Lost My Passion For Cycling

DaveyDave

Hi all,

Posting this as I'm not sure what to do. I started cycling back in 2011 when I got a new Lapierre Tecnic 300. I quickly started commuting 30km to college and going for 30-40km spins on my days off. Day, night, rain, snow, you name it. Nothing could stop me. I did all the basic maintenance myself, brake pads, chains, cassettes, bottom brackets etc. I've lost count of how many times I've watched mountain bike movies such as Life Cycles or Seasons.

If the bike was in the shop for swapping out parts I would be itching to get back on it, even after 2-3 years. It would be like getting a brand new bike. I cycled absolutely everywhere. Met my current girlfriend in 2013 and would cycle to the city all the time, cycled to work when I got a job in 2014. I got a Canyon Roadlite AL 6.0 in 2014 and done more mileage than ever and even picked up an Edge 500 with all the sensors.

My job moved to Finglas and doubled my commute. Although 40km a day wasn't the end of the world the route was extremely dangerous and I started to commute less and less. Over time I spent considerably less time out on the bike. I got a new job December last year and while in a much better location it was still 40km.

Even after picking up a set of Campag Zonda wheels and a carbon Canyon last year I still can't get back into it. I started driving in February and even got a new car in October. I think it's safe to say after all these years of cycling my commuting days are over. Although I'm looking forward to cycling into work on the nicer days in summer.

All the weight I lost has come back and I think it's one of the reasons I don't like being on the bike. Cycling is now painfully slow as is running. I was getting back into running just before the icy conditions started. I've since picked up a basic Tacx trainer and I'm finding it tough but at least 30 minutes a few times a week is better than nothing. I can't sit there and watch TV as I was hoping but I've had better luck with some of the training videos by GCN.

I'm hoping to stick with short bursts on the trainer and short runs to shift some weight and get lighter and faster but I'm not sure if it will be enough.

I always cycled solo and was never part of a club. I'd like to join the local club in Lucan to mix things up but need to get fitter first. I was never much of an endurance rider either, keeping to the usual 40km even on the road bike. Before it all went downhill I was getting up to 70-80km each week and lost a decent amount of weight. I think I just need to get out there and ride...

I'm only 25, it's crazy to think how quickly it all went away!

Nika Bolokov

DaveyDave wrote: »

Hi all,

Posting this as I'm not sure what to do. I started cycling back in 2011 when I got a new Lapierre Tecnic 300. I quickly started commuting 30km to college and going for 30-40km spins on my days off. Day, night, rain, snow, you name it. Nothing could stop me. I did all the basic maintenance myself, brake pads, chains, cassettes, bottom brackets etc. I've lost count of how many times I've watched mountain bike movies such as Life Cycles or Seasons.

If the bike was in the shop for swapping out parts I would be itching to get back on it, even after 2-3 years. It would be like getting a brand new bike. I cycled absolutely everywhere. Met my current girlfriend in 2013 and would cycle to the city all the time, cycled to work when I got a job in 2014. I got a Canyon Roadlite AL 6.0 in 2014 and done more mileage than ever and even picked up an Edge 500 with all the sensors.

My job moved to Finglas and doubled my commute. Although 40km a day wasn't the end of the world the route was extremely dangerous and I started to commute less and less. Over time I spent considerably less time out on the bike. I got a new job December last year and while in a much better location it was still 40km.

Even after picking up a set of Campag Zonda wheels and a carbon Canyon last year I still can't get back into it. I started driving in February and even got a new car in October. I think it's safe to say after all these years of cycling my commuting days are over. Although I'm looking forward to cycling into work on the nicer days in summer.

All the weight I lost has come back and I think it's one of the reasons I don't like being on the bike. Cycling is now painfully slow as is running. I was getting back into running just before the icy conditions started. I've since picked up a basic Tacx trainer and I'm finding it tough but at least 30 minutes a few times a week is better than nothing. I can't sit there and watch TV as I was hoping but I've had better luck with some of the training videos by GCN.

I'm hoping to stick with short bursts on the trainer and short runs to shift some weight and get lighter and faster but I'm not sure if it will be enough.

