Jan. 4, 2026
Beat the Motorcycle Blues: Stay Positive This Season
In this episode, discover how to beat the motorcycle blues during the off-season. Host Niels Meersschaert explores why riders feel down when they can't ride and offers strategies to boost your mood, stay connected with the motorcycle community, and make the most of winter. From enjoying motorcycle media to planning future trips and tackling bike projects, learn practical tips to stay positive until you can hit the road again.
Thanks for listening! Follow us on FaceBook. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or your favorite podcast app.
Click the "Send us a Text Message" link above to send us your questions, comments, and feedback on the show! Please make sure you leave the podcast title. Or if you prefer to leave an audio message, leave us a voicemail on our website!
Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date on the latest from the show.
We sometimes use affiliate links in our content. This won’t cost you anything extra, but if you purchase something from one of the links, we may earn some money for coffee. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Looking to start a podcast of your own? Get a $20 credit on any paid plan with Buzzsprout.
We host our podcast website https://www.throttleandroast.com with PodPage. Sign up with them to host your podcast website & it automatically can pull your podcast feed from Buzzsprou...
00:00 - Introduction
01:26 - What are the motorcycle blues?
03:29 - Consume motorcycle content
05:25 - Visit a dealership
06:02 - Plan some trips
06:24 - Bike projects
06:41 - Exercise
07:08 - Unseasonably warm days
07:47 - Become a winter rider
09:27 - Wrap up
WEBVTT
00:00:00.354 --> 00:00:03.984
Every bad situation is a blues song waiting to happen.
00:00:14.275 --> 00:00:49.993
Welcome to the Throttle and Roast Podcast. I'm your host, Niels Meersschaert. We're in the middle of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere. The cold temperatures outside may mean we aren't riding as often or even at all as we would in the warmer weather. Colder temperatures and shorter days have their own impact on our well-being. We'll look at are the motorcycle blues, looking at some issues like SAD and Anhondonia. We'll also share some ways to keep the motorcycle blues in check throughout the winter months. So what are the motorcycle blues? Well, there's basically two types of riders.
00:00:46.183 --> 00:00:53.570
There are those who park their bikes when the weather turns cold and those who soldier on.
00:00:53.828 --> 00:01:11.325
And for those who park their bikes, missing out on riding can start to have a negative impact on their mental They miss riding, which was a release for much of the stress that they have in life. And especially if riding is a large part of your leisure activities, what can you do in the off season?
00:01:14.727 --> 00:01:16.587
Now for those who continue to ride, there are different challenges riding in the winter cold than in the summer heat.
00:01:19.852 --> 00:01:26.439
These can make it harder to stay motivated to get out on the bike, but also have practical considerations of how to stay warm and safe with what mother nature is throwing at you.
00:01:27.078 --> 00:01:31.097
So let's start with SAD.
00:01:27.078 --> 00:01:39.480
Now, SAD is actually a a wonderful acronym for if you will, a disorder that we use to reference usually in seasons.
00:01:35.881 --> 00:01:43.400
And it actually stands for seasonally affective disorder.
00:01:39.480 --> 00:02:17.600
Now, this is a depression that's most commonly associated with the fall and winter months. And some of the symptoms include feeling listless sad or down most of the day. In fact, nearly every day, losing interest in activities that you once enjoyed having low energy, feeling sluggish, having problems with sleeping too much, experiencing carbohydrate cravings, overeating, weight gain, having difficulty concentrating, feeling hopeless, worthless, or guilty, and even possibly having thoughts of not wanting to live.
00:02:17.790 --> 00:02:38.182
Now, SAD, of course, doesn't just apply to those of us as motorcyclists, but if you're missing out on activity that you really did enjoy, it can have a greater Now, sort of variation of some of the motorcycle blues that some people may experience is something called anhedonia.
