More specifically mountain bike guides, instructors etc.

How do you find doing your hobby for a job? Does it put you off riding other times?

Music has always been my major passion, started playing piano and guitar, got into DJing and dance music, then music production etc – now my job is working for a community music education charity – running workshops, recording people, organising gigs and festivals etc. It's great and I love the job, BUT…

I know find I have zero enthusiasm for making music for fun/when I get home. I also very rarely go to gigs/club nights/festivals unless I am involved in some way – it just doesn't really appeal to me that much. I used to spend ages reading up on audio gear and theory etc, now it's just bike geeking pretty much. 🙂

I'm just wondering if this is a feature of doing something you love for a job, as I have considered getting into doing outdoor activities instructing type stuff – seeing as I already work with kids and I love doing outdoor stuff. Just wondering if this would spoil it for me?

I spose even if it did maybe I could then go back to having music as a fun hobby again?

If you're teaching kids to ride bikes off-road then it will be a lot different to hucking the gnar with your mates, but you'll still be out in the open air and having fun. I'd say go for it.

Or stick with your current job, then in the evening write microtonal operas based on classical Greek tragedies. 😉

in the evening write microtonal operas based on classical Greek tragedies.

Is that your approach? 🙂

I spose it couldn't hurt to get a qualification and then do a few days and see how I found it. I know a couple of places that would probably be able to give me some work once qualified.

I'm probably not talking about a complete change any time soon, but I do have vague plans of one day moving to the Scottish countryside, and I don't see how I could do my current job there.

I certainly regret not making a career out something that I was actually that interested in.

I suppose that I had a reluctance to make a hobby/interest my work, but
in hindsight -the fact that one spends 40 hours every week for 40+years at work,it might have been better…

Go for it!

It's great. I love riding with all the different guests we have, from coaching inexperienced riders one week to shredding the gnar with a bunch of hairy downhillers the following week.

I'm also still totally motivated to ride at other times as well. Almost start getting a bit itchy if I go a few days without getting a ride in! I think it helps that we're very seasonal – bikes for 3 months in the summer, snowboards for 4 months in the winter. Keeps it fresh all the time!

I'll tell you in a few months – hopefully.

As i'm recently redundant i've decided i want to move into the instructor/leadership thing with cycling.
I contacted my local authority Cycling Development Officer & i'm waiting upon a date for a meeting with her. I've offered to volunteer and been told that they will sort out my CRB check & that there is funding already in place to get me my Level 1 Leadership Qualification.
Ultimately i want to earn a living from this, not just teaching kids & adults to ride & do basic maintainance but also get involved with the Development Office and work to promote cycling across the Borough.

Apparently the local authority are extremely keen on promoting cycling within Rochdale and are expanding their program quite rapidly.

Hopefully i can make the grade and get a job doing something i enjoy – after all teaching people about the joys of cycling really has to beat working in engineering doesn't it?

Ok, i'll never get rich but as long as i earn enough to pay my way i'll be happy.

I went to work for a sailing magazine a few years ago – it's the Other Thing I do apart from mountain biking, and something I've had a load more competitive success / experience at – I've also taught sailing and dinghy racing for money in the past at regional level. I sailed twice in the nine months I worked there outside work. The year before last, I was racing 21 weekends aside from regattas, and spent far more time on boats than I ever did during the job.

Some people thrive on doing their hobby as a job. Others find that it takes the fun out of the hobby. When I think back, I loved / love instructing, but the magazine job was fairly hellish because of the environment / my boss, but also because I was thinking / doing / writing about sailing 9-5.

A pal is a few years down the same line as muddydwarf working for the national cycling body and is loving it. Used to work down South and on a trip to the Stanes a few years back had a moment and thought 'wouldn't it be great to work here coaching and developing mtbing etc'. Now he does. Job done, he's well happy and never looks back.

