Just woundering how and what you guys do to keep the cycling bug going?
Having had various injury’s in the last few years,which have kept me off the bike for weeks/months at a time I’m finding it harder and harder to want to get out there.
Having done the ligerments in my knee last summer and missed what summer there was I’ve just been doing a short singletrack loop near where I live but what with the weather etc I’m finding even that is becoming a chore!
No goals ( not a racer) 90%of the guys I ride with are 10plus years younger and that just makes ya feel crap I could at least give them a hard time on the downhill stuff but there kicking my arse now to the point where I just let em go and I just trundle down. I buy, i sell, build new bikes but that’s getting old and expensive had a santa cruz frame sat here and can’t even be bothered to find the last few hundred to finish it off 🙁
So I guess my questions, what do the singletrack massive do to keep the fire’s burning??? Help 😥

Just ride for fun…don’t make it too hard..if that means just having a short ride do it…it can take ages to get your fitness back.i rode a lot for most of last year and my fitness was really coming on,then I broke my ankle..getting back soon though..I find planning things helps

If I’m not enjoying riding I don’t do any, simple. The love for it always comes back.

Do something else for a bit? Do some running, swimming, circuit training indoors.

Maybe having a goal might provide some motivation. Enter an event, doesn’t have to be a race. Set a date to go to a trail center.

Have you considered that your lack of entusiasm for biking MIGHT be a symptom of a more general problem?

Try some new routes or a new group to ride with? Do you do nIght riding? Try a different sport for a while?
I never struggle with motivation unless I’m feeling a bit tired or under the weather. I used to do a lot of running but had so many injuries I gave it up and I concentrate on cycling these days, just happy to find a sport that doesn’t cause so many injuries!

Maybe having a goal might provide some motivation. Enter an event, doesn’t have to be a race.

This.

seems alien to me to not want to go out on my bike. I’m sat here at work at 7pm and shall be riding at 9pm for 2 hours in the dark. I am excited about riding, mentally wondering about what route I shall take. If you ain’t excited about riding pick another sport I’d suggest.

Sorry you have lost your MOJO have read 100s of these threads over the years on here.As said above i dont understand it.I have a simple solution to this one day i wont be able to ride a bikes or motobikes so just enjoy it.Hopefully i have another 40 years on bikes at least 😀

If your bored on MTB get a road bike or X-bike.If you live in an area with plenty of Byways/White roads have a go at greenlaning on a motobike all good fun.Maybe go and watch some cycling events get the fires lit again

I got 3 mtb’ s … HT, FS & fully rigid.
2 road bikes … Summer plastic skinny type & winter tractor.
And a new cx bike.

I just mix it up depending on weather & conditions.
Cx at mo is lots of fun!

A new bike or major piece of kit does it for me , but lately been hitting the trails with a buddy 20 years younger and its really giving me the determination to try and catch him up, also like someone said plan different routes visit new trail centres etc

Have you looked under your tallboy?

Igmc.

My solution is to find a riding buddy/buddies more in tune to just ride for fun, not to be the fastest uphill or race round some trail at warp speed till you want to puke.More technical trails perhaps? I am at the point that I am really struggling to get fit enough to ride with the younger ones (normally like you at least 10-20 years younger than me and they dont realise just how much difference the age gap can make). I plain dont enjoy it as it takes an hour for my legs to tune in, too fast too soon= glycogen gone and screwed for the rest of the ride, plus it takes me longer to recover/replace that glycogen.
If needs be just leave the bikes be for a couple of weeks then watch some good quality biking videos and you may be surprised how it will get you enthused to get back on the bike for a play.

I try and put back into the sport what it offered me when I first started. So organising rides and inviting lots of different people along, organise ladies specific rides to get more ladies out, moderating forums so they provide a useful place for people to get feedback on those beginners questions that bother them, trail building, taking photos, that kind of thing.

Seeing other people enjoying the trails really helps make me appreciate being able to do the same.

The people I ride with also makes a massive difference.

Maybe you could try meeting with some different folks for some casual rides and see it as a social exercise? The kind of people I started riding with – that stop at the top of every hill, bottom of every hill, and quite often halfway down the hill with a camera to grab photos. If I’ve been driving myself into the ground trying to improve my riding, my mojo usually disappears…..couple of social rides and it normally comes back. Chilled stop start pace rather than ‘we’ve gotta keep moving’ kind of stuff 🙂

My mojo was on top of my car when I got home, which was a relief.

I had visions of it flying off and getting smashed to bits on the trip back north Wales.

But seriously, is there any people/clubs around your way who just ride for fun as a social thing?

How about road riding?

Where are you based?

