Give it a try (with the usual caveats about proceeding with caution). I love running and over the years have switched between being pretty dedicated to either just road cycling, just running and now both together plus swimming as I aim to do triathlon.
Running is so much less faff than cycling and takes up so much less time- no prep, no maintenance, no cleaning, no overshoes/gloves/pumps/tyre levers and all the rest of it and you will still get to enjoy the outdoors.
I think a lot of people say they kind of intrinsically “hate it” because at first it can just be painful and boring. I find that once you get some fitness though and do some proper training mixing long easy runs, short tempo runs, hill reps, sprints and other intervals it gets more interesting. As others have said, trail running is also a lot of fun.
I run for my tri club in the local cross country league which is a good laugh and takes an hour every coupe of weeks in the winter but keeps the motivation so could be worth looking into that?
Personally I think cycling tends to be quite an obsessive pastime and after years of road cycling I was always reluctant to drop any cycling time as I couldn’t bear the thought of my FTP decreasing but the reality is I wasn’t particularly fast anyway and nobody really cares. Plus, as I am getting older I’m fairly sure a wider variety of activities is actually a lot better for me. I still do a couple of turbo sessions a week so it will not take long to get cycling fitness back again in maybe Spring next year.
go for some runs! itll keep your cardio up while freshening your mind. and do add some weights. the bike skills will still be there when you are ready to come back
+1 on this. As an amateur cyclist without pro ambitions, nobody cares whether we are on the podium or pack fodder. I’m a pretty competitive person by nature, but the older I get, the less I care about what other people think. I still like to set tough goals and achieve hard things, but couldn’t care less whether those things are seen as good or bad performance by others. It can be much more rewarding to try something hard and new that is totally out of your comfort zone (and finish middle of the pack) vs. winning a podium spot in a discipline that’s been in your comfort zone for years. Embrace sucking at new/difficult things.
I go through this as well. It usually happens after the “season” ends and I lose purpose OR after completing the event I’m training for. I fall into this post event depression that leaves me asking why I even ride a bike. I usually take a week or two off and it resolves the mental struggle.
That’s cool and all and I’ve had those moments but during my average trail run I’m usually thinking about how much fun the trail would be to mountain bike or if I’d be able to clear something .
But to OPs issue, I don’t mind a trail run during the winter especially after a long season of riding. It’s nice to switch it up. But once the weather turns nice I’m happy to be done with it. I think it’s healthy and normal to switch it up and to just exercise instead of train.
Life is short. You should not be doing a recreational activity that you don’t like. I was a high-level racer in the 80s and 90s. I burned out and did mountainerring rock climbing until three years ago when my joints started giving out. I’m cycling again and I like it a lot.
@TexanDad For what it’s worth, I build in rest because after a billion years I’m starting to get to know myself. While I probably don’t race like you I tend to be intense about my cycling. Every November I take 2-4 weeks completely off and look forward to it. I rarely ride more than 5-days per week (200+ miles per week). Not just the old body but my brain needs that time to recover.
I also like the suggestions others have made about mixing it up. Maybe running but other types of cycling. This also depends on your goals and why you’re cycling in the first place.
I go through this pretty much every year, and I wish I had discovered the joys of running a long time ago.
I’ve been regularly running for around three years now, and there’s nothing that compares to the feeling of moving under the power of just your own two feet when you get going and your mind starts to drift.
Don’t sell your bikes, but do get into running. I enjoy both activities, and they work well together. When I want to get out a bit further or go for longer, I pick up my bike. If I’m just looking for a 30-minute outing or feeling strong, I honestly much prefer to get out on my feet.
I have discovered, though, that at least for me, I can’t spend all of my time running as it’s really hard on my lower body. I honestly don’t know how anyone runs over 100 miles a week without also spending 6-8+ hours a week in the gym keeping everything durable.
My bike allows me to get out on days when I don’t feel like running or I know I shouldn’t stack another day if I’m feeling a bit sore. Again, they work together really well, and I’m glad I don’t have to pick just one.
