I seriously don't know why I can't just get back out and ride.
I gave up racing in 2016 and immediately found cycling for the sake of cycling no pleasure at all.
So since then virtually nothing.
I've been out on the tandem a few times. Had a pedal around my old homeplace, probably a maximum of five rides in four years.
The only exception was commuting across North London during the first months of lockdown. I hated getting ready to ride, but did find it okay once I got going.
I even bought a new bike September 2019, and I've not touched it.
I hate to admit it, but I think ego is part of it. Going from veteran national level to overweight barely capable plodder.
I've never been here ever, cycling was my life.
?
Have you tried running instead?
Might be good to try something different & easy to access instead.
Is it the focus if racing (training schedule calendar) or the competition you miss?
Get an event lined up for the back end of 2021 and put a training plan in place.
Or take up running, does wonders for your fitness.
Have you tried running instead?
Yep, that's the easiest way to make riding seem enjoyable.
I had 12 years off after quiting racing in 2007, only got back into it last year!
Part of it was not wanting to be 'crap' compared to how I used to be.
Quite suprised how quickly form has come back given how long off I've had....
I think don't worry about it too much - go out if you want to, don't if you don't want to. 🙂
Find a group(maybe not in the next month) to go riding with, make it a social event rather than just goal based. You might find a different way to enjoy riding.
I hated getting ready to ride, but did find it okay once I got going.
Just ride in what you have on. Its a myth that you need to "get ready" for cycling.
Thats not the same as sayign that cycling gear isn't good just that its not necessary for enjoyment.
How about planning a tour? It's a different way to enjoy a bike
I fell a bit out of love with it, then spent 2 years working/travelling/drinking/eating.
Hit 92kg @ 50 years old and decided to do something about it, in Feb bought a turbo and a Zwift subscription. Now at 80kg and relatively fit. Enjoying riding again.
Take up trail centre cricket...
You get one run for each person you overtake, and if anyone overtakes you ( unless it's someone you already overtook) them you're out.
Stationary people count. Kids don't count.
Bike racing for the sad no hopers😜
Get an event lined up for the back end of 2021 and put a training plan in place.
I was a competitive fencer.
When I stopped competing, I stopped going to training. I used to love training, but it was a bit of a pain to get there. When I didn't have to train because I wasn't competing there was no motivation to go.
I've been 5 times in 4 years. Its fun but I can feel my lack of practice. But I need a reason to get better.
My son is 1, I plan to get back into it by coaching when he is old enough.
I hate to admit it, but I think ego is part of it. Going from veteran national level to overweight barely capable plodder.
The only exception was commuting across North London during the first months of lockdown. I hated getting ready to ride, but did find it okay once I got going.
Doesn't matter what it is gym, reading etc. it's always going to be easier once it's habit!
Probably the best thing is arrange to meet someone (OK that just got harder) and then make the meeting.
Make sure all your kit is kept together and leave backpacks ready to go except water obviously.maked it quicker to get ready.
Make sure all your kit is kept together and leave backpacks ready to go except water obviously.maked it quicker to get ready.
I often get everything ready the night before as group rides are quite early. E.g. shoes and helmet etc next to bike, jersey pockets pre-stuffed etc. Then just get up and go without too much thought the next morning.
If you want to go cycling, then go cycling. If you don't then don't.
Stationary people count. Kids don’t count.
Sounds a bit "fragile" to me.
If your going to do it then do it
In a similar vein I set a target of doing the Chester Marathon in 2018 to mark a very important event and raise money for a charity close to my heart. I've never been the most enthusiastic runner but I found that focusing on the training gave me an enormous lift to the point I enjoyed it. Did the marathon which drained me emotionally and physically and have hardly run since apart from during the first lockdown when there wasn't much else to do and the weather was nice.
If riding isn't for you then do something else, life's too short to beat yourself up over something you used to enjoy but don't now.
Zwift? Takes 2 mins to get ready. Competition without the commitment. Can go as easy or hard as you like, then just turn it off when you've had enough. Plus the STW meets/races are a reet laugh 😃 (I've actually not done a non-STW Zwift for months now!!)
Probably doesn't help, but one of the reasons I've never raced (other than a couple of sportives when I started) is that I believe it is the best way to make riding your bike rubbish.
Audax.
You know you want to.
Set yourself some targets and (if no restrictions/lock down) get out there.
qwerty. Done running pretty well concurrently with cycling. Like County XC in the 60s and 70's. Then halfs, marathons and triathlons in the 80's and on.
The Brick. Both really. Up until mid 2016 I raced road from May til September. Usually Crits every Tuesday and a road race weekends.
Then did the full CX season.
With a trip to Belgium pre road and the Pyrenees pre CX
Found myself top 20 in LVRCC nationals both road and CX. Now 15 miles is a killer.
Yet I still look out of the window every day to see what the ridings like. ####ing weird.
Probably doesn’t help, but one of the reasons I’ve never raced (other than a couple of sportives when I started) is that I believe it is the best way to make riding your bike rubbish
It's really not,racing at all levels is ace once you get in to it,doesn't matter if you are top 10 or fighting off someone for 45th place it's all good fun.
Oh and Sportives are not a race 🙂 🙂 🙂
Fasthaggis. Tried Audax one year. Did a 200. Then promptly did my SR and never rode one again.
