I retired at 57 at the end of August.  27 years in the NHS. Had been unrealisticly thinking about it for a few years, but when covid hit, it was ‘all hands on deck’. Annual leave was postponed, had to do extra  12 1/2 hour shifts. Although the working conditions weren’t great, the commoradery generally was.
Unfortunately it all seems to have taken it’s toll (everyone in my small team is knackered). Doing shifts, and having to deal with inept managers just brought everything to a head.
Mainly to help out the team I was in, I do a few bank shifts. Normally 2 long shifts a week, but also taking a break of 2 to 3 weeks occasionally. This may well end soon though as I still haven’t got paid for any of the bank shifts yet (more NHS incompetence – fortunately they paid me for an extra month after I left).
I found the hardest part of retirement is the guilt (?) of seeing the OH having to leave for work in the morning. I’m sure I’ll get over this though. I better,  she’s got a few more years left to go. Filling my time hasn’t proved to be a problem so far.

My current set up is a Warwick rockbass corvette active short scale with TC Electronic BG250 amp and 208 cab. Also have an Ibanez artcore semi hollow body, plus an Squier VM mustang.  I didn’t mean to end up with 3 basses, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Strictly a bedroom bassist of several years, but still completely rubbish.  I tell myself it’s the journey, not the destination.

I didn’t find the mustang very comfortable so decided to sand down the body to stop getting a sore forearm. Much better now, but looks rough. Also put piccolo strings on. Just the thing when I want to noodle with all those Ennio Morricone cowboy film scores.

I think the j-6 looks really good also. Think that might go on the Christmas wish list.

This is a dangerous thread.

I read the first few posts and thought, that would be a good retirement hobby.  Went to my local music shop and came home with a Novation Circuit Tracks.  It’s about twice the price of the volcas, but thought I would probably want 2 volcas after a short period of time away.

Not sure it’s any better than the volcas (didn’t have enough time with them), but I think it will suite me better.

Have been reading Mike Gayle for some years now. Always enjoy his books.

I took it for a couple if weeks / month when I had hip surgery. No side affects at all. Cannot remember the dose though, so may not be of any use.

Can’t help with the riding. But a few years ago I did a fly-drive holiday in Nova Scotia. Loved it. I thought Halifax was a great place.

Thanks, I’ll give it a look

Good point fr0sty. Thinking about it the Konas are probably more gnar than I need. Just been reading the Kona website. I thought the 111 was more XC orientated than it is. Any thoughts about the Titus Rockstar. This would probably be the last 29er to look at due to stand over.

The reach and toptube length are very similar between the Kona models. I understand fr0sty what you’re saying, I think. I guess maybe the fact the Kona’s have such short stems meant I felt OK on a medium size.

Fr0sty, I actually like a short TT and would normally go forma small size due to both TT length and stand over. But when I tried a Kona 134 a medium seemed good. So my thinking was that if I went for the 111 from Wiggle, which is small, I would likely need a longer stem, which may / may not be an issue.I go and recheck the geometries of both models.

I have always had a thing for the Superlight. Mainly due to its simplicity. I know other suspension design may be “better”, but the limiting to would be me, not the bike. Shame it doesn’t have a better fork though. Food for thought.

I think that would be ideal except Kona is one of the few bikes where a medium size is the right size (going by the 134 I tried)

I would probably need to put a longer stem on it. Sort of ruins the point of the Kona, doesn’t it.

I think your right about 120mm on a 29er being too much for me. I think that is the limit I need on a 26 or 27.5 unless a 140mm bike is biased towards XC. Unfortunately I don’t know which ones are.

Still not entirely sure if tear impingment or trauma. I assume that due to the cam lesion shave, it was impingment. Apparantly “in men of my age (47), a labral tear due to trauma is quite common”.

At least the xray should no arthritis, so could be worse.

