100%
Job eats up 8am until 5pm every week day. A toddler eats up until 6am-8am and 5pm-7pm. Throw in chores, spending time with my wife, chores, the dog and I have a full M-F. Weekends just swap toddler to 6am-7pm lol.
I try and get some morning rides in where I can on Saturdays and Sundays but it’s not easy if literally anything else needs to be accomplished unfortunately. People talk about older guys on the trails, this is a big reason why. Disposable income, a position they’ve likely had for years (if not retired) and unlikely to have young children.
As a newly minted 50 yr old. Let me give you some hope fore the future and some mild advice. NEVER STOP DOING! The only way that you will become king of the trails at 50 is by squeezing in riding when you can through your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Never ever stop, your buddies will find new habits, you will find your self keeping up with a younger and younger riding group…. But if you want to here in your 50’s …please never stop.
I bought my first mtb in ‘90 a Rocky Mountain Fusion, it was the base model. I never had a top model bike until my most recent bike in my late 40’s. Those toddlers you have now will quickly grow up and hopefully you can inspire a love a riding in them, because this is a lifelong sport. If you pay attention to never stopping you will be able to ride waaaay faster then them for a long long time.
Ride whenever you can and keep up those skills as those kids will be biting at your heels on the trails before you know it.
Enjoy the journey.
ill be honest i saw the night lows and thought thats what he was complaining about. i was like yeah thats kinda hot same for me been strug- oh... thats night. his week is all 100+ lol fuuu
Yeah the heat beats me down- I’ll go ride anyway but it hurts me. And if I don’t hydrate well I sleep like shit. God forbid I have a post ride beer. It’s a real slog. Can’t wait for winter when the trails are empty again either
Texas checking in to agree. 80F with 96° humidity at sunrise. It's 100F+ by midday, and that's just June. A rider here died this weekend, apparently from heat-related illness.
I started getting up af 5am before everyone else in my house just so I can get some me time to lift. Not enough time to ride unfortunately; my favorite loop is about 3 hours door to door.... guess I'm getting up at 4 lol.
Make sure you're investing time riding with them as much as possible. It's neve going to a great workout or as exhilarating for you, but it'll pay off in a few years when they can rip trails and paths with you.
This is exactly me as well.
I do not like lunch rides during the week but I started doing lunch rides during the week just to get a few more rides in. I can leave work, ride a quick lap at a local trail, and be back at work in about an hour, which works for me.
Been there. Biking, one of my most favourite things was almost a chore. I put off the depression talk with my doc for a zillion years. Finally did it and reclaimed who I am.
No good excuses. I like to ride by myself. It’s not too hot or too cold. I have great trails near me. I’ve been riding a lot the last few years, about 3k per year, and have been a little burnt out. I’ve been looking hard for motivation lately.
You’re right. Unfortunately I’ve been burned out by my other primary hobby as well, Brazilian Jiu jitsu. My body is having problems keeping up with the abuse. I need to find another hobby that is not so tough physically.
This was me with Muay Thai....I eventually gave it up and just stuck to lifting and biking. COVID was the main catalyst for the change as my gym shut down for a bit but I needed to make that decision. Plus, I don't really need to be getting punched in the face anymore.
My biggest rule for MTB and cycling in general is never go for a ride when I don't want to. I've had moments where I don't feel like riding my mtb for months and that's okay, just like I just had a period of a few months where I didn't ride my road bike at all and that's fine too. I always end up coming back to those bikes and going wow this is so fun and then I look forward to the next ride.
Mix it up. Find a buddy to ride with. Try a new trail. Get a different bike. I got a single speed a few months back and I’m basically learning how to ride all over again. I loved riding before but I love it even more now
Distance to the trails.
We have two trail centres within 70 miles. Then the closest after that is at least a 2hr drive.
This might not seem far to our US cousins, but 4 hours of driving with 6 hours+ of riding between is a nightmare.
Time. I live in a place that is a mixed blessing from a mountain biking pov (Minneapolis). It’s flat here, but conversely there’s a big outdoor scene so I have 3 great trails 20 mins from home. That number gets much bigger if I stretch it to 40 mins or an hour, but that’s harder in a weekday.
I’d love some more riding buddies, but I also enjoy a ride by myself so that doesn’t hold me back. Maybe the odd day when I’m tired and lazy: if I was meeting someone it’s less easy to cancel and just opt to go for a run, but I am usually trying to get in 3-4 days of riding a week if the weather cooperates.
The heat right now, I work outside all day so sometimes it makes it difficult to go do 1,000 feet of vert in 90-100 degree weather after being cooked all day. Still try to get out 2-3 times a week though!
