Its the first time i have pumped my tyres up today since April 2011 on the FS and Jan 2011 on the HT. I havent ridden since and am now contemplating riding again, i know, its gonna hurt, it always hurt before when i was strong and younger. How long is your longest spell off the bike?

A large chunk of last year, mainly because getting wet just hauling a bike out of the shed had me thinking ‘sod that!’

Have you had bicycle celibacy

Just to check, we are talking riding it, rather than…well..erm…riding it?

If so, 2 months for both 😀

About three weeks in December last year, and three months June-August 2010, both injury-related (fracyured kneecap and trapped nerve respectivly)
Otherwise the longest is about three days in the last 15 years. Only had half a dozen days when I’ve not ridden so far this year.

Six weeks in Spring/Summer due to me being a tit and gouging my knee at a kids’ party.

That’s been my only significant break in years.

Let us know how you get on fella!

16 weeks over summer this year bar a day ride in july.

Ok it was the marmotte route but still 🙂

Back to back trips to africa for 5 weeks at a time then 3 weeks chasing the tour de france.

Just back on the bike this week 🙂

Longest time since i was 13

Jamie………….2 months, you must be married.
Promised a good pal i would ride the new hopton trails once our self build has got to a certain point, that certain point is nigh. I will be posting an update camo.

The mrs threatened me with celibacy if I ordered a new bike

Is that what you mean?

I went a week without riding in June as I was on holiday, before that I cant remember the last time I spent so long not riding!

Only ridden twice in the last 6 weeks since I ripped my fingernail off.

I just can’t be bothered with it at the moment.

I took up running over the winter and carried on with it so not ridden a great deal, however it’s improved my fitness and felt a lot better for it when I did get back out on 2 wheels.

Ignoring times off for injuries to recover (3 months after a nasty face-plant in 2011, three weeks following broken ribs this year), had two years when I couldn’t contemplate looking at the bike, let alone riding. Was stuck in an awful job with no clear route out, all my friends had moved away, the girlfriend had left and my mum was seriously ill. Took a lot of persuasion to get out on two wheels again!!

Ironically getting the bike out and blasting away all my worries would have been the best thing for me to do!! Will never stop riding now, unless injured!!

3 months and counting due to a herniated disc, possibly also the longest period in 15 years when I haven’t even owned a bike, which I sold in a fit of pessimism (but used to fund a pretty cool holiday so not regretting it too much).

Having a huge selection of the world’s best/most famous trails on my doorstep is a cruel side note to this story but I’m managing to ignore this for now, can’t help but dream about hiring a nice posh Rocky Mountain for a day before the weather turns truly filthy.

I had 18 months off as all my spare time went into renovating a run down property. I did cycle maybe half a dozen times during that period. Starting back now.

I’ve not ridden my mountain bike at all for months, and only a handful of time since i replaced my Kaffenback with a Canyon Ultimate a year ago.

Seven years and only miss it occasionally. Should sell our bikes, really… They just don’t seem to be worth much, reasonable though they are, and they are never going to get used again…

JulianA…..Seven years!!! WOW thats a long time, why dont you anticipate riding again?

Seven years?! Blimey what attracted you to a mountain biking forum? Not thatbhalf the posts are about riding but still a suprising choice

Ive had a couple of bikeless moments due to thefts, a few weeks after an accident in 1997 and a period of 3 months during my last pregnancy 8 years ago when I was ‘forbidden’ from riding – but that has to be the last ride free period and really only had less than18 months off riding in the last 24 years, so not bad going really

I’ve been off the bike since May 5th or so due to health reasons. Probably be back by Jan 1st. Have started running instead and it is horrendous – my legs are agony. All my fitness is gone, wonder if it’ll ever come back now I’m in my 40s. All pretty depressing.

On the plus side, I’ve got a new mtb frame and a new road frame to build before I get back in the saddle…

@waveydave and adjustablewench

Seven years ago my wife had a serious accident on her mountain bike – it took her a year to recover from her head injury, and she has, quite understandably, never wanted to ride again, and neither have I.

I was on this forum for a few years before that and enjoyed the banter on here. Never really lost the STW habit, just the riding thing.

We now do more walking and botanising than ever before, and thank God MrsJulianA’s completely recovered, so all is good.

Glad to hear MrsJulianA has recovered, pleased you have found new pastimes, walking is good, you see much more stuff walking than crashing around on a bike scaring all in front of you.

Thanks waveydave, yes, life is very good! Posting from a lovely hotel in France right now: probably better value than buying expensive bike bits!