I always cycled solo and was never part of a club. I'd like to join the local club in Lucan to mix things up but need to get fitter first. I was never much of an endurance rider either, keeping to the usual 40km even on the road bike. Before it all went downhill I was getting up to 70-80km each week and lost a decent amount of weight. I think I just need to get out there and ride...

I'm only 25, it's crazy to think how quickly it all went away!

Maybe the break will be good and one day out of the blue you'll fancy a spin and it will all make sense again.

Exiled1

Join the club!
You will find it a much better experience than solo cycling, sociable, as competitive as you wish, etc.
You will need to discipline yourself to weekend cycling but it is a better option in any case.
You won't regret it.

Sunsets On Tuesday

DaveyDave wrote: »

Hi all,

Posting this as I'm not sure what to do. I started cycling back in 2011 when I got a new Lapierre Tecnic 300. I quickly started commuting 30km to college and going for 30-40km spins on my days off. Day, night, rain, snow, you name it. Nothing could stop me. I did all the basic maintenance myself, brake pads, chains, cassettes, bottom brackets etc. I've lost count of how many times I've watched mountain bike movies such as Life Cycles or Seasons.

If the bike was in the shop for swapping out parts I would be itching to get back on it, even after 2-3 years. It would be like getting a brand new bike. I cycled absolutely everywhere. Met my current girlfriend in 2013 and would cycle to the city all the time, cycled to work when I got a job in 2014. I got a Canyon Roadlite AL 6.0 in 2014 and done more mileage than ever and even picked up an Edge 500 with all the sensors.

My job moved to Finglas and doubled my commute. Although 40km a day wasn't the end of the world the route was extremely dangerous and I started to commute less and less. Over time I spent considerably less time out on the bike. I got a new job December last year and while in a much better location it was still 40km.

Even after picking up a set of Campag Zonda wheels and a carbon Canyon last year I still can't get back into it. I started driving in February and even got a new car in October. I think it's safe to say after all these years of cycling my commuting days are over. Although I'm looking forward to cycling into work on the nicer days in summer.

All the weight I lost has come back and I think it's one of the reasons I don't like being on the bike. Cycling is now painfully slow as is running. I was getting back into running just before the icy conditions started. I've since picked up a basic Tacx trainer and I'm finding it tough but at least 30 minutes a few times a week is better than nothing. I can't sit there and watch TV as I was hoping but I've had better luck with some of the training videos by GCN.

I'm hoping to stick with short bursts on the trainer and short runs to shift some weight and get lighter and faster but I'm not sure if it will be enough.

I always cycled solo and was never part of a club. I'd like to join the local club in Lucan to mix things up but need to get fitter first. I was never much of an endurance rider either, keeping to the usual 40km even on the road bike. Before it all went downhill I was getting up to 70-80km each week and lost a decent amount of weight. I think I just need to get out there and ride...

I'm only 25, it's crazy to think how quickly it all went away!

Thanks for this post, I'm sure it happens more often than is noted.
I think only commuting on the bike could cause anyone to go mad. So maybe leave that, and just cycle for leisure. Start with some short ponders about the place and build it up over time.
Setting a goal is also very useful to achieving anything on the bike. You have the gear for it, find a nice route for yourself and try it out. Wish you the best of luck in refinding your love for cycling!

sy_flembeck

DaveyDave wrote: »

I always cycled solo and was never part of a club. I'd like to join the local club in Lucan to mix things up but need to get fitter first.

If I was in your shoes I'd join Lucan and not worry about fitness. You obviously have the miles and experience in your legs so you'll fare better than you think, particularly in a group.

As it happens it's probably a good time to join too as a lot of clubs do introductory spins in the new year so you'll have all levels there.

As said above I reckon this happens to us all at some point or other.

Althouuuuugghh I also think the new car might be part of it. If so, don't worry as the novelty will soon wear off!!

God 25 and mentioning weight is what caught my eye. You mentioned you lost some and put it back on, have you slipped back in to bad eating habits etc?

The gym isn't for everyone I know , but maybe diet/nutrition advice and some regular exorcise be it on the bike or not to get you back in the habit of living well might be a good place to start.

