How to Fit Riding Into Your Schedule
When Life Starts to Get Hectic, Go Ride
No More Excuses—Schedule it in your calendar
As much as most of us want to get out and ride our bikes every day, life usually gets in the way. Between work, family and filing out TPS reports, it can be a serious challenge to try to get out on the trails. There are some of us at Electric Bike Action with families and other responsibilities who have been forced to find clever and creative ways to get our riding in. These tips will help you find time to get out on the trail and make sure that you are keeping yourself active and healthy while staying plugged into real life.
RIDE TO WORK
Riding to your office or workplace is a great way to start and end the day, especially if you have some trails you can hit on the way home. Oftentimes, a 10-mile commute can take the same amount of time on a bike as driving, especially if you factor in traffic. In the event you aren’t fortunate enough to have trails between your workplace and home, investing in a commuter bike or throwing a pair of slick tires on your old hardtail can be a solid compromise. Keep a change of clothes at work, or pick up some panniers and a frame pack to carry some of your gear. Riding to work every day can become a bit of a chore if you do it too often. Limit your commute to two to three days a week to give you something to look forward to.
photo by Lear Miller
BECOME AN EARLY RISER
This can be a tough one if you have kids or just simply aren’t a morning person. Setting that alarm an hour ahead of normal can be like going to your in-laws’ house for Thanksgiving dinner and talking politics, but getting your riding in before the family wakes up can help prepare you for the rest of the day. There is nothing quite as refreshing as coming back to a hearty breakfast and a cup of hot coffee. You might need a good set of lights, but damp early mornings can provide some epic trail conditions that will reward you for getting out of your cozy bed.
TRAILS FOR LUNCH
Some riders have jobs that require them to be on the road quite a bit more than others. This provides a good opportunity to find new trails along the way that you can enjoy during your lunch break. Instead of going to a fast-food place that will leave you feeling guilty, go out and shred for a little bit. Bring some wet wipes and extra deodorant to clean up after, just in case you go a little harder than you intended. Mid-day lunch rides will give you a second wind to tackle the rest of the day.
IF TRAILS AREN’T CLOSE BY
If you’re not one of the fortunate few who live or work close to the trails, then several of these tips may not be for you. Fortunately, there is still hope. Far be it from us to encourage road riding, as mountain biking is clearly more fun, but one place where our skinny-tired brethren have an advantage is how much easier it is for roadies to get out and ride. Instead of packing their gear and driving to a trailhead, they simply suit up and go. This may be the perfect opportunity to consider a road bike, if only for motivation to ride during the week. Several of our staffers have fallen in love with the new “gravel grinder” bikes that are essentially disc brake-equipped road bikes with fatter tires. They won’t handle all the singletrack that your real mountain bike will, but they’re more than capable of handling dirt roads and some smooth singletrack. And, they’re ready to ride as soon as you head out the front door.
GET THE FAMILY INVOLVED
Getting your kids or significant other involved in the sport will give you motivation and create more opportunities to spend time with the family. We don’t recommend starting with black diamond trails, though. Even younger children who can’t quite pedal a bike can be towed in a trailer on mellow fire roads. If your family enjoys riding, you just might be able to justify that epic mountain bike vacation you’ve always dreamed of. Buying your family bikes might be a big investment up front, but it will probably be cheaper than what you would pay for babysitting in the long run.
NIGHT-RIDING RULES
During the shorter winter and early spring days, this is a great way to get in a solid ride after work and end the day on a high note. If you have to be home to help with the kids, set up a schedule with your family that will allow you a night or two a week and your spouse a night or two out of the house. Always make sure that it is legal to ride your local trails at night and be properly prepared with strong lights. Also, keep in mind that when you finish a night ride, you’re likely going to be pumped up for a few hours afterward and may find it difficult to sleep. Exercise usually makes people sleep better, but it may take some time for you to calm your adrenal glands. Keep this in mind if you need a good night’s sleep to tackle the next day.
WHO SAYS YOU CAN ONLY RIDE
The only way you can fit riding into your busy life is by making it a priority. Set goals and stay motivated to make sure you don’t stray from the path and find yourself eating an extra donut or two while sitting on the couch watching reruns of “The Simpsons.” As riders, we must stay moving. If you’re fit, you’re guaranteed to have more fun on the bike, because the climbs will be easier and your descending skills will be sharper. Also, the next time you’re on a fast group ride, you’ll be able to hold a conversation instead of gasping for air. And if you’re in need of some motivation, there’s nothing wrong with putting a “carrot on the end of the stick” and rewarding yourself with a taco plate or extra slice of pie for dessert when you achieve your goals.
Handling some business trailside.
SCHEDULE MEETINGS ON THE TRAIL
Over half of the meetings that we have take place on the trail. This might be a tough one, but find like-minded colleagues who would rather talk business during a pedal instead of in an air-conditioned conference room. Back in the 1990s, golf courses became the conference rooms of executives. In the 2000s, road biking was deemed the “new golf,” as businessmen and women were trading their golf clubs in for fancy road bikes. We’re hoping that mountain biking will become the “new road biking” in that regard because there’s nothing better than replacing the boring background of a conference room with mountains and singletrack. If you work with people who ride, trust us, there is much work that can be done on the trails.
MAKE IT A PRIORITY AND PUT THE CARROT ON THE END OF THAT STICK
The only way you can fit riding into your busy life is by making it a priority. Set goals and stay motivated to make sure you don’t stray from the path and find yourself eating an extra donut or two while sitting on the couch watching reruns of “The Simpsons.” As riders, we must stay moving. If you’re fit, you’re guaranteed to have more fun on the bike, because the climbs will be easier and your descending skills will be sharper. Also, the next time you’re on a fast group ride, you’ll be able to hold a conversation instead of gasping for air. And if you’re in need of some motivation, there’s nothing wrong with putting a “carrot on the end of the stick” and rewarding yourself with a taco plate or extra slice of pie for dessert when you achieve your goals.
RIDERS ALWAYS HAVE MOMENTUM
No, we’re not talking about the momentum you need to clear a technical and steep ascent. We’re talking about the momentum riders who are on the trail regularly have versus the ones who sit on the couch and stay there. By finding ways to fit riding into your daily routine rather than always waiting for the weekend, you are ensuring you will have more fun, be more fit and build skills quicker than your couch-potato riding buddies.
THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO GET ELECTRIC BIKE ACTION
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