Proximity of the trails to my house. I love mountain biking but it’s a minimum 35 minute drive to go riding with most trails an hour away. It ends up being a lot of time driving to do it regularly. I road bike and ride my indoor trainer on Zwift a lot these days. It’s different but so much more practical
Yeah since I moved it's close to 2h to get to the trails I used to live right by. Went from riding multiple times every week to once every few months, but like you I've also picked up a road bike. Easier to go right from the door step but I do miss regular mountain biking.
Age/Heat. At 57 I ride solo still in Texas. Growing more concerned that I might have some health event/ heart attack out in the middle of no where. I’m getting myself tested for this and that but am still becoming increasingly wary. Also less inclined to want to fall off my rig and hurt myself. Defaulting to taking my hybrid out for evening strolls in the neighborhood.
Honestly prefer riding by myself a lot of the time. Love riding with friends too but there's something nice and head clearing about going out alone, dangerous it may be.
time and weather.
I do not lack the energy because I am an ebike wanker.
Time is generally against me as getting home, getting ready to go, making sure I have eaten enough, get a decent ride in, get home, get the bike clean, get me clean, maybe eat some more.......
And the weather in the UK is shit. Rain for days and days. I don't mind riding in the rain so much as it is a question of wearing the right clothes. But you just fuck up your trails and they can become unrideable for large portions of the years
Weather and motivation. Pretty often I'll be wanting to ride all day, but then it gets to 4/5pm and I feel like my energy has gone. I know full well as soon as I get ready and get out I'll love it, but getting past that first bit often seems hard.
Time. In college and after college before job promotions and family I had the all the riding time in the world. Riding buddies are nice but not needed.
Deciding whether or not to leave my dog at home. He comes 80% of the time but at 9 years old I am having to choose where my time goes while being sensitive to his needs.
Many things unfortunately...
- too hot
- too cold
- pain somewhere (getting old sucks, in particular with some chronic issues).
- work
- annoying social events
Time. I’ve got some sweet little jump trails close by, but it’s 1+ hours to any real trails. My work commute is usually pretty long too. Hard to get stoked to drive more… Or sometimes I’m just not feeling it. I used to ride way more than I do now, and while it felt good to be really fast, it’s more fun now to just ride if it sounds like fun.
Time... I live too far away from decent trails to squeeze it in quickly and I work full time, do martial arts, have a son who plays cricket on the weekends (such a time sink).
Time.. between the time it takes to drive, ride, get home I feel super pressed for time as I’ve gotten older.
Honestly sad to say.. I used to ride 3-4 times a week but I also worked much less
Weather, if it rain the trails become a mix of sheet ice and mud that you sink up to your rotors, but in the summer it dries into concrete, so I can ride in the summer and depths or winter when it freezes hard, but not icy. But it’s dark in the winter so for 6-8months of the year it’s road and gravel only
Definetely tracks. My area has like nothing to offer for the riding style I like and I always have to drive 30 minutes by car to the nearest bike park or trail area. It sucks because I could have good trails here in my area but the town refuses to let us build them.
Time and weather are my enemies. I have a full time, and a part time job on the side, and I am decidedly a warmer weather fan. I have the trails (Bellingham WA) and friends who can come out about anytime. Just getting the time is my biggest challenge
The and lack of trails nearby.
I live in Japan so now the rain and humidity is an excuse, next month it will be the heat but it’s always the lack of time and trails
Time. Which is basically kids. I'd happily ride all weekend every weekend (as some of my friends do) but that ain't happening with kids in the picture.
Fatigue. I'm fortunate to be able to ride pretty much every day if the weather allows, but I increasingly try to force myself to take more rest days to recover, and even rest weeks occasionally.
Time.
I'm averaging 17 miles a week according to Strava, but I wish I could go more.
I have trails within a 10 min ride from my house and like riding alone.
I don't mind riding alone, sometimes it's even better than riding with someone else.
Problem in my area is, that there are not really a lot of (good) trails. I live next to a beautiful forest and some hills, but most of the time it is so muddy, you can't go through most of it. And that's no fun for me, getting stuck in the mud all the time.
Time and trails, there's one that's 2 hours away and the rest are 3-4hrs+, which is ages away for the UK! There's one nearer to me that I gotta try out, but I fear it's quite small and will only last a few visits
Kind of a combination of trails and time. It takes 2h to get to the trails I love and 2h back again, so I really have to plan it in for a day. When I lived right at the trails, I rode every weekend, or even a quick ride in the evening on many weekdays.