DaveyDave

Sunsets On Tuesday wrote: »

Thanks for this post, I'm sure it happens more often than is noted.
I think only commuting on the bike could cause anyone to go mad. So maybe leave that, and just cycle for leisure. Start with some short ponders about the place and build it up over time.
Setting a goal is also very useful to achieving anything on the bike. You have the gear for it, find a nice route for yourself and try it out. Wish you the best of luck in refinding your love for cycling!

Yeah I've thought of just going out for leisure, not even for fitness. There's been some nice days recently where it would have been nice to go for a spin, it's always nice to get some fresh air!

sy_flembeck wrote: »

If I was in your shoes I'd join Lucan and not worry about fitness. You obviously have the miles and experience in your legs so you'll fare better than you think, particularly in a group.

As it happens it's probably a good time to join too as a lot of clubs do introductory spins in the new year so you'll have all levels there.

As said above I reckon this happens to us all at some point or other.

Althouuuuugghh I also think the new car might be part of it. If so, don't worry as the novelty will soon wear off!!

I never thought of the introductory spins in the new year, thanks for pointing that out. I must look into it.

Deleted User wrote: »

God 25 and mentioning weight is what caught my eye. You mentioned you lost some and put it back on, have you slipped back in to bad eating habits etc?

The gym isn't for everyone I know , but maybe diet/nutrition advice and some regular exorcise be it on the bike or not to get you back in the habit of living well might be a good place to start.

I've always had bad eating habits but at least back then I was very active and fairly good at eating in moderation. Along with cycling and running I was also in the gym for over a year lifting weights and during that time I was making a slight effort to eat better so I was eating a bit cleaner.

For the moment I've gone back to making lunches, rather than grabbing breakfast bars and crisps. The last few weeks up until Christmas I was doing a decent job of not overeating.

When I was in shape I had very good will power, saying no to just about everything I didn't need. I'm just having difficulty getting the ball rolling on consistent exercise and eating habits. I know once I get going for the first few months it should be easy enough to stick with it.

Ahhh here you're talking to mr. ate all the pies over xmas here

You need to be eating right though thats half of the battle. I'm sure others can offer great advice on that front but seriously look at that aspect of your like going forward.

John_Rambo

Could you drive some of it and cycle the rest?

From you're opening post you seem to be very driven and passionate about cycling and fairly good at it by all accounts!!! That would be fairly crap to waste.

30k in my book is fairly admirable. Maybe part drive/part cycle could get you back in the saddle? It could get you back in to that cycle (no pun) of fitness - eating well. You could tailor your drive to suit a less dangerous cycle after park up and don the two wheel war gear! Whatever you do, I wish you the best of luck in 2018.

sullzz

Join Lucan , we are not all that bad in the club Id also consider trying the commute again , i do a commute of 34km a day and the odd day add an extra 20 on , i find once you do 2 days it makes the other 3 a lot easier , and the days you dont commute you feel crap and curse yourself .
Its mostly habit , if you have a goal and try hard to hit it , your diet and training will be a lot easier to stick to .

07Lapierre

Sell your car and buy another bike!*

Join a cycling club and set your self a goal(s) for 2018. That goal can be anything cycling related. E.g. sign up for a Sportive, or do a 200k cycle, or maybe think about racing?

I’ve signed up for the Etape in July, which means I need to get my sorry ass back over to Wicklow and start doing more spins with lots of climbing! The etape is 170k in the Alps! The longest spin I’ve done this year was a pan flat 150k.

So join a cycling club and set some goals for 2018. Best of luck!



*only joking

secman

Start by doing leisure spins and gradually get back in to it . Set yourself small targets. You will get there and as previously mentioned join Stags Lucan, set a target to whip Jimmys ass some day , sure he's nearly 60 now ! Good luck.... I was off the bike for 10 years and got back in the saddle, loving it again... Unfortunately my back is acting up again... but sure I'm 60 too.

