Friday, April 3, 2015

Cycling Motivation

Cycling Motivation
Have you had enough of the gray and dreary winter days?  Most certainly now that spring has "sprung"in your neighborhood, it's time to get back on track and talk more about your cycling motivation.

 Cycling motivation simply is the effort(s) that one puts into motion that will get you out riding!


Double Negative

A lot of times I hear,  "I'm too busy", "I don't have time" , "I can't find the time", or "This year I will..." ride my bicycle. Now that certainly does not sound very positive or  motivating does it?  No not at all, these minor almost innocent comments can be a significant derailment to getting back on your bicycle. Avoid these types of statements at all costs, not matter what your doing in life. This should not be the way that one goes about pumping up your "sub-conscious" fitness stoke!

Just for one day try to turn those negatives into a positive; "I'm going to find time to ride this week/weekend", "This Saturday morning I will ride for half an hour", etc" You can certainly see right out of the gate that these statements not only are positive, but are geared with an intent or purpose. This my friends is the exact seed of getting motivated that you'll need to work on the most. It's easy to skip a ride for a late day at the office, being tied up with the family, or just simply not having your gear ready to go. Set yourself a calendar date / reminder of when your going to get out on your bicycle so YOU HAVE THE TIME to do so. Not only setting the time and day but giving yourself something to look forward to! What a novel idea right?

Ready, Aim, Fire...

Let's talk focus, for a minute shall we? Having a set goal or object is an excellent motivator. For example I suggest signing up for a local charity ride event. Not sure which one to choose? Pick a cause that hit's close to home and personal for you. Nothing is more motivating that helping to raise money / awareness via riding your bicycle! Also as another suggestion start a team to help raise money as a means to participate in your particular  charity ride event. Strength in numbers is a powerful motivator as well.

Just simply signing up to participate in an event can do wonders for your attitude. All of the sudden you will have a new found drive and purpose to ride your bicycle. It's not just another ride around the block any more.

Get the Gear...
Getting back on your bicycle for some can be a bit of an uphill battle. A lot of times a nice tune up to get your trusted steed rolling again works wonders. If you have an older bicycle that is in need of an upgrade...well consider taking advantage of your shops preseason sales and buy new!

Also make sure that your bicycle matches your intended interests, for example a road bike won't work so well off road etc. Having the proper bicycle for how your going to ride a majority of the time is a good rule of thumb to consider. See the below list of examples:

  • Road
  • Hybrid
  • Mountain 
  • Gravel
  • Misc

Cycling clothing is with out question usually the last things a consumer considers. Everyone loves to ride on a sunshiny day, however what happens when it rains? From padded cycling shorts, jerseys, to wind jackets and vests...these are a major bonus in enjoying your ride. Also another key factor it's like being a kid again...you KNOW THAT YOU CAN RIDE your bicycle whenever you want!

  • Padded Cycling Shorts
  • Wind Jacket / Vest
  • Gloves
  • Cycling Shoes
  • Fenders
  • Flasher Lights
Personally I like to wait for the local sales at my favorite shop to upgrade those articles of clothing I'm in need of.

Until next time hope these cycling motivation tips are helpful. ~Jonah D.

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