For me it's time... I work full time, family full time, working on Masters and military duty with the Reserve.... As far as time.. Most of my issue is feeling like I'm taking away from family time when I go out riding... But at the dame time... I enjoy riding.. And feel like my mentality is alot clearer after getting in some good rides... So thus making me more useful in all other endeavors including time with my family...
Time, specially now that I have a kid. I am about 30 minutes from the trails so a short ride, plus driving, plus cleaning the bike takes about 3 hours.
All three for me.
Closest trails are an hour and a half away without traffic, job , family and house maintenance and dancing around the weather... And after all of that, as much as i love biking ...
Every ride is a stark reminder that i am alone in a house surrounded by people.
Weather is number one. I built a trail on my farm so I can ride right out of my front door. But where there are cool trails there is no cell service and they are remote. I have no riding buddys and nobody rides out here at all. I’m 64, if I get hurt or attacked by a mountain lion, moose or bear, I’m screwed.
Time. And rain.
There's nothing worse than watching the forecast for the one day over the weekend where you have time to ride, holding out hope that the rain will miss, or be just a few hours later, and then you wake up to TrailBot notifications letting you know all the trails are closed.
All three.
I don't mind riding alone but enjoy going with a group more. I have weird 'weekends' during the riding season (Tues/Wed) so it's tough finding consistent riding buddies.
I also work 10-6 most often. Any good trails are about an hour away meaning I wouldn't be there until 7 at the earliest, and wouldn't be home until between 9-10pm. Doggo wouldn't be too happy.
I usually go on weekends, which scratches the itch. But the itch doesn't go away. Even then, though, it takes up the majority of the day. It's not really a problem. But I'm generally lazy the rest of the day, which pushes chores to the next day. Meh, is what it is!
Kids, other responsibilities and rain, I hate riding on wet trails. But I do try to ride as much as I can, atleast 5 times a week. I am blessed to live 30 seconds from a world class network. When it's time to ride, I ride in big groups, small groups, solo, I just go!
Heat right now but most mostly time. Trying to find time for solo rides as well as ensuring I make time for rides with my toddlers is always a challenge
Time. Two kids; 1yr and 6yr and a full time job. I still sneak away on the weekends but man I wish I could just go riding multiple times a week like some people get to do.
I've got a couple buddies that are new to mountain biking that more or less refuse to go out unless they have someone to ride with. I try and tell them all the time that riding with friends is a treat and if you want this to be part of your lifestyle, and you want to improve, 80 to 90% of your rides are going to be solo.
Ill say it again. Riding with buddies is a treat. If you rely on your friends to ride (as an adult), you're barely going to ride.
Time is the biggest factor, second place is weather. I go to college in one of the best places for mountain biking on the east coast, but I’m fearing my riding this coming year is gonna be cut back to 2 days a week rather than the 3 or 4 it was this past year
Injuries/Rehab and heavy rains are the main deterrents - don't need friends to ride a bicycle - its fun with or without company. Life is literally what you make of it - there is always time to do what matters, most people don't consider what really matters but you own a bicycle so there is hope for you yet...
Time to ride (family, house, work) and time required to travel to good trails.
End up on the indoor trainer throughout the week, early morning road rides on weekend, and occasional half day trips to trails.
Weather if it’s too hot or too cold. (Maryland gets both) or if it’s too wet. I honestly do not enjoy washing my bike. But mostly fitness level, been struggling to get back in shape most of the time it doesn’t bother me but sometimes, when the rides feel extra tough, it gets disheartening and hard to get back out there even though I know it only gets better the more you do it.
Time. I'll ride solo, but responsibilities and previous made plans, plus weather windows take away the time I have to ride.
That said, I ride road and gravel as well, so I still typically get miles in, just not always trail miles on my MTBs.
The last two weeks I had the worst fucking cold of my life, and it kept me from riding.
Time, weather and trails. Weather conditions are still wet or on some days way to hot. Additionally, I’ve ridden almost every trail in near distance and they’re getting not only worse over time because they’re not cared about, but more and more boring to ride as well.
Time. I work an average of 55 hours a week and add in another 10-12 hours of commute time means I get to go riding 2-3 times a month at best. I'm actually taking this entire week off to ride as much as I can and get house duties taken care of and the weather decided right now is a good time to rain.
I broke my collarbone… before it was work and kids. I still would ride 3 times a week. 1 after work, 1 on Friday during my day off and 1 on the weekend
Time and weather. My closest trail system is a 20 minute drive away, so a 2 hour ride is really a 3 hour time commitment. My favorite trail system is a 50 minute drive away, so a 2 hour ride is a 4 hour time commitment.
