Trying to find enough time during the week to squeeze in some saddle time can be tricky, so we have come up with a few simple tips to help get you out on your bike more often.
As much as you may love cycling, with a busy working life and other daily commitments, your bike may often get left in the corner feeling very lonely and neglected. We have come up with a few simple tips to enable you to get in the saddle for a quality ride in between meetings, running the kids here, there and everywhere, and fixing endless household appliances that just seem to continually break!
Of course, we are assuming that you don’t have the luxury of being able to ride to work, as this makes fitting in some cycling time a lot easier. If you have the opportunity to cycle to work then this is a great way to rack up some weekly miles, as well as provide a great start and end to your working day. We are also referring to real saddle time in this article rather finding time to jump on your turbo trainer in the evenings, as we all know this just doesn’t seem to cut it.
By fitting in just two short rides during the week and a longer ride at the weekend you will soon see your cycling performance dramatically improve and with a little forward thinking, this is easily achievable for most of you out there.
Early Bird Catches the Worm!
The most obvious way to fit in a ride is getting up early enough before you start work. By being a bit more organised in the mornings, it’s amazing how much time you have to fit in a ride, head back, have some breakfast and get ready for work. It's also a great way to start your day, as it will leave you feeling destressed and raring to go, as you watch your sluggish colleagues appear in the office, you can feel good about the fact you have already got in your daily exercise before they even managed to roll out of bed!
In the summer months, morning rides are far easier with brighter starts and warmer weather providing a very inviting environment. Whereas in the winter months, the doom and gloom of the early morning starts can make it a lot harder for you to find the motivation to jump on your bike, but you will be thanking yourself for it later.
Early rides also come with heaps of benefits to help you enjoy your ride even more. By getting out and about whilst many still lay sound asleep in bed, the roads are extremely quiet, giving you nothing but mile upon mile of empty routes for you to enjoy. The scenery and wildlife are also something to be enjoyed with beautiful sunrises and all sorts of creatures stirring about.
Being Prepared
Making sure you are organised and ready to go will definitely help you to get time in the saddle.
Get ready the night before with all your kit in one place, plan your route, check your bike and pack any food or drink you may want to take with you. This way when it's time to ride, you have everything you need ready to go and all you need to do is get changed and go enjoy yourself.
Riding After Work
If getting up early and hopping on your bike just isn’t for you, then there is always the option to ride after work.
Again, being prepared with everything to go when you get back is the best way forward, as this gives you little excuse to not go for a quick spin if you walk into your hallway to see your bike and kit staring you in the face.
Riding in the summer evenings can provide you with a beautiful backdrop and warm air, whilst you cruise along the quiet lanes. Evening winter rides take a bit more preparation, making sure you have the right lights and appropriate warm clothes are key.
You don’t need to be cycling every day and for hours on end because who simply has time for that! By fitting in just two 10-20-mile rides after work during the week will help you significantly improve your fitness and cycling performance.
Hooray for the Weekend!
After a long working week there is nothing you want to do more than go out for a long relaxing ride on your days off. But with a whirlwind of commitments arising everywhere you turn, it can be easy to push your bike aside and go and enjoy an afternoon with family or sit in the pub.
But who said you can’t do both?
We keep banging on about it, but by being prepared, there is nothing to say you can’t fit everything in! Pack your things the night before, so you can get up and out before the rest of the house has even stirred. This way you will get in your ride and have plenty of time to deal with what the weekend has to throw at you.
We also recommend checking the weather to avoid any disappointment, because nothing is worse than spending a sunny Saturday inside to wake up on Sunday ready for your ride to step out your front door to be greeted with high winds and rain.
Alternatively, if you enjoy spending time with your family and friends at the weekend and just can’t find time to get out on your own for a ride, why not organise a family ride or a cycle with friends and get everyone involved. That way you get the best of both worlds.
If you miss a ride, it’s okay!
If it gets to Friday and you have had a crazy week and just haven't had the time to go out for a ride, don’t be hard on yourself. We share your pain and sometimes life simply just gets in the way! Don’t let it get to you though, as cycling should be enjoyed and your life shouldn’t be filled with anxiety around whether you have or haven’t managed to fit in a ride.
Take a step back, relax and plan ahead for next week. That way you will more than likely enjoy it even more.
