[Closed] How do all you Dads find time to ride - need tips!

Just stop riding & enjoy time with your little dude before he has an opinion!

Can you commute by bike? Seems a long day in work to me!

Expectant dad here but planning on making the most of my commute to maximuse time on bike

Yup night rides all the way. Getting home at 8 is a killer though, can you finish a little earlier on a friday perhaps and then sleep in a little bit on saturday morning? I had a little girl in May also and she goes to sleep, along with my 5yr old at 7pm. I read her a story and then faff about and usually get out the house for 7.45/8ish and will ride till about 10.30/11 and can normally get in about 20 miles or so. I often find I am in no mood to go to bed when I get in though and have to stay up with a few tins and a movie. 😉

Interested to see replies to this as my wife is due next week with our 1st child!

Think I'm likely to have to grab odd days on a weekend when I can. Luckily there is no hockey in a weekend in the summer so will try to do my mtb then. Already said to the wife that if she wants some time to herself some weekends then I'll have the baby all day whilst she goes out. Hoping that'll buy me my bike time on other weekends!

In terms of household chores most of that is covered as we've now got a cleaner. Saves bickering on weekends about who is going to do the hoovering etc.

You're relationship will start to suffer if you are nailed down outside of work. You need time to exercise, clear your head and destress. Once a week get up at 6am, straight out and back for 1pm. Then out to a great lunch somewhere etc.

Are you getting out together as a couple? You need this too.

There needs to be balance and downtime from work otherwise you'll keel over.

I'm thinking the work might be more of a challenge to my riding than the Dadding

Is there no way you can cut your hours a little to squeeze in some riding AND spend more time with your nipper?

My wee one is 9 now, but when she was a baby, I had a ride every week, generally down to Dalbeattie or Ae (about an hour away) and also encouraged the good lady to go have an afternoon with friends/shopping/whatever, and spent the time I had with the wee one doing interesting stuff, parks etc - fun stuff for her.

Having your own time to do stuff you both enjoy is very important for your own health and wellbeing IMO.

I know too many people who settled down into the routine when having kids and never, ever got out of it.

It is entirely possible to have kid and maintain hobbies, in fact I'd say it's essential.

You don't need to parent as a team; your missus would probably benefit from some time to unwind too, so just work out a time for her, and a time for you. She can go and do what she wants, you get some miles in.

TBH your work day sounds like the biggest inconvenience.

I found the first year was pretty lean, but it gradually got easier after that. Commuting is the easiest thing to fit in, of course, and then you just do what you can around that: eg if we went the grandparents for the weekend I'd often ride while the others took the car.

If it's any consolation, if you ever have a second you'll think back to this time, as you stare mournfully at your shrunken quads, and marvel at all the free time you had 🙂

We had a boy in May too, he's hard work and a really bad sleeper so we're pretty much just trying to survive right now, hoping things do get better soon though. If we go to the in laws, I'll ride there and my other half will drive. I'm lucky in that the ride there is pretty nice though. The in laws also live beside glentress so I can take the bike down for a quick blast while they watch him for an hour or so.

Personally I'm putting all my attention into the wee one, my partner and just trying to get some sleep. Riding is taking a back seat until things settle down here. After Christmas I'm looking forward to strapping him into a bike seat and going for a little ride!

As said above, night rides are your friend. Also swapping some weekend time so you and your wife both get a chance to have some fun. Means you value the time you spend with the little one rather than resenting it.

I ride to work and I often extend it to get some trails in. And I night ride one evening a week probably about 3/4 of the the time. Rarely ride at the weekend and then it's been planned a long way in advance (and usually a long weekend of it).

I run my own business so that does make things different but if I was on a salary I'd be avoiding working more than my official hours, so if that (rather than a long commute) is why you're back late, see if you can work quicker and leave sooner!

I've probably been out 10 - 15 times max on either the road bike or the mountain bike.

Sounds pretty good going to me!

My life became much happier when I learnt to no longer expect or plan to go out on a ride as I would invariably end up disappointed. Instead, I just enjoy the opportunities when they came up.

The bike, hills and trails are not going anywhere, plenty of time to ride in the future.

Sounds harsh and I don't want to patronise but the best thing to do is just go. Make the decision and go

You don't have to spend every waking hour with your children.