Thx guys for all of the above. To be fair I’m kinda doing most of the above. Most of the local clubs I’ve found to clicky for me and some have just gone by the by. Bike wise I have hardtail,full sus road and another full sus waiting to build up. All are set up differently to mix it up.
I think gritty shaker hit it n the head there’s more going on in my head! my be mid life crises with out the affairs, porches and will to go do an ironman! Thank god for the dog we got the last couple of years at least I’ve found new stuff to ride in my local area (south coast).
Regards all the other ideas I have/do most of the above trail centres every few months for a 3 day stint each time try to ride other areas etc and get out on he road bike. Do keep em coming though,iI did toy with the idea of getting an on one fatty bike just to really mix it and try something new really like the look of/idea of one.
Thx again all
Bats.

full sus road

^ sounds like an interesting road bike! 😉

I’m kind of going through a similar phase, but I think that’s mainly down to owning a crap bike that needs loads doing to it – and it’s just not that much of a pleasure to ride anymore. That, along with being too skint to fix it/replace it doesn’t help.

That said, I am doing a 500 mile charity ride over 5 days in June – so it’s forcing me to keep getting on the saddle! And once I’m out I really enjoy it 🙂

Good luck, it will come back for sure – especially as the weather gets better now 🙂

Strava!

The harder you look for your mojo the less likely you are to find it.

When it is ready, it will find you.

Come and ride with me mate, I haven’t been out on a bike in about 6 weeks and am pretty unfit.

The weather has been dreadful, so don’t give yourself too much of a hard time about not being in the mood for riding.

I pretty much decided that if I am not enjoying it, I will have a bit of time off. I’ve never been the sort of rider to just go out and crunch miles for the sake of it, so if the trails are a swamp I go and do something else.

I don’t mind mud, but when I am having to pedal my nuts off downhill to get any speed, it ain’t fun for me.

Also, come and do an uplift day, I guarantee you will enjoy it. A day of pure downhilling reminds me of why I love this sport.

When things dry out a bit you will get the mojo back 8)

You dont have to ride! Take a few months off riding, Set another goal like swimming a mile in under 30 minutes or whatever it is that sparks your own imagination. Then in a few months time when the trails are drier and its lighter at night, you will probably feel the love return, only it will be stronger than ever 🙂

I think that mattjq’s response 2 posts above sums it up in one sentance. I have been through it too!

mattjg – Member
The harder you look for your mojo the less likely you are to find it.

When it is ready, it will find you.

Love it! 🙂

Set another goal like swimming a mile in under 30 minutes

I find any thought of the gym or ploughing up and down the pool to be great motivation for getting out riding!

Aha, pebble ! You should come riding with us, we’re all old and slow! Give up riding with Evans, he’s too fast everywhere.

Nightriding adds a new dimension to getting out on the bike.

Time for a new bike

Try a bit of trailbuilding.

I wont cost much (if you have the tools), will ‘work’ the right upper body muscles and you’ll have a brand new trail to ride when you’re done.

Time for a new bike

Nah, that is getting cart before horse.

Motivation (of any quality) is internal not external. Any hit from new bling is likely to be short lived I think.

Or put another way, get a new bike because you love your riding, but getting a new bike won’t make you love riding.

All IMO, I’m not a psychologist!

Maybe do a skills day or pick up a good skills book, will likely give you renewed motivation to give your local loop a blast to practice new skills.

Spindle you old bugger where you spring up from?? Lol. Mrblobby skills day is a very good thought been thinking of one of these for a while mr Jedi me thinks some time soon once I can get my arse in gear and on the saddle.

Always lurking Carlos! Just building a new bike up myself as it happens. Matt keeps me up to speed with all the cast offs he buys from you! Wouldn’t mind a Jedi skills day myself, be up for it in the summer perhaps?

Hahaha yeah those village boys are great to sell to any thing that’s all shinny and all that lol
What you building up now another turner??

Yep, can’t leave them alone. Going to give the darkside a go though, just sold my 5 Spot frame and awaiting delivery of an ano black 29er Sultan

ooooooo mr xc 29er boy, very nice though 🙂

Variety is the key, imho, which is why I have: DH bike, XC bike, road bike, and race BMX.

Time for a new bike

That is the last thing batman needs. 😆

Lol kudos. But true.

With a set of 140mm X Fusion 34s on the front I don’t think it’ll be all that xc TBH. Anyway, I’ve got 2 kids and a 3rd due in a few weeks, I made it to Surrey Hills twice last year and Wales once so I might as well make my bike suited to South Downs riding!

Ride somewhere you haven’t ridden and get fit/ter.

Just try something new.
I don’t know what your skills are like, but I’ve really enjoyed trying to learn new tricks recently. Basic trials moves, wheelies & manuals really, but learning this stuff is fun and just puts you back to playing on your bike Nothing serious. No pressure. Best part is that it also gives you something new to try out on your next proper ride. Works for me 🙂

Blimey Dave think you should ride the bike more and not some thing else 😯
Gotta say the xfusions I’m running are nice very pleased with them todate.

Yeah gonna start commuting again on the road bike to work etc and as headpotdog and a few of you have said start playing more and deffernatly looking at learning a few new things this year plus finish this TRC santa Cruz of ASAP that should make things fun
😀