fredzyn2

I think we all go through this from time to time. Lulls in our enthusiasm for riding. Inability to get motivated. A waning of desire. I seem to have fallen pretty far off the horse.

To sum my history up as briefly as possible: riding a bike has been who I am since I can remember. Jumping off dirt piles when I was little (I never raced BMX.) Runaway love affair with MTB from 13. Rekindled the BMX flame around 17, trails and freestyle. Back into MTB in college + first dabble in racing. Then finally got onto the road a few years out of college. When we had kids, I actually reached higher levels of performance than I ever thought I might because I had to be smart. With time so much more scarce I focused on quality over quantity. And that's how I've been ever since. I do whatever I enjoy most in the moment and make it count. I still do it all, including BMX!

I've always had my up and down periods. Getting burned out with riding, or bored with it, or tired of dealing with certain aspects of it. I guess my current obstacle is my health. I'm only 40 but the last 4 years have been rough courtesy of arthritis. It hit me hard in 2020, pain stopping me from riding for the first time in my life. When I got it under control in '21 it motivated me to train smarter than ever, get back in form. By all measures I should have been able to blow 33 year old me into the weeds. I never imagined my most agonizing defeat would come at my own hands. I haven't been able to come within a mile of my favorite Strava PRs.

Whether the root cause is arthritis, the meds I take for it or even EIAE I've come to accept that my glory days are behind me. (I won't accept that it's "just age." I ride with way too many old ass dudes who are savagely strong to accept that as an excuse. And I'll be damned if I was operating at my anatomical max in my mid 30's.) I never thought something so shallow-seeming as not being fast enough would keep my away from my bike but I'm afraid that is what put out the fire.

Anyone else been down this road? Please tell me something that will make me look forward to getting on the bike in a few months.

bblair

Maybe you just need some time off.
Maybe you should find a new type of cycling: public trails, short cafe rides, touring, mountain biking.
Ride with a new group, more appropriate to your current level. Or join a new club. Or lead rides at a distance and pace that you want.
Or maybe you need to come to terms that as you age, you will not be able to perform on the bike as you used to.

delbiker1 

I am a bit opposite of the OP. I have been in a depressive state due to the death of my twin sister on January 2nd. Riding one of my bikes has been my temporary relief from those feelings. I love riding a bicycle, ergo, I rarely need to find a way to motivate me to ride. With the exception of setting some type of goal, I have no ideas for others that are seeking motivation for bike riding.

redshift1

Please tell me something that will make me look forward to getting on the bike in a few months.

Think about how good cycling is for you. The best advice I ever read from a doctor here in Oz. was "if exercise was a pill, I'd prescribe it".

It sounds to me you are comparing yourself too much to the guys you ride with.

shelbyfv

Cycling doesn't suit everyone,whether mentally, physically or due to environmental constraints. No need trying to force a square peg into a round hole, there are other hobbies galore.

Troul 

per delbiker1 : i kinda use that when the stress/mental stuff crops up. Physical things can put the skids on riding rather hard until it's under a manageable level of tolerance. Keep on riding as long as the doctor(s) see no real reasons to stop. Don't let PR & the whole racing mentality absorb your attention.... unless you are being paid & sponsored to perform within a contractual agreement..... are you??

mstateglfr 

I haven't zwifted in 14 days. Gonna tonight. Best myself up about 8 times these last 13 days for not doing it. Busy, tired, timing doesn't work, etc etc.

But in the end, periods of high involvement and low involvement happen. I didn't ride my bike for the Mo th of September, which is pretty unheard of for me, because of a daily commitment that took a few hours of free time away.
It's a hobby, not a requirement.

indyfabz

If you were not able to walk at all for over two months and then needed apparatuses for several more months just to be able to get around you would realize how lucky you are. Ask me how I know.

RH Clark

My wife struggles with motivation to ride. In her case it's because she wants to do "the perfect ride", but she doesn't have time to drive the hour and a half to her perfect ride, which is a rails to trails path which she would spend all day on. I, on the other hand will leave my front door and do 10-15 miles just like somebody might jog a couple miles every day. I also carry my bike everywhere I drive and get in a few miles every day somewhere. I do love "the perfect ride" trips, but they don't happen every day, and there is always some excuse why not to do one.

rsbob 

Unfortunately you have been dealt a bad hand with health issues. You didn’t specify what type of arthritis you have. If it’s RA, even when well managed can be a considerable drain on energy level. And you didn’t specify which type of

EIAE Exercise Induced Arterial , or
EIAE External Iliac Artery Endofibrosis (leg pain)

you suffer from.

