Motivation to get through the last dregs of winter

It’s late February or early March. You’re deeply familiar with every inch of the walls surrounding your trainer. You allow yourself to get your hopes up when you the temperature has increased by a few degrees, but you’re swiftly thrown back to reality when you realize it’s snowing all of next week. The winter seems infinite, your indoor rides feel like one never-ending chore, and you’ve lost the motivation to bike.

Sometimes it’s good to take a moment and reflect on the things that keep you riding in the first place. Here are a few things to look forward to this season:

• Silence on a well paved country road
• Unclipping in front of your house after a long ride and feeling accomplished, empty and content
• Fresh bar tape
• A cold sip of water hitting the back of your throat during a warm summer ride
• Mid-ride pastry stops that go a bit longer than planned, but no one’s in a rush
• The sound of gravel under your tires as you first turn off the asphalt
• Feeling strong as you sprint in the drops and out of saddle
• Long ride conversations that teach you unexpected things
• Taking the perfect line on a turn
• Finishing a summer ride as the sun is setting (no sleeves required)
• New bike day/new kit day/new anything day
• Plopping down after a ride and talking bikes over a coffee or a drink
• PRs on Strava
• The sound of a pack of cyclists clipping in at the beginning of a group ride
• Reaching the top of a hill
• A small breeze on a warm day that cools you off for a minute
• Unexpected run-ins with cycling friends on the road
• Getting back from an early morning ride when everyone is just waking up
• Fresh legs as you start a journey on your bike