Getting tired of riding the bike has definitely hit me hard this year. Last September, I did a big challenge ride from Lands End to John O’Groats (bottom right to top left of the UK). I spent a large amount of time in the 10 months running up to this event training to get fitter, better endurance and losing weight and it was still a massive challenge both physically and mentally. I was massively pleased and satisfied to complete the ride.
However when it was completed I really lost interest in riding my bike. Felt like a massive shame, as I was lighter and stronger than I’d ever been and it would have been a great opportunity to beat all my mates on local rides.
At first I just thought I needed a couple of weeks off, but then things drifted into Winter and although I jumped on the trainer a couple of times, I really didn’t have the motivation and jumped back off again before finishing the workout. Then Covid hit and all the lockdown rules came into place meaning all the organised events were postponed / cancelled and all the Sunday cafe rides with mates stopped.
Now I’m ashamed to say a whole year has gone by and I’ve only been out on the bike about a dozen times during this year - my lowest count for a decade. I’ve just renewed my TR annual subscription though. Didn’t get value last year, but determined to get things started again looking forward into 2021!
I lived in snow country for a few years and it was a nice change of pace to go out on x-country skis or snow shoes three times per week on top of going to the YMCA all winter.
It always surprises me when pros retire and then hang up the bike and get fat.
It happened to me though after racing for 7 years in my twenties. Between training, racing, and traveling, it was a 20 hour per week grind and I got totally burned out.
I think a lot of people get carried away with the whole training and trying to make constant gains etc, and forget that you can just go for a ride… Cruise, got to a cafe, ride out for a pint somewhere etc
Thanks for all the replies fellas. Great to hear how others have experienced similar feelings and how you’ve worked through it. A different perspective really does help.
Last summer, as I was nearing the end of local road racing I looked so forward to time off of the bike. Once that hit, I did not ride much at all except for some pro-forma CX racing and once I met my team obligation that was it. I spent a few weeks off and got myself into a situation where I was eager to commence with training.
A training season b4 that I overreached, got sick, went skiing (Whitefish), and when I came back I just could not bring myself to start training again. I would wake up in the morning and just could not make myself do it – I remember feeling dread those mornings. So yeah, bike burnout is a real thing. Buddies have told me similar stories of not wanting to look at bikes for at least a few weeks after the completion of their race season.
BTW, once you start training again things will come back quicker than you think they will.
Yes. Was training for IronmanUK. When it was clear it was all going to shit I scrapped training. Couldn’t bear to look at the bike for a while. Went walking instead. Didn’t touch the bike, apart from the rare Zwift session for 3 months.
When I stopped competitive cycling ~2005 I didn’t touch the bike for 3 years!
I am still pretty new to Trainerroad. Started at the end of 2019 and worked hard until April. Pretty consistent growth FTP wise. Then I started to see my results go all over the place. I am 55 so I got checked at the DR. After lots of test we think it is the stress of everything.
I am a mountain biker and only bought a road bike, used, to put on the trainer for trainer road. I stopped training for a bit, then took the bike off and started mixing road biking with my mountain biking, It is new and keep me motivated. Also I started doing Insanity (Plymetricworkout) again. I didn’t realize how much upper body strength I had lost by only doing trainer road.
Sometimes, it is healthy to take a break. Wait until the desire is back then wait another week to increase it.
These training sessions are as much a part of who I am as much as lifting near enough defined who I was for the previous 10 years and as such no, it’s not even a question of getting tired riding the bike. It’s what I do.
On the other hand I ride outdoors only once per week, at the weekend, 9 times outta 10 this is a zone 2 ride and as such basically it’s a piece of piss to execute and I enjoy it. Its good for the soul.
There’s no real opportunity for me to get tired of riding a bike but having said that, if I had no trainer and was forced to do all my riding outside here in Scotland then absolutely I would get utterly sick of it altogether.
I have had “enough” every year, end of season, and just looked forward to off season. I have just hit that point last week, after been “in season” since December 2019. The first year that I felt this, I was worried that I would never regain the motivation to train - it is weird to simultaneously have “had enough” of training, while being uncomfortable with losing fitness. My main motivation is just chasing that feeling of good shape, competing (road racing cat 2) is secondary but also important for me.
Now, I have accepted that these feelings come near the seasons end, and I look forward to mixing up my training with a bit of running, but primarily strength training for the coming months. I also know that I will come back to cycling 100%, and hopefully reach a new level new season.
Anyway, just my experiece
Thanks to everyone who took the time and responded to this thread. Your comments and insight really helped. Went out for a trail ride this week for the first time in months and ironically the batteries in my power meter and head unit were dead. Didn’t notice it until I was at the trail and it was too late to turn back. I think was meant to be and I just rode for the sake of riding again. It was fun. to just pedal without thinking about numbers and goals.
Anyway just wanted to pass on my appreciation to the folks that took time out of their day to help a fellow cyclist.