I know how you feel. I'll not pretend it's been as long as 4 years, but I regularly lose mojo with riding - which used to be annoying, because I do know that I enjoy it when I'm out. I also raced XC and CX at national level, and laterly dabbled in Enduro. It's definitely easier to motivate myself to be out when it's sunny and dry, and the faff of cleaning up after does put me off too. But I have stopped beating myself up about it. At the same time I do understand its place in my mental health - but I've realised a lot of other stuff keeps mind and body healthy too. For me its currently gardening (read taming the wilderness that is a huge, steep and rocky garden bought through rose timted spectacles) and walking - mainly with the excuse of being nosey and wanting to know where paths and trails go... I used to have a problem with both of those things being 'slow' - but I find them both very cathartic nowadays. Wanting to be fast and the training element definitely used to drive me - but for me it was about realising that getting annoyed at myself, and depressed, by not wanting to do it, was probably more damaging than not doing it. I do still love riding, but I'm at peace with now doing it when I feel like it.
The cruel irony now is that I'm recently retired. And I've moved to Brighton in the last three months. So I've got some great riding on my doorstep.
I'm holding back from getting a mountainbike, as I no longer own one. But the Downs are beckoning.
If you want to go cycling, then go cycling. If you don’t then don’t.
Have just reread what I typed above and realised it sounds a bit rude. wasn't meant to be. I was just meaning don't over analyse it. Go for a ride and if you enjoy it then brilliant. And if you don't then don't let it get you down. Loads of other things out there to do.
The cruel irony now is that I’m recently retired. And I’ve moved to Brighton in the last three months. So I’ve got some great riding on my doorstep.
The saying 'use it or lose it' comes to mind then.
Get some CX/Gravel type thing and set yourself up a wee routine of going to the downs,unless of course you are too busy now that you are retired. 😉
You don't want to be one of those old knackers spending their days choosing what garden centre coffee shop to visit. 🙂
I’m holding back from getting a mountainbike,
Ah! That'll be why you're not mountain biking...
Never done more than the v occasional race, but I'm less fit this year than ever because events have been cancelled I'd otherwise have trained for (3peaks cx to avoid dying, jennride to keep up with mates etc). Training=road bike which is not fun, just getting out on the mtb on the other hand is fun. I'll push it again next year, maybe. All part of my tapering for 60 plan...
You don’t want to be one of those old knackers spending their days choosing what garden centre coffee shop to visit
Unless it's mid ride stop for a 100k road ride 😉
My mojo went for at least a couple of years, principally road riding, but used to do MTB with family. For some reason all I could muster was the commute to work and that would wain often too. I did LEJOG in 2013 and then in 2014 my wife had breast cancer and everything just paled into insignificance. The big block for me was mates saying to me I needed to get out and train, that just makes me put the shutters down. I've started again this past few weeks and so far so good, although I'm being upfront that goals/ training/ big trips away aren't what I'm in it for. With the current situation though my main weekend activity, rugby ref and coaching with the kids, isn't happening so I've now time to ride again.
Zwift is quite shit. I mean it's very effective training, and it's better than dumb turboing, but still it's a chore.
As for 'getting ready' it's possible to really streamline this process, and worth doing. I'd say just get out twice in one week, and then you'll get some momentum back. Don't focus on performance or pressing on, just choose an easy spin, relax, and see how you get on.
When I lose my momentum deciding to just go out on a relaxed spin rather than hit some target is what gets me out.
Zwift is quite shit. I mean it’s very effective training, and it’s better than dumb turboing, but still it’s a chore.
To you.
It sounds like you just need to let go (mentally) of what you did in the past and how proficient you were. That was then, and this is now.
If you're old enough to be retired (I think you said that?) then it sounds like you are probably of an age where nobody is as fit as they were 10 or 20 years previously, so really what is the difference. Whether you had a 4 year break or not you would still surely be slower now than you were to some degree or another and there's no shame in that.
Whenever I have had an enforced lay off (running or cycling) I always find the first few weeks or maybe even month or so returning to it an effort that is not enjoyable- but just view that period as an investment for the future as I know that once a tiny bit of fitness comes back I'll start enjoying it again. So I'd say its worth pushing the issue a little bit and acknowledging to yourself that you don't expect weeks 1-4 of a return to riding to be super-enjoyable but is just a necessary prelude.
Most exercise is just boring and painful initially if you ask me, but gets enjoyable once you're fitness catches up a tiny bit.
No, you could not be more wrong, Zwift is ****ing brilliant 😂 loads of people here love it, as the many different Zwift threads prove... just look at the anticipation for tomorrow!! It's been a total game-changer for some in terms of lives/fitnessZwift is quite shit. I mean it’s very effective training, and it’s better than dumb turboing, but still it’s a chore.
Unless it’s mid ride stop for a 100k road ride 😉
What! who bothers to stop on a 60 miler 😉 🙂
Zwift is quite shit. I mean it’s very effective training, and it’s better than dumb turboing, but still it’s a chore.
I prefer it to riding on real roads
No, you could not be more wrong, Zwift is **** brilliant 😂 loads of people here love it, as the many different Zwift threads prove
Loads love it but its a bit marmite.
TBH nothing would get me out in the rain better than the alternative being Zwift....
... in fact.... see you later.
Is there not a puncture option on Zwift?
It would be great if you could push a button that lost your competitors 10 minutes repairing a tyre ,while hiding from the rain in a bus shelter. 🙂
The fact I'm writing this is something.
I noticed a trail from Shoreham to the North Downs. What I saw looked like pressed cinder, so I'm going to risk a spin on the road bike on it. It's flat? steady and scenic so hopefully I'll be able to just spin along.
Plus I always loved this time of year.
@fasthaggis there was years ago back in the beta, but just like in real life everyone on Zwift runs tubeless now so it doesn’t work anymore
TBH nothing would get me out in the rain better than the alternative being Zwift….
I quite like riding in the rain - feels more virtuous!
Which is just as well, given the weather this October......
I cannot stand riding in the rain but weirdly really enjoy running in it.
