Final commute - one last puncture

On 2008-05-08, Gags (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

I have been riding to work for almost 8 years now and I am honestly going to
miss being able to ride every weekday.

Yep, definitely. I'll have to move back into the city one day,
because I really can't get the bike to fit into my current life.
Hey, after the thesis is handed in, I might have weekends back (or,
more likely, still won't).

Quoted message said:

My new package includes a car so I am going to have to get used to driving
again

Doesn't mean you have to use it 🙂

Mine does too (when I'm on night shift anyway), and it gets used once
in the week to go to the shops and back (the shops and back being a
60km round trip, and my panniers not being large enough)

Quoted message said:

and I think I am going to have to fit in some sort of exercise to make
up for the 8 hours or so of cardio a week that I will no longer get. I
guess I am going to have to make a concerted effort to ride more on the
weekends to make up for it.

I hope you have better luck than me. The other thing work provided
was a bus, which *is* a serious disincentive to ride.

--
TimC
The stereotypical Islay is like chewing on a well-preserved rowing
boat, spiced up with seaweed, whereas the 20yo Laddie is more like
relishing a gourmet meal in said rowing boat. -- Ingvar in ASR

Gags said:

I start a new job next week and due to its location I do not think I will be
able to ride to work anymore. I am catching the train into the city
tomorrow so that I can down a few beers at my farewell lunch so therefore
today was my last cycle commute for the forseeable future. I can appreciate
the pucture god's sense of irony as they decided to give me one last flat
tyre when I was only about 2 km or so from home!!! I really couldn't be
arsed fixing it and as my wife's work was only about 500m away and it was
just after 1730h I got her to pick me up and drive me the last couple of km
home.

I have been riding to work for almost 8 years now and I am honestly going to
miss being able to ride every weekday. In the past 8 years I have not kept
an exact total of how many km I have done (too many bikes, some without
speedos) but I have always had to ride approx 20km or so each way and if I
use 45 weeks per year (to allow for leave and the occasional week away for
work) that makes a ballpark figure of 40kmm x 5days/week x 45weeks/year x
8years = 72,000km (approx).

My new package includes a car so I am going to have to get used to driving
again and I think I am going to have to fit in some sort of exercise to make
up for the 8 hours or so of cardio a week that I will no longer get. I
guess I am going to have to make a concerted effort to ride more on the
weekends to make up for it.

Cheers,

Gags

I work at home in my own sit down job doing electronic work.

After a long break from cycling and racing about 20 years ago, I began
to ride again
nearly 2 years ago.
I bought a new Cateye to measure miles, and I am doing 200km a week
just to stay fit and maintain my weight that I was at 25, about 76
kilos.
During the 15 year break I went up to 96 kilos.
I got from 96 to 76 kilos in 4 months.
I'm 61, and enjoy the rides, don't want to race in a bunch, but can
easily
get my age standard for the 40km time trial now.
I couldn't do that at age 40.

I find I cannot hang on to the local veterans in a bunch training ride
dominated
by 40 yr olds who ride as fast as i did 20 years back.

But I also find I ride faster than nearly all the local Pedal Power
riders and I really don't fit in anywhere.

I do like riding with one or two I know a bit, but I am quite
happy doing 100k+ way out on country roads around Canberra on my own,
no [censored] in fornt, and nobody hanging on my wheel, just the open road and
nobody to bug me.

So don't worry, you really only need about 100km a week
to stay pretty fit. Speed don't matter, take it easy.
I am doing about 3 rides about 70km each week, which ties me up for 3
hours.
I enjoy feeling 31 again.

Very few ppl like to hang on my wheel....

Patrick Turner.