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I feel like taking up a new hobby to stop me sitting on the sofa eating junk food and watching rubbish telly as the evenings draw in.
What do you guys do in the winter to keep busy?
I spotted a badminton club on the way home from work the other day, tempted to give that a go.
Before anybody says the cycle, I do a weekly night ride, sometimes 2 depending on who in our group is out but even this starts to lose its appeal when it gets properly muddy.
Rock and roll dance, guitar.
Karate and Airfix kits, but not at the same time.
Karate is a good shout, I'll see if there is a local club. I am too impatient for airfix. I either sit up the entire night to finish it or want to smash it to pieces with a club hammer 😳
Some kind of craft type hobby. When I used to fish a lot used to tie flies in the winter a lot. Very absorbing thing to do and quite theraputic. No I don't have time to fish I miss the tying more thna the fishing itself
Target shooting and hibernation.
I fancied having a go at spoon whittling, if only to see the disappointed look on everyone's faces when they unwrap the fruits of my labour at Christmas time.
Climbing, there's an indoor wall in most areas. Can get very addictive and great for your strength/fitness.
I just keep riding as well though!
I feel like taking up a new hobby to stop me sitting on the sofa eating junk food and watching rubbish telly as the evenings draw in.
Oh. I thought that was a hobby.
indoor climbing, turbo trainer and Netflix, jam making
Running. 30 mins or so outside is a very good workout and running in the cold and rain is much more pleasant then cycling in it.
Turbo training. Not a hobby but, if you follow vids or programmes that work for you, it can be oddly enjoyable.
Yeah, the indoor climbing wall is good for dark evenings when the weather's shit.
hooli - Member
Before anybody says the cycle, I do a weekly night ride, sometimes 2 depending on who in our group is out but even this starts to lose its appeal when it gets properly muddy.
All the same to me. It gets proper muddy in summer too depending on the weather. Mud doesn't stop play. Nor does night.
Resorting to road or turbo is what makes it less appealing to be on a bike in the winter. May as well sit on the sofa if you're just riding as a chore 😛
Best bit is when it gets cold enough for frost. Crisp frosty trails are awesome. Like summer dust. Snow also if fresh.
I like to make things. Depends on the space you have available and interests.
Also BMX but I am lucky in that i have a indoor park 30 min from me and I rode when younger but I know a few people who started in there late and mid 40s.
Also indoor climbing.
Mud doesn't stop play
Depends on the mud in your area. Mud on a Ricky trail in Wales or peak District no bother. Mud on the ridgeway or on some of the chalk downs? Horrible slow slog.
Another one for running. Resisted for as long as I could but eventually succumbed. Started off and 10 mins was an effort. Two and a bit years later I've done 3 half marathons, numerous 5 and 10Ks and an extreme obstacle course.
Parkrun on a Saturday morning would be my advice, caters for all sorts. There should be one near you.
Squash?
any musical instrument
Photography. My typical bag without a long zoom but with a tripod, 2 flashes remotes, 4 lenses and filter sets weights in at 12.9KG.
Which is the same weight as my Jekyll 😯
Imagine carrying your bike for an entire day out walking in the country. Keeps you fit enough.
I do run a bit but it tends to be during the day, Park run and a lunch run with colleagues.
No can do on the music, I believe I have what is known as no rhythm 😉
Climbing is another good one, will look into it.
hooli - MemberWhat do you guys do in the winter to keep busy?
Brazilian jiu jitsu.
badminton is a good shout. i play squash in the winter, couple of friendly games and a team match per week. the team night doubles as a bit of a night out too. biking is reduced to a night ride, plus the steady year round saturday morning spin.
i pretty much hang up my racket in summer and just ride!
I spent the last 3 winters working away from home. Too often the hobby was eating junk food and watching crap on the hotel TV. Or going to the pub.
I've now got this winter at home most nights. Trouble is, by the time I'm in from work, sorted dinner and assisted in getting our duaghter to bed there's no time left for hobbies. Oh, and the house is being turned upside down because of building work.
But when the women of the house like to relax in front of eternal cooking programmes (and yet don't cook), then I might buy an Airfix kit and find a dust free corner....
Archery (indoor)
And working on my winter plumage.
Work you way through the karma sutra, or twister.
Much the same thing excpt with pants.
Running - join a local club its social and will get you way fitter than you were.
