How do I motivate myself to ride to work?
Discussion
Urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. that is all.
Been struggling to find motivation since end of November to get back on the bike, but with a coast to coast coming up I need to get my ass moving.
I can potentially ride to work, I've plotted a nice XC route from my house which I'm hoping to scout out this weekend, but I still don't know how I'm going to get up and on the bike to go to work.
We have showers.
There is secure bike storage.
One excuse I've got and is really bugging me is how to I get a change of clothes / shoes to work?
I figure I could only realistically RTW on a Friday, which means taking clothes in on the Thursday, but then I don't have any spare shoes.
The other excuse is the time is will take (around 1hr 30 with my current fitness level) which means getting up even earlier than normal.
How do you do it?!
Been struggling to find motivation since end of November to get back on the bike, but with a coast to coast coming up I need to get my ass moving.
I can potentially ride to work, I've plotted a nice XC route from my house which I'm hoping to scout out this weekend, but I still don't know how I'm going to get up and on the bike to go to work.
We have showers.
There is secure bike storage.
One excuse I've got and is really bugging me is how to I get a change of clothes / shoes to work?
I figure I could only realistically RTW on a Friday, which means taking clothes in on the Thursday, but then I don't have any spare shoes.
The other excuse is the time is will take (around 1hr 30 with my current fitness level) which means getting up even earlier than normal.
How do you do it?!
I'm in the same boat, 9 months ago I was doing 30 miles a day, 4 days a week to The City, in for 8:20am, showered and at my desk for 8:45am with a shower and internal bike storage.
Changed jobs in the late spring and now I have to be at y desk for 6:30am, there is only the barbican car park (or the street) to leave the bike chained (Bianchi C2C) and I'd have to go to the gym to shower and change whilst worrying if it'd still be there that evening. Its just not practical given I'd have to leave at 5am and don't leave my desk most nights until 8:30pm....guess that's why I'm now nearly 3 stone heavier....
I'm all ears as I need to shift it!
Changed jobs in the late spring and now I have to be at y desk for 6:30am, there is only the barbican car park (or the street) to leave the bike chained (Bianchi C2C) and I'd have to go to the gym to shower and change whilst worrying if it'd still be there that evening. Its just not practical given I'd have to leave at 5am and don't leave my desk most nights until 8:30pm....guess that's why I'm now nearly 3 stone heavier....
I'm all ears as I need to shift it!
Edited by kiethton on Monday 5th January 21:50
Thing is, I can think of nothing worse than commuting on the road (don't have a road bike, don't want a road bike).
In the summer its easier as I go riding after work and it doesn't matter if I get muddy. I enjoy the odd night ride, but when its cold and wet its difficult to want to get out!
Just before November, my fitness had peaked and I was happily out 3 times a week!
Motivation has hit rock bottom to say the least...
In the summer its easier as I go riding after work and it doesn't matter if I get muddy. I enjoy the odd night ride, but when its cold and wet its difficult to want to get out!
Just before November, my fitness had peaked and I was happily out 3 times a week!
Motivation has hit rock bottom to say the least...
kiethton said:
I'm in the same boat, 9 months ago I was doing 30 miles a day, 4 days a week to The City, in for 8:20am, showered and at my desk for 8:45am with a shower and internal bike storage.
Changed jobs in the late spring and now I have to be at y desk for 6:30am, there is only the barbican car park (or the street) to leave the bike chained (Bianchi C2C) and I'd have to go to the gym to shower and change whilst worrying if it'd still be there that evening. Its just not practical given I'd have to leave at 5am and don't leave my desk most nights until 8:30pm....guess that's why I'm now nearly 3 stone heavier....
I'm all ears as I need to shift it!
I'm a member here: http://www.h2bikerun.co.uk/Changed jobs in the late spring and now I have to be at y desk for 6:30am, there is only the barbican car park (or the street) to leave the bike chained (Bianchi C2C) and I'd have to go to the gym to shower and change whilst worrying if it'd still be there that evening. Its just not practical given I'd have to leave at 5am and don't leave my desk most nights until 8:30pm....guess that's why I'm now nearly 3 stone heavier....
