(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)
There are few things in my daily life that I avoid as religiously as riding a bus or train with nothing to read, or driving in a car with nothing to listen to.
But somehow, bike commuting in silence seems to be different – for a while, at least.
Longtime Portland bike commuter Ryan Good shared an interesting perspective Tuesday on his Facebook page, which prompted some useful discussion. He kindly gave us permission to share some of it here.
Here’s Good’s original comment:
I’ve been bike-commuting for longer than I can remember, and it’s always been a highlight of my day- both directions. But lately, I am feeling completely unmotivated for it. Not talking about other rides- still stoked for those- only the commute to and from work. Not sure what it is- all the Cat 6 types out there? The weather? Bored with riding the same route over and over and over and over and over and…? Not excited about going to work in the morning + plus feeling lethargic after sitting on my butt all day? I’m almost tempted to just start taking the bus, but that’s probably the worst thing I could do- my body needs the exercise, especially after sitting all day. I guess I’ll just have to grind it out, and hope that I snap out of it soon. Anybody else have a similar experience? Curious to hear about it, and/or how you beat it.
And here are some of the many responses, which constitute a pretty good list of tips for others who hit a funk:
Change the vehicle.
“Do you have a fixie? If not, build a frankenfixie.”
“Switch drive trains for a week. Go geared, or SS, or like I did last week borrow a Nuvinci hub bike. Very fun! Change it up to keep it fresh.”
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Add music or podcasts.
“I’m in the same boat. Really awesome podcasts with headphones that allow some ambient sound + a novel bike is all I can think of in terms of remedies. + acid. Drop some acid 45 minutes before you leave. Not too much, though. (And yes, I know headphones are dangerous.)”
“+1 on headphones. I caved this year and got some bluetooth ones. music really helped curb my road rageyness i get from being on congested bike/car routes. Much easier to ignore jerks. I just leave out the left side ear bud. Affected my ability to tell where sound was coming from but could still hear it.”
“I started downloading more cd’s to the iPod and making playlists, it makes it fun. I sing a lot and that makes me enjoy my alone time. Also scares the creepy people away.”
Change the route.
“Sometimes the most enjoyable routes are the least logical- going by a pretty garden that isn’t a bike route, or a vintage store that has pretty windows.”
“I have a few main routes, and try and take some side streets next to my routs [sic] whenever the weather is good and I’m not running late. Also, sometimes you just have to cat six it if you’re feeling good first thing! I also go super slow and really try and look around and sit upright some days.”
“I am always varying my routes. I give myself enough time so I don’t need to be over concerned with time. Sometimes the longest routes are the best. Lately I’ve been heading out to the wetlands north of St Johns and just randomly meandering through quiet neighborhoods. … 22 to 25 [miles]. I give myself 2 1/2 hours.”
Consider when you commute (and its impacts).
“I recommend using one of those wintertime UV lamps connected to a generator hub on your bicycle for your AM commute.”
“if you have the flexibility, trying a commute earlier, or later, can be lovely. the sky and light are different, and the traffic can be less heavy (too much car traffic on our bikeways is the main reason i hate my bike commute). mapping out alternative routes is also a great way to go. and lastly, don’t feel bad about ditching the bike and using trimet sometimes! everybody needs to mix things up sometimes.”
“If it’s any help, today was the earliest sunset of the season. OK. Maybe tomorrow. I’m not positive. Afternoons get lighter from here on. Mornings not so much.”
And our favorite tip of all
“Drive a car for a week. That should cure your funk.”
In all of this, I think there’s a case to be made for one of the benefits of bike commuting that I’ve discovered most recently myself: like showers, bike commutes seem to be one of the few times in my day when I give myself the mental quiet required for coming up with new ideas. Including, most recently, the fact that we should do this post.
Do you ever battle bike commute doldrums? What’s your solution?
I just made bikeportland.org my web browser’s home page.
And I don’t even live in Portland (yet).
It’s the little things that count….
Ride with a friend or find someone to ride with who takes a similar route. My boyfriend and I take a longer (but quieter) route and have great conversations on our commutes.
Audiobook in one ear. I get so much serious reading done that way.
Jog for part of it.
“Drop some acid 45 minutes before you leave. Not too much, though.”