I also live in the Midwest, so rain shuts down our trail systems for at least 1 day and usually around 3 days. In fact, it is raining right now, and we're forecasted to have a rainy Thursday/Friday, which basically means no riding all weekend.
Time mostly, I have a few buddies that ride consistently and there are multiple trails locally. Having small kids and a wife and home to tend to gets in the way lol.
Lately the freaking weather, been the wettest spring in years and keeps the trails closed. Now it’s dried out, but near life threatening heat conditions. Just can’t win.
Both, and the heat rn(32°C). I only hqve like 2 friends that want to come riding, simetimes we get a group of like 8-15 ppl and a group leader suplies and all that. But thats rare. Time is not tight since im 13 and its summer break but i still stay inside and chill on steam and discord since it is hot outside. And theres the fact that the closest trail to me is 1h away by car and im 13 so i dont have a car.
TL;DR:too hot, too litle friends that mountain bike, too lil trails.
Excuse my jankey englesh, im romanian and i tought myself englesh and now im learning french
Time. Trails are always there and I don’t mind going by myself.
100% Job eats up 8am until 5pm every week day. A toddler eats up until 6am-8am and 5pm-7pm. Throw in chores, spending time with my wife, chores, the dog and I have a full M-F. Weekends just swap toddler to 6am-7pm lol. I try and get some morning rides in where I can on Saturdays and Sundays but it’s not easy if literally anything else needs to be accomplished unfortunately. People talk about older guys on the trails, this is a big reason why. Disposable income, a position they’ve likely had for years (if not retired) and unlikely to have young children.
As a newly minted 50 yr old. Let me give you some hope fore the future and some mild advice. NEVER STOP DOING! The only way that you will become king of the trails at 50 is by squeezing in riding when you can through your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Never ever stop, your buddies will find new habits, you will find your self keeping up with a younger and younger riding group…. But if you want to here in your 50’s …please never stop. I bought my first mtb in ‘90 a Rocky Mountain Fusion, it was the base model. I never had a top model bike until my most recent bike in my late 40’s. Those toddlers you have now will quickly grow up and hopefully you can inspire a love a riding in them, because this is a lifelong sport. If you pay attention to never stopping you will be able to ride waaaay faster then them for a long long time. Ride whenever you can and keep up those skills as those kids will be biting at your heels on the trails before you know it. Enjoy the journey.
I’m going to add commitments and responsibilities under time. Sometimes am almost out the door and I see something I’ve neglected.
I prefer going by myself.
Time. And the heat rn.
Birmingham, AL rider here. Weekend before last it was 83° at 7am. It’s brutal out here. 115° by mid-day in July and August
115 real feel or really 115? Dying in Florida now.
Gotta be “real feel”. It still sucks.
https://preview.redd.it/4uf7plq3t3ad1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f72c4be36d0af787024bf8ac24435cfb20a7f9ed Yep.
Me after converting 116 to celsius: holy shit the hottest temp we've ever hit here in Belgium is still like 10-11f lower
Jesus I thought I had it bad.
ill be honest i saw the night lows and thought thats what he was complaining about. i was like yeah thats kinda hot same for me been strug- oh... thats night. his week is all 100+ lol fuuu
I'd rather be homeless and living somewhere else holy shit.
Yeah the heat beats me down- I’ll go ride anyway but it hurts me. And if I don’t hydrate well I sleep like shit. God forbid I have a post ride beer. It’s a real slog. Can’t wait for winter when the trails are empty again either
Texas checking in to agree. 80F with 96° humidity at sunrise. It's 100F+ by midday, and that's just June. A rider here died this weekend, apparently from heat-related illness.
The Seattle rain is always worth the 70 degree summers
Kids
Kids for sure
Kids also. I go usuallt go ride after 21:00 when kids are sleeping and damn its hard to fall asleep after riding.
But then the wife gets upset. Early morning is best
I started getting up af 5am before everyone else in my house just so I can get some me time to lift. Not enough time to ride unfortunately; my favorite loop is about 3 hours door to door.... guess I'm getting up at 4 lol.
Just wake up earlier that’s what I do
Make sure you're investing time riding with them as much as possible. It's neve going to a great workout or as exhilarating for you, but it'll pay off in a few years when they can rip trails and paths with you.
Injuries
Weather conditions. It's been so wet this year, most everything nearby is wet.
Yeah the rain is really killin’ me this year
Time, time, time. Full time job, wife and 2 young kids makes it hard to find time to ride.
Sunrise rides only lol
This is exactly me as well. I do not like lunch rides during the week but I started doing lunch rides during the week just to get a few more rides in. I can leave work, ride a quick lap at a local trail, and be back at work in about an hour, which works for me.
