Motivation!

Corporate Camper

When you have a warm car sat on the drive and it's dark, cold, windy and wet out there... how do you get the motivation to jump on the bike?

I guess it might be easier in a city where using a car might well be more hassle, but out here in the sticks I find myself caving in too often and driving (Ok, almost all the time).

Is it just a case of needing to MTFU? I did ride in this morning... 15 miles with cold feet.

daveski12

You have to do it more often so it becomes routine. I used to look at the weather forecasts before deciding whether to drive or cycle, now I don't bother and just go out on the bike every day.

pastryboy

Spend money on clothes to keep you warm. You'll then have more incentive to ride and less money for petrol.

rubertoe

Get rid of the car.

Paul E

It's either bike or train, the bike wins unless it's icey and or snowing, I can always put on another layer, I can't get rid of the other passengers on the train

rjsterry

Proper clothes, plenty of breakfast and I don't drive.

Corporate Camper

Cheers. I think if I prepare everthing the night before then I have more chance of taking the bike, having to get all my gear ready and then check tyre pressures etc sometimes puts me off. I think the only investment I need to make is a pair of overshoes; I hardly ever feel cold but when I ride I quite often suffer from cold feet (shoes might be too tight?)

Getting rid of the car would help, but it's a company car and it's quite handy to have around! What do I need to do to get, say, a 6 month ban?

Wrath Rob

Don't tempt fate! Agree with the clothes comments. If you know its going to be 15 miles of misery then you'll get the car. If you've got some great clothing to ward of the worst the elements can throw then it can be great fun.

SteppenHerring

Corporate Camper wrote:

Cheers. I think if I prepare everthing the night before then I have more chance of taking the bike, having to get all my gear ready and then check tyre pressures etc sometimes puts me off. I think the only investment I need to make is a pair of overshoes; I hardly ever feel cold but when I ride I quite often suffer from cold feet (shoes might be too tight?)

Getting rid of the car would help, but it's a company car and it's quite handy to have around! What do I need to do to get, say, a 6 month ban?

Doing over a ton on the motorway should do it. It will knacker your insurance though.

I had beers and curry last night. This morning I rolled out of bed, onto the bike and out the door before I had a chance to think how nice it would be to stay in bed.

meanredspider

Agree with the clothes comments - there's no such thing as the wrong weather just the wrong gear. Overshoes are a godsend too. I'm enjoying the Pro H2O ones I bought half-price - very light but keep spray off and keep my feet warm so far down to 0C (with highly vented road shoes on underneath).

I use an Assos Airjack from Oct through to almost April/May - best cycling investment(s) (I bought a 2nd they are so good) I ever made.

Finally, the prospect of getting on the bike is always worse than the reality once you're out there. I also hate to lose the fitness I've developed.

pastryboy

meanredspider wrote:

there's no such thing as the wrong weather just the wrong gear.

That comment comes up all the time and is couldn't be any less true. Windy = wrong weather for cycling. No matter what equipment or apparel you have, riding in windy conditions is utterly depressing.

tc345

The reason i get on the bike so often is that i hate driving behind the nodder equivalent and getting stuck in traffic. On a bike i rarely have to slow for other road users but in the car that is the status quo and my impatience causes me to get riled. As a result cycling is a damn sight less stressful than driving and i get home/to work a lot happier!

porlyworly

rubertoe wrote:

Get rid of the car.

This.

We had two cars, one for the missus & feral kids and I had a silly japanese import that was obscenely expensive to run, I said when I bought it I would only use it occasionally and the 14mpg wouldn't matter as I'd be cycling to work every day.

Most mornings I just took the car instead so I could have an extra half an hour in bed. In the end decided to sell the car as it was the only way I'd actually commit to using the bike daily! On the plus side I justified the purchase of a much better bike with the sale of the car

meanredspider

pastryboy wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

there's no such thing as the wrong weather just the wrong gear.

That comment comes up all the time and is couldn't be any less true. Windy = wrong weather for cycling. No matter what equipment or apparel you have, riding in windy conditions is utterly depressing.

Well, coming from one of the more windy parts of the country, I can't totally agree. In windy weather you want tight-fitting clothes, shallow-section rims and drop bars. Flappy "parachute" clothing and more bluff area than you need just makes it miserable. The rest is just the usual MTFU. Even up here and with a big suspension bridge to cross, the wind hardly ever stops me riding.

tc345

meanredspider wrote:

pastryboy wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

there's no such thing as the wrong weather just the wrong gear.

That comment comes up all the time and is couldn't be any less true. Windy = wrong weather for cycling. No matter what equipment or apparel you have, riding in windy conditions is utterly depressing.

Well, coming from one of the more windy parts of the country, I can't totally agree. In windy weather you want tight-fitting clothes, shallow-section rims and drop bars. Flappy "parachute" clothing and more bluff area than you need just makes it miserable. The rest is just the usual MTFU. Even up here and with a big suspension bridge to cross, the wind hardly ever stops me riding.

What the wind taketh away, the wind returneth! Working hard into the wind one way means that your have had/will have it easy the other way!

UndercoverElephant

Wind is fine up to a point; that point being way before the 120 mph headwind I cycled through on 3rd January. That day went way beyond stupidity and well into lunacy. After I'd had to cling on to a lamppost at one point to stop both myself and my bike being blown into the Forth, I decided I might just walk the bike the rest of the way.