Look after yourself then you can look after everyone else

Night rides, that can include getting up super early and riding before kids breakfast or grabbing a few hours at the weekend. I have a four year old (he is now riding so massive hope!) and a 9 month old who doesn't sleep. Acceptance that riding will decrease is an inevitable challenge. As a father found the first 18 months really tough until the child really starts to interact. Once they could hold their heads up strongly it was straight into a chariot for them so I got to ride that way, not so technical but great for the mind and physical fitness.

Get a job with better hours.
Leave home at 7:30am and get back at 8pm ?! There should be a law against that!
Come spring/summer an hour in the morning - 5:45 to 6:45. Ask your wife to sort breakfast out.
Get a 3 hour ride in on the weekend.
Dude you work hard and long hours,you deserve some biking time.
There will always be things that compete with your biking time, sooner you claim your time the better.

I rode in the evenings, and I did more road riding so I could go from the door, although that was helped by only having a 10 minute walk to work.

Try riding to and/or from places to meet the family to do something.

There's a bunch of families we know so we do days with mums riding in the morning and dad's in the afternoon swapping parenting duties.

It's hard, but I was lucky and my wife would get fed up of me being restless around the house, even sent me on a week to the Alps.

How about going straight from work to a night ride somewhere twice a week?

I stopped riding for about 9 months with both my two. Switched to running for a bit, just short 30 minute efforts and unsocial hours. Once the dust had settled it was very early mornings and late night rides.

Get a different job? Can see the difficulty you have of finding time. Each to there own of course but i cant see you ever having time for anything with that schedule...

I hope that's an amazing job because those are very demanding hours. I sympathise.

I've got a 5 & 2yr old and one night a week is night ride night. It's a fixed night and it's every week. Like you I've found weekends nearly impossible due to 'stuff' but an early morning ride is feasible as long as you're back by a decent time.

I tend to put a big day or two in the calendar at the start of the year, easiest to do this as a race because the dates are fixed and you can't change it even if Auntie Mabel REALLY wants to come round that weekend.

As above - you both need individual time to yourselves. Take turns for some of the weekend time and get out on your bike. This will likely be your only daytime ride of the week, so make the most of it.

Then, if you can, get a night ride in. To avoid it disappearing in a nappy-haze, arrange it with mates, or get it in the diary, so you stick to it. Same for your wife - she should try and get something planned for a different weekday ev.

Everyone's different, but you both are still the same people and need to do stuff for yourselves to keep things in balance.

Downsides aside (there are many), I went self employed, which opened up the joy of the lunchtime/sunset/early morning raz. That, and planning a life where we are far more flexible as a family and couple, it sort of works. Plus I get the option of more time with the kids (I have 3 daughters) pre and post school. A 7.30 to 8 day away from the kids would be tough for me now.
Any chance of 'working' from home one day week?

rocketman +1

Nobeer +1. 3 juniors here, now 22,14 and 10. Eldest never enjoyed coming out on bikes, younger 2 love it. You need to use a diary and schedule in stuff, like you'd do at work, so both you and the other half have quality time doing your own things and also doing stuff you both like, together.

I stopped riding for about 9 months with both my two.

Nightrides, early starts and commuting. Out the door riding helps too, big days out and weekends away are alot fewer but they do happen, as nobeer mentioned you need to make time to keep a bit of sanity. I've had to reset alot of my old thinking, alot more planning. Got a spare hour, know what to do with it. Not ridden for a while set the alarm early.

Also don't discount the pleasure of cycling with your kids. Mine all started on the bike seat (weeride FTW) and now at 8,5 and 3 they are all on bikes. Maybe a trailer if the wee one is still quite young, and hour or so on the bike for you and a bit of time for your partner.

We also had our first in May so I am familiar with your dilema.

As Ferrals suggests, commuting is a good option if possible for you. That's what makes up most of my riding these days.

Wednesdays have always been my evening for an after work MTB ride and my missus thankfully has let that continue in return for me looking after the wee man a couple of nights a week to let her get out.

Over the summer I also did some early rides before work but I guess that only works if you're lucky enough to be getting enough sleep.

Weekend rides have normally been short pretty short but I've been lucky enough to be allowed out for a couple of full day rides recently and have a day off to go riding tomorrow.

