how do you motivate yourself to ride in rubbish weather?

Your route takes in some of the roads I use on my commute i.e. Melksham to Lacock, if you are getting up Bowden hill without issue you must be pretty fit already. You can always go up Naish hill too for some variety and less traffic.
I go a different way to you from Lacock on to Kington Langley near Chippenham, 20 miles each way.
I ride in all weather conditions.
The roads are cruddy all the time recently, I fell off on Monday turning left a bit too keenly apparently, front wheel slid out from under me, fractured thumb, duffed up shoulder, 2 days off, back on today, bit silly really but I love it no matter the weather.
Used to worry about keeping dry but even with all the rain we have you rarely get soaked and when you do, so what, you dry.

Get some good lights and go out just before dawn. Nothing like seeing the sky brighten up an hearing the birds singing. I leave the house at 5:30 most mornings to do a 30 mile commute to work (direct route would only be 7 miles) by 6:30 it starts getting light and you can hear the birds. On quiet country roads it's a nice thing to see nature waking up. I often see deer as well.

p.s mtb shoes with less holes in rather than road shoes, and overshoes to keep your feet warm and dry help. Not much worse on a ride than wet feet on a cold windy day.

Conditions today were as bad as I can remember on a bike ride. Had to get off and push a few times it was so gusty. Better weather tomorrow though!

I also forgot this video. If you like intellectual musical comedy and don't mind some swearing.

Watch this....Some people have it worse

http://youtu.be/0GCyMtNl8T8

Congrats on the new bike. I spotted the vids too.

I saw your posts on stw and here (I ride mtb as well - do you still have your one?)

It's great to have variety and any cycling is better than none so try and get out as much as you can.

I wish you all the best with winning the battle v depression.

I went out with my father in law a couple of months ago and 5 mins into our ride the heavens opened.
It was the worst rain i had seen in years and to compound it all a lorry splashed a massive mud puddle over us waiting at a junction. I was ready to chuck it but we kept on going. We done nearly 50 miles on some of ayrshires best roads and were both in agreement it was one of our best ever rides.
Its a great feeling to finish a ride in shitty weather, a sense of fuck you weather im out on my bike and thats it.

Im not too keen on the wind though, as someone pointed out earlier it can be energy sapping

F*** me Have you seen the forecast for tomorrow (Sat) Where are the car keys.......

How timely. I work from home one day a week and get out for an hour at lunch. I'm sat here looking at the wind battering the small conifer in the back garden and listening to it howling down the chimney.

However, if I don't go out, I'll regret it.

Have to say I loved my battle into work yesterday morning in the wind and rain....once you get out there it's fine after a couple of minutes:)

I'd have to say that this year has had the worst weather for cycling.

Three times my current club cancelled the Thursday Time Trial due to bad weather. One time I rode the course with my winter gloves on and a waterproof jacket. I don't recall it ever raining so much in my lifetime.

The current weather isn't much better either.

There's three kinds of weather I avoid riding in - high winds and rain, ice and snow. All of these are like a suicide mission.

As for motivation - I ride to and from work by bike and I save on transport fares.

'Errr...might be slightly masochistic, but I love it when I turn up at work soaking wet/blue with cold/running sweat etc and my work colleagues hurl abuse at me as a front for their total respect.'

Even better, *I* have dry clothes to change into after my commute. *They* do not.

Win/Win.

My excuse? The bikes live in a damp, unheated shed. Had the MTB for 6 years and there's lots of rusty bolts etc on it. Only had the road bike a year and don't want it going the same way by riding it in bad weather.

Poor excuse I know! Any tips for keeping the bikes tip top given the damp shed they live in?

Errr...might be slightly masochistic, but I love it when I turn up at work soaking wet/blue with cold/running sweat etc and my work colleagues hurl abuse at me as a front for their total respect.

Comments like "How far is it to your house" and "How long does it take you....must be mad" just fire me up to do it again and again.

I'll get my coat.......

My wife called my bluff on Sunday. Weather was terrible ouside, friend decided not to venture out, I didn't really fancy it either tbh. Then: "You mean you spent all that money on a bloody bike but you're not going to ride it?" That was all I needed. Conditions were pretty awful but I'm glad I went.

Commute in all weathers across London,

Just think of the alternative, sitting in traffic or squashed on tube.

Cycling gives Same time whatever the time, weather......

The hardest part is getting out if the door, pack the night before so fewer excuses.

Nice if destination has hot showers..

Make a public commitment to someone that you are going to ride X days per week and ask them to check up on you - amazing how avoiding having to making lame excuses can focus the mind and determination.....

