How to cure the yips?

[anonymous-user]

Zero motivation to ride. It happened end of May, I was 5000km in and flying. Couple of things happened and the hours dropped off from 12hrs a week to 3, at a push. I seem to find any reason not to ride.

Things I have tried;

New bike(s)
Mtb races
Cyclocross
Booking Tenerife
Mixing running and cycling
Re-arranging garage
Looking at previous good times

Feck.

Tenerife is 11 days at the end of the month, guess that's last chance saloon! If I don't stop looking at motorbikes I can see me binning the whole thing. If I knew anyone who raced and fitted the bikes I'd let them go rather than sell or watch them gather dust :/

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 25th October 09:33

[tobinen]

What are the 'yips' in cycling? I've only heard the expression used for golf putts

[mcelliott]

12 hours cycling a week would certainly kill my motivation. 7 or 8 hours maximum for me, and I feel fresh as a daisy physically and mentally. If you're not motivated to ride the bike don't bother - no point forcing it. Go to Tenerife just to potter and enjoy the food and drink.

Oh, and get the motorbike bought, life's far too short, and anyway the bug for cycling might come back one day. It's all part of the ebb and flow of life...

Edited by mcelliott on Sunday 25th October 10:46

[RGambo]

Feeling it myself at the moment. Hit my A race in September and since then , no motivation. Gone from 150 -200 miles a week to , well nothing or 1 ride.
Lots of life happening so something has to give.
BUT I'm not worried, I love cycling and you always go through ups and downs, I will want to ride and train again soon, it might be another week, or month, but I'll wake up and be rareing to go. It happens to me every year. You can't keep motivated 24/7/52 year in year out, you need time out.
I got it badly wrong one year and lost motivation in May! Oops

[popeyewhite]

tobinen said:

What are the 'yips' in cycling? I've only heard the expression used for golf putts

'Yips' normally describes anxiety leading to poor physical performance. OP misuses the term.

[anonymous-user]

RGambo said:

Feeling it myself at the moment. Hit my A race in September and since then , no motivation. Gone from 150 -200 miles a week to , well nothing or 1 ride.
Lots of life happening so something has to give.
BUT I'm not worried, I love cycling and you always go through ups and downs, I will want to ride and train again soon, it might be another week, or month, but I'll wake up and be rareing to go. It happens to me every year. You can't keep motivated 24/7/52 year in year out, you need time out.
I got it badly wrong one year and lost motivation in May! Oops

That sounds like exactly where I am tbh. It's bugging me as I'll get really out of shape and it'll be a struggle, strangely I quite enjoy getting that back but it'd be nice to be consistent at something just once! I may start doing club rides and see how it goes.

[anonymous-user]

popeyewhite said:

'Yips' normally describes anxiety leading to poor physical performance. OP misuses the term.

Part of the demotivation was not beating the people by enough of a margin, I gave up crits concerned about injury.

So, it's one big pile. But thanks for the pedantry.

[popeyewhite]

yonex said:

popeyewhite said:

'Yips' normally describes anxiety leading to poor physical performance. OP misuses the term.

Part of the demotivation was not beating the people by enough of a margin, I gave up crits concerned about injury.

So, it's one big pile. But thanks for the pedantry.

You should understand the correct terminology.

A main factor in demotivation is setting unrealistic goals. Take some time out and reassess your priorities. Have you already been injured?

[IroningMan]

I find it much easier to find the motivation for a long group ride than a solo - I don't know anyone who manages 12 solo hours a week unless 10 of them are commuting.

[anonymous-user]

IroningMan said:

I find it much easier to find the motivation for a long group ride than a solo - I don't know anyone who manages 12 solo hours a week unless 10 of them are commuting.

I was pretty happy with that for a long time, 3 hrs Sat/Sun and 1-1/2 4 days in the week. I guess the lack of competition made staring at numbers a bit pointless. Just threeTT's this year, solo, 9UP and 4UP, honestly I draggged myself to all of them.

Looking forward to Tenerife. No powermeters or any BS just 11 days of riding in the sun with a mate. You're probably right about the group rides, I'll start looking at clubs I guess.

[astroarcadia]

Go out for a ride on your terms and leave the Garmin at home.

Forget your speed and just spin, feel the wind, the feedback from the road, the scenery.

Motivation is easily lost when the routine has gone - the bibs are back in the wardrobe not continually in the wash etc, lycra feels that bit tighter - I know the feeling.

Strava can be a great motivational tool but sometimes needs to be ignored.

[IroningMan]

yonex said:

IroningMan said:

I find it much easier to find the motivation for a long group ride than a solo - I don't know anyone who manages 12 solo hours a week unless 10 of them are commuting.

I was pretty happy with that for a long time, 3 hrs Sat/Sun and 1-1/2 4 days in the week. I guess the lack of competition made staring at numbers a bit pointless. Just threeTT's this year, solo, 9UP and 4UP, honestly I draggged myself to all of them.

Looking forward to Tenerife. No powermeters or any BS just 11 days of riding in the sun with a mate. You're probably right about the group rides, I'll start looking at clubs I guess.

At least 75% of my mileage is Saturday rides with a small group of mates: talking bks on the flat bits and every man for himself up the climbs. As it happens they also account for about 75% of my social life...which means I can always get out of bed for them.

[yellowjack]

IroningMan said:

I find it much easier to find the motivation for a long group ride than a solo - I don't know anyone who manages 12 solo hours a week unless 10 of them are commuting.

I've managed only 4 weeks this year with over 12 hours of riding. My "last 4 weeks average" on Strava is 8hr23min per week. All that is solo, none of it was commuting. So it could be done if, like me, you lack a job right now.

But I've had a few 'low weeks' this year too. Six "zero" weeks, and several more with barely an hour and a half ridden. I wouldn't sweat it, though. Take a break and come back at it refreshed, or realise that cycling has run it's course for you, and quit riding full stop. Neither will bring the world to a grinding halt.

I can sympathise with anyone feeling out of love with cycling right now, but happily I've currently got a firm grip on my 'Mojo' at the moment.

[JustinF]

If you're not enjoying targets, data, pb's etc... instead target enjoyment, go ride that hill you always meant to, that route you remember really enjoying or just go out and get totally lost on roads you don't normally ride.

[JEA1K]

IroningMan said:

At least 75% of my mileage is Saturday rides with a small group of mates: talking bks on the flat bits and every man for himself up the climbs. As it happens they also account for about 75% of my social life...which means I can always get out of bed for them.

Snap.

[Fluffsri]

OP have you just hopped on the bike and gone for a ride? Not a training seesion, not with Strava, no HRM and no plans. Just go for a bimble and enjoy it!

[anonymous-user]

There was mostly always a plan. From the first commutes I was logging times. Off road is the only time recently where I didn't worry, I was mostly ejecting anyway

It's pretty obvious I need to get back to just riding for the commute or something similar, definitely without coaches, data, Strava, Zwift and all the other BS.

[TwistingMyMelon]

I commute 3-5 times a week on my own, but can't handle more than an hour of solo riding (unless its the long way home from work) on the weekend. Maybe training would be different, but a few Sundays ago I aimed for a 50 mile solo ride, 20 miles in I got so bored I gave up and went home!!! Usually at weekends I am out on a club run, so much nicer and easier going with 10+ likeminded mates.