Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 127 total)
  • Giving up?
  • mrsflash
    Free Member

    Has anyone given serious consideration to giving up cycling? I think I am at the moment. If you have but didn’t give up, what stopped you?

    glenp
    Free Member

    I’ve given serious thought to giving up everything else apart from cycling.

    Why do you want to end it all?

    BigDummy
    Free Member

    Why are you giving up Mrsflash?

    My mileage fell off a lot over the winter while I was gobbling anti-depressants and fantasizing about divorcing my wife. I was barely riding for months and almost admitted I’d given up. It has perked up again because I’m feeling better, it’s spring and I had a trip abroad for a change of riding scene.

    miketually
    Free Member

    Apart from getting to/from work, I didn’t ride for eight months over the winter. Never considered giving up, but there was just too much other stuff going on.

    If you’re not enjoying it, just stop. You’ll probably find that you want to ride again as soon as you made the decision to stop.

    funkynick
    Full Member

    If you are feeling that way inclined I’d suggest not giving up as such, but maybe finding something else to do for a while and then you’ll find you will just naturally progress back to cycling…

    Also, am I right in thinking you commute by bike to work? I found I was a lot less inclined to go out in the evening and weekends when I was already riding a bike twice a day… so maybe cutting down on that would help..

    lowey
    Full Member

    Sorry to hear that Claire 🙁

    To be honest Mountain biking would be the last thing I would give up. Its the only thing in a very busy life that keeps me sane.

    I did put it on hold for about 4 years completely when the children came along, however as they have grown up and I get more free time, I find myself biking more and more and loving it more now that at anytime in the past.

    poppa
    Free Member

    If you are not enjoying yourself, stop riding! There is no point in forcing yourself to do something you are not enjoying, it will only put you off further. Take a break for a while, and sooner or later you will probably get the urge to go for a ride again, even if you don’t feel like it right now. If you do stop for a while, don’t sell all your kit or you may regret it later!

    Teetosugars
    Free Member

    Yes, I have.

    Infact, depite doing an excellent skills couse with Ed at Lee Quarry on Saturday, I’m still really struggling to find my riding Mojo..

    RudeBoy
    Free Member

    Can I have yer bikes?

    MrAgreeable
    Full Member

    Sorry to hear that MrsF. If you’re struggling to muster the enthusiasm, try doing something a bit different to usual. You could muck about at the BMX track for half an hour, go to a spinning class, enter a time trial. A change is as good as a rest.

    Failing that, spend an eye-watering amount of money on something bike-related so you feel compelled to use it. 😉

    clubber
    Free Member

    Having a break from something can be just the thing to find your love of it again – I’ve had times over the last 15 years when I’ve got bored of mtbing for no real reason. I’ve taken a while off (admittedly still riding on the road) and just started mtbing again when I felt like it. It’s worked every time so far.

    Of course, depending on your reasons YMMV.

    Joxster
    Free Member

    I’m in the same boat, I just can find any for of motivation right now. I’m thinking of selling all my kit as it isn’t getting used.

    twohats
    Free Member

    I stopped riding completely 10 years back for about 3 years, as I was so burned out on riding. I was still into bikes, just couldn’t be bothered riding.
    After a few years off I started commuting, then got into road bikes, then slowly fell back into MTB’s.

    RoterStern
    Free Member

    I find that buying a new bike inspires me to ride more. Trouble is I have a garage full of the things at the moment!

    Android
    Free Member

    In the middle of winter when it cold and wet and the bike needs a complete clean after every ride you do sometimes think why?? but when the tracks are hard and fast like they are now – no. I can’t wait to get out tonight 😀
    If your cycling out of your depth it does make you think sometimes. The guys I road ride with have been doing it longer, ride further, have more spare time to train and consequently I get dropped on the longer rides. I was begining to think about givingh that up, then went out for a ride with someone who was more in my “finess zone” anh had a great time.

    If I had to give up one, it would be road riding.I wouldn’t give up mountain biking unless I lost my legs!

    david_r
    Free Member

    Haven’t ridden an MTB since last September/October I think.

    Gone over to the darkside, and now look at my MTBs collecting dust and am very tempted get rid of them.

    dale
    Free Member

    lower back pain pushing the decision but its not as bad when on the bike but I nearly cry getting off,what else would I do, love being out……….. its just getting out

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    Pop up to Cannock, me & neverfastenough will put an end to these silly thoughts. 😀

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    As we were coming out of the winter, I had a plan to get fit enough to give road racing a go. However, a lingering chest infection picked up in November had (a) robbed me of what little winter base fitness I had and (b) resulted in a diagnosis of exercised induced asthma (allowing me to join the ranks of those with their little blue pre-ride drugs!).