Excuses? Have some of mine! Here's a few of 'em-----it's raining, it's too hot, too cold, it's snowy, it's windy, it's too far, it's not far enough to bother, too much traffic, this stuff (to transport) will weigh my bonk-bag down, there's nothing to lock the bike to at the cafe-stop, I'm a bit tired, I'm not really fit enough, my head aches, my (left)knee doesn't feel right....and ultimately the classic copout: I'll go tomorrow!
At 16 I joined a club, and for 18 months the weather--any kind, including snow & ice-- was entirely irrelevant. Bring it on! The worse it gets, the more HEROIC you feel. And as has been mentioned elsewhere, hard rides stimulate your feel-good endorphins (peptide neuro-transmitters in yer brain, innit) which are well known to lift your spirits. However, having said all that, I'd advise you NOT to instantly sally forth into a downpour unless you have to. That's my philosophy these days, but if I do get stuck in the wet stuff, I just get stuck in. "I can do this! Rain & wind don't beat me---I beat rain & wind! And it's doing me good---ALL OVER!"
And after the battle, how do you feel? Relaxed--and happier.
P.R.

This is what works for me:-

Set a target number of rides or miles that you'd like to achieve in a month. If you have some friends to benchmark against then so much the better. Record your outings on mapmyride or something similar so that you can chart your progress. When bad weather comes your way, you know that you'll still have to go out to hit your target or to put one over on your riding buddies. As many have stated above it is rarely as bad as it looks when it's raining and you love riding your bike anyway right? Just in case you are not aware of the excellent if a little tongue in cheek Velominati rules I'll quote rule #9 for you:

Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.

Fair-weather riding is a luxury reserved for Sunday afternoons and wide boulevards. Those who ride in foul weather – be it cold, wet, or inordinately hot – are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.

The only other rule that you really need to know is #5.
There's nothing quite like telling your friends to MTFU when they've been shirking rainy rides.

Enjoy that new bike, I bet you'll love it!
I always feel great after I've been out on mine, I hope that it's the same for you.

It's always slightly better outside than it looks from inside the house.

Commute, even the shittiest london weather is better than the tube.

Have a crappy bike for towpath excursions.

Mountain Biking! Somehow nicer to get filthy and soaked if there are no cars around and you are 'in' the environment rather than riding thorough it.

MTFU!!!

Plan events and work towards them - this will get you out.

If I don't ride I get very very very shitty indeed (integral part of my depression avoidance mechanism!)

just get out and do it

Like others have already said just go for it. I sometimes do myself out of a ride by looking out the window and thinking eugh! also when I've got "the black dog" but do manage to get past the front door the first five or so miles I am fighting my inner voice that says, ah a quick left here then another and I'm home. The feelings of accomplishment, self achievement happiness etc etc after a ride far outweigh the frustrations of sitting around doing nothing.
Good luck to you and have fun on your new bike.

The worst bit is always sitting indoors looking out at the weather. Once I am out there this seems to be the case regardless of rain, wind, tired, hung over, a bit sore etc

Whenever I look outside and start to wonder about whether I should give the ride a miss, I tell myself 'this time tomorrow/monday/in 2hrs time, I'll be sitting at a desk wishing I was on my bike'. Never fails.

Sounds like youve got in under control already!

Planning and preperation always overcome procrastination!

I do actually enjoy riding in the rain and feel great for the achievement afterwards knowing mere mortals would never do such a thing but I hate the idea of it the night before and especially the morning I have to get up out fo my cosy bed and leaving my wife there on her own...stealing all the quilt!

Plan your route...DONE
Organise your gear:
Bike....Sounds like youve sorted it, condsider lights/mudguards etc but all extras.
Gear....Just have the basics covered at least, anything WProof top and bottom, warm layers and base layers so you dont get all sticky/sweaty.
Reward...youve got a cafe stop in there, great...what about afterwards? I love planning a long hot bath and usually sort the bath out the nite before (remove the clothes hung out to dry etc).
Food...you need to eat prior, during and after or else you will drain yourself to the point that your conditions will take over completely, before, during and after. Decent dinner and some supper the day before, brekfast/wakeup coffee prior, cereal bars/coffe stop during and have something ready for your return home.

Reasoning: Give yourself a reason to do it, fitness, health, fun, whatever it means to you..and remember that somehow whether it be pictures or books, or even eurosport/dvds. It all helps you to visualise it and plant that seed deep down.

I love cycling in a group....I hate getting out of bed early when I have the option as I so often dont.

Ive only just managed, last week, to get out with my local club for the very first time in 18mths and now im kicking myself I didnt do it sooner.

Still hate getting out of bed early though!

Plan and prepare.

Motivation In:

I have to get to work to pay the mortgage

Motivation Out:

I want to get home to be with the kids

In other news, bad weather does not bother me, high wind is the only killer - drains energy.