How To Motivate Yourself To Ride Again After Falling Out Of The Habit

Just when you hit a groove in your cycling routine, a sore muscle or family vacation can interrupt your habit. One day you look down and realize it’s been two months or more since you last got on your bicycle. Falling off the wagon is a bummer, but never consider yourself a lost cause. Learning how to get motivated again just takes some patience and a game plan.

Dust Off the Old Tires

You might be surprised that literally and figuratively dusting off your tires will get you excited to ride again. Take your bicycle out of the garage, lube up the chains, wipe down the seat, and get familiar with it again. Ride just up and down your driveway or block to remind your legs what pedaling feels like. Sometimes getting the first ride out of the way is half the battle.

Start Slow and Build Momentum

If you remember where your cycle routine left off at the height of your previous practice, the sound of getting back on a bike is bound to be daunting. Maybe you rode 10 miles every Sunday but it’s been 6 months since you took your bike out of the garage. Give yourself a break. Building bicycle motivation means beginning with a reasonable distance and difficulty so you don’t get frustrated and quit.

Use an App to Track Your Progress

When you can see your progress in real-time, it’s a lot easier to remain motivated to stay the course. Find an interval cycling app you love and use it on each ride. You’ll likely begin with long stretches of regular riding with a few power minutes and sprints. Apps can also offer route suggestions or send you a push alert. Notifications are particularly helpful because they might just guilt you into getting off your couch and tackling a ride.

Create a Killer Playlist

Music can be more motivating than you give it credit for. A mix of upbeat jams and serene cool down songs will keep you motivated while you’re on the road. The best thing about playlists created on platforms like Spotify is that they can be altered as often as you’d like. If a mix starts to get stagnant, add some new tracks that get your heart rate going and keep your energy from diving.

The best motivation cycling is reminding yourself about the end result. Remember how strong you felt when you were riding on a regular basis? Still, these tips and tricks can get you off the couch and back on the road while you’re working on establishing a new routine. Sometimes getting new equipment will also serve as a motivation. Shop bikes now, including our Explore Your Range Women's 7 Speed Commuter Hybrid Bike, and you’ll be ready to be a road warrior again in no time.

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