    I couldn’t train or ride in the way I wanted. I’d turn up to “steady” early season chain gangs and find myself out of the back in the first 10 minutes. The weather was awful.

    I questionned massively why I was doing this to myself and very nearly concluded that perhaps riding bikes wasn’t for me.

    Then I thought “why am I putting myself under this much pressure”. It was like a switch had flicked – I could now ride my bike without trying to push myself into something that wasn’t to be.

    As a result, I have enjoyed riding my bike much more – I have got fitter and may well be riding my first race tomorrow night. The feeling of “what am I doing this for” hasn’t left me – I had it yesterday as I was off the back of the group 100 metres into the first hill of the day. I’ve come to the conclusion that, though I will probably still ride the Étape in July, after that I’m generally avoiding riding hills where I can.

    I’ve also come to the view that riding through the winter will likely make me ill again. So, now I have my accreditaiton from Manchester velodrome, I shall spend the winter riding indoors. If I can, I’ll try racing, but it’s no biggie if I can’t.

    I guess the simple message is – if you’re not enjoying it, ask yourself if there’s an element of cycling you do like. And pursue that.

    hora
    Free Member

    spending too much time with forum/around bikes with procrastination in other areas that need more imputous? Knock STW/other forums on the head for a while rather than give up cycling. Its coming upto summer FFS! You should be posting this thread in Nov 😀

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    I’ve given up before…. Went BMXing for a couple of years, then to motorbikes, and no exercise = fat biffer, so started running/gym. Got fit, but running is boring so got another MTB….. I might give up again sometime, but the next time I’ll hang on to at least one bike, just in case….

    😀

    Garry_Lager
    Full Member

    I’m doing very little at the moment – mainly due to starting a family last year. I was thinking this very thought last night cycling up Puke Hill in the Pentlands. Despite the name, it’s not actually all that hard a climb, but it’s steep enough to separate the mountain biker from the guy who owns a mountain bike. I was this close to dabbing and joining the ranks of the bike owners, but held it together and made it up. So I’m still a mountain biker, for the time being. 😛

    acjim
    Free Member

    Just try something new for a while – I had an extended (7 years?) break from bikes and they were still there when I got back (from being a silly raver). Loads of other fun things out there!

    gavtheoldskater
    Free Member

    at the end of the day if you don’t want to ride don’t ride, sometimes its good to take a break. i did’nt really surf for 12months the other year, the crowds and idiots who seem to pollute the line-ups these days just got too much, but eventually the desire came back.

    stilltortoise
    Free Member

    I’ve hurt myself a few times and questioned whether I should stop for the sake of my knees/back/delete as appropriate. I then started doing more road riding than off-roading because I thought it was safer. Had my first proper fall off my road bike the other week and I’m still hurting. The moral of this? I’m a clumsy oaf who would get hurt whatever I do so I might as well carry on with cycling 😀

    LardLover
    Free Member

    Another convert to side of mucho darkness and nice tight lycra.

    I got seriously p1ssed off with mountain biking – not the bikes/people etc more the put the bike in the car/drive for at least half an hour/put bike together/go for ride/come back/take bike apart/drive home routine, so rather than stop cycling altogether I sold my mountain bike (and my yr old road bike) and bought a soopa-doopa road bike. Now I’m the same as I was when I first started mountain biking all those years ago, spending all my money on bits then finding nicer bits to buy and so it continues (just got some white tyres to try out – 2nd hand)

    I’ve promised myself a year off mountain bikes and to be honest I aint missing them.

    I have found that I am hardly ever on STW nowadays, but I’m not a stranger.

    acjim
    Free Member

    Something I’ve always fancied doing which is bike related but not actually riding in the normal is volunteering to help with bike skills lessons, either for kids or adults – would be a fun and different way to spend some time (+worthy!).

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Just give yourself a break. Not everyone wants to do it continuously, I certainly have times when I do less…but I always come back to it (so far).

    hora
    Free Member

    Ive given up mountain biking before, gained an allover suntan, gained friends, I even won a surfing competition but it just didnt feel right. I missed the anguish, the bitter post-cold ride feeling. Plus there were too many birthdays to remember and always parties to attend. There were too many girls in my life and far too much sex than I could cope with.

    Started riding again and no need to worry about ‘other people’ anymore. I even started verbally abusing OAP-walkers again. Thats when I knew I was back 😀

    Trekster
    Full Member

    mmm why?

