bianchi10

I dont know why, but I am in a funk. Cycling isn't on the brain. I walk past my bike and I dont even say hello to her. Its like I want to say I want to ride, but its like the last thing on my mind right now. Maybe 2 kids, work, wife, lack of sleep and poor diet lately has caught up to me and I'm just wanting to be lazy.

How do you shake yourself from a funk like this!?

Yo Spiff

I force myself to go out for at least a short ride. I know going for a ride will make me feel better, and I need to overcome the laziness. The exercise helps one to handle the stresses. But you already know this. Occasionally I give in the the desire to be lazy for a day.

What I've been getting lazy with lately is my other pasttime, Photography. If I need to choose how my free time is spent riding the bike has to take precedence for health and emotional reasons. The photography site I participate in is getting used to seeing all my cycling themed shots in weekly challenges. It's what I'm out doing, so have the opportunity and interest to photograph.

PinkBabyMonster

I've been going through something similar; a bunch of school stuff to deal with, and practicing a ton for auditions are what I made myself put first. That combined with a several days of snow, and I just don't get around to riding. But now that the daylight hours are increasing again, I know I'll be able to have more time to ride. You'll get over it, some things just have to come before riding sometimes.

cocchiarell

Give this a listen


There is a good part in there about how the energy to start something (activation energy) is higher than the energy to do it. He advocates tapping into our laziness by reducing the activation energy of tasks we want to do (or know we should do) and increasing the activation energy of tasks we don't

BarracksSi

Buy a different bike. They're not spouses.

I've also been riding a lot less, but that's mainly because I've been spending time with my wife. Thankfully, though -- and this is one reason I married her -- she knows how important fitness is to me, and she's cool with me getting out there for a few hours.

rat fink

Try this: Take a shower, eat something, put on your kit, pull your bike out and get everything ready for a ride. If you do not want to go for a ride after that, then don't go that day, and try again the next day. I have to do this often, and it works just about every time.

It seems that sometimes that the hardest part is just getting ready.

rat fink

This bears repeating. Excellent concept.

alpha_bravo

Try a new route, ride with a group, or sign up for a race. Nothing like forking over some cash to motivate you to take full advantage of your money. The group ride thing is a big deal. Having buddies to talk to really makes time tick away faster and provides you with some accountability.

hhnngg1

It's partly spring/winter weather.

Experience a glorious CA or AZ day where it's 65F and sunny, and you'll be chomping at the bit to get back out there.

todayilearned

It happens in every hobby. Take some time off and work on another hobby... realize it's garbage and you will be back in no time.

roadrider63

I've been down that road also. Just try to think about how you'll feel during/after the ride. The times I've had to force (not the best word) myself to go for a ride, by the time I'm halfway through the ride and when I finish I feel so much better.

Right now, my bike is sitting on a trainer and I"m just wishing I could get out on the roads more. Days are getting a bit longer now though, so maybe I'll be able to grab a few hour long rides during the week nights. Weekends have been my only ride time, so if weather doesn't cooperate, I'm out of luck for outside. Bad thing is that it has been a very mild winter overall. I just haven't had the chance to ride with family obligations, lack of a sitter, etc.

Right now my girls are getting ready for the annual Father/Daughter dance. Wouldn't pass that up for anything.

bianchi10

I think this may be part of the issue for me. I have been a lot of research for my new SLR camera which has probably taken the focus away from cycling.

Anyone in the market for a great entry level camera package?

https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/pho/2853810323.html

tctdvm

how 'bout something completely different, like 29.5 mph on 250 watts:





just sayin'. f' convention.
you might need to pack floss, though... bugs get stuck in the perma-grin.

T

bluegoatwoods

Good advice.

Commodus

I like to go climb a mountain. I like to climb, so that works for me. A tough day in the saddle like that just kinda 'recharges' me. It's the intervals and flat days that sometimes I find a bit draining.

dnuzzomueller

Ride high speed through traffic. That gets endorphines going.

Lexi01

I don't want this to ever happen to me...

I keep my relationship interesting by cheating on her from time to time (with the MTB)...

ahsposo 

Try running. That will make riding look like fun.

GDA

Call up a friend and go for a ride with them... the comraderie of a casual ride with a good friend will leave you remembering your last ride as a good one. That is always great incentive to have when it comes to getting the juices going for the next one.

rmr1923

i went through a similar funk over the winter, finally shook out of it after the holidays. i'd been putting off some basic bike maintenance, so one weekend i decided to break the bike down, clean it real good, oil everything up, tuned it up, etc.

probably spent a couple hours, at least, just tinkering with it, and that alone gave me the motivation to at least take it out for a test ride that next morning. i've been going strong ever since, i've gained back my fitness from last year and then some. the wife and i are also on a "team" for Walk Across Texas (not by choice, her boss signed us up on her team cause she knew we ride quite a bit), and we were told we can log our cycling miles, so that's given both of us some motivation to help our team beat some of the others at her workplace.

bbattle

Energy of Activation. You need a catalyst to lower it. Like a new bike. Or a new jersey. (cheaper)

JustinHorne

That looks like AMAZING fun.

Beaker

I rely on getting out before sunrise during the week to get miles in. Often times when the alarm goes off at 5, I look at my kit and think "can I really be arsed with this?". However 99 times out of 100, although I'm still slightly grumbly as I get my stuff together, within 10mins of starting my ride, the grumpiness fades and I start to think "hmmm, not so bad. Good job I ignored that lazy vibe earlier". Of course, riding when the sun comes up, especially if you're climbing, is a huge payoff. Nothing beats watching the sun come up when riding your bike.

Anyway, if you really don't want to ride, then don't ride. If you're just slightly tetchy, then tell yourself to HTFU and get riding. Finding a group or friend is a great suggestion, as it introduced a commitment to ride. Even if you don't want to, others are expecting you to show.

khatfull

I try to do much the same thing. Like in the summer I come home from work and change into my bibs, not something else expecting to change into bibs after dinner. Then when dinner is done throw on a jersey and the kit is ready to go. If I have to go upstairs, change again, blah blah it's easier to bail.

Kids think it's a hoot when I cook dinner in kit though

bianchi10

thats the problem. my riding buddies have all changed their availability. One now has a GF and getting him available for a Saturday/sunday morning/afternoon or evening ride is pointless now. My other buddy started his own trucking business and now works out of town 5 days a week, so come weekends his family wants him home every second (Which I can understand), another friend moved about 50 miles away which we can still get together but it is difficult. I'm not gonna drive 50 miles just to ride with him and I'm sure its not the easiest thing for him to make time just to come down and visit with me as well for a ride.

Everyone I usually ride with seems to be totally unavailable now. I can always find new people to ride with, but I enjoy riding with these guys. we know eachother, we trust eachother and know what to expect from one another. I HATE....HATE riding solo. I dont ride as hard and I find myself giving up much easier. riding with my friends, I have someone to compete with and who better to compete with than your good friends to rub it in their face later on. I think once spring comes around i will have some longer days of light available and not feel so rushed to go on some weekday rides.