[Closed] Winter motivation

Going against the grain somewhat, take some time off a week, a month, six weeks it doesn't matter. Uninstall strava so you're not being bombarded by other people doing four rides a week and put your feet up read a book, learn to cook somthing new or do absolutely nothing if that's what takes your fancy.

If you're anything like me then the pressure to be out riding will be something you put on yourself and then when you don't go out riding you feel worse and it becomes a vicious cycle.

Go out and ride if you want to and when the spring comes around your motivation will be picking up again right about the time when you'll want to be upping the milage for summer goals. It's pointless sickening yourself just because you feel you _have_ to go out.

There's nothing that sucks the joy out of something faster than when a 'want to do' becomes a 'have to do'

+1 for making plans with other people.

I have all good intentions of a solo night ride, until I get through the front door and decide it is too <insert lame excuse here>. If I have plans with other people, I just get on with it and always feel so much better for it.

Did my first proper mountain bike ride today in 'proper' Winter conditions after not going on the bike for a week due to lack of motivation with the poor weather. It was bad overall. Couldn't believe how much harder it is now. It felt rediculously slow, uncomfortable and hard work. I felt like I was getting a constant head wind all the way round. It was miserable and grey. It was wet and muddy as hell. I got a puncture in a particularly cold and windy place and it was horrendous trying to fix it. Hands covered in mud and shit trying to get the tyre on/off as well. The ride felt like a killer and a lot of back ache yet it was only 18 miles. If this is what Winter riding is all about I can understand why I was doing 10X less riding last Winter than Summer.
Plus its not even proper Winter yet, when you add the much colder temperatures ontop of all this crap its going to get even worse.

Some of my recent, horrible weather rides have been the best fun I've had on the bike all year. When the weather's too grim for a ride (or when there's not enough daylight) I go running instead.

Gypsum, that is exactly where I'm at. I feel I'm putting pressure on myself to ride as I have an expensive bike in the shed and should be using it. Then when I don't I get angry with myself.

Yes I am the guy that was and still is a bit down, haven't managed to talk to anyone and wondering where my life is going and if I'm a let down to the people around me. But upon reflection although I'm not in an amazing place I have a lot less to worry about than some people in the world so need to be happy with what I have.

Join your local gym.

I've ridden to mine this morning, brought a bmx off ebay, chuck on as hoody, get on the path n get yourself there. Really enjoy it!

I did balk at the steps to the bike rack though, I really should have rode them

Get decent lights, decent kit and set yourself a challenge. Last 2 years I've done the Rapha 500 which is tough in wind, ice and rain. To do the final 50 miles on New Year's Eve I drove out to the forest and went up and down a straight stretch of road for 2.5 hours watching the sunset and the stars come out....New Years beers were earned.

This year I have a kiddy taking all my time, so I've bought a kickr and looking at trainerroad and zwift for some motivation. Zwift seems okay for the 'just going for a ride' whilst trainerroad will replace my suffer fest sessions

wondering where my life is going and if I'm a let down to the people around me

I feel like that most of the time too, and I know it's a bit of a cliché, but riding my bike really does help.

Try and find some new routes, to give you something new to do. I spent half of Friday night working out a route in my head for Saturday morning, that a) was around 30 miles, and b) would be suitable for a bit of on and a bit of off-road.

I really enjoyed the ride, and came back feeling energised.

EDIT: As DT78 said, maybe set yourself a challenge. This month I am trying to do the climbing 6000 m in a month on Strava

Having previously had a Turbo Trainer which barely saw any use I really struggle to motivate myself to get out and ride in the filthy weather, especially when other time constraints would usually limit me to a road ride rather than a mountain bike ride.

I signed up to Zwift about 10 days ago having taken the plunge on a used Elite Turbo Muin off here and I'm absolutely loving it. It's properly grim outside this morning and there is no way I would have gone out today but I've just put 30 miles in. All while the kids are playing in the other room and the Mrs is having a lie in. It's brilliant and properly addictive so I reckon my winter motivation is sorted this year.

Oh no! I have ignored all the good advice on here and bottled an event today! I got up at 7 loaded the car got a few miles down the road until the howling gale blowing rain like shotgun pellets made me turn round and come home. Of course now I feel really bad. the wind and rain are still going at it but I really should have given it a shot. My only excuse is that I rode for 3 hours on Thursday in p***ing rain and didn't enjoy it much .
I am now really getting on Mrs FOGs nerves , shuffling about, staring wistfully out of the window, sighing etc.
If I am not careful I will spend a large amount of money while sat here at the computer just to make me feel I should ride. In fact I may go to the garage and measure the clearance for some wider rims......

I'm shit at manualling but puddles are a great motivator for practising. And in general if you can get out and ride when conditions are bad you'll be flying when it gets better. Having others to ride with helps me when it's like this, too easy to stay in unless you've made plans to ride with others.

It's properly grim outside this morning and there is no way I would have gone out today but I've just put 30 miles in

😀

How many laps of the front room was that?

BMX + indoor skatepark on miserable weather days.

MTB on the crisp cold winter days (when winter really kicks in)

No to turbo, no to the gym.

Keep it fun.

All the motivation I need
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The monthly Strava climbing challenges have been my motivation this year.
One more to go ?

I'm in the "i have to go out riding" camp, trying to break the habit so i'm in the "i want to go riding" camp, tough though.

Getting too much into treating it as a chore that i have to do or else i'm going to become weak and unfit, but it's when i'm having fun that i get strong and fit.

Glad to see some of the responses saying you don't HAVE to go riding, trying to teach myself this.

+1 Strava Challenges .. got 6 this month, for bike and running' never used them before and its certainly gives me the boost to get out ... roll on December

A useful trick I learned was to make the first step of any process as easy as possible just to gain some momentum. In this instance it could be ´get dressed in cycle gear´ at the absolute minimum. Once that arduous task is complete, pat yourself on the back and go back to what you were doing. Next day add ´leave house with bike and cycle 1km´ and make progress from there.

Actually been enjoying riding in the rain and cold lately, but I was buggered if I was going to head out on the road in that wind today.

Maybe Mtb tomorrow though.

Commuting and not having a car helps

It's difficult. I've got a 100km mtb race in February (in Australia) so I need to stay in shape (relatively…) for December and January. But it's tough to maintain form throughout the worst months. I sacked off a ride today because the trees were bent double. It might have done some good to go out but I was weak (and hungover). I don't do turbos and can't see how I can get hard miles in over the winter. I'd recommend a spring target - last year a bunch of us signed up for Paris-Roubaix (can do it on mtbs or road bikes) and it was a brilliant incentive (and a great ride). But mid-Feb for a hot mtb ride, that's different.

December is usually a less hectic work month for me so I try and get my life in general back on track. Once I embrace the cold, dark, wet rides I quite like it. Safety is the only concern but again once I'm out it usually feels Ok.
If I can get hold of a little bit of form in Dec then then I feel ahead of the game in Jan Feb - more positive.
Also if I manage to commute on the bike (I have not for a few years but did my first on Fri) then its a game changer in terms of how at ease I feel with myself.