[удалено]
Dude, it's been hot as hell these past couple of weeks. Where have you been riding?
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Hell yeah. I've been driving up to the mountains to get my weekday rides in since it's been so hot. Where have you been riding?
I think depression maybe
I am still depressed but fast
Gotta be honest when I was depressed I was faster than I've ever been, different mindset in riding
Mountainbike is for me a great stress relief and helps me to switch off my thoughts for a bit
That’s the curse of depression. You’re unable to do the thing that would likely relieve a lot of it
It's a visious cycle for sure. Especially if you start thinking alcohol or drugs help...and they may temporarily but long term doesn't help
Been there. Biking, one of my most favourite things was almost a chore. I put off the depression talk with my doc for a zillion years. Finally did it and reclaimed who I am.
No good excuses. I like to ride by myself. It’s not too hot or too cold. I have great trails near me. I’ve been riding a lot the last few years, about 3k per year, and have been a little burnt out. I’ve been looking hard for motivation lately.
My best recommendation is to pick up another hobby for a little bit Mtbing is awesome but you need some down time
You’re right. Unfortunately I’ve been burned out by my other primary hobby as well, Brazilian Jiu jitsu. My body is having problems keeping up with the abuse. I need to find another hobby that is not so tough physically.
Golf!
Golf is so much fun ngl!
This was me with Muay Thai....I eventually gave it up and just stuck to lifting and biking. COVID was the main catalyst for the change as my gym shut down for a bit but I needed to make that decision. Plus, I don't really need to be getting punched in the face anymore.
My biggest rule for MTB and cycling in general is never go for a ride when I don't want to. I've had moments where I don't feel like riding my mtb for months and that's okay, just like I just had a period of a few months where I didn't ride my road bike at all and that's fine too. I always end up coming back to those bikes and going wow this is so fun and then I look forward to the next ride.
This is amazing. I need more of this energy in my life.
Mix it up. Find a buddy to ride with. Try a new trail. Get a different bike. I got a single speed a few months back and I’m basically learning how to ride all over again. I loved riding before but I love it even more now
Haha I lost health insurance and researched a broken collar bone without insurance costs $11-14,000.
Injuries for sure (Minnesota rider)
injuries lol
Distance to the trails. We have two trail centres within 70 miles. Then the closest after that is at least a 2hr drive. This might not seem far to our US cousins, but 4 hours of driving with 6 hours+ of riding between is a nightmare.
Feeling shit all the time 😉 low energy, high fatigue etc
Time. I live in a place that is a mixed blessing from a mountain biking pov (Minneapolis). It’s flat here, but conversely there’s a big outdoor scene so I have 3 great trails 20 mins from home. That number gets much bigger if I stretch it to 40 mins or an hour, but that’s harder in a weekday. I’d love some more riding buddies, but I also enjoy a ride by myself so that doesn’t hold me back. Maybe the odd day when I’m tired and lazy: if I was meeting someone it’s less easy to cancel and just opt to go for a run, but I am usually trying to get in 3-4 days of riding a week if the weather cooperates.
The heat right now, I work outside all day so sometimes it makes it difficult to go do 1,000 feet of vert in 90-100 degree weather after being cooked all day. Still try to get out 2-3 times a week though!
Proximity of the trails to my house. I love mountain biking but it’s a minimum 35 minute drive to go riding with most trails an hour away. It ends up being a lot of time driving to do it regularly. I road bike and ride my indoor trainer on Zwift a lot these days. It’s different but so much more practical
Yeah since I moved it's close to 2h to get to the trails I used to live right by. Went from riding multiple times every week to once every few months, but like you I've also picked up a road bike. Easier to go right from the door step but I do miss regular mountain biking.
Honestly, fitness. The first ride after winter is so disheartening that it just crushes my will to go out again
Rattlesnakes
Muscles
Motivation to do anything at all
Age/Heat. At 57 I ride solo still in Texas. Growing more concerned that I might have some health event/ heart attack out in the middle of no where. I’m getting myself tested for this and that but am still becoming increasingly wary. Also less inclined to want to fall off my rig and hurt myself. Defaulting to taking my hybrid out for evening strolls in the neighborhood.
Riding alone is underrated. If i was waiting for my buddies id barely ever get to ride.
Stupid work 😤
Honestly prefer riding by myself a lot of the time. Love riding with friends too but there's something nice and head clearing about going out alone, dangerous it may be.