That would explain some of the crappy riding I’ve been seeing out there.
Sober up. Hold you line. Stay of the rail on the Hawthorne bridge. Tempo pace, people.
Holding my line makes me less visible to inattentive and distracted primates. I intentionally wiggle and weave when I bike.
Tempo pace is precisely the kind of attitude that dissuades older folks from bicycle commuting. I really hope you typed that with your tongue in cheek.
huh? you think sporadic movement and alternating speeds is somehow safe for other riders around you? I almost watched some 2-wheeled dolt on SE Lincoln become roadkill by swerving out into the lane in front of a car coming up behind her..horns, swerving, you name it….felt bad for the driver. I suggested she sober up as I rode by her.
Dropping acid and riding is a hell of a lot safer that stuffing your ears with music and being deaf to the world.
Wearing cheap headphones so you can hear traffic just fine and loving the heck out of your commute is safer for everyone because: One Less Car.
Changing the route is probably one of my faves. And if you’ve got a secure place to lock it up, riding your MTB is a great way to see routes that you never saw before.
Who has a good solution for preventing rainwater on eyeglasses? My issue is comprised visibility during wintertime darkness + raininess which is problematic with car headlight glare on wet glasses (and you cyclists on the MUP with your 100-watt beams pointed in my face).
I just got glasses but one thing you might consider is wearing a baseball cap with a large bill and pull it down right above your eyes.
I totally agree with wearing a baseball cap. If it’s cold outside I wear a thin winter hat underneath the baseball cap, with a helmet on top of it all. A thin wool winter hat is ideal, but polyester works too. The downside to polyester is it can get stinky when wet and sweaty.
Get a cycling cap. <a href="https://www.showerspass.com/products/event-cap"Showers Pass makes a waterproof one, and swrve has a waterproof one with ear coverings for cooler weather.
the showers pass rain cap is completely water proof and fairly breathable. i wear it off the bike too.
Get a cycling cap. Showers Pass makes a waterproof one, and swrve has a waterproof one with ear coverings for cooler weather.
Curse those 100-watt beams pointed in my face on the Springwater.
Car headlights were 100x worse. I almost hit a pedestrian at a four-way stop sign because my glasses were wet and all I could see were car headlights. I felt awful .
I struggled with this for years and finally figured out that I could get contact lenses for relatively cheap. You get the weekly ones and wear them only when riding, and they last for months. I go through maybe two pairs each winter. I hate wearing contacts but on a bike, in the rain, it is a godsend!
and here’s a blog post i wrote when i first discovered them…
https://henwaller.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/winter-cycling-rain-capes-and-contact-lenses/
A hat pulled low, as suggested.
But honestly? Not dealing with this is easily the best part of having contacts. The ones for astigmatism have greatly improved over the last decade! And being able to see on dark rainy nights has been AMAZING.
I agree entirely. I don’t even think of myself as a contact lens wearer — I literally put them in when I leave the house, and take them out when I get to work. Or to the restaurant, or party, or whatever. It’s a lot easier than it was back when I really did wear contacts (in the 80s!) and it’s amazing how much clearer a dark rainy night becomes.
Small amount of a greasy substance on the glasses will help the rain beat off more easily…
I got a nylon visor from NRS and attached it to the front of my helmet, sort of like having a baseball cap bill on there. It’s designed for rafting, so impervious to rain.
+1 for changing the route. I do this a lot. Sometimes I ride a few blocks out of my way to ride on the Vancouver/Williams corridor just because it’s more visually entertaining than my usual route of Interstate/Michigan. I live in NoPo and work downtown, so my other favorite thing is to go off-road and go through Forest Park. Every time I do that I wonder, “Why don’t I do that more often!”.
How is riding over the St. John’s Bridge?
FWIW, I also will occasionally switch up my commute from inner SE job to nopo home by riding through Forest Park. St John’s Bridge is terrifying- the worst part of the ride BY FAR. There are sharrows painted, and I have taken the lane a bunch of times, but too many high-speed close calls have scared me off. Now I ride the sidewalk which is very high off the road, very narrow and goes around the bridge columns in a really uncomfortable way. There is no option but to take it slow and easy, but it is still uncomfortable, and I have been ‘scolded’ by peds to get off the sidewalk.