I find it very easy doing biking as a job. Get a total kick out of showing people round what I consider one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Sometimes it's coaching people or sometimes it's just having a blast with guests who are good riders. I sometimes drop the guests off afer a day and still manage to meet friends for a night ride and definitely on any days off I'm still desperate to get out on my bike. If anything I enjoy it more than before because I'm fitter and am getting better on the bike so am having more fun.

I've been on holiday for a week now with my girlfriend and am already getting twitchy. I have got two super technical rides planned for Saturday and Sunday and can't wait!

Everyone warned me about making my hobby a job but I definitely haven't lost any enthusiasm.

I did

http://www.peterflynnclassiccars.com

now I don't have that as a hobby, I do this…

I do.

Im a gynaecologist. 🙂

fingers, latex gloves, mirrors and metal probes eh Stoner.

I prefer a different approach, and have 2 kids to show for it 🙂

I do work on stuff that interests me, to do with performance, art and computers. It means I don't spend much time programming in my spare time, cos I get to do computer stuff in the day time. I have other hobbies to play with in my spare time like biking / unicycling / walking / hanging around at home / playing the piano etc.

It seems to work well for me. I do something fun at work, and have different fun at home. Some people I work with do computer stuff at home too, it seems to work for them. I think everyone is different.

Joe

I used to work in the ski industry as that was My Thing. Used to be okay, but was usually ready for the off season to come by the end of April.

Didn't stop me enjoying skiing itself, but was def over The Scene after 6 months of winter listening to the first season kids who were all hyper about how great riding everyday was, the long termers who had grown bitter and didn't ride/ski at all and just wanted it to warm up already, and the 'know it all' punters that you can't slag off too much as they pay for your lifestyle with their holiday spending in one way or another.

Whilst I'd readily move back to the mtns and do seasons (esp. as I would now bike in the summer) I think I'd want to work in something not quite so 'hands on' or 'front of house'; for example a friend of mine is the driver of the town dump truck in a Colorado mountain town – sounds horrible, but he is a local govt employee; paid annual leave, health cover, sick days, regular hours, RDO, work is 6 hour shift over by midday. So in Winter he snowboards 4+ hours everyday he wants to, in summer he rides 6+ hours day due to daylight savings.

But it's all to each there own; as above some love it, but remember that as you know it thus far, it is your release from work. What will be your release if it is your work?

I stopped riding altogether for a good few years, after a not altogether successful shot at being a cycle courier. It was unrewarding and badly paid – sprinting from one grey industrial estate to another in a headwind wasn't much fun. I actually looked forward to the rain!!

Gave it up as a bad job after two and a half years (my business partner caved in year one – didn't blame him!). When the weekend came round, I was physically too tired to ride and the desire just wasn't there.

Didn't learn though and have now turned my other passion, photography, into a living (with more success!). I still shoot for fun, but all my expensive digital gear is work only. I shoot B&W film through the week on old film cameras and print in my tiny darkroom.

Which, I suppose, is a bit like the difference between guiding and riding for pleasure.

When I worked as a bike mechanic I did find that i had much less enthusiasm for fixing my own bikes…
I change jobs next week, a total career change from Organic Chemistry to doing Events Organisation for British Cycling so I'll tell you in a few weeks if my enthusiasm for cycling has gone up or down as a result!

Part of my job involves surveying cycle routes. Which means a lot of cycling and usually in urban areas. The only downside is it's very stop/starty. In a 12hr day I probably ride no more than 6hrs in total And then it's at quite a leisurely pace.

Last week I was 'doing' Brighton & Hove. Part of my brief was to survey every bridleway in the area…

14hrs of riding the trails while being paid to do so 😀

I find it doesn't stop me enjoying riding. When I'm instructing or guiding I'm not riding for myself but for customers. When I get the chance to race or just go for a tootle then I can ride where I like, how I like … the 2 are often quite different.

I've met some guides in the past who always try to make any ride 'for them' they seemed to view customers as a hinderance that could tag along if they had to … oddly quite a few of these people are no longer guides. 😉

Stuart
http://www.forestfreeride.co.uk