because my forearms hurt so much from the pounding.

I'm surprised to hear there isn't much of a road network. Looking at google maps, I'd have thought there was a pretty good back road network. Is it possible the roads I'm seeing on the map are unpaved? (If so, that's another argument for wide low pressure tires.)

[eddief]

for some sexual activity. Relatively inexpensive and the last time I did it, it made all my bikes feel like a Meivici.

[NRRider]

m.....t.....b......

Seriously, helped me a lot. Now I appreciate both styles more than ever.

[palincss]

for some sexual activity. Relatively inexpensive and the last time I did it, it made all my bikes feel like a Meivici.


But be careful. If you aren't careful, things can get pretty expensive pretty fast. :)

[tv_vt]

instead of a mtb? Maybe better if you're looking for a sense of speed.

'Course, since you're the same height I am, you could buy my Merckx in the classifieds and I'll send along a set of Shimano 175 cranks for you to try out!

Definitely try some different tires - can make a bike come alive. And maybe take a road trip to Acadia and ride the Park Loop and up Cadillac Mountain, or ride the carriage roads (your Armadillos are just the ticket for 'em). That will definitely recharge your batteries. You can even rent a bike at Bar Harbor Bike Shop, mountain or road. Done it myself.

Or go for a walk, smell the air, find a pretty brook, hike Katahdin even.

Batteries do need re-charging. And small changes to your bike can keep it interesting.

Thom

[Lifelover]

As many have said, try some MTBing.

Even if you don't have good trails, get a MTB with some semi slicks and bomb (safely of course) any local sidewalks and MUTS.

Enjoy the view, try to get lost.

Remove all things that measure, computer, Heart Rate monitor, blah, blah.

If all else fails, get stoned and than ride.

[Ken Robb]

Borrow a really cool bike from a buddy for a week (before the snow). Go on a ride, enjoy. Think about that feeling all winter. Come spring, you'll be ready. :beer:

and if he came to San Diego we know which bike that might be, don't we? :)

[PBWrench]

Hey, don't be so cavalier about MY baby blue Hampsten . . .

[oldguy00]

Where in Maine are you?? I think there is nice riding around Augusta (Streaked Mtn?). If in Bangor/Brewer, you could check out Pat's Bike Shop and ask about group rides, and maybe test ride a more up to date bike. :beer:

[Steve in SLO]

+1 on the cyclocross bike.
Take a few quick rides on fire trails and if you don't feel like a kid again, look to another sport for a while.

[avalonracing]

Cranks too short, shoes too small, dead feeling tires... I can't imagine the rest of the set up. If you are riding for utility that's fine but if you are riding like that for fun it isn't going to work.
Yes, you need a new bike.

[chuckroast]

I'm glad you started this thread. It seems like riding gets to be a chore for me this time of year, even when the weather is pretty like it was today. All the routes seem the same and stale.

I think I'm gonna put the knobbys on the rain bike and ride a gravel trail tomorrow. There will be lots of walkers but I'll be slow and courteous.

Maybe some leaves will blow in my face...

[207 cm]

Take about 24 years off. That's what I did and now I'm actually enjoying riding again. 500+ miles a week all those years ago killed it for me.

[rwsaunders]

for some sexual activity. Relatively inexpensive and the last time I did it, it made all my bikes feel like a Meivici.

eddief brings wisdom from Berkley. :cool: Get rid of those tires and get on some back roads. Sharing the road with trucks is enough to bum anybody out.

[csm]

get rid of the computer on the bike. that helped me.

[Pegoready]

Get an upright city bike with flat pedals. Wear comfy sneakers that fit. It's amazing how much more enjoyable riding is, albeit slower.

http://www.pashley.co.uk/cms/products/detail_1-20.jpeg

[rounder]

Maybe go for a ride some place else. I go to Maine and take my bike sometimes. It is really nice around Camden which is not that far away. Once you get off rte 1, it is hilly with lots of pretty country.

[Ti Designs]

I'll agree with all of the advice to hang the bike up for a while, but it's harder to do than you would think. You have my e-mail address, right? Let me know what you're running for a BB/crank and what you're looking for in tires. Having coached and wrenched for a team for over 10 years, I have a lot of spare parts kicking around in my basement.

Ignoring the bike issues for a second, ever think of visiting another forum member just to get some miles in away from what's become so not fun? There are a lot of good group rides around here, new pavement is showing up all over, I have a spare room (and 2 pianos) and I'm as fat and out of shape right now as you're ever gonna see me...

[rickbb]

It's a slippery slope, as many of us have demonstrated, but getting a second bike with different riding characteristics can help with the riding blahs. And, as suggested, if that bike is a cross, you can escape your worn-out routes with fun exploration. Perfect for the fall in Maine.

[William]

The cure for the clunky Armadillos is a shotgun. Period. Dead Armadillos are good Armadillos. A good Cross bike may be the ticket. The last few years I’ve been riding almost exclusively my cross bike (and occasionally my SS). The Club Roost tires ( I stocked up a while back) that I run have a fairly smooth center tread and aggressive side tread I can cruise on the road with the road dudes but I shoot off onto gravel and dirt roads all the time to mix it up and keep things fresh. I’m and ex racer and I still like to go fast, and I can do it with these 35 mm tires on my Cross rig. You can see the tires in this thread…

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=22929

Also, if you can hook up with a forum bud every now and then that can keep things interesting as well…..to ride, not the other kind. ;)




William