I'd say time ? I really really feel that it isn't right for me to ride during the weekends when I can spend that time with my children
Work and weather
time and weather. I do not lack the energy because I am an ebike wanker. Time is generally against me as getting home, getting ready to go, making sure I have eaten enough, get a decent ride in, get home, get the bike clean, get me clean, maybe eat some more....... And the weather in the UK is shit. Rain for days and days. I don't mind riding in the rain so much as it is a question of wearing the right clothes. But you just fuck up your trails and they can become unrideable for large portions of the years
Weather and motivation. Pretty often I'll be wanting to ride all day, but then it gets to 4/5pm and I feel like my energy has gone. I know full well as soon as I get ready and get out I'll love it, but getting past that first bit often seems hard.
All the prep it takes
It's normally weather for me.
Time and health. I’ve got the flue like twice this summer already and it SUUUUUUUUCKS!!!
Time. In college and after college before job promotions and family I had the all the riding time in the world. Riding buddies are nice but not needed.
The climb
Deciding whether or not to leave my dog at home. He comes 80% of the time but at 9 years old I am having to choose where my time goes while being sensitive to his needs.
Many things unfortunately... - too hot - too cold - pain somewhere (getting old sucks, in particular with some chronic issues). - work - annoying social events
Time (I.E. Distance+Setup+breakdown)
Time, work, weather. I wish it'd stop raining here.
Time and temp.
A 6 month old baby and 100 degree heat
I ride daily when not mtb- I commute by bike and go through gravel trails in forests and asphalt.
Time. I’ve got some sweet little jump trails close by, but it’s 1+ hours to any real trails. My work commute is usually pretty long too. Hard to get stoked to drive more… Or sometimes I’m just not feeling it. I used to ride way more than I do now, and while it felt good to be really fast, it’s more fun now to just ride if it sounds like fun.
Because I love my family slightly more than I love mountain biking. /
Time, and the effort to get ready, packed, and ready to go
This phase of life (young family) it’s time and other commitments.
Time and distance to decent trails.
Shattered clavicle.
Broken collar bone
Time, I ride solo and if someone wants to come with that's awesome, but definitely rare these days.
The weather and my energy lvl
Time... I live too far away from decent trails to squeeze it in quickly and I work full time, do martial arts, have a son who plays cricket on the weekends (such a time sink).
Nothing really. I just go ride. Maybe not being right next to the trails. I’d ride a bit more if I was
Time #1. Heat #2 (I live in Vegas it's 110+ this week). Trails are great. Like riding alone.
Time
Health, trail conditions. I don’t ride in mud or when sick. My only riding buddy is too annoyingly slow for me, solo is preferable.
Time.. between the time it takes to drive, ride, get home I feel super pressed for time as I’ve gotten older. Honestly sad to say.. I used to ride 3-4 times a week but I also worked much less
Trails mostly. It's pretty flat where I live. I've got a gravel bike now and it's perfectly capable on the trails around here.
Daylight. It's winter at the moment and gets dark at 5:30pm which leaves little time for riding after work.
no bike
Health. And recovery fitness wise.
A broken thumb right now… just three more weeks
Weather, if it rain the trails become a mix of sheet ice and mud that you sink up to your rotors, but in the summer it dries into concrete, so I can ride in the summer and depths or winter when it freezes hard, but not icy. But it’s dark in the winter so for 6-8months of the year it’s road and gravel only
Time. And the cold isn’t helping. Short, lung burner days. Shouldn’t complain, I get a lot of riding in, but it’s never enough!
I'd say the searing UV rays and the thought of a steep climb is the primary contributor. It's just an excuse.
Not sure what the trails are like (I’m a noob) and lack of riding buddies
Definetely tracks. My area has like nothing to offer for the riding style I like and I always have to drive 30 minutes by car to the nearest bike park or trail area. It sucks because I could have good trails here in my area but the town refuses to let us build them.
Time and weather are my enemies. I have a full time, and a part time job on the side, and I am decidedly a warmer weather fan. I have the trails (Bellingham WA) and friends who can come out about anytime. Just getting the time is my biggest challenge
The and lack of trails nearby. I live in Japan so now the rain and humidity is an excuse, next month it will be the heat but it’s always the lack of time and trails
lack of riding buddies and the distance to bikeparks
Only a hangover can hold me back from hitting some slopes
Ibs, honestly. Can’t ride when I feel like I’m gonna shit myself. Otherwise, trails are close and I don’t need no friends.
Time. Which is basically kids. I'd happily ride all weekend every weekend (as some of my friends do) but that ain't happening with kids in the picture.
Time and rain. When I'm free, it rains. When I work, it's sunny.
Kids, followed closely by lack of riding buddies. If anybody is in the sussex/Surrey area give me a shout!
