[MMcG]

I feel so pathetic this spring. I've yet to do one real true good solid, decent road or mountain bike ride. Yeah I've done a few short rides here and there, but nothing of substance.

I need to carve out a niche of time to get out there.

What do you Monkeys do to make time or find time to get out and ride?

I often need to travel to meetings during the work day - so commuting is difficulty (and no shower here and I sweat like a mofo).

Weekends are usually busy with sporting events for my sons and they always come first.

I guess I need to get my ass out of bed and start riding before work on a regular basis, and then squeezing as much after work riding in as I can (but then again the kids have baseball practice etc. etc.).

Lunchtime riding? Then again - no shower and they changed policy to only giving us a half hour for lunch (sucks). I just can't see those baby wipes getting the job done during the months of June, July and August around here.

So any tips? Should I start riding at night with lights? But if I did that it would probably have to be solo - and that's not so great. Unless some of my RM friends would like to get out at night a little bit (IAB??).


I have a 50 mile road ride in less than a month and I'm in piss poor riding shape. I'm in such poor riding shape, I don't even know how bad it is because I haven't gone on long enough a ride to find out!



Or am I just making excuses? I Probably am to a certain degree aren't I?

 

[Echo]

Commute!

 

[MMcG]

Commute!

I have to go to off site meetings usually twice a week, if not more.

how would I work that out??

Do you guys have showers at Xerox that you can use to get ready for work after you commute in?

 

[SkaredShtles]

Riding before work is a good option. Especially when it starts getting hot during the day.

 

[Echo]

I just take a shower before I start, and that generally wards off the stink enough to keep from being totally offensive to co-workers. It's only a 35-40 minute ride anyway.

As far as meetings, well... try to imagine what you would do if cars were not an option.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

MMcG weather forecast is for "possible rain" all this week.

but pick a night and we'll go to the res after work.

Tell them how close you work to a great riding spot!

 

[MMcG]

I just take a shower before I start, and that generally wards off the stink enough to keep from being totally offensive to co-workers. It's only a 35-40 minute ride anyway.

As far as meetings, well... try to imagine what you would do if cars were not an option.

I know what I'd do - now try convicing the people on the other end.

 

[MMcG]

MMcG weather forecast is for "possible rain" all this week.

but pick a night and we'll go to the res after work.

Tell them how close you work to a great riding spot!

That's what's killin me - I work so close and I haven't been to the Reservoir once yet. ARGH!

 

[Westy]

Get your boys into riding, kill two birds with one stone on the weekends.

 

[douglas]

morning rides or commute atan easy pace on non meeting days - mornings are still on the cold side, plus going slow will keep you from sweating
(worry about June, etc when it gets here)

what time do you leave for work?
how long would your commute be? are these meetigs scheduled in advance?

and yes, ride at night solo- do a hour w/no stops (great way to get in shape being you wont be stopping to chat or wait for someone)

 

[jacksonpt]

I've gotten to the poitn where I always have at least 1 bike (and the appropriate gear) with me at all times... that way if even a small gap opens in my schedule, I'm ready to go.

I ride on lunch breaks, after kids go to bed, while they are napping... any chance I get. I don't have time to plan out long rides with other folks... I just hop on the bike any chance I get and ride for as long as possible.

 

[narlus]

it's certainly not easy...as you mention, weekends are getting filled up w/ kid activities for me too, and otis isn't even doing any yet. i try to pick one night a week after work, and get in one ride on a weekend, if i can swing it w/ my wife. it all depends on what else is going on.

 

[MMcG]

Get your boys into riding, kill two birds with one stone on the weekends.

Liam is into it - Connor, not so much. But I'm working on him slowly but surely.

 

[MMcG]

I think that might be the ticket jackson - to ride when I can, even if it means solo, and then those group ride days are just bonus days.

 

[jacksonpt]

I think that might be the ticket jackson - to ride when I can, even if it means solo, and then those group ride days are just bonus days.

yep, that's exactly it. I've had 1 ride this year longer than 90 minutes and one group ride (as it turns out, they were the same ride). Most of my rides are at lunch (I sweat a ton too, but have gotten the hang of not stinking people out of my building) and after work when I can... usually only for an hour or so.

There's some good points to riding solo... you can pick your own routes, no waiting for slower riders or holding back faster riders... breaks if/when you want them. The only real downside to solo riding is what a pain it is to get pics of yourself in action.

 

[sanjuro]

Discpline and maximizing your ride time.

Riding at whatever time you have available. If it is getting up at 5am to ride, then so be it. Probably better than a 9pm night ride.

Maximizing your ride time is key. A 2 hour, 25 mile soft pedal is probably not the best use of your time. Obviously you want to do hillwork or intervals in 2 or 3 rides a week you can do.