I have a not insignificant fear of heights, so the sidewalk was right out. The lanes are marked with sharrows, but during rush hour, it feels kinda dicey, what with cars getting cranky about you being in “their space”. Outside of that, I’d call it pretty ok.
I’m more comfortable on the St. John’s Bridge sidewalks after a few cyclocross races. Most of the sidewalk is fine, except for a short part, which you can walk if you want to (pretend you’re taking a photo or something if you’re self-conscious).
I haven’t taken the lane yet, especially since I’m usually there during commute time. Too busy.
That last one is definitely the best. I had to drive last week because of a meeting down in Tualitin after work (hard to get there from SE in 30 minutes by bike). Sharing I5 with 63bajillion of my closest friends trying to kill each other to get 2 car lengths closer to their goal reminded my of how terrible commuting can be (and millions of people choose to do this every day). I’ll take a dull ride any day…
Count cats, there are between 0 and 57 to be seen on my daily 5 mile ride.
Haha, I do that after dark when their eyes light up under the parked cars. They think they are are being stealthy, bwahhaha.
This is brilliant.
Strava! Tracking my rides totally reinvigorated my commuting this year. And before I get a chorus of “boooo cat6 commuters,” let me just that there are many safe places to ride fast in this town, and watching yourself improve week-by-week is really rewarding. I’ve converted a few coworkers of varying abilities, and continually give each other “kudos” through the app: for creative ride titles, surviving the worst weather, getting a new PR.
Strava gets a bad rap. I agree it’s a fun tracking tool. I’m certainly no racer but like to see myself improve over time.
I’ve been using Strava’s Heat maps to color outside the lines i.e. pick streets I’ve never ridden before.
Cat 6 commuting gets a bad rap largely due to a few newbies who ride fast in bike lanes/paths. If you are going to challenge other cyclists (or motorists), then ride in the big lane!
Interestingly, even the Dutch are experimenting with letting faster riders exit bike paths and ride in the road:
http://www.fietsberaad.nl/?section=nieuws&lang=en&mode=newsArticle&repository=Fast+bicycles+on+the+roadway
I never thought of something like Strava! The problem is, in an urban area, there are so many traffic lights, that you can haul ass like crazy, and then be sitting at a light forever. But still, I like it!!
I find that usually if I just plow through a few days, it gets better. But other times changing the route or something to shake it up helps get back to the fun
There is this eye glass stuff called “cat Krap” (wrong spelling, but BP.org filtering won’t let me spell it correctly). It’s kind of like Rain-X for eyewear.
Also, I just run home sometimes. Take MAX to 158th/Nature Park and it’s a 10K run home.
Occasionally, I’ll unicycle commute.
Wheelies, lot’s of wheelies.
Sometimes I switch to taking the bus for a few days. After a week or so of being crammed into a crowded, steamy bus, my bike is very appealing again!
My commute rolls down the Eastbank. One thing that I’ve been doing, at least when the weather is not too frightful, is stop for ten minutes, pull out my thermos, and take in the awesomeness that is Portland, before rolling on my way.
sorry Ryan I was being a smart a@@ talking MFB. lol you know me and riding fixed with a boombotix speaker helps me…. along with making verbal conatct with wild life ;-P CAT 6 ready set go!
I like mixing it up by taking the bus a few times a week (especially on windy days, which are the worst with a cargo trike). Singing songs is fun too. Someday we’re getting a bluetooth speaker for some proper tuneage, but for now I sometimes just play my phone speaker in my pocket. Never liked wearing headphones in public — on the bike or otherwise — so that’s not a solution for me.
How about bike with a friend with a similar commute? Or a friend who doesn’t mind biking way the heck out of her way to ride with you? 🙂
Riding with other people (and the conversation that ensues) is always one of my favorite things about biking, and something that makes any ride way more fun.
I really enjoy stopping to take a photo along the way. Looking out from the bridge never fails to stun me, even if it’s pouring miserably.
I ride through Washington Park after work. It’s pitch black a lot of the way this time of year, but when the view opens up right above the Rose Garden, I’m happy I rode.
