I fell out of love with my bike

[bikerchick68]

ah remigo... I went thru this with dance. I used to dance for the joy of dancing... then the better I got the more men wanted to dance with me... next thing I know I have a dedicated partner and I'm competing in 4 ballroom dances at an amateur level... pretty soon, we're practicing 4 nights a week for 2-3 hours per night. And I'm tired. And annoyed when we don't "get" it... we win several competitions which is cool, but now I'm sorta dreading dancing.

I lost the JOY of it. So I stopped. I stopped competing, and started dancing for me again. I'll never lack partners due to the level I'm at... but there are MANY people that are WAY better dancers than me... and many that are way worse. And ya know what? It doesn't matter. I dance for ME now.

Ride for you. That's my best input. Hugs...

[sandy45]

Good afternoon Ladies,

This is Sandy's (DH) My name is Tye, and I have to say what a fantastic forum you have put together here. I happened upon this topic and I just wanted to say that I have been in a similar situation with cycling. To the originator of this thread, do not give up hope, and definitley do not hang up the bike. It is important to remember that in this world there is always going to be someone that can do something better or ride faster or do a better trick. Do not give up on something that you love so much. And definitley do not let someone else dictate your view of yourself. Sure you may not be as fast as the other guy/gal but overall you are the only person that is going to determine whether you will be comfortable at your level or whether you will step up and try to push yourself to the next level. Recovering from an injury I was in a similar situation and I had been away from the bike for 3 years. I recently just did my first race since the injury and it was a slap in the face for me. I am fat slow and I spent a good deal of the course walking up hills I normally would have conquered in a few pedal strokes. So in my case it wasn't the faster guys out there but rather my own view of myself that was holding me back. So I ahve to say, get back out there and ride, dont do it for everyone else, do it for yourself. Let others with similar riding abilities come to you rather than trying to force yourself to fit into someone elses riding abilities. The second it is not fun anymore is when you should re-evaluate why it is you are riding the way you are. Get out there and ride, you know you want to! and remember, keep it rubber side down!

[Cassandra_Cain]

Oh yes, what they said....it seems biking isn't the problem, but the bikers were!

Riding with a group like that sounds like many things, but fun is definitely not one of them~

I have to think a different group would suit you soooo much better. Oodles more.

For a while I tried to find people and/or clubs to ride with. Overwhelmingly, the results have been very negative while at the same time, I've come to just enjoy riding on my own.

Everyone is different, but I enjoy being 100% focused on myself during a ride, especially a difficult one. I don't really want to worry about speeding up or slowing down for someone, or having to ride a route I don't care for.

So with the notable exception of a fellow TE'r who I sometimes share the afternoon commute with, I ride on my own all the time, happily too.

[DDH]

I agree with everyone else. I am a newbie since July. I did ride years ago and hung up the bike because of life issues, child got to big to pull anymore but to little to keep up or ride on the roads, work with different shifts, no time, all the normal life things that we let stop us from doing things.
Anyway, I am back into it now, and there is no way I would ride with someone that much better than me because of the very thing that is happening with you. Nothing against those folks but it is very frustrating and self esteem destructive to have someone so far ahead all the time and struggling to keep up. Go back to what you were doing and loved. Find someone to ride with more your speed. If you want to be fast like those folks then I am no expert but I believe that takes a lot of training time and effort to get to that point. I just want to go out and ride and have fun.
Good luck to you, I hope you choose to get back on and get back your love!

[pkq]

I ride for me. Sometimes I want to push, other times I am a genuine slacker. However, even when I want to push, there are always others who can beat me to a pulp.

If I don't feel like riding, I don't. If I feel like doing something else or nothing, that is what I do. I believe our minds and bodies tell us what we need so I listen.

When you ride for yourself, it doesn't seem like a chore.

I have friends who don't view "freddish commuters" as real cyclists. I do just as I would view them as a motorist, if they were driving, or a walker, if they were walking. Live and let live.

[CyclChyk]

I have friends who don't view "freddish commuters" as real cyclists. I do just as I would view them as a motorist, if they were driving, or a walker, if they were walking. Live and let live.

..um.... what is a "freddish commuter"????

[Veronica]

..um.... what is a "freddish commuter"????

Someone who rides a non racing type bike. Commuters are fredlike because they have bags, fenders, etc.

I mean look at this bike, fenders with an extender on the front, a bell, reflectors in the spokes. Look at that bag, it's huge. And the pedals... they're doublesided. What kind of dork rides flat pedals, ever? And don't even get me started on those non integrated shifters. A Brooks leather saddle, that's gotta weigh 10 -15 pounds by itself. Really, who rides 27 mmm tires? AND look at how many spokes there are on those wheels! No real cyclist would be caught dead on this bike.


V.




PS In case you haven't figured out, that's my bike. It looks a little different now and I have a commuter bike so I don't have the bag and rack on it anymore.

[emily_in_nc]

V.,

You are a treasure.

~Emily
(who rides her Bike Friday with rack and panniers, bar-end shifters, air-horn, Halt holder, 1.35" tires - but no Brooks saddle - to the markets every Saturday, smiling all the way )

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hey does this make me a Freddiesque Dork too?
Attachment 1645
Hey we even put our bells in the same place too!