00:02:33.643 --> 00:03:28.070
And this is a lack of interest, enjoyment, or pleasure from life's experiences. And some of the symptoms might include numbness, boredom, apathy, negativity. Now, apathy and anhedonia aren't exactly the same. Now, apathy is a part of anhedonia, the main difference"anching and apogee are the lack of enjoyment, and apathy is really more of a lack of energy or motivation to do things." So what can you do to beat the blues? Now, the thing that I want to start with is a little bit of a disclaimer. If your symptoms are so severe or you're feeling hopeless, definitely consult a doctor. But if it's more of just the seasonally effective type where you're just feeling a bit down, then maybe some of these tips will help keep you a little bit motivated when it comes to the motorcycle blues.
00:03:29.668 --> 00:03:36.897
So, one of the first things that you can do is keep involved in motorcycling content.
00:03:33.018 --> 00:04:04.078
So, listening to podcasts like this one are a great way to keep thinking about and keeping foremost in your mind that activity that you just absolutely love. And by keeping it front of mind, it's still there, even if you're not actively riding, but you're thinking about it. And that can keep a little bit of the endorphins that we would normally get when we're riding kind of coming in a, albeit reduced manner, but at least keeping it still in your spirit.
00:04:00.057 --> 00:04:06.758
Another way that you can do is reading some motorcycle news.
00:04:04.078 --> 00:04:57.658
Learn about some of the new bikes that are coming onto the market. Learn about any of the new, you know, rides that are coming. Backcountry Discovery Routes, for example, has been publishing all sorts of new rides in the U. S., and this is something to keep you motivated of other things that you can look forward to. Another one is look at some of the bike reviews that are out. These new bikes have come out, and some journalists are actually getting a chance to try them out, give some reaction to them. And this can also get you a little bit excited for, maybe this is a bike you'll consider in the new year. Another piece of content that you can look at is some of the YouTube shows that are out there. These are great ways to visually see some of the motorcycling that you really enjoy, and especially if the people who are producing them are in warmer climates where they don't have some of the motorcycling blues. They may be able to continue to produce content throughout the year, and this way you can live a little bit vicariously through them.
00:04:58.119 --> 00:05:24.788
Another one that you could do is even look at some of the, like, the long way documentary series, and these can provide a good fix for when you're not riding. Also look books, things like The Perfect Vehicle or Jupiter's Travels, or some classic motorcycling books about the journey that these people have taken, and they can be a little bit of an aspiration for you in reflecting on what you might want to achieve yourself in your own motorcycling journey.
00:05:25.057 --> 00:05:28.307
Another good thing that you can do is visit a dealership.
00:05:28.927 --> 00:05:43.896
Sometimes just seeing a bunch of bikes that you don't own can rejuvenate your interest. And it could even work out financially, as winter is often the slow season for dealers, and many of them are willing to shave costs.
00:05:39.896 --> 00:06:02.225
Of the 10 motorcycles that I've owned over last 30 years of riding, I bought three of them in the winter because I was able to get some really great deals on them. And if nothing else, talk to the people in the shop, as they're likely not busy and they're going to be welcome to the attention. But it also keeps your mind on riding and bikes in general.
00:06:02.482 --> 00:06:11.884
You can start planning out some of the motorcycle trips for the warmer months, and sometimes just thinking about when you will be on the bike can help cure some of the blues.
00:06:12.483 --> 00:06:24.095
Take advantage of the downtime and research where you might routes to get there, places to stay. There's a lot of things to keep your mind occupied on motorcycling, even if you aren't out on the bike.
00:06:24.692 --> 00:06:35.651
And complete some of those projects that you've held off on, whether it's neglected maintenance or a few farkle upgrades. The winter downtime is perfect for working on your bike.
00:06:37.764 --> 00:06:41.194
It keeps your mind focused on the bike and gets the bike ready for riding when the weather does improve.
00:06:41.930 --> 00:06:48.490
And remember, we talked about that one of the downsides SAD is that it can actually result in a bit of weight gain.
00:06:48.970 --> 00:07:08.180
So one way to counter this is with exercise. Now, physical activities can increase the production of dopamine, which can alleviate some of the winter blues feelings. And as we discussed in the motorcycle resolutions for 2026 episode, improving your fitness for the next riding season can also be its own benefit.