The first symptoms I had I mistakenly put down to a hernia. If I had to bend down or turn awkwardly I would get a sort of “popping” sensation in my groin. Then one day while driving, I suddenly had a stabbing pain in my groin and had to stop. The pain lasted for days. Then for the best part of a year all seemed ok except for slight niggles. Then one morning while trying to sit up in bed, it all started again. During this time cycling seemed to make very little difference to any pain I might be getting.

I think its too soon after the procedure to know how much of a difference it will eventually make.

Chipsngravy – I ‘ll have a look at your link to get some guidance. Although, there are varying degrees of how invasive the surgeon has to be, and therefore how much rehabilitation will be needed. For my labral tear, the surgeon just tidied up the frayed bits. He did not need to sow the ends back together or anything like that (I think). Also although the “cam lesion” had to be shaved, it was quite minimal (again I think).

I hope to be off crutches in a couple of weeks. Not so sure about going back to work or driving.

Mr surgeon was/is Mr Dean Michael. I was referred to the Nuffield Hospital via an ankle, hip and knee clinic by my GP. I had been having private physio due straining my back trying to move a washing machine. I mentioned to her, how one morning as I sat up in bed, there was a terrible pain in my groin. At the time IT thought it was a hernia. It was she who first said it was probably a labral tear. She wrote a letter for my GP, who got the ball rolling. Had an Xray, which as explained at the time might show up very little. The clinic then sent me for an MRI. This showed up the tear. Two weeks later or so, I was being operated on. Cannot praise the whole system enough. I think I’m very lucky, as the clinic effectively hire operating time from the Nuffield.

Scapegoat – I need all the excuses I can get. I was slow enough as it was going uphill before the op. Have any of you guys gone to a full susser to help keep pain at bay, or found a hardtail okay?

I had the surgery 5 days ago at a private hospital (on NHS) in Woking. All went well thankfully, I’ve been told tostay on crutches for 2weeks, baring 50% weight. Got physio appt in 2weeks time. I think this is mainly to check that I’m doing the basic exercises they have already given me correctly. Now the bruising is going down, I don’t think I’ve lost much range of movement. Hopefully in time it will get better than it was before the op.

In the week or two before the operation, the other hip was starting to hurt. I’m hoping that this is just because I was limping quite a lot, and that it will sort itself out. What symptoms did you guys get? I was getting the occasional sharp pain in my hip, mainly when I sat down, but also aches in my quads thats hard to explain. A bit like a dead leg after the initial pain has gone. It always felt worse if I had done a lot of walking or was tired.

4 years. Gulp. I hope its not that bad. Mine was done keyhole. I’ve just got 3 small holes with 1 stitch in each to show for it. That and 2 crutches. I’ve heard the rehab can take months though.

I recently started getting a bad pain in my left hip, and also a ‘dead leg’ type feeling in my quads. I couldn’t sit down for more than a coule of minutes or lean forward. I was seeing a physio about a bad back (bloody washing machines) at the time, and mentioned it to her. See did a bit of investigating, and suspects a labral tear. She wrote a letter to my GP, who immediately requested an X-ray. This showed up nothing (as he expected) and has now referred me on to an orthopedic consultant. I seem to be lucky that its moving along so quickly. It looks like an MRI scan is the next thing. Haven’t been on the bike months now though.

Legs: 75%
Lungs: 25%
Or possibly, Head: 100%

That’s the section Wookster. That whole climb was a killer. Never ridden there before. I think the wheels trebled in weight with all the clag they picked up.

Its not about being warmed up, unfortunately. Its all to do with the build up of lactic acid, and how your body gets rid of it. Although my legs burn going up stairs, as soon as I’ve walked a few meters on the flat, it all goes away. It’s just like riding hills, you’ve just got to keep at it I guess

Thanks for the support,I wish it was just getting back in to it. I try to get out every week if work allows. I generally do 20 or so miles, but as soon as I see a long hill it all goes pear shaped.

