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So you started riding into work…
But two weeks in, and you feel exhausted.
The novelty is wearing off…
You feel like giving up…
Should you quit? No!
Before you think about quitting, here are some of the things that might help you keep pedaling.
Who knows, you may even wake up jumping out of bed in anticipation of your next bike commute to work.
7 Ways to Help Stop Riding To Work Fatigue & Stay Motivated
If you are struggling to keep cycling, you are not alone.
These tried and tested tips will help give you the motivation to stay on your bike.
1. Hang Out With The Right People
If you are starting out, there is a chance that you will give up before you get into your stride.
As such, having a team of like-minded cyclists will go a long way to ensure you stay on track.
Ask your work colleagues if they would be interested in riding along with you, then map out a route together.
You can ride part of the way together if you live kind of close.
It ensures you both can set an easy pace, and the commute will not be so lonely.
You can encourage each other to keep going.
Try not to reach out to people who need a lot of coercion, as they might well drag you down and sap away at your eagerness.
2. Set Some Goals
Whenever people think about goals, they like to think big.
Your biking goals do not have to be so huge.
There’s no need to train like you’re entering the Olympics or a triathlon.
Set goals that will be easy for you to accomplish as they will keep you interested.
They can be as simple as riding your bike to work three out of five working days per week.
Other times you might want to ride at a fast pace without stopping or taking breathers.
Whatever goal you set, ensure it is achievable.
Achievable goals ensure that you do not feel like you are failing.
3. Document Your Achievements
Another thing that will keep you riding every day is documenting your achievements.
Just like your goals, they do not have to be huge achievements.
If you were able to cycle to and from work every day of the week, that is a great achievement that you should absolutely record.
Rode to work when it was colder than normal or started raining?
Jot it down!
It’s easy to take the easy option of the car or the bus in these situations.
You deserve kudos for braving the elements.
By documenting your riding progress, you get to look back at the times when you wanted to give up.
But rather than quit, you persisted and you’re a fitter, healthier individual for it.
Give yourself some brownie points!
4. Have a Training Plan
When you’re starting to notice an upward shift in fitness consider implementing a training plan.
It can be as simple as you planning to cycle five times each week or you could start introducing interval training into your commutes.
With the training plan, you can also include a diet plan.
It will keep you in check and ensure you do not deviate from your fitness journey.
If you are struggling with the plan, you can get the help of a professional.
They will look at your goals and help you come up with a good workout plan.
In fact, cycling coaches can really help you boost fitness over trying to work things out for yourself.
5. Ride Easier Routes
If you realize that you are struggling with the ride to work, you might want to look at the route you take.
The route you use might be a hill one.
Taking an easier, flatter one will help ensure you keep cycling without feeling too tired and feeling demoralized.
Of course, it may be unavoidable to ride big hills, but if you can ride a longer route that has flatter terrain, that could actually end up being just as fast, depending on the circumstance.
Do not feel like you have failed by taking an easy path.
All that matters is, you are on your bike and turning the pedals – it all adds up!
It is better than quitting altogether.
6. Reward Yourself
Another great way to ensure you stay on your bike is to reward yourself, even for your small achievements.
If you were able to cycle every day of the week, then you could treat yourself to a spa day.
You could also gift yourself a cheat meal if you still got on your bike in bad weather.
The small rewards will have you looking forward to getting back on your bike.
It triggers your brain and makes it easy for you to keep getting back up even when you feel down.
7. Take a Break From Riding
If all these things do not work, take a break from your bike.
Give yourself a week or two of no riding and instead switch to either the bus or the train.
You can even choose to drive to work if you have a car.
While it might seem like a welcome option at first, soon, you will start missing your bike.
You get to a point where you want to go back to riding.
The bus or train commute will remind you how much fun you had on your bike.
After the break, you will appreciate the riding more and will keep going.
3 Excuses Cyclists Make To NOT Ride To Work
If you have been in a non-cycling funk, then you’ve probably made these excuses at some point.
Haven’t we all
1. It’s Dangerous
While biking accidents do happen, they’re pretty rare.
However, you should be on your guard against the worst happening.
Try to stay in the cycling lane and familiarize yourself with all the biking rules in your area.
The other thing you need to do is ensure that you are responsive to your surroundings when out on the road.
Depending on your route, it may not be safe to put on your headphones when riding, as they can be a distraction from your surroundings – most of the time.
It also helps if you wear protective gear in case of a fall.
2. I Am Not in Good Physical Shape
The good thing about riding is, you do not have to make it so intense at first.
You can get into a slow pace and then pick it up as you go on.
The only time you will struggle is when you get to a steep hill.
If your physical shape is the main issue, then maybe you should get into riding.
With biking, you can get into shape fast. It will help you lose weight and tone your muscles, and in no time, you will be able to ride even faster.
You might even think about entering an Ironman (okay, we’re being a little dramatic here, but stranger things have happened!)
One of the things you realize with biking is, the small rides get easier with time.
Do not give up just because you had a low moment.
With time, it will get easier and with persistence, it will become a part of your workday routine.
You may even start to ride more outside of workdays too!
3. I Don’t Have a Bike
No bike? No problems!
There are many bike-sharing programs you can get on, which include hourly rates or even monthly and annual rates.
They can actually work out to be quite cost-effective.
If you prefer to own one, you can get a good quality second-hand bike that won’t cost a small fortune.
Even some new commuter bikes aren’t as expensive as you think.
For a couple of hundred bucks, you can get yourself something that will get you from A to B that’s reliable too.
