Bicycling

I really enjoy cycling, but there are external factors that can demotivate me, for sure.

In the winter, it's road salt. Not so much that I have to clean my bike more often, but the stuff destroys components and steel frames, and you can never really clean it all off. And the amount of salt that my municipality dumps on paths ends being more hazardous than ice!

Other things that I'm not a fan of:

• having to worry about theft, and having to bring 6 lbs of locks every time I plan to stop at a store.
• poorly connected infrastructure or a lack of infrastructure; I have 10 options to go north and south, but almost none that run east/west. And my municipality lacks multiuse paths along major roads where the neighbouring three have them... this is aggravating beyond belief!
• poorly maintained infrastructure. I've opted for dangerous roads rather than some bike paths, just because those bike paths are so uncomfortable to ride on in their state.
• not having a place to park my bike at a destination; further annoyed by the fact that car parking lots are near empty at some stores.
• cars/large trucks + aggressive drivers. Some people drive like they are in a video game, and expect the consequences of their actions to be zero.
• Sweat can be annoying, but it really depends on the effort you're putting out, more than the environment; an e-bike would solve this for 99% of people.
• headwind is fine; I see it as a way to get some extra training in. But winds of 40km/h + are downright awful.
• Not having the ability to legally make an Idaho Stop is something I hate, so I do them "illegally". Forcing any cyclist to wait at an empty intersection for the light to change (sometimes 10+ minutes), only to further insult them by never having the light change unless a car is there, is discriminatory. Cycling can save time over driver, but only if car infrastructure doesn't interfere.

Cars

NIMBYs that don't care for cycling friendly infrastructure

Parents pushing strollers while also on their phone while letting their dogs roam all the way across the path on a leash while letting their other kids run all over the trail

Dickheads in cars on their phones that will run me over and kill me from behind one day. RIP me. But it's been a hell of as ride until that point in the future.

Ooh, and freehub incompatibility and different "standards" fuck those.

Roughly in order:

• Cars
• Shit weather (rain, strong winds, snow)
• Having to clean the damn thing

Cars

Sweat. I hate it. The feeling shen you arrive somewhere and the cold, sweaty clothes next to your body...

Headwind is the most annoying for sure. But sweat, to me, is just the worst.

Cold wet starts :(

Flats.

I’m very close to going tubeless, as my bike is ready for it.

But this month I’ve had three flats that luckily I was able to finish my rides before noticing - only to find out the next morning.

But my tire beads are really tough to get off the rim, so it’s always a fight to change a tube.

Cars. Having to share the road with them specifically.

Got to be strong headwinds, all day, the constant wind noise becoming the most exhausting thing.

Currently my derailleur. No matter how I adjust it it seems like at least one gear will click a tiny bit and try to jump. I'm thinking maybe I bent my hanger slightly as it is driving me up the wall!

Also brake pads -_-

Haha not Die Hard, Lethal Weapon

Having a mechanical right when I get to the mountain. Or worse right when I get to the top. Nothing worse than getting psyched for a sweet run and then having to walk your rig down the mountain. I want to jump things, not walk things.

Wrists pain, then back pain, then ass pain, all before my legs are properly tired

When I'm riding a bike without mudguards in the rain, and the dirty water from the street sprays up into my face and onto my back.
My second least favorite thing are mudguards. I've never found a set that doesn't rattle or touch the tire, and actually keeps the spray off completely.

Reactive dogs that try to chew the rear wheel and your ankles off.

I was lucky. I had a 15 mile to the city but you see going in was overall downhill and wind at your back but it was the reverse going back out. See but our metro system lets you bring your bike aboard so I would ride in and transit back.

Road without shoulder. I know bicycle infrastructure is hard to beg for and i will have to eat the crumb those carbrain engineer left, but at least give me a foot-wide road shoulder so i can cycle without having to stick to that painted line as if everything is lava!

Road with shoulder but road construction destroyed it in the process and then apply uneven patch that became a giant bump.

Pothole, everyone hates it.

Lorry, trailer, bus, anything wide.

And lastly, my heavy-ass steel bike 😅

Head wind is definitely number one for me too. EDIT: OK actually it would be snow or rain, but those really aren't issue where I live (AZ desert).

@perishthethought not finding the time to do it

The saddles. I’ve seen that one from vabsRider which will hopefully turn out to actually be good and worth buying. My numb ass would appreciate it.