The fact that I’m 40+ yo and I don’t have a time machine to go back in time and tell myself, “go ride your god damn bike”. Any other problem is relatively easy to solve.
“President Donald Trump’s transportation department has been pulling back grants already announced for recreational trails and bicycle lanes, telling local officials their projects fail to promote road capacity or are “hostile to motor vehicles.””
The biggest problem is that clubs are dying, and there is less and less racing available.
I’m the president of a cycling club, and over the last decade, we’ve lost 1/3 of our members (which is consistent across the state), two other clubs have essentially stopped operating, and the races that we host are being run by fewer and fewer over-worked volunteers.
We, as a sport, are not doing a good job of providing pathways for juniors to a) get into the sport, and b) continue participating in the sport regularly. We therefore don’t have access to the parents of those juniors who SHOULD be our most useful volunteers.
And the biggest problem is that people just seem to be ok with it.
The idea that it is sunny for you implies it can’t be raining elsewhere, which is short-sighted by definition. Great for you but the reality elsewhere may be very different.
A big problem I see in much of the cycling population these days is the lack of presence in the activity of pedaling a bicycle in your current surroundings.
So many of us have become distracted and obsessed with gear, numbers, and the assumed cycling culture that we hardly take in the experience of what we’re doing in the moment.
For one ride, ignore your kit, and gear. Don’t look at average or max power or speed numbers. Try not to let grams of carbohydrates be on the top of mind, and instead, write down something about the experience you had that was unique or impactful for you.
I love the “sport” of cycling, but it tends to take on a persona that doesn’t allow for much wiggle room, and I find myself distracted by it quite often. I like to keep a basket bike handy to get out on rides where I’m almost forced to have a different take on cycling, and it does push me to think about the experience differently.
Make the sport your own, and enjoy the ride. Bicycles, shorts, shoes, and carbs are there to take you on a journey, not the other way around..
I try to stop and take pics a few times on long rides. I still stress too much about power/speed etc. but at least it helps keep me grounded as to why I enjoy riding in the first place.
In the UK the shitty booking system, low capacity, and pathetic cupboards on long distance trains. Makes you feel like a second class citizen if trying to take the bike long distance by train. No wonder so many are put off doing this. You compare that to many trains in Europe where you can get 20-30 bikes in a carriage or other trains where four bikes can be carried in every single carriage
I’m not sure if this is a real problem. But I hate that indoor cycling is a way more efficient use of my time.
What I mean by that is, I hate that I can’t ride outside more often. Either weather in the winter, crazy drivers, safety concerns, work hours, road conditions, whatever. Indoor cycling is just more efficient and safer, but I hate it. I get home from work at 6. Right now I might get an hour outside. But even then, 20 minutes is spent getting out of town to country roads. Or I can get home and be on my trainer in 10 minutes and get 100% pedaling time. No worries about the sun going down or fear that I’m going to get sideswiped.
So it’s a love hate relationship. It’s better training. It’s safer training. It’s more efficient training. But I hate it.
I considered switching sports because of that, for example running is safer, one can do it everywhere, less material and you don‘t have to bring a bicycle to the holidays.
On the other side this bike tours are priceless and incredibly beautiful.