Regardless, there is a reason Pro cyclists don’t usually compete beyond their late 30s, if they get that far. Your PRs in your 30s prior to health issues are something to be proud of, and not used as a standard to beat since you now are under different health circumstances. Since you are competitive by nature, this makes acceptance of current circumstances more difficult, especially with the group you run with.

I would like to suggest making some changes to bring some joy back into cycling. First, stop riding with your old pack since it appears to be self-defeating. Meet them after a ride or socially but skip riding with them - hard to do, I know. Establish some new PRs on new roads/trails to better. Let the old ones stand as their own testament. Try mixing up cycling with mountain biking since skill building is constant. Strive to get the perfect line, flow, air, or whatever challenges you to improve. Holding yourself up to old standards is futile and self-defeating as you have found out. Tell yourself that over and over until your believe it, then set some new benchmarks, learn some new skills, and learn to love cycling for what it is, freedom to move and be healthy. Best wishes

Russ Roth

I ended up taking too many years off of basically very little to no riding. Between a new kid every 2 years, switching between a couple jobs and associated moves, and having sold some of my favorite bikes to get by in the first few years I was married I just didn't feel the excitement I'd previously had. The first time I started really trying to ride again at 40 my speed and distance were abysmal compared to where I was in my 20s. So I bought a MTB and just went into the woods to enjoy the ride and found that I didn't need to go fast, just focus on technical and really enjoy myself. I shortly after bought a semi-basic gravel bike but it was a good fit and let me get some road miles in and I started getting a little faster and decided to hop into cyclocross again, basically anything with a more laid back atmosphere that focused on fun.
Now my main motivation is not letting my 13yo daughter beat me and she's getting close. A knee surgery in 2019 slowed things a bit and tearing my MCL and miniscus in the other knee last spring slowed things down some. But in 2019 I finished last in every cross race I did and was often lapped twice. In 2022 I managed to finish 2nd or 3rd to last in every race and was never last though a couple times I was still lapped twice. 2023 I moved to cat 4 in cross and only raced cat 3/4, often finished 5 or 6 spaces up from last and the only time this last season I was lapped twice was at the nationals in the single speed catagory. I had the flu and the guys who lapped me twice are some of the best in the nation, I can cope with that since I still beat 4 others. I'm still not even close to as strong as I was at 30, and my 13yo has lap times that are within seconds of mine, but I'm determined this year to push her to be even faster and still stay ahead of her. It's gonna take some effort but I'm not letting my kids beat me till I'm 50.

fredzyn2

I should have mentioned, the health/fitness aspect of cycling is the main reason I feel like I can’t just let the desire to ride slip away from me. I barely rode since August, now going on the longest period of general inactivity in at least 10 years. And wow is it taking its toll. I’ve gone back to the gym and it’s helping but I think the only thing that will keep me in one piece is regular riding.

Regarding the group rides, I can still keep up. I don’t get too beat up about how I compare to others. It’s comparing to my old self, which I know I have to get out of my head. Committing to group rides has been one of the only good motivators for me. Stay fit enough to get to the end comfortably, and look forward to the spoils (pancakes, beer etc.)

I can’t imagine. I do think about this a lot, how easy it is to take being ABLE to ride at all for granted. I got a taste in 2020 when some days I just couldn’t do it from pain. I hope you’re back to a good place.

Yeah that’s the one. Testing to confirm it was pretty costly, so once I realized the only fix was a non-trivial surgery that makes no sense to do unless cycling is your job (it is not my job) I pulled the plug on further testing. I just wanted to be sure I was safe to ride however I wanted. The pain doesn’t come except for the most extreme efforts. But those are the ones I look forward to most

I’ve got ankylosing spondylitis which causes neck and shoulder stiffness, and recently some insane numbness that presents like carpal tunnel, which might actually keep me off the bike if I can’t get under control. The main thing that stopped me in the past was pain in my feet - not sure if that was AS or maybe psoriatic arthritis. It doesn’t seem to be RA though as it is mercifully sparing my joints from obvious degradation. At least for now. Thanks a lot for the encouragement.

