Following on from the “How far did you ride…..” thread, how do you folk manage to get so much riding time in?

I can never seem to find any time to ride. I live in South Manchester so have to drive to get to trails (Unless I go to Clayton), pick up missus in evenings from work and cook tea leaving no time for anything else, and then spend most weekends visiting some family member somewhere which is cyclic so I never seem to get a weekend off 🙁

And soon I’m going on holiday but can’t take the bikes 🙁

ride to work, ride after work, ride saturday and sunday*

*no kids and OH into bikes helps though!

Cycle to work, cycle to shops, ride at weekend.

Some people don’t have a life 😛

super commute 🙂

Student – nuff said.

Ride from the door. It doesn’t all have to be gnarly or trail center. 2 hours every Saturday soon adds up.

Work offshore…. 6 months playtime per year 😆

I think the “no kids” is the key factor!!

Not that I begrudge having offspring, but childcare, busy job, wife with busy job, and long commute, really do eat into available ‘me time’!

DrP

I’m moving somewhere where there are miles and miles of ace trails straight out of the door for this very reason. 😀

then spend most weekends visiting some family member somewhere

If it’s a can’t be missed,I sometimes leave early on the (road) bike and meet the family at the destination.
Bike in the car on the way back ,winner .

OH into bikes

OH has a bike and enjoys riding, but has a pretty full on (I.e. no time off) job and doesn’t get to go out on it much.

I’m wondering whether it’s down to lack of self motivation at the moment. I don’t have many riding buddies here so maybe I’ll join a club and sign up to some group rides then I’ve got a good excuse to stop doing everything else.

commuting miles add up really easily. just add 30 mins on each way for a bit more.

The only way I get to ride is getting out for a quick spin on the way home from work (finish early some days and grab an hour or two enroute). Fortunately I live in the South Lakes and work around Cumbria and Yorkshire most of the time so can usually find *somewhere* to go, though I have been lazy of late and sticking to trail centres far too often!

Commuting is the best way but getting up early or going out late helps when you’re busy. When I was working in Leeds (50 mile drive each way) for two years, I would get up at 5, ride, then go to work. or get home, have tea, do family stuff, go out about 22:00. If we visited family we’d take the bike in the car and I’d ride back.

if you want to ride you’ll make time.

I’m moving somewhere where there are miles and miles of ace trails straight out of the door for this very reason.

This is my dream, for cycling, walking, running, and just having a veg patch but I’ve been told I’m not allowed to move out of Manchester for the time being by the OH. Ideally I wanted to live in Mossley, Glossop or something and have hills on the doorstep and the commute to work in town.

At the moment I just live in Rusholme 😡

Live in the middle of some big ‘ills with great trails right out the door. I’ve just done 15 miles into work. I’ll be doing an extended off-road 20+ miles home, via here…

The route home by binlidski, on Flickr

😀

I ride at 100mph, so only need to do an hours riding at a time to keep fit.

HTH

That’s nice binners, where is it?

If you’re in South Manc and not working today i’m probably going to skive off at some point to Marple and get some miles in 😉

This is my dream, for cycling, walking, running, and just having a veg patch but I’ve been told I’m not allowed to move out of Manchester for the time being by the OH. Ideally I wanted to live in Mossley, Glossop or something and have hills on the doorstep and the commute to work in town.

At the moment I just live in Rusholme

Binners is in Ramsbottom IIRC. I will be in Hebden Bridge – only about 40 mins on a train to Manchester. My friend cycles part of the way (often up the longest continuous road incline in England – to be featured in the TDF next year) which also makes the train much cheaper. 🙂

There are various off road and urban routes out of South Manchester into Stockport and onto the Peak District. Be creative and you can get a decent ride without going near a car or train.

I’ve just seen that you’re in Rusholme. Fallowfield Loop to Reddish, Reddish Vale, Gas works, Vernon Park, Woodbank Park, Offerton Woods, Chadkirk, Marple, Mellor, Birch Vale Hayfield, Edale, Ladybower……the world 🙂

I’m riding there in about 20 minutes Scaled. I’ll race you from Lakes Road to Mellor Cross if you like? I’ll be on a white Cannondale Flash doing yoga with my face.

Theres no need to see family that often unless its your (or your wife’s) recreation. If it’s her recreation you don’t need to be there every weekend.