00:07:08.216 --> 00:07:23.326
And now look, winter is cold and maybe you are a warm weather rider, but there's going to every once in a while be a unseasonably warm winter day.
00:07:18.425 --> 00:07:47.615
Take advantage of that. Even if you're not interested in riding when it's really, really cold out, there are these days where it gets a bit warmer and you can take that bike out of the garage and go for a nice ride. And this can be an amazing respite from that long time that you're waiting for the bike to be able to come out of hibernation, where you take advantage of that nice warm day that comes every once in a while.
00:07:48.050 --> 00:08:04.872
And finally, the last one that I'd say for beating the motorcycle blues is actually just become a winter rider. you Get heated gear, layer up, become an expert on weather forecasts, and keep on riding.
00:08:00.891 --> 00:08:38.756
Now, while there are plenty of naysayers who claim that it is crazy to ride in the winter, it can be done even safely. Now, check out our recent episode, Tips for Storage and Riding in Cold Weather, for some more detailed tips on how you can extend your riding season. Now, I've personally ridden as low as 3 degrees Fahrenheit, and riding in 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit is pretty normal for where I live in the Northeast U. S. I just did a coffee ride on my F900GS a few weeks ago, and it was 33 degrees Fahrenheit when I started, and the warmest it got up to was 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:08:39.537 --> 00:08:51.599
There was no snow or ice on the ground. It was just cold. So heated gear, some hippo hand guards over the grips, and a larger windshield essentially made the temperature irrelevant.
00:08:51.774 --> 00:09:46.936
So while having that gear can increase the number of days that you can ride in the winter, it doesn't solve snow or ice on the roads. So you'll still have some days where you can't ride. But even if it's only a few times a month that you're able to get out on the bike, that's better than waiting 3 to 5 months for your next ride. And for those days when the weather is just really impossible to go out and ride, look at some of these other things. Take on some of those other tips that I shared of how you can keep the motorcycle blues at bay So we looked at what the motorcycle blues are, along with some of the medical symptoms that we might face. We also covered some ways to mitigate some of the sad feelings you might be feeling being away from your Now, while these can definitely help, it's critical to seek professional medical care if your symptoms are severe.
00:09:42.535 --> 00:09:59.837
So my question for you this week is, what are you doing to combat the motorcycle blues? Share your thoughts through the text to show link in the show notes, or leave a voicemail at throttle and roast dot com slash voicemail. Thanks for listening.
00:09:57.057 --> 00:09:59.837
I'll talk to you next week.
00:00:00.354 --> 00:00:03.984
00:00:14.275 --> 00:00:49.993
00:00:46.183 --> 00:00:53.570
00:00:53.828 --> 00:01:11.325
00:01:14.727 --> 00:01:16.587
00:01:19.852 --> 00:01:26.439
00:01:27.078 --> 00:01:31.097
00:01:27.078 --> 00:01:39.480
00:01:35.881 --> 00:01:43.400
00:01:39.480 --> 00:02:17.600
00:02:17.790 --> 00:02:38.182
00:02:33.643 --> 00:03:28.070
00:03:29.668 --> 00:03:36.897
00:03:33.018 --> 00:04:04.078
00:04:00.057 --> 00:04:06.758
00:04:04.078 --> 00:04:57.658
00:04:58.119 --> 00:05:24.788
00:05:25.057 --> 00:05:28.307
00:05:28.927 --> 00:05:43.896
00:05:39.896 --> 00:06:02.225
00:06:02.482 --> 00:06:11.884
00:06:12.483 --> 00:06:24.095
00:06:24.692 --> 00:06:35.651
00:06:37.764 --> 00:06:41.194
00:06:41.930 --> 00:06:48.490
00:06:48.970 --> 00:07:08.180
00:07:08.216 --> 00:07:23.326
00:07:18.425 --> 00:07:47.615
00:07:48.050 --> 00:08:04.872
00:08:00.891 --> 00:08:38.756
00:08:39.537 --> 00:08:51.599
00:08:51.774 --> 00:09:46.936
00:09:42.535 --> 00:09:59.837
00:09:57.057 --> 00:09:59.837
