[Closed] Anyone seen my Motivation? Can I borrow some of yours

With the thought that whilst before the ride I feel like I really dont want to do this, I know that afterwards I will be glad I did.

oh yeah - and dont bother cleaning the bike, theres no point- if you must, just let it dry , then brush the mud off before you next go out.

By going out at lunchtime and not cleaning my bike (it might get hit by the hose but that's it)

Not today you can't.... i'm post-booster jab and feeling like poop.... today, i've nothing to give to anyone apart from a request for sympathy 😀

Probably not an option for you but I go for a run as soon as I'm up. 4-6 miles cross country, doesn't matter how cold or wet conditions are, the worse they are the bigger the enjoyment gap between running and riding. You really don't get cold as you are working the whole time and there is no bike to clean. Having said that I've a rigid hub geared bike for the off road winter commuting, if I ever get back to going to work, which makes the cleaning pretty much unnecessary.

So if you can't run I have good news, the answer is a new bike 🙂

Nope, can't be doing with bike cleaning at the moment.
The thought of a grit filled chain out on a sloppy wet ride, no ta.

Exactly the same here so got on the turbo and what little motivation I had went south. I was talking to my wife about this and she asked how old the turbo was. When I worked it out it was 40 years old so I started looking at new ones. She basically told me to get a new smart trainer rather than mope around and what a difference! Actually feels like riding, is so quiet I can be in the same room as somebody else and no cleaning of the bike required at the end. Somehow it now gets me back out in the mud on the bike when I can, but I can keep the fitness and motivation when I don’t feel like it.

Buy a turbo trainer.
Put it in the corner.
When you CBA going outside, look at it to remind you of the alternative.
Think about using the words "pain cave" without irony.
Ride bike outside.

But seriously...
I share your problem much of the time.
Ride on the road or paved/gravel paths to avoid getting you/the bike covered in mud... no, it's not as fun as riding off-road, but at least you get out.
Find a reason to ride, however tenuous: a cafe, a bakery, hell, a bag of doughnuts from Tesco. Take a stove for a coffee outside, or just take a flask. Go visit a friend for a cuppa. Doesn't have to be far. Out is better than nowt. (Though I appreciate that getting the bike covered in mud for half an hour's ride seems a waste... sometimes I trick myself into going for a longer ride this way 😄)

[i]Buy a turbo trainer.
Put it in the corner.
When you CBA going outside, look at it to remind you of the alternative.
Think about using the words “pain cave” without irony.
Ride bike outside.[/i]

Sold the smart trainer in December after using the free Swift, RGT and ther subscriptions and deciding I would rather shove wasps up my arse

its my favourite time of the year to ride - no motivation needed. Winter is for honing skills not mileage. or digging of course!

find somewhere with a healthy bit of gradient and mess about on a bunch of slippy corners rather undertake an xc epic through bogs.

i keep the drivetrain working- ish but no bike cleaning - there is no point as it`ll only get dirty again soon. chuck it in the garage to dry out and knock the worst off before the next ride.

You live spitting distance from the New Forest.
There are miles of graded dry mud free traffic free fire roads
Yes, its pretty flat
Yes, it's annoying there is no single track
No, you won't be hit by a car
You would be very unfortunate to have any sort of accident.
There will be a myriad of tea rooms who would love to see you.
Go, go now, ride fast, ride free in the sunshine.

[i]You live spitting distance from the New Forest.
There are miles of graded dry mud free traffic free fire roads
Yes, its pretty flat
Yes, it’s annoying there is no single track
No, you won’t be hit by a car
You would be very unfortunate to have any sort of accident.
There will be a myriad of tea rooms who would love to see you.
Go, go now, ride fast, ride free in the sunshine.[/i]

If the frost clears I think I might just try, or maybe tomorrow

gravel bike with full guards. I came back from a ride in pretty filthy conditions on sunday with slighty muddy feet and that was about it.

and hot water plumbed in outside. best thing ever for cleaning bikes in winter.

I'll get the mtb out again when its dry.

Echo the sentiments above: quite often I don't feel like going out, but remember that I rarely (if ever...) come back and regret having done so.

This even applies today - woke up to frost, and thought "sod that", but I'm off out now and I know I'll feel better for it once I get home (and have warmed up...)

Feel you.

Currently my motivation is I'm a right fat bastard

Some one on here said that they had a spread sheet

They put on the spread sheet how they felt before and after every ride. It reminded them that every time however they felt before the ride they felt better afterwards

I don't do this but I do remember that the principle applies. I've never regretted getting out.