Regularly miss 2-3 weeks when work is busy. Family comes first with what is left. Can’t even do the commute at the moment as carrying so much stuff to and from the office.

About 6 months – rear wheel died, 2nd in a year, didn’t get round to fixing it. Now studying part time and a sprog on the way, just plain don’t have the time and most likely won’t for the next god knows how many years at this rate.

Honestly, I am looking forward to it 😀

The last two weeks I have cycled more than I did in the last year. Made some BIG life-changing decisions – belly was spreading at age 40, drinking too much…

The first few rides hurt. A lot. But I knew they would. Out every other day now and already, it’s easier, less painful. Amazingly, my shoebox full of DX lights all still take a charge and I’m enjoying my evenings getting lost in the local woods.

I was off for 6 years whilst living in The Philippines.

Just getting back in to it (yes, those first rides do show you how much it all hurts and how much less skill you have), but it’s still great fun.

The best bit is realising that whatever width bars you have, whichever wheel size you use, however many gears you have (yada yada yada)2 wheels good!

I’ve not really ridden my full suss (my only MTB) since the spring, but I cycle to work every day on my cross bike.

Yeah I have had, years ago I used to be semi pro roadie and after killing myself for others glory I’d had enough so went sailing instead.. Took me 13 years and an old best mate bringing down a spare bike for me to go for a ride out with him for me to accept I quite liked riding and missed it a bit.. 😀

Just been off the Bikes for 10 Days due to work being busy, 2 mad Labs to look after and Nan being in Hospital.

I got out for a bit yesterday afternoon and I really felt it. Still managed my usual speeds, but just really tired legs.

Think its a combination of lack of sleep and just grabbing rubbish to eat whilst being busy, I’m off work now till Monday so gonna get the Road Bike out in a bit when all the Kids and School Run Mums have disappeared.

I took about 10 years off until about 2004 when I got a new Orange 5. I’d found surfing in the meantime and was doing that most weekends, but then 2 hours drive just to get to any beach sort of killed that off so bikes came back.

About 3 months here – sailing takes over in the summer. Back next month.

Only been out on the bike about 6 times in the past year, unless you count bimbles round the local park with the new girlfriends 2 boys?

Main reason is I split from the long term girlfriend a year ago and got in to a new relationship fairly quickly. I no longer look for a reason to get out of the house like i did before 😉

I am slowly getting back in to the mind set of riding though so don’t think it’ll be that long before it becomes a regular thing. 😛

Only between the ages of maybe 12, when I stopped riding with my folks, to about 15 when I started riding to see my mates in different villages. Apart from that, continuous more or less ever since I could ride one. There have been gaps of a few months here and there – new babies, for example.

A few months, depending on recovery time after the accident. Created an oversized wooden pedal when I was in a cast for 29 weeks. Bought a
Pedal Assist electric when I snapped my foot off. Basically I get too bored after about 2 months without riding (a bit longer for the last accident)

About 12 years I think. Though I probably rode once or twice in that time.

House renovations and a young family mean that my MTB hasn’t been out of the shed since some time in the Spring – and was last used in October 2012 before that! Have been on the road bike a few times as I can ride from the door, and I cycle to work everyday…though it’s on a Brompton! Riding anything with larger than 20″ wheels now feels bizarre. God knows what a 29er would be like.

Stopped racing in 1987 and never put a leg over a bike (apart from the odd trip to the chinese to collect dinner) until 4 years ago, it hurt a bit (a lot!) when first getting back on!
In the last 4 years I have only had two 3 week gaps, both from injury (broken arm and collarbone) due to trying to learn new MTB skills that were lacking (and still lacking) from a road/track background 🙂

Had almost a year off last year when 2nd kiddie arrived….. I think I got out on the bike 3 or 4 times in 12 months 🙁

It was a hard slog back to some semblance of fitness, oh and I had put back on all the weight I had lost as well, which really helped.

Currently off the bike due to a slip on pedals on the road bike which culminated on a broken coccyx again……. 10 miles in to a 70 mile sportive 😯 Dosed up on painkillers and told to be off the bike for 2 weeks at least…..
Hoping to try it out again this weekend as I`m supposed to be doing D2D 😯

I’ve had a couple of long-ish breaks: 5 years and 7 years. Although both times it was immensely painful when getting back in the saddle, I was surprised at how quickly the miles started to get easier.

15 years. From 14 until 29.

In my second year back I spent 9 months off the bike injured.

Last winter I rode about 4 times. I’m determined not to let that happen again, so I am doing up my hack back to use on the road during the quagmire months.