Lost: Cycling mojo

hisoka

Yeah, it is gone. I haven't been able to ride for over a week. I'm not injured, bike is fine, I just can't face getting onto the saddle. I don't know what it is, just it looks and feels too much like a chore to even consider riding to work, and it is only 15 minutes.

Anyone have any ideas? I've been trying to work myself upto it but failing badly. Ever felt that empty "well it looks too much like hard work" feeling?

Just one word for how I feel, PAH I think is the word.

iain_j

Take a break, don't ride cos you feel like you have to, otherwise you'll resent it. It'll come back eventually.

arthur_scrimshaw

Buy something new for the bike, I even get excited if I've put a new tyre on it and can't wait to try it out.
But then as my Wife frequently tells me - I'm deeply sad!

cjcp

Stick Eddie Izzard on and have a laugh. And it's only 15 minutes.

Fireblade96

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Buy something new for the bike, I even get excited if I've put a new tyre on it and can't wait to try it out.
!

+1. Never fails. Plus, it's Springtime - so MTFU !

;-)

lost_in_thought

iain_j wrote:

Take a break, don't ride cos you feel like you have to, otherwise you'll resent it. It'll come back eventually.

+1

hisoka

I'll MTFU and accept the bus, it is a heckhole half the time but a rest is what is logically right.

solsurf

I've started to take a different route home, its another 7 miles but put together with the nice weather I am really enjoying riding again after all the rubbish weather from winter. Another tip is to give the bike a quick clean it always makes me want to go for a ride.

good luck

amnezia

When cycling stops becoming fun its time to buy a new bike

rf6

It's probably your body telling you to take it easy. Take the bus, eat, drink, be merry, and come back to it in a week or so.

Fireblade96

Being serious, I did almost no cycling during Jan or Feb, between being snowed in and the general sh1tness of the weather I just didn't fancy it. However, not getting out on the bike made me feel crappy, which led to less inclination to get out on the bike, it can become a bit of a vicious circle.

What I'm trying to say is, take a break by all means, but don't let not cycling become a habit. Particularly if it involves buses !

Rich158

rf6 wrote:

It's probably your body telling you to take it easy. Take the bus, eat, drink, be merry, and come back to it in a week or so.

+1, it's your minds way of telling you your body needs a rest. Give it a week or so and you'll be gagging to get back on the bike.

andy83

why not scrap the commute for a week but go out for leisure on the evening to de stress, or cycle one way and leave bike at work if dont feel like it. Sometimes if im down its cos my body needs exercise.

Is it work your not happy with and therefore the journey there is not enjoyable?

it will come back

join the SCS table and you will hate the days your off the bike

always_tyred

Take public transport. You'll be cycling again in no time.

Canny Jock

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Buy something new for the bike, I even get excited if I've put a new tyre on it and can't wait to try it out.
But then as my Wife frequently tells me - I'm deeply sad!

I nearly agree - what you actually need is a complete new bike and maybe a change of route to make it more scenic/make you feel like you've had more of a workout.

Aidy

amnezia wrote:

When cycling stops becoming fun its time to buy a new bike

Nah, the time to buy a new one is just before it stops becoming fun

I am beginning to wonder how many more bikes I can realistically fit in the house.

prawny

Always Tyred wrote:

Take public transport. You'll be cycling again in no time.

This.

I wasn't feeling the commute a couple of weeks ago. I remember CiB had the same issue last year. What I've done is taken my rack off and gone for it full speed, much more fun. I think I may have been inspired by flanders too.

Have a rest for a bit it'll come back.

cee

combination of what folk have already said.

bin the cycle commute for a few weeks (if you can last that long ) and see if you feel like a fun ride out at the weekend.

It never takes long on the bus to remind me how much i enjoy riding to work!

CiB

prawny wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

Take public transport. You'll be cycling again in no time.

This.

I wasn't feeling the commute a couple of weeks ago. I remember CiB had the same issue last year. What I've done is taken my rack off and gone for it full speed, much more fun. I think I may have been inspired by flanders too.

Have a rest for a bit it'll come back.

I did too. I don't recall anything specific happening, I just got back into it again. Warm sunny mornings help, as does being met with a cheery good morning from pleasant young ladies on horses down quiet country lanes. Don't know if you get much of that round your way tho.

It's a cyclical thing probably. Some weeks you want to do a million miles, other weeks you can't be ar$ed. That's why I'm #46 in the Stats table and not #4.

bd12mz

I guarantee a few days on the slow, noisy buses will have you running back to cycling.

stevie_90210

I'm having this problem now. It's amazing how many excuses I can think of at 5am. Perhaps you need a new challenge somehow, or just a change.

I changed my route which helped.

CTank

Your commute is too short!

Hear me out, it's not a criticism. Everyone has those mornings where they just can't be bothered. The reward doesn't seem worth the effort. God know's I often feel like this, and often still do after 15 minutes pedalling. But slowly I forget that I didn't want to get on the bike, and after about half an hour, I'm thoroughly glad I pushed through the envelope of apathy. You're not getting long enough to reach this stage.

Plenty of good advice here, but I'll just reiterate: Get up early on Saturday or Sunday, and just go for a ride for the hell of it. Doesn't even have to be with a destination in mind. Just reconnect with the fun of cycling for the sake of it, rather than as a mode of transport.

Good luck!