Wanderer78

Mountain biking it is then! Give it a shot, highly addictive, try cross country trails such as ticknock, ballyhoura, ballinastoe, before moving onto more advanced trails such as bike park Ireland and the gap. Best of luck

C3PO

The first step is always the hardest! Once you start again it is much easier to keep it up! I would really try and get back into the bike commuting - it would make a huge difference!

doozerie

Everyone is different so what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another, etc., but here are some things that have worked for me to motivate myself to get out of various ruts:

* Commuting - I've always commuted by bike so I've never ended up wedded to the car or public transport for this. However, I haven't always enjoyed commuting by bike, sometimes I barely tolerate it (I've been commuting largely the same route for 20 years, my day job isn't always appealing, etc.). But, no matter how much I'd rather be somewhere else, or doing something else, I'd rather be cycling my commute and breathing in the air than stuck in a car or bus in frustratingly slow moving traffic, and that thought always pushes me back into a positive frame of mind on the commute.

A huge help for me too is being dressed appropriately for the commute, over the years I've figured out what works well for me in all sorts of weather conditions. So even if I'm climbing on the bike reluctantly, at least I have the comfort of knowing that I won't be miserably cold, clammy, or overheating on my journey, and that's worth a lot in terms of overcoming that reluctance.

* Diet - Weight gain is not something I've had to worry much about during my life, but healthy eating is a challenge for everyone (it's often assumed that skinny people like me must eat well, but nutrition really isn't as simple as: overweight = bad diet, not overweight = good diet). For various health reasons I switched to a low-card diet several years ago. I'd eat everything in sight before that, with an emphasis on anything with carbs, so to change my diet I had to train myself to not continuously and casually consume food throughout the day.

One thing that worked well for me there was to think about why I was eating certain foods. The answer I came to was that I was pandering entirely to my tastebuds. I didn't need lots of the snacks I was consuming, I just liked their taste. Once I decided that I wasn't going to let my tastebuds dictate my choices, and dictate my physical state as a consequence (energy peaks and crashes, etc.) it became easier to avoid eating the stuff I decided I didn't need at all.

* "Fun" rides on the bike - Everyone's definition of fun is different. In my mid 20's to my mid 30's my "good" bikes sat unused for the most part. With parenthood looming for the first time I was contemplating a future where family circumstances might not allow much time for riding my bike at weekends even if I wanted to. I literally sat down and thought about what I'd miss, if anything, if that happened. I had to think about what cycling actually "gave" me in the first place. I was still commuting by bike, but as I mention above, that's purely functional for me and while I wouldn't not do it it's also not what "cycling" is really about for me.

I concluded that without my "fun" rides, my life would be poorer and that wouldn't be good for me or those around me. I rely on that form of cycling to clear my head, feel exercised, enjoy the countryside, etc. It was as if that thought suddenly made getting back out on my bike a lot more appealing, I rediscovered the fun of getting out for a spin each weekend, and I haven't really lost that sense of fun or satisfaction again since then.

Focused sessions on the bike help motivate me on the inevitable days where something else (spending time with family, staying in bed, reading a book, etc.) seems more appealing. For me, deciding the day(s) before on the route I'll cycle, deciding whether I'll push myself hard or not, etc., all help give focus to my session. Or simply riding with my club can be enough motivation in itself.



So maybe try not to focus on where you are right now, think about where you'd like to be in a week, or a month, or a year, or few years, and plan towards that. Perhaps that'll cause a positive shift in mindset and help give you the motivation to make changes to your current circumstances. That's essentially what has worked for me and once I got even a little bit of momentum going it got easier and easier over time.

doozerie

Oh, and when it came to the turbo trainer, structured sessions there helped me a lot too. In my case I found TrainerRoad (www.trainerroad.com) helped a lot, it gave me structured sessions to choose from and provided feedback both during and after the session that helped me gauge how I was getting on (whether I was getting stronger, etc.). Sufferfest videos were a big help too in the early stages.

There are many options there, including the likes of Zwift if you want a more immediately interactive/competitive aspect to your sessions. Not all of the various options require significant equipment or investment either, so just pick one that suits your circumstances and try it out. If it doesn't work for you, try another, etc.

Macy0161

Definitely recommend something structured for the Turbo - in my experience totally changed it from a chore, to just plain hard work.

TrainerRoad has much lower minimum specs than Zwift, in terms of the computer/ phone/ tablet end of it. Bluetooth speed and cadence sensor (circa €20 for ant+/bluetooth on aliexpress), supported turbo (supported in terms of trainerroad doing virtual power), and an android phone you'd be good to go on TrainerRoad.