Pick up running, and take it slow. You’ll probably fall in love with your bikes again at some point, but focus on something different for a while. I’ve had moments of realization in the past where I’ve thought, whoa, I’ve spent the last how many years of my life with blinders on, only focused on pedaling a bicycle.. What about climbing, hiking, running, skiing, etc.?
Change it up! You won’t regret it. Running is an inexpensive hobby compared to cycling.
yeah running is hard on the body for me too. When I started doing more runs this year I had to keep at least a few days in between with either rest or cycling.
If all I had access to was a trainer, I would quit to. If all I had was access to a treadmill, I wouldn’t be a runner.
If you are temporarily stuck with no outside riding, but want to ride outside, I would buy some running shoes and save the bike for later. If you can NOT go outdoors (I don’t understand why) then personally, I would sell my bikes. But I can’t imagine ever NOT having access to the outdoors unless.
Everyone is different. I spend a lot of time outdoors, but there are times I choose indoors even when the weather is nice. Sometimes, I’m just in the mood to push some deliberate watts through the pedals for an hour or so and there are a couple zwift group rides that make it fun. Some people have more access to outdoors and some people live in places where weather can be miserable at times. Being outdoors can be great, but it’s certainly not a prerequisite for finding joy.
Same thing happens to me almost every year. I cosplay as a running b/t end of Oct to Jan. By then I am itching to back on the bike. One thing that has been super helpful is joining a Zwift team to do the WTRL league. Its just once a week commitment but is the most fun I have had on Zwift and basically helps you do at least one big effort a week.
Everyone is different. I spend a lot of time outdoors, but there are times I choose indoors even when the weather is nice. Sometimes, I’m just in the mood to push some deliberate watts through the pedals for an hour or so and there are a couple zwift group rides that make it fun. Some people have more access to outdoors and some people live in places where weather can be miserable at times. Being outdoors can be great, but it’s certainly not a prerequisite for finding joy.
Yeap. Sometimes I just want to pedal and not sweat to death in the summer. or I want to watch a show. or even just doom scroll while pedaling. Maybe I am over stimulated and need less people time (around here outside means I WILL see someone I know and have to be “on”)
Two years ago I quit cycling for 8 months. All I did was row like 20 minutes a day, try to run, and go to the gym once or twice a week. The running never worked out. Too many aches and pains for this 59 year old. I tried running again this year and heel bursitis flared up.
When I decided to get back on the bike after 8 months, I got 90% of my FTP back in 2 months. Quitting is not a big deal if you remain even minimally aerobically fit.
Burn out sucks, usually by this time of year I am ready to be done riding bikes for a month or two. In that time I do some hunting, fishing, relaxing etc. Then the desire to train comes back and it is go time.
This year I am no where near as burnt out as usual. Taking the next few weeks off still, then going to get back into BMX racing for the first time in a long time. Get the normalish training hours in and feel like the bmx racing will keep me mentally engaged in the trainer time.
I have finished the last 4 seasons just burnt out (save this year). Racing MTB all summer then cross in the fall is just too long of a season for me. Next year will find a good mid season break and try and race cross deeper into winter.
Building real breaks into my season helps the mental fatigue from always chasing those gains.
Running is miserable for me, my wife loves it, but always comes down with an injury when she pushes it too much.
No harm in stepping away for a bit, do something different and see if the drive comes back, or just train enough in the off season to have fun riding bikes with friends when that time comes back around.
This.
When I have finished a season, my rule of thumb is that I wait until I feel the desire to get on the bike again bubbling up. And then I wait another week at least.
Personally, I wouldn’t sell my bikes just because I am in a funk. I’d just do something else, store the bikes safely somewhere and see what happens. A lot of people combine cycling with other sports, so it isn’t mutually exclusive.
Plus, perhaps what you got burnt out on isn’t cycling per se, but structured training. And you feel the itch to just go ride even though “It’s bad for your training.”
If after 1–2 years I still felt cycling no longer tickles my fancy, I’d start selling bikes, starting with the least used one.
.
