I'm not motivated to ride

I rode all last summer, through the winter and through the early spring (quit in February and picked back up in mid March). The past 2 weeks I've not had much of a desire to ride--whether it's my mtb or road bike. I've tried getting out on a bike telling myself that I'll enjoy the ride once I get started. But after a mile or so, I just turn around and head back. It's just not happening. :o I have a brand new mtb that wants to go play but I don't wanna go. Wah! Anyone have cheese for my whine? :rolleyes:

Considering your post in the other section where you say your mb trails are all overgrown, that's probably why. You're just psyched out.

Don't feel guilty. Sometimes we need a little break from our loved ones. :D

Maybe go for a long hike or go wall climbing or kayaking for a day. Just get out and enjoy the weather... and don't worry. You'll get your bike mojo back.

It happens. I'm going through that myself right now.

The worse thing you can do right now is to force yourself into riding.

Don't compare yourself to others. Just kick back, be nice to yourself, and it'll return.

Don't worry, you'll enjoy it again. :cool:

I'm in the same spot myself. Part of it is scheduling. Even Saturday is taken. Plus it has gotten hot here, which takes me a bit of adjusting.

I've officially been on TE long enough that the posts are starting to repeat themselves. I remember last year about this time someone posted exactly this problem! Woo hoo! I'm an old-timer!!

I found that my enthusiasm for commuting wears thing after the worst weather is past. Right when it's starting to get nice, I'm burned out or frozen out on riding, and start accepting any and all offers of rides at 85*F which I had so firmly rejected at 12*F.

Do you have other cardio you can do? Running, swimming, gym work?

I'm not always motivated to ride (see my post from last night...) but I get surly if I don't get my cardio.

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Do you have other cardio you can do? Running, swimming, gym work?

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My old geezer knees don't like high impact stuff. No pool around here and I'm too cheap to pay $50/mo to pump a few weights here and there.

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I remember last year about this time someone posted exactly this problem! Woo hoo! I'm an old-timer!!

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LOL! :D

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I'm in the same spot myself. Part of it is scheduling. Even Saturday is taken. Plus it has gotten hot here, which takes me a bit of adjusting.

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Yeah, I know what you mean. All of a sudden it's HUMID and a hot. Ack!

I have completely lost my motivation thanks to this nice heat wave we're getting in NC. This usually happens in late July and August and I can generally feel good about taking a break by then because I'd have been riding all spring and summer. I hate, hate, hate the heat so much!

Best wishes for all of us finding motivation when we need it!

I dealt with that the last couple months....you know what I did?

I rented a *&^load of Tour De France DVDs...and let myself wait for the "mood"

And then last weekend I went out to a new trail along the Columbia River and did 8 miles. I know I have to get back in shape to really start enjoying myself again...so it's worth it for me to keep going to get there.

But if it ain't fun...in the moment or in the larger moment...well....

This has been happening to me too. So far my knees can handle some short runs. I changed the time when I ride which helped a bit. I used to ride right after work, and now that it is lighter later I ride after dinner. My usual routes look a little different with the lighting of the evening.

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Originally Posted by sundial

I have a brand new mtb that wants to go play but I don't wanna go. Wah!

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The great thing about bikes is that they are infinitely patient! :) Don't worry, it'll wait for you :)

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Originally Posted by PrincessAna

The great thing about bikes is that they are infinitely patient! :) Don't worry, it'll wait for you :)

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Yes, you are absolutely right!

Some cyclists may be heading out first thing in the morning to ride. I may take the mtb out for a spin. Maybe. Right now it's really windy and another windy day is predicted for tomorrow. Thank goodness for trees and mtb trails. :cool:

I'm motivated to go outside and soak my feet in a galvanized tub off cooool water while eating watermelon.

That's living the good life :D

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Originally Posted by elk

I rented a *&^load of Tour De France DVDs...and let myself wait for the "mood"

....

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Is this bike porn?

Yes, and occasionally a skin flick (when the streaker shows up). ;)

Went for a mtb ride early this morning. The park was so peaceful and I saw 3 turtles on the trail, a deer bounding past me, a squirrel diving into the pond and lots of deer flies that insisted they dodge in and out of my helmet. :eek: Don't know how much longer I'll ride the trails as there are some suspicious looking foliage. Makes me itch just thinking about it. :o

so how was it?? Sundial...crack the spell?

I was in Florida this last week for a conference, and I have new respect for anyone who can exercise in 90+ heat with that humidity. And of course it rained every day. This gave me a whole new perspective on what we call "hot" out here.

Lawdamercy it's hot.