+1 for the new forest in winter

I use my turbo a lot in winter. It's not a fun experience. I'm not a massive fan of night riding in the winter either but it's better than the turbo. I look at the turbo and think 'yeah I'd rather sort my kit out, put bike on trailer, ride with my mates, get horribly muddy, probably not be able to go to the pub, clean myself up, drive home, wipe down important bike parts, ruin washing machine' than get back on that 😉

Always apply the 20 min rule. If I'm not enjoying it after 20 mins, go home. Never happens but it does help get me out.

Also we're out with Basque end April and I intend to ride as much as possible before then to get the most out of it.

As others have said, it's really rare to regret having gone out - just get out there! It also makes you appreciate the summer rides a bit more... Don't wait for the frost to clear, cold frosty mornings are the best ones!

I think your motivation might be down the pub with mine. I’ve been struggling for a month or two now, think part of it is covid and being stuck working from home still. You know this already but you can’t make yourself want to go for a ride, either give yourself a kick in the arse and go for a ride, or don’t.

Shitty weather, dirty bike, first world problems 🙂 Dress appropriately, hose the bike and lube the chain (it really doesn’t need a full strip/degrease/clean every time you ride it).

Go out and enjoy being outside - it could be worse, I’ve got covid at the moment so am stuck indoors when all I really want to do is walk the dogs, go for a run, ride my bike.

I use a smart turbo.
It’s nothing like a normal turbo, i use zwift, have it setup permanently in the spare room, I only have to move 2 cx bikes to get on it. One switch turns on the tv/apple tv/trainer. Phone goes on the bars via quadlock, apple watch does hr.
Got the trainer for my birthday in October, I’ve already used it more than I’ve ever used a normal turbo in the last 30 years.
A total game changer.
My aim is to control weight and maintain base fitness over winter.
My rule about going for a ride is to have the things I need laid out beforehand. That makes it far easier to get out the door, once I’m out the door i never regret it.

Malnutrition?
Proper diet?

WCA, short regular rides, 2 or 3 times a week. So the gap between rides is small enough that you remember how good the previous one was. If I leave it longer I forget the free goodness, and just remember the cold wet mud.

as an aside...

and hot water plumbed in outside

My mind is blown!! That's like a miracle, never even considered it, it's from a different dimension. But now every waking hour will be filled with fantasies of hot water, on tap, outside.

I know that going out in the woods on my bike always makes me feel better than I did before. Just being outside and getting some extra fitness and a riding buzz is generally motivation enough.

I got a worx portable jet wash thing for Xmas - loving just giving the bike a quick rinse off before sticking it back on the car to drive home again. I then change standing in a large bucket / in the car so I’m not covered in gopping mud and I’m warm again. Get home, quick degrease of the gears with a mic off chain doctor thing and re-lube the chain (5 mins tops) and then throw the bike in the garage. Worry about muddy kit in the morning if it’s a night ride. Job jobbed.

My motivation was last seen in Morzine in July 2019. Life in general has been pretty monotonous ever since.

Same as Alex and others, very rarely do I think post ride that I've just wasted my time. Just get on auto pilot and go and ride without trying to think about it. Yes, this time of year your bike gets mucky quickly, but the slop washes off in no time really, and clothes go in the magic laundry box and come out sparkling again.

And don't be too hard on yourself about training or whatever, just getting out for a bit is the goal

I just go walking now - boots on, coat on, beanie hat on, out the door. I find it a lot easier to go walking in the rain than cycling and all the faff of cleaning, maintenance and broken kit.

I've not ridden a bike properly in over 3 years now. If you need to drag yourself out the door and make yourself 'enjoy' it, then it's probably time for something else. Or just admit you're a fair-weather rider.

Zwift is still only marginally less shit than turbo training. However regular Zwift racing with a team is a lot better. The actual riding is again only incrementally less shit, but better because you have to work as a team, and there are opponents on the road. But the main factor is that you've signed up to race with a group, and research has shown that it's a lot harder to back out of something when you've committed to do it with others. This is why Weight Watchers works much better than dieting on your own. It certainly works for me. It's also really effective training, it doesn't take very long and is really easy to fit around other stuff.

And if there's no team race on and it's still shitty out I watch a film whilst doing low intensity instead.

a lot of people above are saying the cleaning of the bike after a winter ride puts them off - so dont clean the bike - its not necessary (even for a fancy full suss), just let it dry, brush the big bits off later and oil the chain , and you're good.

There is no need to wash a bike every ride - even in the winter - even with a full suss (even with an ebike.....)

I have a hot water hose 🙂 It is a marvellous thing.

Zwift is okay, I don't race but do tend to ride with the same groups (including STW one when I can). Definitely improves the experience but you're still in a shed/room staring at at TV. Mine is set up right next to me here in my shed/office on an old Mac so there are no barriers to using it. Other than the aforesaid motivation. I also do a training plan once or twice a winter. I mean they are really hateful, but I do think the MTB focussed ones are of some benefit.