We got lucky and have a really good sleeper which makes things much easier to manage. Aside from that we're making a conscious effort to give each other time off to do our own things.

Edit - as yokaiser says, I can't wait to get the wee man out on the bike. Planning to get a Weeride for Christmas 🙂

Cutting down on faff time before getting out is a big factor on increasing ride time. Never put your bike away dirty or broken, keep on top of maintenance. Likewise put your clothes straight into wash when you get in and put them on the dryer first thing in the morning. Put your lights on charge in the morning you plan to go out and ask the wife to switch them off when charged.
Inlaws are invaluable for the occasional weekend ride, drop the wife and babby there and hot foot to some trails for the afternoon, take them out for tea when you finish helps smooth things over.

Our daughter was born in Oct 2015 & I reckon I have only ridden perhaps 3-500 miles since then...

It's one of the things that stresses me out at the moment, to be honest.

I want to spend time with the family, but I also would like to find time to go on the odd ride here or there, take the camera out to do a bit of photography etc. but there never seems to be the time. If there is a bit of 'space' to do something, there are so many jobs that need doing around the house/garden/garage that I feel guilty 'just going out for a ride'.....

I am hoping that it gets better in the next year or two, because I am not sure I can tolerate being this unfit for much longer! I think I am the least fit I have ever been.....

A lot of people seem to manage a lot better with finding snippets of time to go riding; but I never manage it.....

The recent 'light at the end of the tunnel' for me has been Zwift (see Weeksy's monster thread)....it's enabled me to get out into the garage in the evenings (in between rubbish bouts of manflu) and put some decent efforts in. I am hoping to get a 'smart trainer' once I get paid this month & then come the new year I will try one of the workout plans on there with an aim to gain back some level of fitness....

I've got 4 kleine Sterns and as has already been said I go night riding a lot both on and off road and when the clocks go back I go for long rides at the weekend in the early morning (5am starts) so I am back for a late breakfast at 11am. When they were little I found our kids trailer , Charriot, a real boon as it gave their mother some me time and I could get some riding in and the little ones would sleep the whole time. We are pretty lucky here as there are loads of lakes with bike lanes around them so I could ride with the trailer well away from traffic.

You should soon be able to get one of the child seats for your bike and take your daughter out with you, which you should be able to do on a weekend. Plan a route that visits a couple of little playgrounds along the way!

I didn't really start riding until my eldest was born so I don't know what I'm missing to an extent. I see mates of mine off for days out and weekends away but I know I cant and it doesn't bother me.

I tend not to ride my MTB over the winter, I commute to work by bike to keep the fitness up, and in the summer I get out at first light sometimes up before 5 out the door before half past and get an hour in in the week (then ride 20 miles to work) or a couple of hours at the weekend, back before 8:30

Works for me, but it can be a lonely riding existence.

You are going to ride less, that's a fact. The upside is spending time with your nipper, the first year is always the hardest. You already know this of course but your list of priorities is, in order of importance:
Nipper
Mrs
Holding the household together
Work
You
It does get better/easier as they get older. Sleepovers at grandparents etc give you a bit of space if they're local.

But as said above it sounds like your spending too much time either getting to or at work would be well worth looking at your options. Turbo can keep the legs going so when you do get a chance to dart out you can get the most out of it.

I've had two kids, but don't worry; they only knacker up your life for about 15 years. After that you can leave them at home and just go and pedal.

The proper answer is to accept you're going to get out less, but get a routine going.

Have a chat with the Mrs; she gets to go doing her thing on Saturday while you babysit, but you get to cycle on Sunday. Also she gets a week night off and so do you.

To be honest, that's about as good as you can do.

I've not read any of the other replies, so apols if this has been said.

If you've been out 10 or 15 times since May then you're doing well in my view. I too felt guilty about going out and leaving my wife to it, but time moves on and now the boys are older we both get out in the week and at weekends (she rides horses - other peoples lucklily!). I think when my youngest was 3 I did 600 miles off road that year. Last year went up to 1,000 miles and a little more again this year over about 65 to 70 rides. Plenty good enough for me to keep sane and I'm fortunate that I can ride from the door and be at the top of the first downhill in less than 25 minutes. But in those early years you've just got to accept that responsibilities lie with the family until they're a bit older. My eldest will be 8 this week and I've built him up a 24 inch wheel mountain bike for his birthday, so next year I'm expecting that my rides will change tack and become less Gnarrcore, but that's going to be great too.