I had a pretty bad case of unmotivation today but... for me, it will stay and linger... until I ignore it and go for a ride. I tell the "I just don't feel like it, I'm tired" voice that I completely sympathize, but that I am pretty sure it's lackadaisicality triggered by lack of activity, so I'll just go out for half an hour. I'm about to do that right now, since our morning ride was washed out... I am motivated by curiosity, since last week when I went by one stretch it smelled exactly like a distillery and I want to see if things are still fermenting :)

So... for me the worst thing is to NOT "force" myself to get out there. If I feel crappy in two miles I'll come back home (tho' I t hink I'll blow my nose, too, since that worked so well last time I felt this way ;) )

I've had this feeling a lot lately. It's been a tough year, and I haven't ridden much. I find that the longer I'm off the bike, the harder it is to get back on it. Even today, my husband harassed me until I got on the bike and rode with him. Once I got going, though, it felt great. It's just so darn hard to actually get off the couch and out the door. :(

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Originally Posted by elk

so how was it?? Sundial...crack the spell?

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I actually got up early Sunday morning and headed for the hilliest road near me. I did about 12 miles and my face was beat red. I have no idea what my heart rate was but I was glad to get home and cool off. Hubby wanted to watch a cycling event we recorded and I wasn't in the mood. But I guess I'm slowly coming around. :rolleyes:

I think my peak month is July every year. I always become the most dedicated during that month.

I'm having the opposite problem...I'm not motivated to do anything but ride. The only way I can make myself work is to ride there, then I'm chomping at the bit for the ride home. My gym membership is a total waste. I have no desire to clean, see friends, go away. All I want to do is ride (and eat and sleep).

So, I'll send you a little of my motivation. Be warned, it won't make you any faster, or ride longer distances. It will just make you think about nothing but riding.

Really though, I think your issue is the heat.

I was having the exact same problem, and was going to post this. Thx for the thread;).

One of my issues was that I could not put my finger on what it was exactly that made me not want to ride. Weather is some of it, extra pounds from winter a bit, but the biggest was that I was just sick of what I had been doing. In short, I needed to mix something new up to get remotivated.

I bought a hitch rack for my vehicle so I could travel out of part of the high starting traffic areas of my route that I hated. Well, that was a huge help initially. I have a parking trouble thread that rained on that party. But I'm not giving up. I will find a new place to park and start. It made me feel like my bike and I were going on a school field trip. Same with mtb. Found some new trails to try. I hiked with my dog first to check it out. It's not a true mtb place, but was fun. Funny, when I have the doggie, instead of the bike, it somehow made me long for my bike to be there.

The other thing that I decided was really bumming me out was riding alone. Sometimes the solitude is just what the doctor ordered. But, I'm sick of it ALL THE TIME. I did pay for a membership to a local club. I have yet to go. I need to learn how to ride with others. Got some tips from here. But, I'm still feeling a bit chicken. In the midst of that, an aquaint that's a much better rider than me lost his partner. I proposed that to get some type of motivation for him, I could be like a recovery ride. It would be better than no riding. Still trying to schedule that out, but just the thought of doing it makes me want to get better in the meantime to keep up.

Lastly, I needed to mix something up with my bikes and gear. Summer school vacation for the kids limits my riding. They are not quite old enough for me to leave alone to ride. Finding a sitter has not been working out. They both do ride their bikes everyday, but it's basically coasting for me. Both of them also need new bigger sized bikes. DS, my younget, who LOVES to ride his bike with me, is in need of repair too... he won't let me off the bike hook. The road bike, can't coast that slow, the mtb too nooby. I posted a thread about refurbishing my bike pre-drivers license (25+years old) and after reading about ladies MIXTE bikes here, I'm even more excited. It will be perfect for the neighborhood spin with the kids. Good combo to shop for kids bikes, and mom's refurb bike project! I can't wait to ride her.

Those are my mix it up and get motivated ideas I'm working with, FWIW. :)

Miranda

EDIT, and p.s ...about the extra weight I did this...
I ditched my tech performance toys. My Polar HRM needs sent in for a new battery, so not wearing that. My Flight Deck has something wrong with it and needs lbs work. Pre-that, comparing what I "used to be able to ride last season" vs what I'm doing now until the pounds come off was depressing me. It should have motivated me to get better, but instead, it just made me beat myself up to the point I didn't want to go at all. Now, I just use perceived exersion and two goals. Goal #1: I made up to the top of the hill without falling over clipped in = success. Goal #2: I made it back home, period, when I was getting tired and away at the furthest point out = success.