Go to the gym, swimming, indoor rowing. Do a bit of DIY, fix all the shit I broke earlier in the year. I get more into cooking over the winter. Make plans for following spring/summer/autumn.
Pub
I spotted a badminton club on the way home from work the other day, tempted to give that a go.
Just started playing again after a 20 year gap. Got all the old enthusiasm back again (though much of the ability has gone). Great sport.
dont go home first, thats the biggest mistake. if im doing anything it has to be straight from work because once ive set eyes on my couch and my fire and my tele and the beer in my fridge i aint going nowhere!!
Has anybody mentioned indoor climbing yet? That's one of my current indoor sporting activities, the other being roller skating. If you get into doing things with a group/club like I have then going home first isn't a problem.
Also went to a board/card games evening in a local pub last night - if you're interested in that sort of thing there's probably something similar in your area (and whilst some there were into D&D and that sort of thing it was all just normal not too involving fun games last night). First time I've ever been to a specific event like that and I'd definitely go again (and not just for reasons mentioned on another thread!)
Definitely dancing.
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In saying that, with my crap health and inflexibility I chose (indoor pool) swimming. Not really very sociable.
But yes, dancing.
Or Karate, Krav Maga, etc?
Also, If I had the readies I'd buy a decent electronic drum kit and headphones.
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Yes, climbing is on the list of things to check out as is squash if the badminton club doesn't work out.
Going to the gym is a last resort as I really don't enjoy it. Could possibly be tempted to swim though.
Dancing and drums fall under the category of no rhythm so sadly not an option for me 😉
Thanks for the suggestions, lots to look at.
Do a course in something to you're interested in.
+1 on Photography. Though at night it's going to be night photography. Astrophotography perhaps? 😀 (I'd love to get into that, except for light pollution so need to drive to somewhere remote that isn't dogging central 😉 ).
Problem with photography is it can get as expensive a hobby as bikes 😀
Squash... It's absolutely knackering!
I found squash was too competitive and people I could play against were just full of themselves.
no rythym so sadly not an option for me
[url= https://hobbylark.com/performing-arts/Learning-to-Dance ]hold those horses...[/url]
some kind of Bootcamp - BMF are the obvious one but there are others in any area, I use https://www.bcuk.uk/
Like you i hate gyms, I zwifted last winter and will do again but that's a mechanism to avoid 'turbo training' and I wanted something that was more whole body to overcome my 'legs like Wiggins / body like Biggins' physique.
And it's chuffing hard, but addictive, and only gets better when the weather turns shittier because you know you're GRRRR!
Bouldering, Cheaper and better for technique than 'indoor climbing' which usually means ropes, harnesses, heights and a buddy who you trust.
Skiing
hooli - Member
I feel like taking up a new hobby to stop me sitting on the sofa eating junk food and watching rubbish telly as the evenings draw in.What do you guys do in the winter to keep busy?
Trail Running, though you have to be flexible as to time and weather.. Muds fine, Rains fine too... but you'll end up running places where the Dog Walking fraternity gather in bushes. So, watch out for dog poo and grumpy dog walkers.. they only tend to walk 20mins which isn't far so once you break out of "their" Zone you'll be into the wooded trails no bother.
A decent head torch is useful, gloves and for when you get back to the car (if you drive there) a towel to wipe yourself down and a bin bag for your running shoes..
And some water to sip.
You can do more for fitness and sheer "fun" trail running, it's hilarious. Pound the tarmac paths or roads and well... you need your head examining.
Or I'd suggest, since you seem to want to "do" something.. Badders or Squashers or if so inclined Golf range ball whackers..
[quote=giantalkali ]Bouldering, Cheaper and better for technique than 'indoor climbing' which usually means ropes, harnesses, heights and a buddy who you trust.
Which are the reasons - particularly the latter - I prefer proper climbing than being Billy no mates bouldering. Because one of the main things I like about climbing is that it's sociable. Clearly you do have to find such buddies, but I found the group I now climb with on Meetup, which is also a good place to look for any social activities. The other disadvantage you don't mention is that you also have to learn how to belay properly if you want to be a buddy for the person who is looking after you - but if there isn't a group like mine who will teach you that, then all climbing walls offer courses.
Not that I've got anything against bouldering, I do plenty of it and it's cool when there's a good group and some banter - I was even extolling the virtues the other day to somebody who has similar preferences for roped climbing. You're probably right about developing technique, but then if you're not doing roped climbing, then all you're developing technique for is bouldering!