There are a number of reasons why people may take up cycling: for fitness, competition, for fun, a bet, to lose weight or maybe a New Years resolution. In some cases though it ends up just been a fad. A moment of madness when they buy the bike, ride it for a week and then get sick of it and it stays in the shed or it gets sold.
But whatever your reason and how much you initially enjoy riding your bike, there will be times when you lose motivation and interest. There could be all sorts of reasons why this is the case, but fortunately there are also a number of different ways that you can stay motivated and rekindle the enjoyment that you had when you first started serious bike riding.
Mental motivation
This is a tough one to conquer in the early days as you begin to cycle regularly. Try to establish a routine and persevere with it. Anything new will take some will power but within a week or two you routine will be established and you will go about it like anything else you do from day to day.
If your routine is upset by, say, bad weather its very easy to slip and you will find it hard to pick up again later on. Try and fill the time you may have been cycling with perhaps other physical activity. Go swimming, go down the gym. This keeps your routine and offers variation, something we will talk about later in this article.
Rewards and Goal setting
Having a goal to work towards, and perhaps giving yourself a reward when you reach that goal, can keep you focussed and give you a motivational boost.
Goal setting - By having a goal you should be motivated to get out and train to achieve your desired result. This may be weight loss, riding up a hill without stopping or a race. Whatever level you want to ride at, set yourself a goal, tell your friends and family, it will keep you focussed.
Rewards - Give yourself rewards. For example, if you manage to lose the stone you wanted, treat yourself to that really nice pudding on Sunday. Or if you beat your personal best time on a local course, you can buy those new shoes or some other piece of equipment you've been waiting for.
Variation
A key factor in maintaining motivation is variation. No matter how much you initially enjoy a ride, if you repeat this over and over you will become bored and lose interest. Fact.
Duration - Vary the duration of your rides, some days try to ride a bit longer and slower, some days perhaps a bit shorter and faster. If you feel tired just take it very easy to recover.
Intensity - Change the pace of the ride or parts of the ride. Sprint up some hills, take on your mates or sprint for a sign which signifies the end of the ride.
Timing - Ride at different times of day, rides in the morning and evening can feel very different. You can feel more/less tired and motivated both times of the day for different reasons. Try both and see.
Route - This is an important one. Vary the route, find lanes you've never needed to go down before. Seek out new Pubs and Eateries! Drive to places new. Take your bike on Holiday. Ask collegaues for ideas. A new route is like starting again, like a breath of fresh air!
Company - If you ride alone, find someone else to ride with, come out on our Sunday club or ride with some friends. As well as the social aspect you can motivate each other. If you always meet at a certain time you have a commitment to help keep you motivated.
Destination - Ride to somewhere, such as, your work, a caf?, a pub or a friend's house. If you have a purpose then you will have motivation.
Discipline - If you ride on-road or off-road, try the other or do another sport like the odd swim, gym session or circuir training for example.
Rest
If you are feeling tired and lacking motivation you may be doing too much!. Lack of motivation is a good indicator of over training in which case consult our club coaches who can advise on what you should do in terms of rest to avoid this situation in the future.
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