Mary,
Up until now, I was not able to balance riding and working in the business. It probably doesn't have anything to do with being in the business that I don't ride much. It has to do with I enjoy my work more than riding. Since joining up with the vintage crowd, I moved up from not riding at all to riding once or twice per month for a total of 25 to 50 miles per month. I have recently stepped up the program and may try for 100 miles per week. I rely heavily on my friends to get me on the bike, since I don't ride alone much anymore. I used to do it a lot. My new situation will allow me a bit more free time to ride a little during the week. Craig is seeing to that.
I went out for 25 the other day with Pergolizzi. It was like going out for a motorpaced ride. John has one speed. It was all I could do to suck wheel most of the way, only to get dropped on the one climb. Riding with John is like trying to draft a bowling ball that has been let loose on the freeway while driving 80 mph (around here that's known as "freeway bowling"). It's a 25 mile two man time trial, except I never see the front. Great workout. You have to make time to ride. Good weather and good friends help a lot.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
Chuck,
My husband made a similar career move 5 years ago. Only it was trains, not bikes. Been in the hobby since he was 3. Now he has a successful business (not making much money, but very happy). I worry tho', that he has no time for himself and his own personal model trains. Like us and our bikes, trains are such a source of relaxation to him. So far he has not "burned out", but I wonder how long it will last.
Any suggestions for this situation? How do you guys manage to ride as well as work in the business? How do you manage the balancing act? FYI, I think part of the problem is that he runs the business out of our home-can't afford rent elsewhere yet. Brian? Dale? Anyone else?
Mary Kaminski Philly, PA
>
>Conundrum:
>
>Guys (term for both men and women) start riding a bike and pretty soon
>they're hooked (happens to only a small percent however). It takes over
>their lives and they decide that it would be even better if their
>work/job was bikes too, so they find a job in the bike "industry", and
>pretty soon they are no longer riding their bikes.
>
>Strange, huh?
>
>Chuck Schmidt
>South Pasadena, Southern California