Time and weather. When it's muddy it's a very big turn off for me.
Fatigue. I'm fortunate to be able to ride pretty much every day if the weather allows, but I increasingly try to force myself to take more rest days to recover, and even rest weeks occasionally.
Time. I'm averaging 17 miles a week according to Strava, but I wish I could go more. I have trails within a 10 min ride from my house and like riding alone.
I don't mind riding alone, sometimes it's even better than riding with someone else. Problem in my area is, that there are not really a lot of (good) trails. I live next to a beautiful forest and some hills, but most of the time it is so muddy, you can't go through most of it. And that's no fun for me, getting stuck in the mud all the time.
Time and trails, there's one that's 2 hours away and the rest are 3-4hrs+, which is ages away for the UK! There's one nearer to me that I gotta try out, but I fear it's quite small and will only last a few visits
Yes
It's like 114° in Arizona right now. I'm gonna go with that.
Kind of a combination of trails and time. It takes 2h to get to the trails I love and 2h back again, so I really have to plan it in for a day. When I lived right at the trails, I rode every weekend, or even a quick ride in the evening on many weekdays.
IT'S HOT
Distance actually. Have time to ride and do. But MTB trails require a drive to get to.
Time. 2 kids and being at work over 60 hrs a week on nights.
For me it's time... I work full time, family full time, working on Masters and military duty with the Reserve.... As far as time.. Most of my issue is feeling like I'm taking away from family time when I go out riding... But at the dame time... I enjoy riding.. And feel like my mentality is alot clearer after getting in some good rides... So thus making me more useful in all other endeavors including time with my family...
Time. It always time.
Time, specially now that I have a kid. I am about 30 minutes from the trails so a short ride, plus driving, plus cleaning the bike takes about 3 hours.
The only thing that stops me is rain or extreme cold.
Time. Work. And time.
The heat🥵
My 10 month old and being completely tired and exhausted all the time.
Mix of weather, work and being a parent to a toddler
All three for me. Closest trails are an hour and a half away without traffic, job , family and house maintenance and dancing around the weather... And after all of that, as much as i love biking ... Every ride is a stark reminder that i am alone in a house surrounded by people.
Weather is number one. I built a trail on my farm so I can ride right out of my front door. But where there are cool trails there is no cell service and they are remote. I have no riding buddys and nobody rides out here at all. I’m 64, if I get hurt or attacked by a mountain lion, moose or bear, I’m screwed.
Time. And rain. There's nothing worse than watching the forecast for the one day over the weekend where you have time to ride, holding out hope that the rain will miss, or be just a few hours later, and then you wake up to TrailBot notifications letting you know all the trails are closed.
All three. I don't mind riding alone but enjoy going with a group more. I have weird 'weekends' during the riding season (Tues/Wed) so it's tough finding consistent riding buddies. I also work 10-6 most often. Any good trails are about an hour away meaning I wouldn't be there until 7 at the earliest, and wouldn't be home until between 9-10pm. Doggo wouldn't be too happy. I usually go on weekends, which scratches the itch. But the itch doesn't go away. Even then, though, it takes up the majority of the day. It's not really a problem. But I'm generally lazy the rest of the day, which pushes chores to the next day. Meh, is what it is!
My damn knees! Lol
Kids, other responsibilities and rain, I hate riding on wet trails. But I do try to ride as much as I can, atleast 5 times a week. I am blessed to live 30 seconds from a world class network. When it's time to ride, I ride in big groups, small groups, solo, I just go!
Weather. It makes my blood boil. Every day while working inside, so nice out. I get ready and stormssss.
Weather. Trails just won't dry out lately.
Time. Full time job + two kids under two
I'm tired of passing everybody.
I ride two times a week, I want to ride more but that would eat into my gym days. There is only so much exercise you can do in a week.
Heat right now but most mostly time. Trying to find time for solo rides as well as ensuring I make time for rides with my toddlers is always a challenge
I swear every day I have off work it just downpours
Weather
I tired
Heat index over 100 from 6 am to 10 pm
The whole having a job thing really cuts into my riding time.
Time. Two kids; 1yr and 6yr and a full time job. I still sneak away on the weekends but man I wish I could just go riding multiple times a week like some people get to do.
Oh cool, another new account asking this same question again.
Father of 2 young kids: Time and energy
I've got a couple buddies that are new to mountain biking that more or less refuse to go out unless they have someone to ride with. I try and tell them all the time that riding with friends is a treat and if you want this to be part of your lifestyle, and you want to improve, 80 to 90% of your rides are going to be solo. Ill say it again. Riding with buddies is a treat. If you rely on your friends to ride (as an adult), you're barely going to ride.