Having written that, I am SO glad to be going out in the dark and the cold tonight instead 🙂

Oh and the cleaning thing? I don't bother in the winter after a night ride. Just drag the chain through an old rag and re-lube. The rest can wait. Also have a heated shed so it's nice to come home after a cold ride and not freeze my whatsits off sorting the bike out.

Zwift is still only marginally less shit than turbo training.

Rollers, and then only 30 mins HIIT sessions. 10 mins warm up, Do the HIIT program, warm down...It hurts but you're done in half an hour. There's no way on earth I'm spending any longer on it than that.

I'm with you, WCA. I can't be arsed. I hate riding in winter. I can't wait for April.

I'm not good in the cold
I prefer the feeling of riding dry trails
I'm not very good at riding in slop
Getting dressed ready to go out takes longer
Cleaning up afterwards takes much longer
I don't really like night riding in the dark, and it gets dark at 4pm
Charging lights is more faff
etc etc

Everything about winter sucks, riding in the summer is just better in every way. I can understand that some people like slithering down sloppy trails, but it's not for me. I'll still go out so I can hang out with mates and I usually enjoy it, but I'm not itching to go out at the moment, particularly on solo rides.

One thing that has helped me* is getting all the right kit for winter. Trousers are great. A decent (selection of) jacket(s). Gloves for any condition.

I'm OK with this. I know that in the summer my mojo will return. Just find something else to do to pass the time.

*a bit, as you can see it hasn't fully worked

Motivation, such an aggravation.

One thing that has helped me* is getting all the right kit for winter. Trousers are great.

Yeah. Showers Pass trousers and Shimano winter boots. The trousers go down over the ankle cuffs of the boots so they don't fill up with water. It's fantastic to splash your way through puddles and mud without feeling any cold or wetness. Makes a huge difference.

I got as far as the garage but decide to go for a swim instead. Swimming lanes are almost as dull as a turbo but I find myself drifting into a peaceful place and come out after an hour feeling really deeply refreshed.
And clean.
And warm.
And just a towel and trunks to stick in the washing machine to rinse for 30 minutes.
And nothing broken.
And when I restarted swimming in September I managed 60 lengths in 1hour 2 minutes, today I did 74 in 1 hour

There is no need to wash a bike every ride – even in the winter – even with a full suss

That is location specific. If I ride in the chilterns the bike would not work if the mud wasn't removed before the next ride

I don't worry about how it looks but the mud has to come off

. If I ride in the chilterns

Alex and I offer our sympathies, we've both been a victim of Chilterns winters, and have the PTSD to prove it.

Well done WCA - swimming is still exercise and head space! I used to almost fall asleep sometimes pool swimming 🙂

i struggled over the xmas week, i think its easy to put it off when you have all that time on your hands... now im back at work and back to getting out at every opportunity! that first ride back will spark your fire again.

conditions are awful, but once you accept the fact it stops becoming such an issue.

went for a spin at dinner time, its stunning out there today!!

Alex and I offer our sympathies, we’ve both been a victim of Chilterns winters, and have the PTSD to prove it

"You weren't there Man, you don't know what it was like' 🙂

We do have extensive 'clods of dust' here in the FoD, but however bad it is the Chilterns clag/clay is still a high bar I never want to reach again. Esp back in the days of V brakes. We were ahead of the game with the Enduro Carry 🙂

Anyway, whoever said riding trousers is 100% right.

Feel your pain, my motivation went out the window during December, the cold doesnt bother me but the wet muddy kit is my main thing for not going out currently.

I have no washing machine at the moment so its a pain to clean regular stuff.

Got my turbo about 6 months ago, used it a fair bit then stopped, recently put the road bike back on it and had a r=ride on zwift.

No its not the same as getting out, however i can up my fitness without leaving the house, i can watch TV whilst doing it and i dont get muddy.

Cleaning the bike?

Make sure that you live near a friendly bike shop who have a hose and brushes outside the back door. Pop your head in and give the boys a shout before you start hosing. Someone brings you a coffee, despite your protestations that you're too muddy and cold to enjoy a coffee. Fancy a biscuit? Oh no, I shouldn't but mmm mmmm mmmm...

Go and ride your bike, one day you might not be able to! 👍🏻

Luckily I'm closer to Woburn than the Chilterns

I forgot to say. No way I'd make it through the winter without some riding on the road

In winter I just accept that I ride less and I'm mainly restricted to daytime/weekend rides as I'm simply not interested in getting the lights out after work...my local stuff just doesn't interest me that much.

