Falling out of love with Road cycling

[Hugo Stiglitz]

It's been happening for a while now, I saw it coming way back. Less and less I've gotten out on the road after a fall on the road a year back.

I just don't feel comfortable, I used to commute by bike etc.

If I've fallen off road and broken something within 6 weeks I was back, itching to get back but riding through a deep pothole in a puddle got me.

I've got the comfiest, spot-on, dialled in bike but just don't feel the urge to ride it.

Anyone else?

Did you come back to it?

[Scoobyshue]

I've ridden MTB's since early 90's and rode everywhere on those including training miles on the road. In about 2013 I decided to get a road bike for road riding duties. I got a nice carbon Merida with carbon forks and 50mm deep carbon wheels. It was a really nice bike and very fast. Great for the road miles but I just found it boring. Kept it for a few years until I went to the Alps and decided I needed a bike with disk brakes for the downhills. I got rid of the Merida and got a Cannondale Slate gravel bike. It's a real do anything bike and I love it. Still not as much as the MTB but it is great fun. It's not as fast as a full on road bike, but it can handle some light offroad and trails and you can huck it off curbs and stuff.

[lufbramatt]

I’ve not been put on my road bike since November. Know two people that have been sadly knocked off and killed on the road this year. Has completely put me off.

I don’t think the changes to the Highway Code helped, seems to have just reinforced the car vs cyclists bad feeling.

[Scoobyshue]

lufbramatt said:

Know two people that have been sadly knocked off and killed on the road this year. Has completely put me off.

Blimey....sorry to hear that.

[Tlandcruiser]

I cycle every day to the train station, and now the weather is nice, I’ll start cycling for fitness. I understand why people don’t like to cycle on the road; a large majority of car drivers seem to despise cyclists and seem so impatient.

I have a mountain bike, but I seldom use it

[Hugo Stiglitz]

lufbramatt said:

I’ve not been put on my road bike since November. Know two people that have been sadly knocked off and killed on the road this year. Has completely put me off.

I don’t think the changes to the Highway Code helped, seems to have just reinforced the car vs cyclists bad feeling.

Almost every road ride I have a close miss. For almost 10yrs I commuted from West Hampstead into Central London by bicycle and I have definitely got a 6th sense with other road users. Yet the lack of respect, the disdain is appalling.

We need a ground up education to cycling before I think it's safe.

[option click]

Same here - no real interest in road cycling these days, other than commuting.
It's not so much the worry of accidents - it just bores me now.
One road bike is permanently attached to the turbo now.

I much prefer going offroad, either on my mountain or cyclocross bike - its so much more fun.

Edited by option click on Friday 25th March 09:21

[gangzoom]

lufbramatt said:

I’ve not been put on my road bike since November. Know two people that have been sadly knocked off and killed on the road this year. Has completely put me off.

I've been commuting to work on the bike on/off for years/decades, the last 12 months or so some drivers have seem to gone nuts. Not just towards cyclists but double overtakes in 30mph zone during the middle of the day, running obvious red lights, and general impatience or care about other road user seems to be increasing.

The last time I was out on my road bike I nearly ended up splatted across the rear windscreen of someone who decided to reverse out into the road without checking for traffic, and just assumed because it was 8am on a Sunday morning the road would be clear!!!

I've pretty much stopped using my road bike, any attempt to try and go 'quick' on public roads at present just seems to be asking for trouble. I still commute as much as I can, every day so far this week, but the mind set is very different. I'll happily hop on/off pavements, stop early for junctions, not go for gaps in traffic etc, even than twice this week I've been nearly forced into the kerb by impatient drivers who cannot seem to judge speed/distance needed for a safe over take.

Falling off is a separate matter, I've done it twice in the last 24 months, taken me about 4-6 weeks to get the confidence back fully, but regardless of that usage of my road bike is very very limited these days.

[BoRED S2upid]

Gravel bike maybe? Are there any routes that mix up quiet roads with canal tow paths or similar?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

BoRED S2upid said:

Gravel bike maybe? Are there any routes that mix up quiet roads with canal tow paths or similar?

That's what I'm getting rid of. I've tried that.

[JohnP]

Are your road rides solo or with a group? I always find being with a few friends or a group makes for a more enjoyable road ride.

My road miles have decreased over the last few years largely down to gravel type rides. Monday's used to be a fast road chain gang, now its a ride through woods and bridleways.

[sjg]

My road bike is on a trainer for zwift. Outside cycling is on mountain bikes.

[JEA1K]

If you don't feel motivated to ride, then don't force it. We've got some lovely dry weather now, if that's not going to fire you up, I don't think much will.

Unless you have a reason to ride, whether it be social or to train for something, some people struggle to feel the love. Commit to an event and you'll find the motivation. Riding off road as others have suggested gives you a different perspective ... less stress/danger and more time efficient in many cases.

The only time I loose my mojo is the end of the season/winter. Freezing my nuts off in November when I'm not racing for 5 months makes me want to park up the road bike till Spring.

[Daveyraveygravey]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Almost every road ride I have a close miss. For almost 10yrs I commuted from West Hampstead into Central London by bicycle and I have definitely got a 6th sense with other road users. Yet the lack of respect, the disdain is appalling.