Nice, man! I’m sorry you fell off the horse when you had kids. Whether out of necessity or natural loss of interest that was one of my biggest fears taking the parenthood plunge. But you’re ahead of me now! Getting out there with the kiddo is the dream. I can’t seem to get my kids on their bikes. I didn’t realize I was raising such risk-averse little kids. I’m just doing everything I can not to push them because I know 100% that would make me want to do it less haha

Paultreks

I ride more road than MTB now, and MTB is a different animal, but just a thought here. I'm just guessing that when you were in your hey day, it was organic. meaning you just built up to your level slowly while enjoying yourself. Like anything else you lose what you don't use, and comparing yourself to other rides regardless of age is pointless. ride simply because you want to and don't put any constraints on your riding. slow-steady build up even riding alone will get you there. we don't enjoy what we can't do, so don't put expectations on yourself.

Fahrenheit531 

Relax. Be patient. The desire will return or it won't. If it doesn't, something else will fill the void.
We're always changing. It's the nature of things.

wheelreason

Yup, Like most other emotions and states of mind, we aren't in control of it, no matter how much our minds try to convince us we are. Motivation (for all things, not just cycling) is there or it isn't in whatever form and magnitude, and it's a dynamic, changing thing, now where is that incense...

Iride01 

Are you cycling solo?

Maybe try to find a friend or group to ride with. I have to make myself go ride. But once on the bike I never regret going for that ride. I'm solo most of the time. But when my son had time to ride, it seemed that whenever he ask to go ride, I wouldn't ever refuse. Likewise when I ask him to go for a ride, he never turned it down. So there was the added incentive of the other persons "challenge". So if you aren't riding with others, then that might help if you have them asking you to go with. Much more incentive to me than even regularly scheduled group rides that you just show up for.

Wildwood 

n b d!

Russ Roth

Just take them to the muddiest race you can find and hand them cow bells. My oldest was hooked on biking when I did a race that involved running up a 6' tall pile of cow manure that'd been sitting in the pasture for 3 years, riding the 20' across the top and dropping down the other side. Her first race though was an open category time trial that followed a loop so it circled back to the start. It didn't have any kids signed up, I her up with a 20" wheel road bike, lied about her age so she could enter, and everyone who passed her encouraged her. After that she loved riding and racing, and we rode her road bike to school every morning before I went to work which made her feel special.

staehpj1

I would suggest trying a change of pace. Mountain biking would be one way to go, but if that doesn't suit you maybe get off the bike and do something else for a while. Trail running, hiking, kayaking, or other outdoor pursuits might be a way to stay active and do something else. You can keep riding some or quit altogether for a while. I know that I mostly trail ran with my dog for quite a few years and only got back to riding as my daily primary exercise when my current pup got too old and arthritic to run with me. These days I trail ride every day.

70sSanO

I don’t know if you basically ride the same places, same routes/trails. It doesn’t take long before what I used to vs. what I can do sets in. Different day, same ride, same result. Why bother?

Maybe change the scenery. If you can transport your bike, go find a different place to ride and drive to the trailhead and then just ride. It is amazing how a new experience can give a more uplifting perspective.

John

fredzyn2

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies. Seeing all this stuff coming from other people, especially people who have struggled helps reset my perspective. Perspective is everything.

This is part of it for sure. Even the places I drive to for MTB, just a few times per year usually are getting stale in a way.

I've got 3 or 4 locations in mind to take some day trips to this spring, road and MTB. Discovery trips I guess I'd call them. I'll try to get a few guys signed up to come along to ensure I actually follow through and go. For between now and then I set some modest goals to hit in the gym. We have a nice gym at work so it's pretty easy to stick to it. I find myself actually looking forward to going, hopefully that keeps up!

Pantah

Just about any good advice I could come up with has been mentioned so I'll give you my story of how I got back into biking as a reference point to what's possible.