It'll come, just be patient.

One of the people I ride with every now and then has a boy, just turned 9 last week and this is what they get up to. He's exceptional though, but still...

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/462047/

The bike, hills and trails are not going anywhere, plenty of time to ride in the future.

This. I did very little riding when my two were babies, but it's getting a bit easier now. No-one ever looks back on their life and thinks "gee, I wish I'd spent less time with the kids".

On a Commencal too 8)

I ride to the station and and back during the week though it's only long enough to get barely warmed up but it keeps me ticking over. Once my eldest (nearly 5 now) got to about a year I got a child seat which he took to straight away though initially I think I'd have been better off with one of those small ones that sit in front of you. When the second one was a year old, I got a trailer and my best chance for a ride is to offer to take the kids out to give mum a bit of peace. Beyond that, for a longer solo ride we tend to trade the occasional weekend day off so we can each do our own thing.

We had a sprog in the middle of summer, tragically I just stopped riding entirely. I'd barely done any during the pregnancy either. Picking up a bit now though, nab the odd weekend to pop to the woods and I've just joined the Zwift lot, which seems to be working out very well.

Night rides for me, although I didn't really ride until my youngest was knocking on for 5.

I leave the house at 7.30am (after giving him breakfast) and get home around 8pm.

There's your problem right there for me...

I start early and leave the house at 6am, but i'm home by 3pm.

It has to be a compromise and Mrs Weeksy totally gets this with me, she knows i go nuts if i don't get out riding at all... so that's what i do.

Should add mine are 2 1/2 and 5 now, I usually get 2 night rides and a weekend 1-2hr ride in with the occasional half day. The key is to fit it in around 'easy' time for mum, so the weekender is usually sunday afternoon as the little feller has a snooze and the eldest and the missus will do something creative/watch DVDs/something else not too demanding

Your job sounds like the biggest issue, time for a flexible working request? http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1616 WFH a couple of days a week really helps me. I still drop the nipper off at nursery at 8 then go for an hours ride down by the river on the way home. I'm lucky in that I can ride to work as well, it's only 8 miles e/w but it keep me ticking over.

As a few have pointed out, your 12 1/2 hour round trip to work is a big part of the challenge, so perhaps have a look at what you can do about that.

That said, you're getting back at 8pm so that still leaves time for riding. Is there anything stopping you getting out for a night ride?

My most important advice is find a routine and make it work. The reason I don't ride as much as I want is that I've fallen out of the routine. There will ALWAYS be something else demanding your time and if you don't make a regular and routine time for cycling you will find yourself doing it less and less. I used to ride every Sunday morning without fail, but life got so busy that I just wanted one day - one morning - when I didn't have to get up and rush out of the house. That day was my bike riding day and now I'm a shadow of my former bike-riding fitness just because I fell out of the routine. It's my own stupid fault. Don't be me.

Once a week get up at 6am, straight out and back for 1pm.

Pretty much this.

Due to other half's work patterns I miss the two local nightrides that go out - my only free night is a Friday.

Tend to go out on a Sun, and if I can I'll go and do trail maintenance on a Sat AM for a few hours, again after getting up at 6.

Otherwise if you can commute it's worth looking at that. Personally I dislike it, but it's a very useful evil and great way of racking up halfway decent miles.

3 kids under 8 - commuting keeps me reasonably fit (20 miles a day, 2 or 3 times a week) & Monday night rides are sacrosanct! Occasional weekend rides, but they are occasional. My OH understands that it's something I need to do, just as I understand that there are things she needs to do and we sort the kids out as necessary. It's not hard really, but you do need to be organised!

I'd recommend giving up mtbing apart from the odd day here and there (unless you live very close to the trails). If you want decent bang for you buck then start running, or if it must be cycling then road riding.

Your working too late is the major problem.

I'd be looking to reduce that before thinking of ways to stay on the bike.

FWIW I practically gave up cycling for 5 years to look after my kids. This was in the days before decent off road lights though.