Dellsinho

Get a partner who makes you feel like the guiltiest person on the planet if you don't take the bike in. You'll start riding every day come rain or shine.

BigLights

probably a bit late now, but I started commuting in the winter, years ago. What that means is that dark/cold/wet is the 'norm' and summer is just brilliant. I have colleagues who started in summer, becomes expected minimum, and just can't deal with winter as a result.

Paul E

Summer is seen as a bonus now (when we get it)

I always get my kit ready the night before looking at the forecast, if it changes it's easy to tweak what I wear, means that getting ready in the morning is a hell of a lot quicker and easier plus checking the bike over at the same time makes just grabbing it and heading out simple too.

meanredspider

tc345 wrote:

What the wind taketh away, the wind then turneth! Working hard into the wind one way means that your have had/will have it hard the other way too!

FTFY

Wrath Rob

BigLights wrote:

probably a bit late now, but I started commuting in the winter, years ago. What that means is that dark/cold/wet is the 'norm' and summer is just brilliant. I have colleagues who started in summer, becomes expected minimum, and just can't deal with winter as a result.

Yeah, that's what I did. 5 days on my MTB in the rain was still better than 1 day on the tube.

essex-commuter

meanredspider wrote:

I'm enjoying the Pro H2O ones I bought half-price - very light but keep spray off and keep my feet warm so far down to 0C (with highly vented road shoes on underneath).

+1 (paid full price but worth it).

meanredspider

Wrath Rob wrote:

BigLights wrote:

probably a bit late now, but I started commuting in the winter, years ago. What that means is that dark/cold/wet is the 'norm' and summer is just brilliant. I have colleagues who started in summer, becomes expected minimum, and just can't deal with winter as a result.

Yeah, that's what I did. 5 days on my MTB in the rain was still better than 1 day on the tube.

Me too. Looking back I started on a 10 year old MTB with wired Ice Spikers in January in the Highlands doing a 30-mile RT. I must have been insane!

jimmypippa

meanredspider wrote:

Wrath Rob wrote:

BigLights wrote:

probably a bit late now, but I started commuting in the winter, years ago. What that means is that dark/cold/wet is the 'norm' and summer is just brilliant. I have colleagues who started in summer, becomes expected minimum, and just can't deal with winter as a result.

Yeah, that's what I did. 5 days on my MTB in the rain was still better than 1 day on the tube.

Me too. Looking back I started on a 10 year old MTB with wired Ice Spikers in January in the Highlands doing a 30-mile RT. I must have been insane!

And now you are on an (how old?) MTB with Ice Spiker Pros doing a 30-mile RT commute in the Highlands, is that right?

meanredspider

jimmypippa wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

Wrath Rob wrote:

BigLights wrote:

probably a bit late now, but I started commuting in the winter, years ago. What that means is that dark/cold/wet is the 'norm' and summer is just brilliant. I have colleagues who started in summer, becomes expected minimum, and just can't deal with winter as a result.

Yeah, that's what I did. 5 days on my MTB in the rain was still better than 1 day on the tube.

Me too. Looking back I started on a 10 year old MTB with wired Ice Spikers in January in the Highlands doing a 30-mile RT. I must have been insane!

And now you are on an (how old?) MTB with Ice Spiker Pros doing a 30-mile RT commute in the Highlands, is that right?

Err - yes - there's progress for you :oops:

I've made some progress - the MTB is newer (3 years old nearly), the Spikers are Pros, and I've got better clothes and lights. I am a bit fitter too

twist83

I am struggling as well I need proper cold gear though that is my 'excuse'. Get paid today so no more excuses man up and order. The other excuse is I have started 3 sessions a week with a mate in his Bondage Cave/Work out Garage. He smashes me to pieces. The day after legs day there is NO way I could cycle in.

I have been on the turbo and in the bondage room but need to put some miles in on the road and I miss it

Corporate Camper

I drove to work today

My reasoning was that the ride home last night was so wet and cold (honetly, I think I was technically a Eunuch until at least 5 minutes in to a warm shower) that all my kit is still soaking, especially my shoes. My mobile also died of drowning and it was inside my rucksack...

Seriously need to get proper gear.

Cycling again tomorrow

rubertoe

They are not reasons they are excuses.

As has been said, get the correct gear for the weather and you wont have any issues.

Put the phone in a zip lock bag if its raining - that will keep it dry; or get a back pack cover (see Edinburgh Co-Op).

Corporate Camper

rubertoe wrote:

There not reasons they are excuses.

Yes, there's no denying it... But you're right I need to spend some cash:

I have no waterproofs
My front lights are no good to see with on unlit country roads
My hi-vis rucksack is good, but not waterproof
My shoes don't keep my feet warm or dry
The only cycling specific kit I own are cheap bib-shorts and cheap SPD shoes...

meanredspider

Don't get waterproofs (unless your ride is very short) - get warm windproofs - you need to stay warm not dry.

Get some neoprene overshoes (not Endura - BBB are excellent) they will keep your feet warm too.

Ziploc bag for the phone (as above) and a bin-bag or similar for clothes.

Good lights are cheap these days.

I probably wouldn't take a lot to improve your ride tremendously

bails87

Alpkit gourdon: http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?tar ... ory_id=295

Very, very waterproof.

Then get a pair or two of unpadded DHB Roubaix long tights from Wiggle to wear over your bibs.

Planet X do pretty good overshoes, along with gloves. Then a jacket that will keep the wind out.