Rekindling a love for cycling after an accident How can one "start" to love cycling as a hobby again after losing interest in it after having bad experience(s)? &mdash; Since having a car-on-bike accident and subsequently not riding for quite some time, I've lost the love of cycling: I'm not afraid/angry/stressed when on a bike (at least not any more than before the crash, anyway), so I don't feel that I have some sort of PTSD/confidence issues. Nevertheless, I don't have a desire to cycle: It just feels like a way to get from point A to point B.

My situation is of course in no way unique (cf. CyclingTips or Sticky Bottle) and is definitely related to accident recovery, so I thought there might be common methods for "learning to love" cycling again &mdash; am I right?

Background

Strangely enough, even before the accident, my love of riding was directly connected with riding my bike-- not just any bike. I even bought a bike which is even "cooler" (to me) than the bike I had before, thinking that it would help get me motivated to ride again, but it didn't work; Might it be possible that I actually never really had a love of cycling per se but rather a love for my bicycle?
Since having a car-on-bike accident last year due to me performing an Idaho stop, and the driver not stopping at all, I feel like my riding habits have changed a lot, and I realized how bad other people's riding habits tend to be.  I don't always put my foot down when getting to an intersection, but I usually come to a stop and do a trackstand for a split second to make sure things are safe.  Commuting on roads definitely isn't as fun as it was before the accident.  I'm definitely a lot more alert when riding, even though, like you, I don't really feel anxious, afraid, or stressed when riding.  

This year I've altered my commuting route a bit to stay away from busy roads.  Partly because I feel like getting away from traffic is safer, and partly because it's an easy way to pad my trip with extra distance, which is something I've wanted to do anyway.

I definitely recommend finding a group to ride with if you don't currently ride in a group.  Seeing some friendly faces and having somebody to push you to ride faster/harder can be a great motivator.  Having plans with friends to ride means that it's harder to just cancel if you don't feel like it, because they expect you to be there.

I think the best thing is to just get out on the open road, away from traffic and other distractions. Having a route where you can cycle for a long period of time without having to stop can be quite enjoyable and relaxing.  The rides where I have to stop every 2 minutes for a light definitely aren't enjoyable, and I do them out of necessity.  The rides where I'm not going anywhere and just riding for the sake of riding my bike are what really bring out the enjoyment in cycling.