Motivating yourself when its cold!

davidkt

I gotta say that I'm overjoyed these days since I now work from home and no longer have to commute! So, no need to motivate... just ride when it suits me.

Applespider

Remind yourself that you don't feel the cold as much when you're out in it and how lovely and fresh it is when it's cold.

I got PT today (drinks after work and a need to wash all my baselayers last night so I could take them skiing tomorrow) and I swear I'd have been warmer, quicker and happier had I been on the bike.

Anonymous

Brooksby - my advice, aside from all the above (looking forward to it, etc etc) would be to try and get the odd spring, summer weekend away for a bit of 'me' time on the bike, find some sportive, somewhere in Europe even to pop off to treat yourself. You say you are weak, but what about saying - ok, if I commute 250 days by bike this year (unavoidable circumstances notwithstanding) then I will do a long weekend in Italy/Portes du Soleil/Etape/London2Paris.

If you are cycling through this sub-zero temperatures, you are obviously keen. A brilliant long weekend (day!?) in the sun (read: inevitable horizontal rain) is a great thing you know you can look forward to, and this way you know your wife is on board - lets face it - you're doing a great job saving the family a fair bit of cash (at least 120pm if zone 2) so why not enjoy a bit of it?

(this comes from a childless batchelor, but the "wife" still gives me trouble!)

SmellTheGlove

Calculate cost of using the car vs. price of some quality new winter gear. (I'm from the "new gear = motivation" school which may or may not be a minority around here. Plus I don't own a car so there's no last minute wavering.)
Breathing lovely cold air is a bonus.

jimmypippa

Applespider wrote:

Remind yourself that you don't feel the cold as much when you're out in it and how lovely and fresh it is when it's cold.

I got PT today (drinks after work and a need to wash all my baselayers last night so I could take them skiing tomorrow) and I swear I'd have been warmer, quicker and happier had I been on the bike.

This.

Yesterday it was minus 7 and I had all my venting zips open by the time I got to work.

Driving, I'd have been bloody cold. PT is even worse, as you stand around doing nothing for an indeterminate length of time, before getting on a crowded bus or train that smells, and you still are unlikely to be able to do anything*.

*I guess there might be frequent, reliable, clean and uncrowded public transport, but I'd guess it isn't in the UK. Maybe Switzerland (although I have no evidence for this).

gosport_commuter

SmellTheGlove wrote:

Calculate cost of using the car vs. price of some quality new winter gear. (I'm from the "new gear = motivation" school which may or may not be a minority around here. Plus I don't own a car so there's no last minute wavering.)
Breathing lovely cold air is a bonus.

This. Have just last night calculated the cost of our family car (which the wife uses to ferry children and now for work - so I don't have access most of the time) over the last 12 months (since purchase for £1200).

It worked out averaged over the last 12 months as 20pence per mile for fuel, and total cost (repairs+tax+insurance+MOT) of 40 pence per mile for 5645 miles travelled.

This works out as £1113 for fuel or £2251.61 TOTAL (not including purchase)

£2251.61 TOTAL!!!! Think of the gear I should be buying to compensate!

SmellTheGlove

gosport_commuter wrote:

This works out as £1113 for fuel or £2251.61 TOTAL (not including purchase)

£2251.61 TOTAL!!!! Think of the gear I should be buying to compensate!

Add in some depreciation and weep at its three-grandness. Then console yourself over at the wig.

Canny Jock

Certainly agree with the PT argument - both the cost and the general crapness. But the main motivator is turning up at work to hear someone say 'you cycled in that weather!'

clarkey cat

But the main motivator is turning up at work to hear someone say 'you cycled in that weather!'

This.

As I stride in, like a warrior returning from battle, and the secretaries look up and say 'you're bleemin' mad' but what they mean is 'take me - you epic brute' I know it was worth it.

Paul E

I get all my kit ready the night before, bag packed with what I need for that day, no extra messing about in the morning then, makes it easier even if I had had a shitty nights sleep and feel cr@p, I find after 5 mins on the bike I feel a lot better anyway.

Canny Jock

Edit - bloody hopeless double posting back button nonsense!

Ignore. Unless you're one of the developers, in which case, fix it!

roger_merriman

My routes have been though bushy park and well I like the ride in, I'm very cold tolerant and love snow. I have a fully working car and am a experienced snow driver but I always take the bike as its so much fun.

Initialised

gosport_commuter wrote:

SmellTheGlove wrote:

Calculate cost of using the car vs. price of some quality new winter gear. (I'm from the "new gear = motivation" school which may or may not be a minority around here. Plus I don't own a car so there's no last minute wavering.)
Breathing lovely cold air is a bonus.

This. Have just last night calculated the cost of our family car (which the wife uses to ferry children and now for work - so I don't have access most of the time) over the last 12 months (since purchase for £1200).

It worked out averaged over the last 12 months as 20pence per mile for fuel, and total cost (repairs+tax+insurance+MOT) of 40 pence per mile for 5645 miles travelled.

This works out as £1113 for fuel or £2251.61 TOTAL (not including purchase)

£2251.61 TOTAL!!!! Think of the gear I should be buying to compensate!

Sounds about right, I roughly worked out £3k per year saving from selling our 2nd car, which mostly just took up space on the yard and that's excluding the car's actual value. Now I can easily justify (to myself if not the wife) that I can afford to splash out an a new bike and some PC upgrades. She wants to spend it on wood flooring!

andyparker

For me its having something to train towards event/competition/looking ok on your beach/pool holiday - something that creates that fear factor is a great motivator

team47b

Initialised wrote:

gosport_commuter wrote:

SmellTheGlove wrote:

Calculate cost of using the car vs. price of some quality new winter gear. (I'm from the "new gear = motivation" school which may or may not be a minority around here. Plus I don't own a car so there's no last minute wavering.)
Breathing lovely cold air is a bonus.

This. Have just last night calculated the cost of our family car (which the wife uses to ferry children and now for work - so I don't have access most of the time) over the last 12 months (since purchase for £1200).

It worked out averaged over the last 12 months as 20pence per mile for fuel, and total cost (repairs+tax+insurance+MOT) of 40 pence per mile for 5645 miles travelled.

This works out as £1113 for fuel or £2251.61 TOTAL (not including purchase)

£2251.61 TOTAL!!!! Think of the gear I should be buying to compensate!

Sounds about right, I roughly worked out £3k per year saving from selling our 2nd car, which mostly just took up space on the yard and that's excluding the car's actual value. Now I can easily justify (to myself if not the wife) that I can afford to splash out an a new bike and some PC upgrades. She wants to spend it on wood flooring!

Get the wood flooring, it will be soooo much easier for HER to clean the floor when you start keeping your bike in the lounge!