[Closed] Difficult times and cycling.

[i]will it be enough[/i]

Probably.

But only if you try and sort out the rest of your life whilst you're doing it.

Cycling's great but it's also a very easy escape from some more difficult things that you're going to have to do too.

Work at other stuff, if it gets too much go for a ride. Road riding is good if you just want to mull things over - offroad better if you want to forget it all for a bit.

oh, and good luck.

It may never be enough, but it surely has to be better than the alternative of not doing it.

You are in a difficult position, and have to find your way through it. Riding bikes is, for me, the best tonic to the way I often feel.

Good luck.

a lot of folk have been through relationship trouble on this site recently, and quite a few have posted about it. i have split with my GF too, and we're still sharing our house at this point. likely to be another month at this rate, and we effectively split in mid january. not particularly easy. you're far from alone.
do what you can to move things along in a positive direction, then go for a ride. you have to keep chipping away at stuff, basically.
you're aware of the boozing from what you have written. keep an eye on it.
there seems to be a pretty good bunch from this forum doing rides in the 'burgh. probably makes sense to hook up with some of those guys if you can?
even just one mate to talk to can make a big difference, as i have found, even if you don't need to talk all that much just knowing that you can, if you need to, will help.
keep on trucking. get done what needs to get done, and move on.
all the best.

Well done for getting out on your bike and enjoying the difference it made to your self-esteem.

I don't really know what to say except think carefully about where you move to. Sometimes it doesn't always work when you have been living in another area temporarily. I'm speaking from my own experience here. In a way, you 'move on', ie you did in Norfolk, but moving back up North can be 'moving backwards'. Hope that makes sense.

You don't say how old your son is but he must obviously be a huge consideration for you, as must be employment. Perhaps look upon this as an opportunity to turn your life around?

Good luck and continue to enjoy the bike.

Del - Member
there seems to be a pretty good bunch from this forum doing rides in the 'burgh. probably makes sense to hook up with some of those guys if you can?

Hang in there mate. and Keep riding.

I have a question for you. What's the worst that can happen and if it happens will it really be that bad?

Thanks for kind words folks.

Just packing the last stuff into the car and waiting for my son to come back so I can say goodbye. Tough.

CG - He's 15 and my best friend. We hope he can move to be with me and then continue his education in Scotland. Oh, and it's not usually thought to be a backwards move to leave Norfolk. Jesting, but I understand what you're saying.

I'm trying to get in touch with some friends to meet up for the weekend - seemed to have chosen the wrong one to do that so far. I'd like to join a ride next time (sociable pootle please) if anyone is up for it.

SBZ - I've been thinking of the answer to that question for too long. It's bad enough so I won't ask myself for now.

Hope you're doing okay too lowey.

If it's that bad, get yourself to the docs. They managed to sort me out pretty quickly.

Well done Kunstler! So good to hear - you certainly are heading in the right direction and that's a big step forward.

Am around early next week if you fancy a pootle at GT or similar (Am v slow though 😀 )

There's loads of people around who I can put you in touch with if you want to go riding

Kunstler - do hope it works out for both of you. Remember though he is 15 and your son. Best friends are adults and I do mean that in the kindest way.

You've got some invites so take up those offers!

Here now. 3.30am. Feels very strange and I nearly dipped out and thought about sleeping in the car somewhere and coming back in the morning.

I didn't and I'm sat here with a drink (in honesty that was the main reason for not sleeping in the car) and thinking... that I own an awful lot of books. They're piled up everywhere. I'm going to need a few boxes. I feel very unsettled but strangely comforted being surrounded by most of my possessions. Almost tempted to brush the dust off my guitar and play it. That might bring the latent tension in this flat to an immediate head. I'll just look at it for now.

Diane, I was thinking of going to Glentress after the weekend. Thanks for the invite - company would be good for me but it feels like strange waters here and I'll see how things go over the next few days. In any case, I wouldn't worry about slowness - I haven't seen a hill for months. Sand dunes don't count.

Sleep seems unlikely now so I'll catch up on the STW I've missed while slowly wending north.

Appropriately, there seems to be a lot of inspiring Scotland route threads here today.

Any fool can ride a bike when they're feeling fine. But when you're feeling like shit from the inside out, that's when it counts.

Ride your bike, try to empty your mind, and the magic will happen.