I was a bit of a running in middle school up until I was 20 years old. I was alright, not great, but good enough and I enjoyed it. I also biked a bit and enjoyed that as well. Stopped running when I was 20, kept riding but not as much. Got sort of back into running when I was 25, got serious about it at 29 and started sort-of competing again at 30. All the while, I was riding but only once a month tops, if even. At 32, I re-discovered my passion for trail running and went all-in on that and really got fit. Also started occasionally mountain biking too, but just a few times a year. In early 2021, at the age of 33, I went down on my motorcycle and gashed my knee down to the bone. That stopped my running for not as long as it should have. In the process of recovering, I went too hard too soon as strained my IT band (again) and messed up the meniscus in the already injured knee and was forced to stop running for over a month. Since running was my primary hobby, I found myself needing to do some sort of outdoor exercise. So, still having my old road bike and MTB, I started riding again as a low impact exercise to keep me moving until I could run again. I'd forgotten how enjoyable it is to ride, even if at first I knew there was no way I'd see the same speeds I could when I was younger and less injured.
Once I was able to run again, I decided to keep the habit of cycling and add it on top of running.

Sometimes, I set out to get in a fast time, to push as hard as possible. Other times, I just go out for a 10 mile loop and don't pay attention to my pace. Mountain biking is the best for that. I don't have a computer on it to show my speed and I don't use Strava, so I'll just go out and enjoy whatever pace I keep.
If I feel a route is getting boring, I can easily change it up with taking a different road or hopping on the train a couple towns down and riding from there.
There are days I get off work, or wake up in the morning, and am just not feeling it, whether it's a run or a ride. But, I'll get out there and get moving because almost every time, I get into a good groove and have fun eventually. I was biking around doing my shopping yesterday and was just feeling slow and the speedometer showed it. At first, I was annoyed. Then, I realized that the speed didn't matter, the ride did, so I just went slow.

A good friend got into cycling during the pandemic. He's never going to win any races and has no plans to, he just wants to get reasonably fit. He rode 1000 miles this last year and was thrilled. I'll go on rides with him now and then and despite him being much slower, he enjoys it and I rather enjoy going at his slower pace. It's a good reality check for me. Not everyone is going to be fast and you don't need to be to have fun. So, maybe find some slower group to ride with and go at their slower pace.

I noticed your comments on pain in the neck, shoulders and wrists. My parents have had similar issues over the years for various reasons. Both stopped riding for a time in their 40's because of neck,/shoulder/back/wrist pain. What go them back on the road was recumbents. They picked it up when I was in middle school and once they both could cycle with no pain, they put a lot of miles in, still to this day in their late 70's/early 80's. There's a pile of different types of recumbents, both two and three wheeled, so if you do decide to give that a shot, you'll have to experiment with different types before settling on the best fit. I've put a lot of miles on various recumbent types and it's a mighty fine way to get around and I don't even have any pain which would prevent me from riding my regular bikes.
I know a great many people are resistant to riding them since they're weird and want to stick with an upright as long as possible. Maybe it's because I started riding them in middle school but the concept has never bothered me. I know that one day I'll be exclusively riding recumbents and I'm perfectly fine with that.

Korina

OP, you might want to talk to your doctor; I wouldn't be at all surprised if you're dealing with depression. Talk therapy could help, giving you tools to work with your new limitations.

You could also focus on the gym work that you're enjoying, and don't worry about the bike. As someone said upthread, you could meet your riding buddies at the end of the ride and be an appreciative audience for their tales while maintaining your friendships. Good luck and take care of yourself.

Sierra_rider

Sometimes we need to reset our expectations into a level that matches what we can really do. I'm really into racing XC MTBs, but took a 2 year hiatus from racing awhile back. I seriously lacked motivation at first, but once I learned to accept that I just wasn't carrying a high-degree of form, it was kinda liberating to just ride when/wherever I wanted. I didn't have to worry about weekly mileage or hour goals and didn't have to maintain a certain training load. Eventually I slipped back into my old ways, and am now racing with more focus than I ever have before.

Something else I'll add is, I think for those of us with a competitive nature, cycling is almost like a drug. I could be off base on this, but I'm guessing we get used to the dopamine-release from a certain exercise level...basically, that becomes baseline. We then have to continually increase intensity and/or volume to derive the same enjoyment out of it...much like a drug addict. IDK how many others feel this way, but that describes my interaction with cycling. In order to ground myself somewhat, I do copious amounts of zone 2 riding on the trainer, in the winter. Besides just being an important training target, the boring nature of these rides helps to reset my "norm" for cycling enjoyment. I basically have to force myself to experience unpleasant exercise, in order to fully appreciate how amazing the rest of my riding opportunities are.

WaveyGravey

For me it's the winter weather. I lose my enthusiasm when it gets cold. But I feel it coming back.