How do you keep yourself sane on long rides?

[DanPrice]

I'm really trying to up my weekly mileage so i feel confident enough to do a sportive in Summer sometime (guidance on a good 1st sportive for a novice would also be great right now?)

So just a question which might help other people aswell as myself.

How do you all keep yourself's sane on longer distance rides, 25 miles+?

I personally take my iPod on all rides but it starts to get a little repetitive and sometimes i fancy not having something stuffed in my ear.

In the perfect world id ride with a club on rides, but as far as im aware and have been lead to believe, the clubs in my area (Little Stoke-Bristol) ride on a week day and Saturday morning's.

Which is no good for me as i work weekdays and many Saturdays.


Anyway i look forward to hearing your responses.

Thanks

 

[4F]

I have never found it a problem and all of my rides are solo and I never ride plugged into anything. I just enjoy being in the countryside and find the distance soon mounts up.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Like the The Fatfella I just enjoy being out in the country side when I am cycling on my own. If its quiet and i have no cars around me I will also watch the wild life if theres any about. But long distance is often better if you have company.

 

[RedBike]

I just enjoy the ride .

 

[snorri]

What the other three said.

Perhaps you should have posted this on the Racing or Road rides and Audax sections

 

[roadiewill]

all my mates are into it and Im getting into my local club.
I feel way more motivated if I go out with someone else or a group - the miles fly by

 

[Joe24]

In summer, id do 30miles most days and a group ride one day a week.
Id keep myself sane, but just being out and working hard. For some reason i wold just go out. Then i would take my ipod out with me. If its really easy, then sometimes i will get bored. But thats normally just on sections of roads.
When i go out with the club im in, i just ride along and talk. Or ride along and try and make this guy that comes out feel abit bad

 

[yello]

How do you all keep yourself's sane on longer distance rides, 25 miles+?

Are you sure cycling is for you?

It has honestly never been a problem for me. Like others, I enjoy the countryside, being out and about, or just being active. The closest I have been to bored was on a 200km audax out on the Fens... but then my backside was numb so perhaps that was the real reason for my discomfort!

 

[HLaB]

How do you all keep yourself's sane on longer distance rides, 25 miles+?

I don't

Honestly though I've never found it a problem the fresh air and different scenery keeps me awake and the constant having to be alert factor.

 

[PaulSB]

Can't say I've had this problem though I am aware that I have mental conversations with people I know while riding. Sometimes I go out just to have the talk and work out a problem - I'm not joking it's very effective.

On long rides, usually a 2-3 day tour, I mentally write a journal, then make a few notes in the evening before writing at length when I get home.

 

[longers]

Thinking about food can occupy quite a lot of time but it's generally not a problem.

Singing and shouting is also good if you ride alone

 

[oxbob]

If you are getting bored, try setting some little goals beforehand.ie "i wont drop below 60 rpm cadence" or google for a new tea stop and try a new route i also find taking a mp3 player with radio handy.And above all dont worry about breaking PB times, just enjoy the ride, stop and take that pic of the goat in the road with your phone, CHILL this site might help the highclere sportive is pretty good and not too far from you http://www.cyclosport.org/default.aspx

 

[killiekosmos]

Just enjoy the countryside. I chat with others I meet on the way, I sing (when no one is around!) and i think things over but most of all I relax!

 

[palinurus]

I do get fed up riding the same routes sometimes. I just look at the map and pick somewhere to go to- it gives the ride some sort of purpose and usually means I need to go a different route (noticed a place called Grebe lake on the map yesterday, I expect I'll be off over there before long)

It's good to start a ride away from familiar roads, since I live near a station I sometimes get on the train, go north, then ride back home (it does depend on how easy it is to get a bike on a train without booking in your area, pretty easy for me).

Sometime I just invent some dumb mission, like riding past all the water towers I can find on the map in a particular area.

Well it keeps me amused.

 

[DanPrice]

Thanks for all the reply's.

It seems i may take it a little too serious and need to chill out and enjoy the ride a little more, instead of purely wanting to ride as hard as possible all the time.

I think ill give that a go and see if it helps.

Thanks again