Quigs Snr

The Irish peloton, leisure and racing is chock full of fellas who cycled, stopped and then started again a decade or two later.

Most will have gone through what you describe. In my case it happens about twice a year, (my job is such that regular training patterns are hard to establish)... in my case I like the machines themselves and spend money on that... kind of keeps me interested / motivated (hard to have a half dozen bikes in the 10 grand plus range and not feel guilty about not cycling them.. although I have found a way to manage that too!)... being with a club helps too.

The one thing I will say is this.. the mojo always comes back... whether it is two weeks or two decades... and when it does, a lot of folks are sorry they didn't punch through it at the time and just keep going.

The good thing about having all the weight is that progress will be quick.. so it is easy as hell to set goals.. set a goal of doing e.g. 800km this month... do nothing else... then get on a scales.. the number will be a little smaller and you will be going a little quicker and feeling better about yourself. Joining a club like Lucan will help because I am sure they will have different groups so you should be able to target progression between those etc..

e.g. since the kids arrived, I have barely cycled compared to the old days.. at the start of December I realised I was 1100km away from doing 10,000km for the year... so I have been outside when I can.. inside I use Zwift.. so I stick a movie on the iPad, Zwift on the other screen and spin away. That little short term goal (although lame compared to the other lads in my team clocking up 25k for the year).. has kept me going one way or another this month.. if it were a 3 month goal it wouldn't have worked for me.. too much opportunity to push it off.

Find something that works for you and stick at it chief.

C3PO

As Quigs suggests .... find what works for you!
30 minutes on a turbo trainer and I've lost the will to live but I rarely mind getting on my bike at 5.40am for my daily work commute! There is nothing like getting the scales and seeing a couple of kgs gone to inspire further efforts!

TGD

DaveyDave wrote: »

...I'm only 25, it's crazy to think how quickly it all went away!

It never goes away. Guys take breaks - long and short - for all sorts of reasons but nearly always get back to it at some stage. Don't beat yourself over it - circumstances will change in time and you'll find your way back into it in some fashion.

Mercian Pro

doozerie wrote: »

* "Fun" rides on the bike - Everyone's definition of fun is different. In my mid 20's to my mid 30's my "good" bikes sat unused for the most part. With parenthood looming for the first time I was contemplating a future where family circumstances might not allow much time for riding my bike at weekends even if I wanted to. I literally sat down and thought about what I'd miss, if anything, if that happened. I had to think about what cycling actually "gave" me in the first place. I was still commuting by bike, but as I mention above, that's purely functional for me and while I wouldn't not do it it's also not what "cycling" is really about for me.

I concluded that without my "fun" rides, my life would be poorer and that wouldn't be good for me or those around me. I rely on that form of cycling to clear my head, feel exercised, enjoy the countryside, etc. It was as if that thought suddenly made getting back out on my bike a lot more appealing, I rediscovered the fun of getting out for a spin each weekend, and I haven't really lost that sense of fun or satisfaction again since then.

Brilliant doozerie. Pity there isn't a facility on Boards to flag posts like this to make them easier to find when the cycling mojo goes missing.

Despite commuting by bike all my working life, I drifted out of "fun" cycling sometime in my 40's. Maybe having kids was probably a factor but sticking with an unsuitable bike (very rigid and race geometry) didn't help. Once I killed my Mercian in a collision about ten years ago and replaced it with a much more comfortable and suitable Cannondale, I rediscovered the joys of the open road. Signing up for the Hospice Dublin to Paris cycle, and the consequent unfounded fear of being left behind, ensured that I stuck to a demanding training schedule.

The next quantum leap was realising that cycling solo was fine in reasonable weather but not much fun in the depths of Winter. By this stage I had retired and felt that I needed to get out at least twice a week to make up for the missing commutes. Joining a good club (Swords) provided the incentive and the company and my yearly average jumped from about 4 to 10k. There are still moments on rides, often but not always at the top of climbs, where I shoot the arms in the air and let out a shout of joy. Hopefully the OP will get to experience this level of elation before too long.