A couple of years ago I went to see my GP about something. While I was there I said “how come my legs feel like they’re on fire when I climb just a couple of flights of stairs? He said “you’ve got Granddad Legs”. Cheeky barsteward, I’m on 46 now.

I remember playing this as a kid. One of my mates came round with his younger sister. He had to take her home after about 10 minutes as she was so scared. They’re not even American.

I’ve got tickets to see the show in London, can’t wait.

Thanks once again for the replies. There’s lots to think about there.
That Chumba looks nice. If it was fully built, maybe. LMT I appreciate standover isn’t the be-all and end-all, but on a favourite route of mine there’s a section by a canal where I’ve had to put my foot down to stop me falling off and going into the canal, and I’m comvinced I’d have been swimming with the ducks if my current bike had any less standover. I also actually like short toptubes.

Angus, what do think of the X Control, I had previously thought about them, but for some reason not gone any further.

Those canyons look nice, but also too expensive. Plus I wouldn’t buy without trying for size first.

Has no one any thoughts about the Rocky Mountain?

Yes, the superlight I tried did have 120mm forks. It’s a shame because I realy like the simplicity of them, I’m rubbish at cleaning my bike.

I liked the older style trances, but the newer ones with the straight toptube would make my eyes water too often I think.

Thanks for the quick replies guys, I’ll look into both of them.

bump

Thanks again for more suggestions.

I’ll give Merlin a look to see what they’ve got.
Flying fox, what were your concerns with the Ghost?

An Anthem 29er, with my little legs?. I was thinking about a normal Anthem, but they look a little to steep to me. I should consider the Trance X though.

It’s a shame about the lossy nature of the Superlight though, I’m also a bit suprised as its an XC bike. The Specialized Camber does look like a good compromise. Plus it has the benefit of not being a boutique brand. I don’t want to give the impression that I know what I’m doing, when I obviously don’t.

Seems like I should start demo-ing as soon as my foot is better.

I think you’re right, but it makes me feel better being optimistic. Being delusional has its plus side.

Ages ago I had insoles made for normal everyday shoes. I found they worked well, and were stable in the shoes, but when the shoes wore out, the insoles never stayed in place in any other pair of shoes so I gave up on that idea. Then I found that MBTs gave the best compromise. So I stuck with them.

I had a quick carpark blast on the Ghost the other week. Seemed OK, but hard to tell on such a sort go. Must admit I liked its low stand over height as I take 29in trousers.
How come Evans cycles (which seem to be becoming cyclings version of Starbucks here in the south) don’t do proper test rides?

Although the Canyon bikes look good, I would prefer to buy from a LBS.

Thanks for the replies guys.

flatfish- I ride with flat pedals. I appreciate that the cortizone only masks the problem, but plantar fasciitus often sorts itself out. I thought it had, as the pain didn’t come back for over six months after the first injection. I found that by wearing MBTs or running shoes with a highish arch during the day it was OK.

My Rock Lobster spec isn’t bad, but the forks are only 100mm travel (although I can only ever get 90mm). I think I need / want 120mm.

I found that my foot didn’t hurt while riding until I hit something like a large tree roots. On the smooth stuff it was fine.

Purely coincidence.
David Frost was the original, Carter USM just rehashed it 😀

Thanks for the warm welcomes.

Jedi – I wish I had the balls to do the stuff you can do.

+1 Stoatsbrother. Its easy to miss a fractured scaphoid on x-ray.

I was thinking of getting one of those Thudbuster posts a while ago. Having said that my knees are a bit knackered, when i straighten my legs the knee caps grind away like theres no tomorrow. I had to go to the doctor the other day for a cortizone injection in my heel (**** thats painful), and I thought while I’m here I’ll ask why my thighs burn so much when I walk up stairs (I’ve read others suffer from it on here). He said its called ‘bungalow legs’ (cheeky sod). Long story short, it would seem I’m falling apart.

My garden is also shocking.

Elfinsafety – just played a few of there vids on youtube…interesting.