    My body told me to give up squash as did my doctor due to bad back, knees and ankle. I still managed another 20yrs of enjoyment by playing to a level I could cope with. Stopped last year due to pains getting in the way of biking.

    Still biking but as someone said above, the pain whilst hiking up somewhere like the Calf/Bowderdale the other week made me question whether I should still be attempting theses epics at my age and with my knackered body.

    I am considering another bike and just enjoying the odd day out at a pace and level my body(and mind)can cope with.

    I will probably take my bikes to the grave with me.

    Over the 30yrs I have been biking there have been many issues that have made me question why I still bike.

    Then like everything else I remember the good times, mates and places my bikes have taken me.

    eg today. I am night shift. Had planned to take car for service and go biking whilst it was being done. Can bike to Ae or Mabie in 1/2hr. Got a hacking cough and asthma is playing up so unlikely now to get out on the bike till next week as the rest of the week and weekend is booked up doing other stuff.

    Life has a way of throwing up different challenges. Maybe you have set your bar too high and feel you are unable to reach what your perceived potential is?

    I only ever “compete” in anything for FUN…….

    acjim.. I do that http://bikingheaven.com/stepping_stanes/ and also do some work with LEA Active Schools(tomorrow)

    flange
    Free Member

    I got sick of the ‘Rad’ and ‘feeding off each other’ rubbish that seemed to be everywhere a while ago and gave up. Got heavily into motorbikes and didn’t touch my roadbike for a while let alone the MTB. Just didn’t have the desire to ride any more.

    Best thing to do is stop for a while. I had about 18 months off after injury and have come back to riding road and XC. I don’t ride trials anymore (although this may change soon!) or 4x/DH (not that I was any good anyway) but I definately enjoy it more now

    MrAgreeable
    Full Member

    acjim – Member
    Something I’ve always fancied doing which is bike related but not actually riding in the normal is volunteering to help with bike skills lessons, either for kids or adults – would be a fun and different way to spend some time (+worthy!).

    Posted 10 minutes ago

    Jim, if you fancy helping out with something like that in local secondary schools, I know a couple of teachers who might be able to point you in the right direction.

    Keva
    Free Member

    I can’t ever see myself giving up but if I did I would certainly be doing a different sport. I could never be without some form of physical exercise.

    Kev

    mrsflash
    Free Member

    Wow I hadn’t expected that many responses, thanks. funkynick I don’t ride to work any more. I have done a couple of runs in the last week or two though which I have really enjoyed. the problem I have is that if I lay off a bit, I lose fitness so quickly that getting going again is a nightmare. Our riding buddies seem not to be riding as much for various reasons and riding just the two of us just doesn’t work – we are too different in our speeds and our approaches to riding.

    It’s a bigger thing than all that though it would seem. My mind has lost the plot again and I have come back from the doctors this afternoon with a prescription for citalopram and a referral to the PCT Mental Health team for counselling or cbt. I’ll ride it out and see if it comes back again before making any rash decisions.

    brant
    Free Member

    come back from the doctors this afternoon with a prescription for citalopram and a referral to the PCT Mental Health team for counselling or cbt.

    Good on you for going, good on you for posting here about it. And rash decisions? I’ve stopped riding too. Well, until the next time I go riding. It’s not final. I rode this morning, I’ll ride tommorow. I’ve stopped in between, so there’s no rash decisions to be made.

    Earlier in the year I got very demoralized trying to keep up with people when my fitness has been off, but a few rides out on my own usually get things moving in the right direction.

    All the best.

    andywhit
    Free Member

    Hope it all works out for you whatever you decide….

    clubber
    Free Member

    Ditto that. It sounds like riding isn’t really the issue.

    pedalhead
    Free Member

    I gave up for about 18 months soon after the birth of our first kiddie as it was just too complicated to juggle riding trips with responsibilities, and there was crap all riding locally to keep me interested. I also kinda felt I should be around more so I spent any spare time I had converting a barn next to the house into an office/cinema. I just couldn’t keep the mtb bug down though, and I started getting fat, so bawlocks to that, and within 10 weeks of the birth of our second, I’m off riding at least one evening a week & even some weekends now as well. Loving it more now than ever I would say, even if I don’t quite have the same freedom I once did. Maybe you just need a break for a while?

    Edit…just read about your trip to the doc…sounds like maybe there’s more to it then.

    MrAgreeable
    Full Member

    If it’s related to how you feel then don’t give up just yet. Cycling and exercise in general will really help you get through the bad patches.

    hora
    Free Member

    If it’s related to how you feel then don’t give up just yet. Cycling and exercise in general will really help you get through the bad patches.

    + 1

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 127 total)

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