Seven weeks from now I will be retired and I can start to realise some dreams. Or will they be nightmares? I have been made redundant but had planned to leave around now so the timing is good for me. At just 51 I am young enough to have a few years in me and I believe, hope, that I have sufficient funding. I should be fine. First really big target is the Great Divide a mountainbike route between Banff, Canada, to Antelope Wells on the Mexican / USA border. Race or tour? Not decided. Lets see how it goes.
Seven weeks
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 14:21
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Cayo 2 hours ago
re: occasions when police needlessly pavement park... You only need to watch Police Interceptors and the like to see how unbothered they are. Usually, when they pull over a motorist, said driver mounts the pavement (and cop often does the same), yet there's never any mention of the illegality* or needless manner of their parking. (*Highway Code infraction, even if not against the law in the location being shown). I'm very much pro-Police, but that particular issue only serves to normalise pavement parking.
Cayo 2 hours ago
(Before the days of blatent angle grinder use) At my first job, my boss wouldn't allow me to bring my bike indoors, despite there being room. I had to lock it to the railings on a busy street. Came out one night to find it still there... but with signs of attempted theft. Unable to defeat the lock, they'd cut my cables (clearly with proper cutters), purely out of spite😠 Nothing missing - they'd just been petty. At least it persuaded my boss to relent: bike was indoors after that.
leedorney 3 hours ago
I can only guess what it's been like in Europe but it's been hot in the UK for 2nd time right now, 1st time hot now similar tho after the 1st that got you used to it with a smack in the face. I said to a friend, after I rode in the day when it was about 25'c air temp when riding, it saps your energy, tho I used to race in the evenings with high temps 🤷
Jigzy99 3 hours ago
Enjoyed this and might go down the same route. My Tripster AT is 8 years old in Arran Blue, still gets comments. It’s my no.2 bike - 650B wheels it’s a MTB, 700c it’s commuter, tourer and winter road bike. Just a bit bored of it!
Pub bike 4 hours ago
@chrisonabike And just imagine if you have a dynamo as well what the maths looks like.
Pub bike 4 hours ago
@chrisonabike You can vary the assistance level on an e-bike so does that mean you can be for example 75% cyclist and 25% motorcyclist?
quiff 4 hours ago
This bike is on grass, what's it doing on road.cc, etc etc
quiff 4 hours ago
But I should have added I enjoyed this piece (pee-ce?)
quiff 4 hours ago
@Jack Sexty that was an intentional (if obtuse) nod to another typo in the article: "Expect this time, I couldn’t even wave an angry fist..."
AidanR 5 hours ago
E-bike as only an EPAC might be common parlance amongst cyclists, but I really don't think it is limited to that amongst much of the general public. That's why you get terms like "illegal e-bikes" that the above article rails against. The article claims that the term e-bike is being used incorrectly. It isn't. If people are going to be pedantic about terminology, they ought to be right.
4 thoughts on “Seven weeks”
Best of luck Blackhound, a
Best of luck Blackhound, a world of riding awaits!
I am in the same situation
I am in the same situation Blackhound, although not quite retired, I was made redundant about 6 weeks ago, but I’m fairly financially stable (no mortgage or debts), so I’m aiming to get into the bike industry, but am finding it hard to be in a great rush.
We’ll have to get together for that ride we talked about last year, before I end up finding myself employment. Early retirement is calling me, but at 45 it may be just a bit too early.
My best mate is yearning to do the Great Divide too, he did the Cape Epic a few years ago (before they made it easy he likes to point out!), and thinks this is his next big one, so best of luck if you do decide to do it.
Kevin, is that you ?
If not
Kevin, is that you ?
If not then never mind :-0
if it is well
how much of a coincidence !
I’m being made redundant at some point in the next year and intending to take a year off, Great Divide is top of my list, followed by a very wiggly LEJOG, and then looking for work
If things work out I’m looking to go at the end of April next year, hopefully see you on the trail 🙂
I’m in exactly the opposite
I’m in exactly the opposite position. After being made redundant last year I took full advantage of the extra free time I had by riding at every opportunity – mainly to prepare for this summer’s Race Against Time LEJOG, which was one of the best experiences of my life.
Now, perhaps partly because I spent a little too much time cycling and not enough earning money, I’m contemplating a sheepish return to the job market and an almost inevitable falling away of cycling opportunities. Ah well, no regrets…I wouldn’t have swapped this last year for anything.