Author Topic: Lost my cycling mojo  (Read 22053 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #100 on: 08 May, 2021, 10:13:04 pm »
Ninety kilometres on the Brompton.

That counts the same as 150km on a proper bike. Good work.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #101 on: 08 May, 2021, 10:24:26 pm »
Saturday miles count double, so it's 300km. Award yourself a badge.  :D

(I rode to Tesco and back yesterday. That's a fraction over a mile each way. Yebbut it's up hill with full panniers on the way back and and and... )
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #102 on: 08 May, 2021, 10:58:54 pm »
Good stuff, Ian - get the seat sorted out, or you may not be a man much longer!

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #103 on: 08 May, 2021, 11:02:41 pm »
If you're going to regularly do that sort of distance and given your known aversion to Cycling Gimp Wear, maybe invest in padded pants. These are a thing and I'm assured nobody can tell from the outside and no, they don't have a dual function for senior citizens. Never used them myself though.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #104 on: 09 May, 2021, 09:08:16 am »
Having been cycling for well over 50 years, I have, not surprisingly seen a lot of changes.  At one time, I loved riding through the Winter and often clocked over 1000 miles in January and again in February.  As I have got older though, I am not as keen as I once was and hardly touched my bike at all during last December and January. 

For many years I worked in Birmingham City Centre and cycled to work and back daily.  I got a thrill from riding down the Queensway Tunnel on my way home each night, completely oblivious to the risk I was putting myself at as this was one of the main routes in and out of the City.  I was also well into Time-Trialling and would often ride out to Lichfield and then go training on the A38 between Lichfield and Derby and never had any problems.

Some years ago, I attended a "Risk Assessment" course and it definitely changed my whole outlook on where I went cycling from then on.  Looking back on where I had ridden in the past scared me and I suppose I was just "lucky".  Motorists today appear to be just impatient and will often do silly things just to save a few seconds but I am slowly discovering new ways to enjoy my cycling again as in the thread above and part of the enjoyment for me is in the creating and planning of a suitable route to somewhere.

Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #105 on: 09 May, 2021, 08:53:56 pm »
Jethro - we are very alike. I too have been cycling for around 50 years, and enjoyed tours in the UK and continental Europe. I commuted when I last worked (in Leicester) and used to cycle all year round, day and night, snow, ice & distance held no fears for me.
My last job included a lot of elements of risk management (and I still do some of that voluntarily, occasionally) but my professional understanding of Risk never dulled my enthusiasm for cycling. I learned to contextualise the nature of the risks and mange them. We are all different, and I respect your feelings.

But- I have barely ridden at all this year. My mojo has well and truly departed. I have a number of excuses, but I think there are two root causes (1) boredom with my local roads - whichever way I go, I've got to negotiate suburban Leicester before I get to the countryside; (2) I suspect that the last year has left me on the edge of depression.
I intend to deal with (1) as soon as I can drive to somewhere with a cafe where I can leave Mrs M (who is increasingly immobile) while I go cycling for an hour or two while she drinks tea & eats cake - this approach might help deal with (2) - I certainly hope so!
I also have the sense that past cycling glories are - somehow - holding me back. It's become painfully obvious that my body is coming up to 66, but my head still believes I am 30 and capable of the physicality of a 30 year old. I hate the knowledge that I cannot (realistically) do those 200k rides any more, and despise my body for letting me down every time I'm knackered by relatively simple physical tasks! (and yes, that's the depression seeping out!)
Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

ian

Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #106 on: 11 May, 2021, 08:12:42 pm »
If you're going to regularly do that sort of distance and given your known aversion to Cycling Gimp Wear, maybe invest in padded pants. These are a thing and I'm assured nobody can tell from the outside and no, they don't have a dual function for senior citizens. Never used them myself though.

It was more a case that several cycle-free months of gentle soaking of my loins in steamy Badedas-scented bathwater had led to a delightful yet impractical softness of the nethers.

I doubt it will be regular until my wife starts travelling again and frees up some weekends, but I may try and entice her on tour de Kent this summer. We did do the entire coast the other year (and the bit through Canterbury) as a series of day trips (a good excuse to finish with fish and chips and a beer or three) and she didn't complain that much. We nearly did it last year, but she wanted a Brompton to throw in the car and they were unobtainium.

Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #107 on: 13 May, 2021, 03:03:51 pm »
Most unusually I actually turned back home early on a ride yesterday after just a few miles. I was out with a group, the majority of which were riding electric bikes. The prevailing wind was gusty and the group started off at an fairly uncomfortable rate of knots for me.  I just knew I would not be able to keep up with the group later, particularly on some lumpy bits and the appeal and enjoyment of the ride just disappeared. I have only ever done this once before. Getting old I suppose, however spending some months in the house has not helped. Ho hum. Tomorrow is another day.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: Lost my cycling mojo
« Reply #108 on: 21 May, 2021, 01:18:49 pm »
Most unusually I actually turned back home early on a ride yesterday after just a few miles. I was out with a group, the majority of which were riding electric bikes. The prevailing wind was gusty and the group started off at an fairly uncomfortable rate of knots for me.  I just knew I would not be able to keep up with the group later, particularly on some lumpy bits and the appeal and enjoyment of the ride just disappeared. I have only ever done this once before. Getting old I suppose, however spending some months in the house has not helped. Ho hum. Tomorrow is another day.
That doesn't sound like a particularly courteous group to ride with. You should always ride to speed of slowest, or split group in two if there a big variance in ability. Folk on eBikes not waiting on a tough ride sadly doesn't surprise me in the least. If you have a medical reason, are well past retirement age trying to keep up with younger club mates or are an occasional rider trying to keep up with your other half who is a very keen and much stronger rider, an eBike makes a lot of sense. However that's not the typical customer who no matter how they try and justify an eBike, the TL:DR version is always that they are lazy and can't be bothered getting fitter. Folk with lazy attitudes who don't want to put work in don't tend to put effort in other ways too. :/
The Tile Collector