Will I ever ride again?

[robwa10]

Nearly 3 weeks ago I started fitting a new kitchen in our house. It involved stripping out the old one, knocking down a dividing wall between kitchen and dining room and then putting it all back right. I'm still working on the last part. In that 3 week period I even was away for a week, just after I took everything out. The only riding I've done since October 18th, I did a 40 mile ride that day with a friend, is ride to my office and back 2 or 3 times a week. Between kitchens, weddings and the dark arriving at 4pm I fear I may never see the country side again on my bike.

So what in life stops you from riding and what's kept you away for the longest with the exclusion of illness or injury? I'm frustrated by things within my control stopping me and illness and injury usually aren't.

[Si]

In my case, laziness, and pre-ride depression at the thought of the behaviour of some of the people that I am about to share the road with (being someone who grew up and learned to ride in the countryside - the move to the big city has put a bit of a dampener on my riding).

[grw]

Combination of laziness, the heat here at the moment, and the knowledge that in order to get to where the good riding starts, I've got a fairly horrible stretch of dual carriageway roller coaster riding to get through. There's only about 8 miles of it, but I absolutely hate it.
Si, which city are you now in? I used to enjoy cycling around the city centres in Leeds, and in London, at night. London was great around the financial area of the city on a sunday night - pretty quiet, and some different views.

[Richard]

Bought a house in Wales 6 years ago. All it's been is build, build, build. Hardly get to do any riding. Only another 20 years until I've finished.

[glueman]

Children

[Mick F]

I commuted almost daily when I was in the RN and ashore. I toured when I could, did JOGLE on leave in '94 and when at sea, I took Bike with me and cycled ashore on visits.

Then I left the RN. We bought a tumbledown bungalow and I had a part-time job or two whilst doing up the heap that we'd bought. Me and Mrs Mick F worked like stink, and for quite a while we managed to hold down FIVE part-time jobs between us as well as sort out the bungalow!

I had no time for cycling.

Seven years went by with Bike in pieces up in the loft before I plucked up the courage to reassemble it and RIDE! Wonderful! The trouble was, I'd lost all my fitness and found I could hardly do more than a couple of miles before having to stop. I persevered and made it!

The rest is history.

[iandriver]

My longest distraction that stopped my cycling was when I discovered the pub at 18 ish. It lapsed along with my YHA membership and lasted about 15 years..........

Play the eco card, use the bike for that trip to B&Q 20 miles away........

[patricktaylor]

I took three weeks off cycling in September when we re-flagged around our house (200 flags, 20 tons of sand, 40 bags of cement, etc). The upper body exercise was most welcome. Then I renewed my acquaintance with my bicycle and we're better friends than ever.

But now, I have to build some wheels. That could cost me another six weeks.

[slowofwrittle]

I found that having the same hip replaced twice and then dislocating it again put a bit of a damper on my cycling!
There is the advantage that when you start again you can set yourself a target of having covered 50 miles by your next visit to the consultant and I'm back up to that again. At least if you're not riding much it's nice not to be doing it in the winter!!!!!

[sam]

Either boredom from doing the same ride so often, or a disinclination to try something new. Which is a fine pickle.

[hamster]

Apart from Children, the other one has been what I call EBS: Expensive Bike Syndrome.

For some weird reason, whenever I have bought a new bike, the next 3-6 months have seen little cycling.

Maybe it's the extra work that gave the bonus / overtime means too little time to play?

[unknown]

I got rid of my car and now I use my fixie to commute the 3 miles to work and to get to friends houses. I've not been out on my road bike since the 1st of this month. I just don't seem to be able to find the time these days.

[eileithyia]

Severe wet n windy weather such as is lashing my house at present, tomorrow's ride to work looks like it will be pretty grim, unless I can persuade my invalid to get up early and take me and bike to work (forecast is better for the ride home)

[thirdcrank]

Having ruptured my achilles tendon on 3 July, I've had a very long lay-off. At physio this morning, they decided it was time to give it a go so I had a ride on one of their gym bikes. I was very pleased with how well it went, and I thought that getting up to 30 with the resistance notched up was pretty good. A bit of a knock to see it was KPH rather than MPH but "one short ride for a man...."