By Lars Hundley
Even the most dedicated cyclists sometimes struggle to get out the door. Whether it’s age, changing priorities, or simple boredom with familiar routes, motivation can be tough to maintain. But staying excited about cycling isn’t just about willpower – it’s about smart strategies that keep you coming back for more. If you’re just not feeling it lately, here are some suggestions to get you back on track.
Why Do You Ride?
Take a moment to remember what got you hooked on cycling. Was it the rush of freedom on your first real road bike? The satisfaction of completing your first century? The friendships formed on group rides? Sometimes just reconnecting with those initial feelings is enough to get you pumped about riding again.
Goals still work, but they need to evolve. While you might have once targeted specific time trials or race results, now you might focus on exploring new roads, tackling a multi-day tour, or mastering gravel riding. The key is choosing objectives that genuinely excite you, not what you think you “should” be doing at this point in your cycling life.
Break the Routine
Nothing kills motivation faster than riding the same roads the same way, week after week. If you’ve always been a solo rider, try some group rides. If you typically hammer every ride, experiment with some casual social spins. Even small changes like riding at a different time of day or taking your regular route in reverse can make familiar territory feel fresh again.
The social aspect of cycling often provides motivation when pure fitness goals aren’t doing it anymore. Finding the right group can transform ordinary rides into adventures worth getting up early for. Don’t have a regular group? Most bike shops organize rides for various abilities. Or create your own informal group – you probably know several cyclists who’d welcome regular riding partners.
Embrace the Small Pleasures
Some days, motivation comes from simply appreciating what cycling gives us – the quiet of early morning roads, the satisfaction of cresting a tough climb, or the meditative rhythm of a steady spin. These moments remind us why we fell in love with cycling in the first place.
Sometimes taking a break is exactly what your motivation needs. A week or two off the bike won’t destroy your fitness, but it might rekindle your enthusiasm. Use this time for other activities like hiking or swimming. When you return to cycling, you’ll likely feel mentally and physically refreshed.
Age brings changes to how we ride, but it doesn’t have to diminish our enjoyment. Maybe you’re not as fast as you once were, but you might find more pleasure in the social aspects of cycling or in mentoring newer riders. The sport can evolve with you if you let it.
Remember, staying motivated isn’t about maintaining the same intensity year after year. It’s about finding new ways to enjoy cycling as your life changes. Be willing to adapt your riding style and goals. Focus on what makes you want to ride today, not what drove you in the past. With this approach, cycling can remain a rewarding part of your life for decades to come.
The real secret? Don’t wait for motivation – just get on your bike. Often the hardest part is starting. Once you’re rolling, the joy of cycling usually takes care of the rest.
Readers, have you gone through any periods where you’re just burned out on cycling? What did you do to get your mojo back?
For me, it was the very first thing mentioned in the article – the rush of freedom with my first real bike shop road bike. When I was 16, I had the opportunity to ride from Connecticut to Maine with 2 friends. We had bike panniers, and “stealth camped” along the way, pulling off the road into woodsy patches wherever. What I have never forgotten, was the sense of freedom I felt at a time in my life where I had no other responsibility, but was looking toward the future, college and whatever. What I knew, was that I loved cycling, and that I would doing it for the rest of my life.
I bought my first road bike at 14 in 1967. More than anything the freedom I felt to ride anywhere under my own power was the most appealing thing to me, but also being outdoors, the socialization and the competition were very important too.
As I’ve continued to ride every year since then I still have that same feeling of freedom today. If anything it was renewed and strengthened when I started riding a Specialized Aethos with 28mm tubeless tires. What a revelation for me after riding only 21mm-25mm tubular (sew up) tires for over 50 years. I have the biggest smile on my face every time I ride and can hardly wait for my next ride.
The other thing that keeps me riding is the group I ride with ranging in age from 30-75+
I am 75 and after 50 odd years of riding all types of bikes I did loose my mojo/interest/motivation. I had been saving money and toying with the idea and after going in to a bike shop and taking an e-assist bike for a ride in to a strong wind, which we often have here in northern Illinois, and me saying “what wind” I took the bike back and ordered one. It is an absolute game changer for me. It may be more for my mental health than my physical health and at my age that is very okay. It gets me out doing what I love to do, being outdoors. Do I get as strenuous workout, maybe not, but I was on some hills yesterday and I was doing some significant breathing. I have ridden more often in the past 18 months than I had in the previous three years total. Some people saying its cheating. I say I am out pedaling and it beats sitting on the couch. I just set some goals for 2025 which I haven’t done in years because of little motivation. I may not increase my vo2max or lower my heart rate but I am out on a very regular basis and that is the goal for me. Ill take that anytime. I was out yesterday for a ride in 25 degree weather happy as a lark.