The eternal internal struggle: to ride outdoors or "nowhere bike"

It's that time of year and one of those days. Tomorrow is predicted to be sunny and low-50s. That's an easy choice, definitely a day to ride outdoors. Today, however...it's barely 40, it's overcast, and I'm still battling some lower back irritation/stiffness/weakness issues that came to a real head 2.5 weeks ago. So I find myself doing that infernal weighing of pros and cons to decide if I should ride outdoors.

Pros:
• it's not windy/rainy/snowing
• I always feel like time passes SO much faster outdoors
• I tend to push harder outside and feel like I get a better workout

Cons:
• more clothes = more laundry
• I am missing one of my warmer gloves (can't find that thing anywhere!) and my PI Cyclone gloves don't seem to be enough warmth <45º or so.
• the back business
• riding solo is lonely. Riding indoors I can distract myself with TV.
• bike is already in the house

Tell me I'm not the only one who does this this time of the year... :p

All the time.... commuting gets me out on my bike outside, no matter what the weather, but I only work part time, so my commute is not an every day thing.

Another thing that gets me out is riding with other people. It's so much easier to get out there when you know that there will be other people there too - even when it's miserable, it's shared misery.

Left to my own devices, I hate getting up in the morning and getting going. I tend to leave things too late to get outside and do a trainer workout.. I do get a good workout with the computrainer. It's targeted and precise - I can do intervals on the trainer that would be hard to do on the road, but it's a slog.

Well, it sounds like your back, and not the weather, should be the real issue. I'd focus on whether you should ride at all until your back feels better.

I don't mind riding outside in the cold if the sun is out or mostly out and the wind isn't crazy. But I also have other activities--running, yoga, hiking--that I enjoy in the winter, so I don't struggle all that much with the ride inside/ride outside dilemma. I like the change of pace and activity that fall and winter bring. For every season, turn, turn, turn.....

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Well, it sounds like your back, and not the weather, should be the real issue. I'd focus on whether you should ride at all until your back feels better.

I don't mind riding outside in the cold if the sun is out or mostly out and the wind isn't crazy. But I also have other activities--running, yoga, hiking--that I enjoy in the winter, so I don't struggle all that much with the ride inside/ride outside dilemma. I like the change of pace and activity that fall and winter bring. For every season, turn, turn, turn.....

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Yeah, I don't think road riding will anger my back. I won't go out on my mountain bike on days when it's bothering me...plus I really don't like doing that alone. I am too fall-prone and don't like the thought of crashing and being unable to get help.

In the Winter I have far less issue getting out for runs. It has to be really nasty out before I will second-think a run. Even if it's <0 I will usually try to do at least 2-3 miles for some hardcore points. :D

Now the sun is trying to come out, but it's sorta teasing...temps are up to 44, though. Hrmmm...?

Commute to work by bike. That way you get to work while riding your bike instead of wasting time in a car and then having to take more time to ride your bike. Win-Win.

Take care of your back, though.

I hate, hate, hate indoor cardio. I'd rather eat dirt.

I hear ya, and I don't have back issues. This time of year makes the decision difficult. I don't mind my trainer, but prefer outside. Yep, hard decision.

I live in Oregon. I never let rain stop me. If I did, I would never go out at all.

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Originally Posted by zoom-zoom

Yeah, I don't think road riding will anger my back. I won't go out on my mountain bike on days when it's bothering me...plus I really don't like doing that alone. I am too fall-prone and don't like the thought of crashing and being unable to get help.

In the Winter I have far less issue getting out for runs. It has to be really nasty out before I will second-think a run. Even if it's <0 I will usually try to do at least 2-3 miles for some hardcore points. :D

Now the sun is trying to come out, but it's sorta teasing...temps are up to 44, though. Hrmmm...?

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Your comments about not mt biking alone and the weather are very timely.....I should have used my rollers last Sunday haha have quite the cold, wet, leaf- slide induced shin and knee to show for it (: (Lots of fun till my crash...)

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Originally Posted by tealtreak

Your comments about not mt biking alone and the weather are very timely.....I should have used my rollers last Sunday haha have quite the cold, wet, leaf- slide induced shin and knee to show for it (: (Lots of fun till my crash...)

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Ooh, our leaves aren't slimy, but I have found that all the loose leaves covering trails makes me really tense. There are times where I can't see the trail at all and don't know the trail like my DH does...so I ride really cautiously in fear of ending up off-trail completely and in stuff that will hang-up a lot in my drivetrain. And even dry leaves really are slippery! I can't see roots and stumps and things and find I end up bouncing off of those a lot, too. I don't like not seeing what my wheels are coming in contact with at all!

What took me down the other day was catching my handlebar on a tree in a narrow spot, though. Ever since that fall on Sunday my left leg and shoulder are really tender--I think things got pretty yanked and twisted as my handlebars were forced off to one side and I fell. It was actually smart that I rode the trainer today. My left outer calf area really feels it pulling up on the pedals. I plan to ride outdoors tomorrow (on the road bike), but will definitely take it easy on uphills. My lower back actually felt pretty good riding. And it's felt good running. I just need to keep up on the yoga stretches and core work. Not being consistent about those things is what got my back into trouble in the first place (lower backs are so easy to ignore until they go all to hell!).

Still not sure about Sunday's CX race. If the back is still a hair sketchy and the leg still hurts I will definitely sit out again. Not worth causing more harm to place in the middle of the C-race pack. :p