On my ride to work in the morning I don’t listen to music, but I reward myself for riding by listening to music on the ride home. Money saved on gas goes to a new album or two once in a while. I like heavy music and it’s a great way to to kick it in the butt a bit on the ride home after a long day inside. The new albums by Pallbearer and YOB have gotten quite a few listens over the past few months. \m/\m/
Just got an outdoor tech bluetooth speaker (the one that looks like a shotgun shell), mounts on the handlebar. Now I have music and podcasts, really makes it more fun (and with the right music, faster).
Added advantage is that pedestrians can hear me coming.
pro tip from Charly Wegelius… water bottle full of hot tea just to change things up a bit on a cold evening…
Also fun to whistle the CHiPs theme song every once in a while.
I listen to podcasts. The prevailing style of earbuds is really bad for this, as they cut out outside noise. But the iPhone style still work, so I use them with my Android phone.
About once a month I have to drive to work because of unavoidable scheduling issues. One day of fighting traffic is enough to remind me how lucky I have it.
I’ve had bike commuting doldrums for the first time this winter. I’m sure the mess on Williams hasn’t helped my motivation. But these are all good suggestions.
Now if only we could end the scourge of too-bright blinky lights aimed too high. Don’t blink the front light, people! And if you do, aim it lower!
This is encouraging, because I’ve been suffering from midwinter indifference. It’s a mix of biking in the dark all the time and fighting crappy weather and the cold and wind. I see less on my ride, I explore less because I can’t see much and just want to get home. By far the best cure is a really bad bus ride or car-traffic jam, so at least I’m reminded of the benefits of biking that don’t disappear in winter. Riding with someone is also a nice addition, even in the dark. I also tell myself (at least every day) that it won’t be like this forever…just until March.
All I have to do to enjoy my commute more is take the MAX a day or two. Clears things right up 🙂
“Drive a car for a week. That should cure your funk.”
Oh boy, I tried that a couple years later and fell in love with driving, ended up buying a car and haven’t rode my bike all that much ever since. I’d be hesitant to give out that advice, it’s a slippery slope! The convenience of being dry, warm, comfortable, listening to your music with your warm coffee right there – it really improved my fall/winter transportation situation (I know, I know, cars are evil, etc.) Just sayin, your advice may backfire ;p
Yes, being stuck in soul-sucking stop-and-go traffic every day sounds like SUCH a treat!
And FWIW, I still enjoy driving as well. On the weekends…
I think I’m weird but I don’t mind it really. Driving home in my car is still faster than taking the bus (and either method keeps me dry, warm and relatively safe). I just dread riding a bike in the rain, especially the downpours we’ve been having recently – the epic puddles, the sideways rain and wind, being soaked and shivering.. it’s just pure misery to me. Stop and go traffic is a small price to pay to avoid rainy riding in winter, but your mileage may vary (pun!).
i feel bad for drivers who do not get to experience the calming, cooling, and cleansing patter of rain as they drive about in hermetically-sealed boxes. imo, the rain is the best thing about bike commuting in portland!
sounds like someone doesn’t own a car. they’re wonderful things in bad weather some days.
i own a car but it provides me almost no utility.
You aren’t weird, I don’t mind driving either. It gives me a chance to listen to Lars Larson and practice my debate skills, crank some music, etc.
My repeated rides usually involve distance fitness training as opposed to commuting (I work at home), which can be pretty boring, but since I started keeping a quick ride log of conditions, weather, *flats*, seasonality, odd occurrences, etc. This makes each ride have its own merits, as well as keeping a track of my distance and cadence. Distance calcs keep maintenance for the bike in check too. I also seem to come up with a host of philosophical answers when the endorphins kick in. Then even my own jokes seem funnier to me, which can pass the time too.
House Music and on some LED wire lights on the bike super playa kine
I have found covering my bike with as many blinking lights as I can find turns my commute into a dance party and that makes it awesome – next up a rack mounted subwoofer to go with my dance party strobes!
More gear and different roads only externalize the doldrums your brain it’s self has created. If you have convinced yourself that your feelings are real or need attention , simply tell your mind: “Shut-up, Feelings”
“…there is no spoon.”