That means maybe only 1 ride a week, and I'm ok with that as I've other hobbies that take over during winter like bouldering/climbing.

I actually like sliding about in the mud, but after work in the dark... not so much.

Go and ride your bike, one day you might not be able to! 👍🏻

Could be too busy drinking wine and eating cake because one day I might not be able to..

Make plans for a group ride. We were out on Monday and it only rained for first 30 minutes then turned out ok. Had a great ride, but we all said we’d never have went out on our own.
Peer pressure works.

@molgrips what is the sizing and fit like on the Showers Pass trousers?

In 2017 and 2018, before I bought the turbo just before Xmas, I used to do intervals on the various ramps in Midanbury that you're not far from, WCA.

Lower Copsewood with Dell Rd (hits ~20%, steepest incline I know of in Southampton)
Full Copsewood
Dimond with Castle Rd
Bond Rd and Norris Hill
wakefield Rd (from Meggeson end) with Litchfield Rd
Vanguard Rd
Witts Hill
Thorold Rd
Rossington/Rosyth/Montgomery
Woodmill La (usually by far the busiest in terms of motor traffic)
etc.

Back then it was on the fat bike, with various wheel/tyre combos, it was more about the workout rather than times.

Very rarely do any of them these days even on the road bike, if I can't get myself out to the South Downs lane, I'm much more likely to jump on the turbo in the winter months.

A mate and I signed up for one of the Southern Enduro events (alternatives are available) in Spring as incentive to keep riding and getting better over winter. So far it's working very well, I'd encourage anyone struggling for motivation to do the same.

Just pray for a mild spell without too much rain, was out today for the first time in a month (illness and christmas), it's just treacle out there, think i'll get the ebike back out for the next trip!

Went out tonight. Forgot to change my bar mount over so helmet light only. Trails were 70% clag, 20% Greasy Snot Death and 10% traction-less ditch finder. It was cold as well.

Slithered round 12k with 500m of climbing. Didn't even go to the pub. But it was around 100 times better than the turbo. Much prefer to ride with my mates. Once I was out didn't regret it for a moment.

Rain tomorrow tho. So back on the turbo 🙁

Trousers have been a revelation this year. Muddy trousers get taken off in the garage and stay there. Muddy shoes go on the boot dryer. Muddy jackets come off in the garage and stay there. Muddy bike has putoline on the chain so doesn't need immediate attention. Fairly clean me goes in the house and gets less of a row from the wife.

Stopping cleaning filthy kit saves so much time, this really helps me stay motivated for night rides.

@integra not the most generous but not the tightest. I have a big muscly bum and thighs and I'm 180cm and the large only just fits. I lost a few kgs over the summer and they fit ok but now I've gained over Christmas and they are a bit tight again.

They do have the optional braces which are well worth it as they solve any bum dropping issues (you'll know what I mean if it affects you!). Overall superb but size up.

Zwift has been a godsend for me, there's one thing I'm not doing at 7pm after getting home, eating, etc and that's going out into the dark cold night, on my own, to get covered in mud.

An hour on zwift with a training plan, yep that's much better.

If it's not raining one day of the weekend then I'll do a local ride for an hour or 2, and if there's a group night ride then that's something to look forward to.

weeksy
Full Member
Not today you can’t…. i’m post-booster jab and feeling like poop…. today, i’ve nothing to give to anyone apart from a request for sympathy

Yeah,I wouldn't wish feeling like me on anyone.😀

OP, I know how you feel. I'll be setting up my zwift setup again asap. It really helps me over the darker months, not just with fitness etc but with "head stuff" too.

I used to motivate myself to ride in the winter for years but the last couple I just haven't. If you have to motivate yourself to go out.you probably just don't want to, there's 100s of other things you could spend your time doing.

It's funny, something about cycling seems to pressure us all into thinking we can only either do it as a full time hobby or not at all but in reality how many other hobbies do you have that you only do now and then when it takes your fancy?

Work is something you have to motivate yourself to do, not recreation!

reality how many other hobbies do you have that you only do now and then when it takes your fancy?

Interesting point, but I'm probably the opposite - anything I would describe as a hobby, if questioned, I do all of the time. I ride several times a week, play guitar every day, read a book (or part of) every day. (In fact I wouldn't describe reading as a hobby because I do it all of the time, just like breathing..)

Off the top of my head I can't think of anything that I do occasionally that I'd describe as a hobby. eg I wouldn't describe surfing as a hobby because I only do it a few times in summer. Perhaps I'd describe cooking as a hobby. Despite doing it every day and normally enjoying it, that's just because it needs to be done every day, but it's only occasionally that I'll do some research and cook new stuff.

I've just realised that I've got obsessions, not hobbies.