Wow, I feel pretty fortunate compared to most on here having clocked up 2300 miles this year, mostly on road but clocked up a few hundred off road in the summer. My daugther is 14 months.
My wife knows how much good cycling does for my mind so is happy for me to spend a weekend morning doing it both nights. I try to do 1 or 2 evening / night rides too although work and chores are more likely to get in the way of those. I work from home most days but am away 7am-7pm on days I'm in London, those days are generally a right off so I can understand the OP not being able to ride with his work hours, can you not cycle to work or at least partway?

Bike maintenance has been harder to keep up, and I understand why people take their bikes to get serviced even though I have the skills and tools to do it. For that reason I don't go on the mtb when it's muddy, especially as I have to drive to the nearest trails, road is much less faff, I'm just starting with Zwift too.

Although it is getting slightly easier in general now she is 14 months, I am actually riding less because as a father I'm finding her much more interesting now and can do much more with her, where as before all she really wanted was my wife and her boobs.

Decent set of lights for night riding for when you do get out. And a good turbo setup in front of the baby monitor to keep the legs in good shape when you can't get out. Fit them in when you can.

Though TBH it depends on what you want out of riding. If it's long rides on weekends with mates then IME that doesn't really happen much anymore.

Using that time to go for a ride feels unfair on my wife who also gets no time to 'do her own thing'...

I may be going against the grain here, but 'be more selfish' is my only advice.

Ours is 2.5 now, for the first 6 months, like you I sneaked a few in here and there, but the workload drops a lot at 6 months and get steadily lower after that.

I ride most weekends, it's my Wife's job that stops me not the kids, I leave after breakfast and I'm home just after lunch, plus 2 evenings a week (Gym in Winter, Ride in Summer) I leave work 5ish and I'm home 7 ish in Summer, 6ish in Winter - which means in Summer I'll usually miss bedtime which I don't like, but I still do it.

The truth is, I'm a better Dad and Husband when I've been riding, everyone is happier when I take those precious few hours a week. I adore my family and I'm a very hands-on Dad, but if I didn't have some time to myself I'd lose my mind and in case anyone was wondering, my Wife has time to herself too, not as much as me, but as much as she wants. I'm more than happy and capable of being Dad without Mum back-up, she’s hoping to go to NYC for a week in the Summer to see her Sister.

Put together a local route, be open minded. Mine sometimes includes winching up a deserted multi-storey car park before descending the stairs. (It's even got a lift, like a mini mid-week indoors uplift session...). Caveat...it's late at night, I've never seen another soul up there.

Cheeky footpaths, skirting the odd field etc. If you can head out the door, blast around for 40 mins+, you'll be a lot happier. If works for me.
I find myself scrutinising Google maps, looking for cheeky urban trails.

Let the chores slide and ringfence more time for riding.

Your work hours sound harsh though, is that a long-term thing?

My kids are older now so its less of an issue but for years 8am to 12 noon Sunday has been mine give or take an hour or two.

We are perhaps overestimating our importance if you don't think they'll survive without you for a few hours.

As others have said, find a routine. Agree when you're going to get out, and when your OH is going to have time to do whatever she wants to do. Changes to that are then by negotiation.

For us, having organised activities (i.e. a club ride for me) helps us stick to it.

I find myself scrutinising Google maps, looking for cheeky urban trails.

Me too!

Sounds like you are working and commuting far to much. Thats certainly isnt a good life balance and I am sure your wife will be climbing the wall soon if you don't get home until 8pm and she is stuck with you son the whole day. I would say that needs to change for the sanity of your family.

Then be selfish but also don't be selfish. You will probably have to cut back massively in the long run but try and keep fit by say running in your lunch hour. When you do get out riding you will then enjoy it and not be knacked quickly.

Try and work out how to get a short biking fix. My daughters now go to ballet on a Saturday morning so that gives me 2 to 3 hours of fun. Luckily trails are just 15minutes away driving so I can get a blast in most Saturdays.
To be honest that gives me my weekly fix. If I try and cram more biking in then it becomes a chore and not fun.

One word. Compromise.

That, as well as having an understanding, honest, sharing/caring relationship with your other half.

Having a child is hard work, compared to not having a child. But it need not be the end-of-the-world that a lot of folk make out. I'd rather be a happy, healthy dad than a lazy, miserable one and if taking time out to cycle, run, whatever helps with that then you need to find time to do it.