I take a vacation day in half hour increments during the days the sun sets the earliest. Yeah, I’m covered with a variety of lights so I’m seen, but I hate having conditions change from cloud-shrouded dusk to rainy dark as I head home. Somehow riding in complete dark isn’t as bad – I don’t expect to be able to sightsee.
In addition to the great advice already mentioned, I’ll add that when I start feeling bored by something that I normally enjoy (like my bike commute), it’s usually an indicator that something else in my life is boring/isn’t working for me anymore — a job is no longer challenging or satisfying, relationships are in a rut, etc. — something is sucking the fun out of everything.
This season is a good time to look at Christmas lights on the way home. I change up my route to check out different neighborhoods.
Switching drivetrains has worked for me. I switch between a commuter MTB and a SS road bike with a flip flop hub. I can’t recommend this enough. Before I got a SS, I borrowed a fixie with old-fashioned riser bars from a friend and it completely made my day. I was so busy having fun I completely forgot about the hipness factor.
If you’re getting wet or cold, well, effective rain/cold gear makes bad weather an enjoyable adventure, rather than a miserable slog. I feel great when I peel off my rain gear and I’m nice and dry and all presentable.
Finally, I have to put in the good word for those high powered lights. Before I got one, riding at night was annoyingly slow and often jarring because my light just didn’t illuminate the road far enough in front of me along the dark stretches. There’s only so many potholes and sticks you can slam into unawares before it kind of wrecks the experience and you come to dread the night.
I break up my ride – I’ll often stop for coffee about half way in, and on the way home I’ll run some errands (groceries, etc…). Plus it helps that the majority of my commute is on off-street paths.
Music at the correct safe(ish) level can be nice. And some headphones are far better at letting ambient sound through. I’d never roll with the serious rubbery ones that isolate sound and place you in another world as tempting as it might be. I always add extra visual scanning when rolling w headphones even at a low volume. Not without risk but life is that way.
That and really paying attention to the beauty going on around you. Even in the industrial sections there are interesting views unfolding.
Getting a dynamo-powered light setup, internal brakes and great fenders has done it for me. I always felt bad about using batteries, I tried a few rechargeable options, but they eventually start dying/fading suddenly at inopportune times. Now I have a winter bike I can just hop on and go, the light is always on, the brakes always work, and the fenders do a great job. I still need rain gear for hard rains. Oh, I also got a PDW basket and a small u-lock that fits in the front slot so this bike is always ready to go!
I highly recommend berating the people around you about their lack of helments; that their lights are too bright / not bright enough / blinking / steady; comment on everyone’s stop sign behavior; shoot lots of GoPro video evidence; prepare mental notes for the incisive comments you are later going to post on Bike Portland. Your commute will be much more enjoyable!
also the 100% risk of death due to not wearing hi viz.
Sometimes the doldrums win. In the coldest weather, that’s not a bad thing, and could be your body’s way of telling you it needs a little break. This time of year, I am inclined to listen to my body and treat it to accupuncture, hot baths, and early bed times. It feels a little like slacking, until I remind myself that one of the benefits of a non-traditional work schedule (in addition to the sporadic pay) is that I have more time to take good care of myself. It’s winter. Sometimes a body just needs a little rest.
Drive a car for a week?! NEVER!
Nothing like a ride home through 45 mph wind gusts to make bike commuting fun! Got blown out of the bike lane once and definitely rode in the drops as much as I could.
I agree with the fixie comment, I bought one in August and have not ridden my geared bike to work again, it changed everything, it made biking fun again, it’s like driving a manual instead of an automatic. I could go on and on, but I’ll sum it up by saying you feel more connected on a fixie, more part of the ride.
“Drive a car for a week. That should cure your funk.” <- Ha! That'll depress a person right back into enjoying the heck out of riding a bike again! 😉
Awesome post! I am so getting back on my bike today after a work-deadline-fueled hiatus. That will be me, the slow overweight older lady cyclist, lonely-Sprockette-ing to Ratt. You will almost certainly want to yell at me. I will pretend I can’t hear you, because I don’t care.
Decorate your bike. Use sleigh bells. Get some piece of new equipment or gear that you will “have to try out”; I like trying different tires. Get a professional tune-up; you’ll have to justify the cost by riding, and your bike usually feels faster/smoother.