That’s a hard life you’ve got there binners. Where do you live again?

Just the commute and the weekly club run takes me to 560km a month. Throw in 100km+ at the weekend and I should have close to 1000km every 4 weeks.

Procrastination. Need to finish a dissertation.

I commute to work and back by bike, extending it a bit on the way home if time permits (not by much though) and ride sundays, getting out at or before the crack of dawn so I can be back 10.30-11 ish. I also do one night ride a week, it is my one night out and doubles as my social occasion. I work full time as a teacher, have two kids, and a wife who works full time. It does get easier as the kids get older, mine are now 10 and 11 and so will walk home and I’ll get in about 30 minutes after they get home (and find them both plugged into electronic toys).

Children left home, just Mrs S to placate. She likes me buff from all the riding though.

I used to live in South Manchester. Living in the sticks is immeasurably better! For this very reason. My commute home is a climb up from Rooley Moor Road onto Scout Moor from Rochdale, a quick lap of Cragg Quarry then a 3 mile bloody brilliant, cheeky descent home. My life is hell! 😀

If you’re in South Manc and not working today

Unfortunately I am working… Just having a cheeky browse on STW for 10 mins 8)

http://www.goodmtb.co.uk/

I’ve found this book good, can find something to ride nearly anywhere, well England and Wales at least

I’m lucky enough to have some decent riding right on my doorstep.
Only time I drive to ride is Monday night for a group ride with mates.
Rest of my rides are to and from work 2 or 3 days a week, off road over the moors,it’s only 10KM but I can make it as long as want.
Also tend to ride Saturday afternoons as the wife and kids go horse riding.
I don’t work long hours which helps too, plus not riding is bad for my mental health!

missus

I see your problem!

Use to have loads of free time but then met the wife. For me that led to a dog, a kid with another on the way, and lots of people who need visiting regularly apparently! All of which seem to consume huge quantities of free time. Often the only time I get to ride are late night turbo sessions.

I must admit I read that thread with a bit of scepticism. I think quite a few people are including road miles. Given an average of 8mph off-road that’s pretty much riding all day every weekend. Maybe some people do ride the South Downs Way every week, though. I can see an off-road commute would do it but how many people have that?

Don’t you night-ride? I find, once you’ve got young kids, getting out once they’re tucked up in bed is pretty much the only option available for a few years.

Get yourself some of these, and come and join one of the multitude of night rides within easy striking distance of Manchester (Darwen, Ramsbottom, Rivi, Hit the North-land, etc) that get posted up on here

We’re riding from Prestwich on Monday night.8.15 start. Sling your bike in the car and you’ll be there in less than half an hour. If you want to borrow some lights to give it a go, you’re welcome to use my spare set

There are rules, of course…

Monday night club BW by binlidski, on Flickr

😀

With kids & work = early mornings, evenings, 1 x weekend and lunch hours when I work from home.

Ride from the door.

This. I live in South Manchester and there’s quite a few options for riding from the door. We often ride out from Stockport and all the stuff around Werneth Low, Rowarth, New Mills, and Marple is do-able and usually makes for a decent ride of 40k+ for an after work (or pre-work if you’re an early bird) midweek ride.

The other option is getting the train out straight after work and riding back to Manc from somewhere like Chinley via Hayfield.

A good week for me would be

commute x3 = 48miles
night rides x2 = 30 miles (maybe more if ones solo from my door rather than a group)
saturday mtb ride = 40 miles
club run = 70 miles

188 miles, and still 3 nights and 2x weekend afternoons where I’m doing nothing!

Rarely get more than one ‘good’ week a month though, more likely to get ~100miles most weeks.

Think creatively – can you ride to work? If it’s too far, can you drive to work with your bike, cycle home,ride in, drive home over 2 days? Can you drive half way to work, park up and ride the rest? Etc.

Road riding is much less time-hungry, so get a road bike?

STW did a good ‘urban riding’ article a few months ago so how about doing that around your local area?

I am quite lucky as i have trails within a mile of my house, Missus works full time Monday-Friday, I work 5 days in 7,but as we are busiest at the weekend i usually have days off during the week,so kids are at school and i can get out and ride.

Commute is 32km per day and I add 20-30km to that twice a week. That makes for almost 200km a week before rides at weekends.