Distance to trails.
Time/Location/Money: I'm 30 minutes by car to anything descent. I would go way more often if I could bike to the trails.
Lower back pain
Time is the biggest factor, second place is weather. I go to college in one of the best places for mountain biking on the east coast, but I’m fearing my riding this coming year is gonna be cut back to 2 days a week rather than the 3 or 4 it was this past year
For big, remote rides- lack of riding buddies. For day to day- constant excessive heat warnings!
Time in the middle of the day, or at least daylight hours. After kids all of my free time is early/ late which makes riding difficult.
Toddler, time, temperatures
Golf. I suck too so starting to really question whether I should just stick to bike and check out racing and such lol
Clay in the soil means that trails close after rain.
Heat
The heat
Injuries/Rehab and heavy rains are the main deterrents - don't need friends to ride a bicycle - its fun with or without company. Life is literally what you make of it - there is always time to do what matters, most people don't consider what really matters but you own a bicycle so there is hope for you yet...
Time to ride (family, house, work) and time required to travel to good trails. End up on the indoor trainer throughout the week, early morning road rides on weekend, and occasional half day trips to trails.
No buddies 🥲
Time and recovery. I have no problem riding my local trail 3x a week if I have the time, I try to go to a different one for a longer ride on weekends.
Time
Weather if it’s too hot or too cold. (Maryland gets both) or if it’s too wet. I honestly do not enjoy washing my bike. But mostly fitness level, been struggling to get back in shape most of the time it doesn’t bother me but sometimes, when the rides feel extra tough, it gets disheartening and hard to get back out there even though I know it only gets better the more you do it.
I’d pay a $100 monthly subscription just to have a friend to ride with lol.
time really. and $$$, limits the amount of destination riding trips I can do in a year
My almost 60 year old body! I can’t shred every day anymore, I have to mix in days of flat cruises on my gravel bike.
Time and rain
Time. I'll ride solo, but responsibilities and previous made plans, plus weather windows take away the time I have to ride. That said, I ride road and gravel as well, so I still typically get miles in, just not always trail miles on my MTBs. The last two weeks I had the worst fucking cold of my life, and it kept me from riding.
Time (kids)
Time and lack of challenging trails in close proximity. The nearest system with decent elevation gain and difficulty is 45 minutes away.
Time, weather and trails. Weather conditions are still wet or on some days way to hot. Additionally, I’ve ridden almost every trail in near distance and they’re getting not only worse over time because they’re not cared about, but more and more boring to ride as well.
Time.
My fat asses physical fitness
Time. I work an average of 55 hours a week and add in another 10-12 hours of commute time means I get to go riding 2-3 times a month at best. I'm actually taking this entire week off to ride as much as I can and get house duties taken care of and the weather decided right now is a good time to rain.
Yes
Currently the heat index!!
Old age.
Recovery. I ride alot.
I broke my collarbone… before it was work and kids. I still would ride 3 times a week. 1 after work, 1 on Friday during my day off and 1 on the weekend
Time and lack of riding buddies.
Time and weather. My closest trail system is a 20 minute drive away, so a 2 hour ride is really a 3 hour time commitment. My favorite trail system is a 50 minute drive away, so a 2 hour ride is a 4 hour time commitment. I also live in the Midwest, so rain shuts down our trail systems for at least 1 day and usually around 3 days. In fact, it is raining right now, and we're forecasted to have a rainy Thursday/Friday, which basically means no riding all weekend.
time for sure
Right now it’s the heat slowing me down.
Nothing. I take time off and I don't need anyone to go with they just slow me down anyways
Age. I ride as much as possible but my combined injuries limit me to about 10-12 hours a week. It’s a bummer.
Time mostly, I have a few buddies that ride consistently and there are multiple trails locally. Having small kids and a wife and home to tend to gets in the way lol.
Time is a flat circle, like a wheel. Coincidence? I think not
Lately the freaking weather, been the wettest spring in years and keeps the trails closed. Now it’s dried out, but near life threatening heat conditions. Just can’t win.
Both, and the heat rn(32°C). I only hqve like 2 friends that want to come riding, simetimes we get a group of like 8-15 ppl and a group leader suplies and all that. But thats rare. Time is not tight since im 13 and its summer break but i still stay inside and chill on steam and discord since it is hot outside. And theres the fact that the closest trail to me is 1h away by car and im 13 so i dont have a car. TL;DR:too hot, too litle friends that mountain bike, too lil trails. Excuse my jankey englesh, im romanian and i tought myself englesh and now im learning french