I'm all ears as I need to shift it!
Edited by kiethton on Monday 5th January 21:50
They open at 6am, they have large permanent lockers (fit two suits and a weeks worth of shirts, plus shoes), they have a laundry service that will press your shirts, I leave a 10 grand road bike there every day with a shoe-string lock.
Get there for 6am, through the shower, walk to your office, jump on the bus, whatever works for you.
There's also a gym, a spinning studio, watt-bikes - and the staff are pleasant.
yellowjack said:
CubanPete said:
Let your car tyres down the night before.
For real motivation, put your car keys into a padded bag on Friday night, and post them to yourself (second class)...
Love that idea :-)
One that does work for me is heading somewhere on the bike the night before so you HAVE to ride in to work the next day.
I arrived at my girlfriends about half hour ago - full commuter kit in my backpack, I have to ride in to work in the morning, I'd have to ride past work to get the car :-P
My motivation in the evenings is great, in the mornings? I'm crap at mornings...
If you loved that idea, the next one's a peach...
...post the keys to yourself as before, but make sure you don't put enough postage on the jiffy bag
You'll get a nice card through the letterbox, inviting you down to the local sorting office to pay a £1 handling charge and the missing postage. What makes this such a genius idea is that you'll have to ride to the sorting office to retrieve the keys, thereby ensuring you put in even more time on the bike...
...post the keys to yourself as before, but make sure you don't put enough postage on the jiffy bag
You'll get a nice card through the letterbox, inviting you down to the local sorting office to pay a £1 handling charge and the missing postage. What makes this such a genius idea is that you'll have to ride to the sorting office to retrieve the keys, thereby ensuring you put in even more time on the bike...
I started biking to work because I was getting fat and I was and sick of paying lots of money for the privilege of taking a slow, unreliable bus to work each day. After a couple of weeks, I realised that I'd lost my bus card (stored value thing like an Oyster card), so getting the bus became much more of a hassle and it was easier to just jump on the bike.
That was almost 2 years ago, and I haven't taken the bus to work once in that time.
That was almost 2 years ago, and I haven't taken the bus to work once in that time.
Just do it
Don't start too hard, just do it 1 -2 times a week, then 3 times
Too many people think they can ride it everyday at first , they rave on about it, then burn out completely
Even if you are fit and experienced commuting everyday can tire you, I've dropped down to 3 x a week max as it just takes too much time and was tiring me a bit during winter
Find somewhere to store clothes at work, job jobbed.
Always make sure you have spare pants, socks, trousers, shirt and shoes at work, because one day you will ride in and realise you forgot one of them. Probs the worse was me was when I had a meeting with a big boss from the states, rolled in on the bike and realised I left my trousers at home! I'm not sure a hard nosed Chicago MD would appreciate me going out to lunch with him in Lycra!
Don't start too hard, just do it 1 -2 times a week, then 3 times
Too many people think they can ride it everyday at first , they rave on about it, then burn out completely
Even if you are fit and experienced commuting everyday can tire you, I've dropped down to 3 x a week max as it just takes too much time and was tiring me a bit during winter
Find somewhere to store clothes at work, job jobbed.
Always make sure you have spare pants, socks, trousers, shirt and shoes at work, because one day you will ride in and realise you forgot one of them. Probs the worse was me was when I had a meeting with a big boss from the states, rolled in on the bike and realised I left my trousers at home! I'm not sure a hard nosed Chicago MD would appreciate me going out to lunch with him in Lycra!
G0ldfysh said:
What recommendations for back packs?
I have to carry a 13" mac book on my bike not the heaviest but anyone got a suitable bag they use and would recommend.
Needs to be water proof as well.
I bought one of these early last year for commuting. Handmade, not cheap but very durable and waterproof.I have to carry a 13" mac book on my bike not the heaviest but anyone got a suitable bag they use and would recommend.
Needs to be water proof as well.
BigxTop Day sack
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff