Even if you’re familiar with the benefits of cycling, it’s easy to restrict yourself to just the occasional specific ride – especially in winter.
Here’s 12 things you can try to get you to ride more.
- Feeling too tired to ride? Just get on the bike and within minutes, you’ll almost always feel energised, happier and more alert.
- Finding it hard to keep up with your mates? If you have the cash, do what one of our friends did and invest in a modern e-bike. He rides it mostly in eco (50% assist) mode so he still enjoys the familiar feeling of pedaling under his own steam. Only now he never suffers to keep up.
- Finding it hard to keep up with your mates #2? You can follow old-school advice and man up/woman up. Getting into the habit of riding beyond your normal limit every ride, even for just 30 seconds on a steep climb, can do wonders for your endurance.
- Bored with the same old route? Check your local cycling map (often available online) and you might be pleasantly surprised how a change in terrain can renew the glow.
- Icy out? Spike tyres like these inspire confidence.
- Try something different. If you only ride trail centres, try a cross-country route or an urban commute.
- If you only ride on tarmac, a quick off-road blast on a cyclocross or mountain bike can refresh a jaded pedaling palate.
- Too cold or wet? – see Simon’s blog on winter commuting in Scotland.
- Sorry, I’m not going out in that! Join a spinning class or take up turbo training at home.
- Stretch! Stretch exercises (including yoga, tai chi and Pilates) can help release the tightness caused by intrinsically repetitive activities such as cycling.
- Winter doesn’t last forever. It will be March in a couple of months. Imagine that.
- Signing up for a spring sportive or mountain bike event might give yourself an incentive to maintain your fitness.