Lifestyle

10 Excuses Cyclists Use When Struggling to Keep Up (And What to Do Instead!)

Not that we've ever used any of these ourselves...

Be Positive!

You can't always ride your best, and be at your fastest
Melanie's aero bars weren't quite making up for the calorie deficit
Sam thought about taking a 'pre-ride can't sleep selfie' to add credibility to her excuse
Tricia hoped no one would notice if she tightened her brakes up at the end of the ride...
Amy hoped if she sat by the side of the road like this someone might take sympathy
Mary wasn't sure if the other riders would hear her shouting "slow down!" in their alien helmets
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief: "It's going down!"
Image: Brandon O'Connor

Be Positive!

It’s easy to look for excuses when you’re not having a great ride – and in many cases there is actually some validity to them. You won’t ride well when you’re tired, hungry, or ill.

However, piling on the negative excuses can actually make your ride tougher, since you’ll start to focus on your tiredness, hunger or bad mechanics, rather than the ride itself.

If you’re struggling to ride on the wheel in front, and the group is stronger than you, riding with them will only make you stronger in the long run.

Keeping a positive mental attitude when the going gets tough will make a huge difference to your ride. So next time it hurts, make your excuses if you need to, but don’t let them play on your mind – just pedal it out, and do your best – pretty soon, your best will be faster!