We need a ground up education to cycling before I think it's safe.

Amen to the (re-)education of drivers. So many of them think if they don't actually whack you with their car, they have given you enough room.

I'm lucky to live in the South Downs, as much off road riding as I want, and on road can be very quiet. I spend roughly the same amount of time off road as on, I do still enjoy both, but my enthusiasm for road is declining. It's the close passes that get to me; it can be 3 or 4 in an hour ride, and I am mainly on quiet country roads. Just this week I was on a tiny lane I use a lot, the kind where if a car comes towards you, you both have to make an effort to move to one side to pass each other. The woman slowed down, and moved nearer to her side of the road, which was great - then I noticed she was on her mobile
I have had loads of accidents on the road, and none I can remember off it. (Apart from the time I spotted a "gap" next to a gate post and went for it, but realised it was a gap closed with wire fencing and barbed wire on the top!) My best bike is an aero bike, it can't fit tyres bigger than 25mm and mudguards don't go at all. Some of my accidents have been on this bike, at least two on ice, and another couple on wet roads. I will be getting a ti bike with at least 32 mm tyres and full mudguards next year which will hopefully solve some of these problems.
It could be that I have ridden my local roads so much I am bored of them. The off road trails are also familiar, but I don't seem to have tired of them. Perhaps the wildlife and scenery of being away from the roads is a help. My MTB is an ancient hard tail, triple chain set and I have never ridden a bike with a dropper. I don't need to do jumps, but am not afraid of smaller ones, it's just being out in countryside is such a buzz.

[djone101]

+1 for having a reason to ride.

I've rather selfishly booked myself a two week ride to Copenhagen in August - only around 100km per day but I know I'll need to improve fitness to do it comfortably. So I now have the drive to get out and ride at each opportunity.

Edited by djone101 on Friday 25th March 13:18

[stargazer30]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

BoRED S2upid said:

Gravel bike maybe? Are there any routes that mix up quiet roads with canal tow paths or similar?

That's what I'm getting rid of. I've tried that.

Shame this was my answer to the problem. I avoid roads and only use the quieter ones as needed. Shared Paths, Gravel, green lanes for me. Its slower of course but I'm not out to get anywhere fast.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Daveyraveygravey said:

Amen to the (re-)education of drivers. So many of them think if they don't actually whack you with their car, they have given you enough room.

I'm lucky to live in the South Downs, as much off road riding as I want, and on road can be very quiet. I spend roughly the same amount of time off road as on, I do still enjoy both, but my enthusiasm for road is declining. It's the close passes that get to me; it can be 3 or 4 in an hour ride, and I am mainly on quiet country roads. Just this week I was on a tiny lane I use a lot, the kind where if a car comes towards you, you both have to make an effort to move to one side to pass each other. The woman slowed down, and moved nearer to her side of the road, which was great - then I noticed she was on her mobile
I have had loads of accidents on the road, and none I can remember off it. (Apart from the time I spotted a "gap" next to a gate post and went for it, but realised it was a gap closed with wire fencing and barbed wire on the top!) My best bike is an aero bike, it can't fit tyres bigger than 25mm and mudguards don't go at all. Some of my accidents have been on this bike, at least two on ice, and another couple on wet roads. I will be getting a ti bike with at least 32 mm tyres and full mudguards next year which will hopefully solve some of these problems.
It could be that I have ridden my local roads so much I am bored of them. The off road trails are also familiar, but I don't seem to have tired of them. Perhaps the wildlife and scenery of being away from the roads is a help. My MTB is an ancient hard tail, triple chain set and I have never ridden a bike with a dropper. I don't need to do jumps, but am not afraid of smaller ones, it's just being out in countryside is such a buzz.

I love the North Downs/Surrey Hills. Some great rides there from when I lived in London.

You can just relax. The close passes/danger from the rear would be like riding through a field full of hormonal cows in a mtb, you'd be constantly shoulder check/ never really relax...

[anonymous-user]

Track cycling? I know lee valley are a pain in the arse with their accreditation process but Herne Hill might be worth a look? Track cycling is so much more friendly and people are desperate to help

As much as I loathe the idea of depriving somewhere to ride my bike, I do miss my mtb and trail centres….

[Dannbodge]

Pretty much every time I ride I have at least one close pass or person not pay attention to me.
If anything my idea of a normal pass is closer than some peoples close pass.
I just don't really let it bother me.

I did have one guy stop at a set of lights with me the other day and compliment me on my riding and how I made it clear what I was doing (taking the lane, signalling etc) and was visible with lights and clothing.

[Centurion07]

Daveyraveygravey said:

Just this week I was on a tiny lane I use a lot, the kind where if a car comes towards you, you both have to make an effort to move to one side to pass each other. The woman slowed down, and moved nearer to her side of the road, which was great - then I noticed she was on her mobile

You acknowledge the fact that she obviously saw you in plenty of time, slowed down AND moved over to give you room but because she was *gasp* on her phone, then she was the devil incarnate. Clearly she was actually focussed on the most important part of what she was doing; driving.

OP, maybe go for a ride somewhere different. I know I'm far more motivated when the route is worth doing.