Also, I noticed that someone suggested putting yourself last on a list of priorities. Sure, your wife and child come top, but your own health and well being should also be high up the list. Working is there to pay the bills and that should be all.

I've found commuting helps, I managed to do night rides when I had my first but now I'm further from the club and work it's not so regular.

Quick (1.5-2hr) rides at weekends, if necessary getting up before the rest of the family and back for breakfast (usually my wife chooses a lie in and later ride for me instead).

Also the times you do leave for and get back from work are quite far apart, is there anything you can do about that?

takisawa2 - multi-storey carparks? inspired idea. I'm gonna try that tonight.
I also am always on the look out for cheeky urban trails, slag heaps are proving fruitful at the moment.

I commute over a couple of days with a few very early morning escapes to maintain moderate fitness.
Those are long hours op - go spinning for lunch?
Personally,I found it easier to get out when he was tiny and then in nursery. I now do the school run and that seriously has impeded on riding time.
Luckily my missus understands we (i) are all happier if I get get out.
Someone mentioned bike maintainance , I fondly remember the distant days when after a ride I'd clean my bike ,have a brew & stuff. Fettle it all up etc. No longer!I also paid my lbs recently for something I didn't have time to do.
Oh and sod DIY! 🙂

Having our three did end up restricting riding/canoeing/walking/adventures however I found a couple of things helped.

Compromise. While OH may want time away from child, you also are committed to work (long it seems) hours, and also need some down time. Both of you need to compromise on time for the other to get away from pressure of work and child - alone and as a couple.

Value the impact on you/other half/little one/relationships all round. I am better dad/husband/person if I have been to the mountains. It IS as important as wiping bums, sleeping and goo-goo-ing the little one.

Child seats and a trailer worked for me 😀

Take up running, much more time efficient, and a lot less faff.

And road biking when you go places ie if you are going out for the day, cycle either there or back to meet the family.

..and it is not just about you getting to do what you want, make sure your other half gets time out too, and that you both get time out without kids.

Same for me as many, she goes out and I go out, we share responsibilies with the kids and house stuff. We also spend time together as a family (not watching TV and all the other time wasting stuff) Its a juggling act though. It does get easier as they grow and you can take them riding too if only for a short (additional) ride.

In the last coupe of years ive also taken to riding from 5:30am on occasions. its great, nobody about just wildlife and smash a few miles out.

To the OP - it's a big challenge isn't it...

I'd love to cycle 3-4 times a week, plus extra fitness stuff.
In reality (for which I'm happy with) I ride on a tuesday evening, and when I can, a club road ride at the weekend.

However, I'm always the guy 'keen to get back' by lunch!

A few times a year I'll pencil in a date for a big ride, and can get a weekend or two away too.

One thing i've realised is that you 'judge your fitness' in YEARS..not weeks/months..

I.e, "next year I'll be fitter, this year is a 'write off' RE racing etc". Once I came to that conclusion, I was a bit more 'settled' in the fact that I couldn't get out as much as I'd hope.

It's amazing how quickly the years go by, so TBH enjoy it with the littleun..

DrP - father to (at least) a 2 and 7 year old...

Take up running, much more time efficient, and a lot less faff.

That's what I did .. started trail running ... but ended up entering an ultra which meant running for an hour after work 3 nights a week plus 5/6 hour long runs on a weekend which left me totally shattered and useless around the house ! 🙂

I didn't start riding again till Jnr was born.

Provided the mum has a similar amount of time for her thing, it shouldn't be a problem. A morning or afternoon each at weekends should be doable.

Lower your expectations on quality and quantity of riding to a realistic level. Night rides and commuting are a saviour. An hour is better than no hours. Road riding creates less mess and cleaning than off road.

Be careful that spending on bike stuff is sensible if money is tight.

From the many threads about anxiety, depression, isolation etc, not having the occasional couple of hours for your own needs is a real long term issue for some of us.

Things get better over time (mine are now 4.5 and 7 years old). I still don't spend every weekend in the mountains doing awesome rides, but those things are at last easier to plan and achieve.

The commute to work has been my bedrock throughout their early years - without it, I'd have cycled far fewer miles. I would only consider a job where I could do some form of bike commute now.

Otherwise - and just like with other areas of life when kids join the party - I've lowered my expectations.

