After A Tour ... Lacking Motivation to Go Out Cycling

[althebike]

I need to give myself a reason to go out, start planning a trip or ride, select a goal , even if I do not do it, it gives me the enthusiasm and motivation to ride.

[PJ520]

On the other hand I don't much feel like working in the garden either.

[Cyril Haearn]

Cycling is like eating caviar or sinning, maybe one should not do it every day

I think one needs at least two or three interests (books, railways, history, cinema, gardening, cooking, walking &c &c), combining interests with cycling is good sometimes but not cycling is fine

I admire Steven Abraham but I think he should get out (or rather stay in ) more

[mjr]

Cycling is like eating caviar or sinning, maybe one should not do it every day

I think one needs at least two or three interests (books, railways, history, cinema, gardening, cooking, walking &c &c), combining interests with cycling is good sometimes but not cycling is fine

Maybe not every day, but most days is good. Not cycling is only fine if other interests involve good cardio exercise - and you're not driving instead

[Cyril Haearn]

Cycling is like eating caviar or sinning, maybe one should not do it every day

I think one needs at least two or three interests (books, railways, history, cinema, gardening, cooking, walking &c &c), combining interests with cycling is good sometimes but not cycling is fine

Maybe not every day, but most days is good. Not cycling is only fine if other interests involve good cardio exercise - and you're not driving instead

Right there, we don't want thread drift and discussion of TDC, the tragedy of drive-cycling

[landsurfer]

I do the same..ish routes every weekend ..
After a LEJOG in July some of our group have hardly ridden at all ....
Think the thing with a tour is the targets , .. hard or soft .. that you cycle too.
When you get back the usual local roads seem ...boring ...
We have an OP on here that decries Drive Cyclists, but frankly that is what i am becoming ...
Just driving out to ride some different roads ...
Hacking someones sportive (Although if the beneficiary is a charity i donate. ).
Or the latest ... Proxy Drive Cycle ...
I ride off for 50 - 60 miles away from home and call the lady when i get to my destination who sets off to pick me up on the way back .....we then stop at a nice pub for lunch ....
Never have a problem getting a table as by that time i usually stink of formaldehyde ... lol
Jules is nose blind to stinky males after LEJOG ....8 stinky men and a 7 month old stinky baby boy ...

[simonhill]

It strikes me that there are two problems here.

Some people are just tired, want a bit of a change after being on bike for a long time, have other things to do, lack of cash and/or time, etc.

Then there are some who seem to have a physiological problem about getting back on their bike.

The two are very different. I suffer a bit the first, but I am always ready for the next tour. Currently in Korea, home in early November, then off to Malaysia 10 days later. Will be tired and a bit shell shocked, but definitely up for the next one.

Home in mid December for all the Christmas fun, then I'll be getting itchy feet about mid January and ready to head off for a bit of Burma and Thailand.

I don't need any motivation, I just love going places, plus I hate English winters.

I sympathise with people who have a physiological problem with their last or next trip, but I'm afaid that is well outside any advice I can give apart from sympathy.

[landsurfer]

It strikes me that there are two problems here.

Some people are just tired, want a bit of a change after being on bike for a long time, have other things to do, lack of cash and/or time, etc.

Then there are some who seem to have a physiological problem about getting back on their bike.

The two are very different. I suffer a bit the first, but I am always ready for the next tour. Currently in Korea, home in early November, then off to Malaysia 10 days later. Will be tired and a bit shell shocked, but definitely up for the next one.

Home in mid December for all the Christmas fun, then I'll be getting itchy feet about mid January and ready to head off for a bit of Burma and Thailand.

I don't need any motivation, I just love going places, plus I hate English winters.

I sympathise with people who have a physiological problem with their last or next trip, but I'm afaid that is well outside any advice I can give apart from sympathy.

I hate to assume ... but family ties ?
I have an extensive and dependant family ... your cycling plans are my dream ... so i'm assuming ... single ? or a partner that travels with you ???

[Cyril Haearn]

€?

[MattH]

Know that feeling. To keep things fresh I have just taken on more challenging rides, big/steep climbs etc. Last year I bought a new bike which made everywhere seem new. Did lejog in September, then at the weekend it was C2C enjoying Storm Callum in the Pennines. Now looking at improving waterproofs and testing them on more long rides in the rain just to make those wet days on a tour more bearable.

[Cyril Haearn]

It strikes me that there are two problems here.

Some people are just tired, want a bit of a change after being on bike for a long time, have other things to do, lack of cash and/or time, etc.

Then there are some who seem to have a physiological problem about getting back on their bike.

The two are very different. I suffer a bit the first, but I am always ready for the next tour. Currently in Korea, home in early November, then off to Malaysia 10 days later. Will be tired and a bit shell shocked, but definitely up for the next one.

Home in mid December for all the Christmas fun, then I'll be getting itchy feet about mid January and ready to head off for a bit of Burma and Thailand.

I don't need any motivation, I just love going places, plus I hate English winters.

I sympathise with people who have a physiological problem with their last or next trip, but I'm afaid that is well outside any advice I can give apart from sympathy.

I hate English summers

How much time do you have at home? Will you be travelling so much for many more years? Any countries you would not visit?

[simonhill]

In answer to above post:

About 7 months at home, although that doesn't count time away in my camper.

I can't see any reason to travel less. I may do it a bit more gently, but I hope I will go on for as long as possible. One thing for me about being somewhere warm in the winter is that I can keep up a reasonable level of exercise. This is invaluable to my aching joints.

Although I have travelled extensively in S & C America off bike, I have no great desire to ride there. Likewise sub Saharan Africa.

Food is very important for maintaining health when on tour. I have no problem with Asian food, except rural India where the quality is often so low it is almost inedible for me. If you compare poor, developing countries you find that the diet in SE Asian ones is much better. Just go into a market and see the wealth of wonderful fresh food.

It doesn't have to cost so much. Airfares are at an all time low and living costs are cheap. Subtract the money you spend during the winter in the UK on heating, fuel, food, booze, etc and the cost comes down even more. One of the most expensive tours I have done on a day/cost basis was a 10 day dash across France this summer.

I obviously realise that time is likely to be a major constraint for many, although even when I was at work, I found I could take longish periods off as long as they were out of everybody else's peak periods, Christmas, summer, etc.

A lot depends on your priorities as to what you want to spend your money on. An iPhone could get you a month in Thailand.

[Psamathe]

In answer to above post:

About 7 months at home, although that doesn't count time away in my camper.

I can't see any reason to travel less. ......

Bit off-topic but I assume you must regularly be away for longer than most house insurance policies allow a house to be left unoccupied. When I last went away for longer than their limit it was "challenging" negotiating an increased unoccupied time. Recent policy renewal and I shopped around and many companies were saying their unoccupied time limits were not extendable. If this affects you, have you found any way round it?

My next planned trip will possibly involve flying home for a few days just to keep home insurance cover valid - which seems really daft.

Ian

[Cyril Haearn]

Most people have friendly neighbours who could keep a look out, does that satisfy the insurers?

[Psamathe]

Most people have friendly neighbours who could keep a look out, does that satisfy the insurers?

Nope. They require it to be "occupied" and those definitions vary between insurers. Some require a minimum number of days (e.g. 7 sequential) in a furnished property (i.e. enough stuff in the house to allow long term occupation). Some require a family member reside for a set time. Some are more flexible and just need somebody overnight.

In the case of my insurers (the best I found) they place additional requirements (as well as "Negotiating" a longer period) like neighbour checking at lest every few days, central heating being left of (autumn-spring) or drained, etc.

Ian