Bon Courage Kunstler.

Keep that inspiration going Kunstler - get into the hils and amongst the trees. They certainly helped sort my head out during difficult days.

Hold fast and hang on now and the brighter days will come.

And try to keep off the alcohol for now, it only makes everything seem worse.

Good to see you starting to move ahead Kunstler, must have taken a lot of courage.

I agree with what others have said about cycling being a good medicine, but it is not a cure IMO. However, it does sound like you are getting on with some things that need to done that will cause you pain, but are also a necessary part of you recovery.

I take it that you are now going to stay up in Edinburgh?

Peronsally speaking I need to get out and about and meet people. My wife has agreed that I can buy a roof rack and that will help me. Perhaps we could meet up for that ride we have talked about before?

So, a week has passed.

Last Saturday I rode out to the Pentlands. You can ride as far and as fast as you like in Norfolk but it won't prepare you for the raw burn of opening the lungs while hauling up a hill. Arthurs Seat on the doorstep is the warm up for all my rides and I found it rather punishing after having been away so long. Meadows, canal, Water of Leith (new tarmac) saw lots of families cycling and it was all quite nice. At the back of Torduff I saw two mountain uni-cyclists coming down from Bonaly woods. I wondered if they hold hands to support each other. I like that thought.
I went a bit further than I first thought I would. Top of Maiden's, around Harbour Hill and down Scalextric (strangely, the for first time).
I felt good for the ride.

I'd gotten another broken spoke on the rear wheel so dropped it into a very busy LBS. Didn't get the wheel back until Wednesday - on my way down to Glentress. I had really been looking forward to riding there again while I was back in Norfolk.
Set off on the red in alternating weather - gusting snow flurries and sunshine. Feeling good and going well until - what felt like chain slip and then chain suck. I'm not really much of a mechanic so it took a while before I realised it was a knackered freehub. I had to ride back to the Hub braking and pedalling downhill. A fixie is not for me.

The wheel itself is old, was cheap and not worth repairing. LBS is selling a deore wheel for £80. It seems a big and almost frivolous expense for someone on very limited funds, about to be made homeless but I think I need to have my bike.

I had a difficult and ultimately disappointing appointment with my 'healthcare professionals' this morning. I explained that right now - biking seems like it might be the only thing I can be positive about.

Everything else this week has been awful and crushing - and I've lost my car now. Yesterday I had to tell the ex Mrs K that her bike had been stolen from the cupboard we have on the stair outside the flat. Right now, that only seems to be a minor sadness for both us.

Ho hum - I'd very much like to meet up for that ride. I have a bike rack that you can use if you want. It's not as good as a roof rack but you're welcome to make use of it.

about to be made homeless but I think I need to have my bike

Agree.

i'd like to wish you good luck kunstler.have similar issues to yourself (depression/not riding my bike) it really is debilitating.i used to drink like a fish/smoke like a chimney and it was ruining my life (was/am unemployed) was wasting nearly all my cash on it (going without food e.t.c) until i had had enough.i just said one day that's enough i am going to quit both right now.for the first month or so it was difficult,but i haven't drunk/smoked since 2004 (is one of the best things that i have ever done) i still suffer with depression though,which has stopped me having a life/riding my bike,but i am going to kick it's arse.i have started a training diary on here that i intend to keep doing (if i say that i am going to ride my bike,i don't want to lie to the good folks on here) i went out on my bike offroad for the first time this year,and it felt awesome 😀 am planning on keeping it up (am not very fit/fast at present though,but i just don't care.it's just great to be out in the wilderness!) there are some fantastic/kind people here who you can always talk to if you feel down (i am definitely thankful for their ears when they listen to my droning on) believe me it will get better! 🙂 i wish you all the best mate. p.s edinburgh is an awesome place. (i had relations who lived there/my grandfather was born in the dean village) i am jealous 😀 good luck!

Thanks racefaceec90 - good luck to you too.

Yeah, Edinburgh is a great place. Having been away, it was nice to walk across the city centre on a mild evening last Saturday to a visit a mate who lives just below the castle. Nicer biking up into the hills though.

I saw your thread btw - Avebury isn't a bad place to live to either.

Decided - I'm buying a wheel tomorrow.

You've made a start Kunstler - that's all that matters - keep riding that bike at all costs 🙂