Thankfully, I also live close to some local trails. I fit a rigid fork and singlespeed to my hardtail over winter, so that I'm always ready to grab an hour and just hose the bike down afterwards. I've also discovered the ace-ness that is night riding!

Mine is 17 months now.
I get out on an uplift most months and the odd day riding at weekends too.
I have found that using holiday for both myself and wife to get out riding together works well. We pay nursery fees so might as well make the most of it

Congratulation on the young one , more fun than biking.Lessen the hours at work, might not be easy financially but cut your sloth accordingly and all that, old guy I worked with told me that when I had kids, "24 hrs in a day son 8 for work 8 for bed and 8 for you", never quite got to that probably 9 work 7 bed and 8 me. So glad I did as managed to play rugby ,cycle socialize and see lots of the 3 children over the last 20 years. Hope you manage to crack it.

Although it is getting slightly easier in general now she is 14 months, I am actually riding less because as a father I'm finding her much more interesting now and can do much more with her, where as before all she really wanted was my wife and her boobs.

I've found this too.

When the little dude arrived in Sept 14, I didn't really ride much until the following Feb; I was tired and the weather crap so it was hard to get motivated to ride. Last year I did really well even though he was still hard work but this year I've found it harder to get out; he's down to one afternoon nap per day so weekend mornings are family time plus he goes to rugby tots every Saturday. He's also wants to do stuff like dog walking, crusing about on his balance bike etc.

Night riding helps a lot - Tuesday and Thursday for me. I can then normally get one afternoon on the weekend. I try and sneak in one full day per month for an uplift day etc.

My other half understands that I'm happier after some bike time and get a bit grumpy if I'm not out. I was also really buzzing after my first trip to Revo this summer and it finally twigged with her, how much I enjoy it.

I still manage to ride, but I have tailored when and where I ride to suit.

I managed a commute in the first year and still got out on a sat morning.

However, with commitments (such as childrens football now), my rides seem to be earlier and earlier. I'm done and dusted, and back at the house by 9am on a Saturday. I squeeze a pre work ride in once a week for an hour and sneak out for 45 mins once a week at lunchtime with a colleague.

Also had the option to go for the better job with my company in London, or remain local. To me, the family and ability to enjoy life a little was worth more than the increase, career progression and pulling my hair out because of the rail service.

Gone are the days of a long day out in the saddle though. Everything is very much against the clock. and that is with a very understanding wife!

Its got harder this year, we already had 2 boys now 4 & 6 and weve 6month old twins

The wife and I share a google calnedar and I plan any biking days well in advance and arrange to have her parents or mine come and visit

I also make sure my wife gets to do her stuff without the kids

and try and squeeze in the odd trip to the cinema together if we can get a babysitter.

The kids are pretty good and we have a very strict 7pm bedtime routine for all 4 kids, which I find really helps

Im home by 7 so do bedtime and stories and then once a week I try and get in a night ride, while my wife watches bake off on iplayer- with her favourite M&S meal I buy on the way home, its got harder as the weathers got grimmer but still well worth it

Got 3 and now they do swimming and rugby, the weekends have evaporated.

Luckily work is taking up the slack during the week, ensuring I don't fancy a night ride either.

All things must pass.. it will get better, just enjoy the change and grab what you can when you can. I'm not good with being selfish even when its good for me so running and riding is just down the list a bit for the moment.

Bit late to the party, but I've ridden about five times in the last two years. Definitely miss it, but wouldn't give up the time I get to spend with my son. He won't stay small, cute and cuddly for long so I'm getting in all the time I can. Sat under the dining table last night drinking milk and hiding from Old Brown Owl. Much more fun than a night ride.

Just get rides in when you can. I've booked a day off work this week specifically to go out on the bike.

I fully sympathise, having two kids under 5 and work / commute same amount of hours. During the lighter evenings I'll get out on my road bike for a quick blast, but mtb time is now limited to a planned trip or the rare days when the missus has plans that includes both kids.
Can't have your cake and eat it afterall.

Before my son started cycing with me from age about 14 we would arrange to meet at a nearby town or cafe and I would cycle there and they would drive. I rode from Blackburn to Bowness on Windermere, 70 miles, and they drove up and picked me up. More usually it would be 20 - 30 mile rides.