 

[pixelninja]

Do what I do and get up at 4 am. That's what I plan on doing tomorrow morning, if it isn't raining.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

The only real downside to solo riding is what a pain it is to get pics of yourself in action.

LOL!!!

 

[jacksonpt]

LOL!!!

It's true... try it sometime. Setting up the camera, running back to your bike, then getting in a good spot for the camera all before the timer goes off is as good a workout as the actual ride is.

 

[SkaredShtles]

It's true... try it sometime. Setting up the camera, running back to your bike, then getting in a good spot for the camera all before the timer goes off is as good a workout as the actual ride is.

You could always do what I do:

Don't take a camera.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Mark, just let us know when you are free for a ride and we'll be there. Obviously it's easier for us to rearrange our schedules than it is for you. I'm up at 5:00AM and out the door at 6:00, so morning rides are probably out.

I would love to do some night rides. I bought those lights from BikeGeek and have used them once. Thank god for 24 hour races or I would not use them at all.

 

[stinkyboy]

Getting divorced on a regular basis frees up a lot of ride time otherwise wasted at an art gallery, "talking", shopping for things other than bike parts, suffering through another bad movie, etc.

 

[JRogers]

Half an hour for lunch? What is this, red China?

 

[The Toninator]

Get your boys into riding, kill two birds with one stone on the weekends.

so violent westy. so violent. spot the hate, forgive each other.

The place i ride is in-between my office and my apt for it's very convenient for me to swing by the park on my way home. It actually used to be quicker but theres lots of construction now.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

Getting divorced on a regular basis frees up a lot of ride time otherwise wasted at an art gallery, "talking", shopping for things other than bike parts, suffering through another bad movie, etc.

WTF?:mumble:

 

[MMcG]

WTF?:mumble:

what do you expect from a stinkyboy post MBC?

 

[stinkyboy]

what do you expect from a stinkyboy post MBC?

Just never ask me for relationship advice...

 

[kidwoo]

Getting divorced on a regular basis frees up a lot of ride time

Fo sho.

Drowning your children in the bathtub helps too.

I love hearing from people that they have no time to ride (not saying this is mmcg) but then talk about their favorite tv shows.

You have to want to ride. This is clear in my head, so I ride several times a week not including winter/ski periods.

 

[MMcG]

Yessss!

I got out for a good half hour on some trails down the street from my house!

I think this photo speaks for itself

 

[Snacks]

Getting divorced on a regular basis frees up a lot of ride time otherwise wasted at an art gallery, "talking", shopping for things other than bike parts, suffering through another bad movie, etc.

Hahahah.....It's sad but prolly trueink:

I'm lucky, or maybe it's my b/f that's lucky...we both ride, and we both enjoy riding together. I'll ride alone if he's too busy, but we also don't have kids and that free's up alot of time

 

[douglas]

Yessss!

I got out for a good half hour on some trails down the street from my house!

I think this photo speaks for itself

damn dude, you got some big tires

 

[stosh]

Hey Mark, my secret to riding is I just set aside 2 days a week, for me it's Tues. Thurs. and I say every week thoes are the 2 days I ride. Most weeks I do both days, and as an added treat I ride on the weekends as much as possible.

 

[stosh]

PS. what do you think of the twenty nine inch tires?

 

[TreeSaw]

We basically set aside a night to ride (each solo or with other riding buddies) and one night to ride together. Right now we're lucky because we have great babysitters and Syd is so little her schedule is easy. I would go with Jackson's suggestion. Always have a bike and gear with you and when you can, get out and spin. You don't have to go out and work up a heavy sweat during lunch, just ride around town to do your errands and stuff.

 

[MMcG]

PS. what do you think of the twenty nine inch tires?

Those are WTB Exiwolf 2.35s - not quite a true 2.35, but nice air volume - they worked great today.

 

[stosh]

Those are WTB Exiwolf 2.35s - not quite a true 2.35, but nice air volume - they worked great today.

I should have been more general in my question. What do you think of riding a 29" bike?

 

[JohnE]

I start working on my bikes. Cleaning, re-setting things and generally staring at them wistfully. Then I get cranky and short tempered. This tells my wife that I either need a ride or sex, and I usually get one or the other, sometimes both!
Commuting is just not the same, no time to thrash or get dirty, just get to work and get home. It turns into part of the job then, which automatically makes it no fun.

 

[chicodude]

How do I make time for rides?


I do as any irresponsible 17 year old would do.


I don't go to school/skip out on homework.

 

[JohnE]

Attaboy! Keep at it for all us married types...

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Bike more for errands. I hook up the Bob and pedal into town if I need lawnmower gas.

Stash a bike at work and use the half hour you have for lunch to wander the neighborhood.

Set up a two bit jump in your back yard and practice on it every odd moment you have.

Drag the bike along when you visit the in-laws and escape for a few hours.