What to do with all your time?

westv

Slinky said:

Having read this whole thread over the past few days, I haven't seen anybody mention litter picking. It's easy to do either on your own or with an organised group, gets you out in the fresh air, does some good for the environment, and is good exercise. Councils are always short of money now and a lot of places don't have regular cleaning anymore. It may not be our litter, but it is our planet. Be the change you want to see.

That's a rubbish idea.


 

I'll get my coat.

4500_Donavan

westv said:

Slinky said:

Having read this whole thread over the past few days, I haven't seen anybody mention litter picking. It's easy to do either on your own or with an organised group, gets you out in the fresh air, does some good for the environment, and is good exercise. Councils are always short of money now and a lot of places don't have regular cleaning anymore. It may not be our litter, but it is our planet. Be the change you want to see.

That's a rubbish idea.


 

I'll get my coat.

Stop trashing other people's ideas!

bjorn_toby_wilde

Slinky said:

Having read this whole thread over the past few days, I haven't seen anybody mention litter picking. It's easy to do either on your own or with an organised group, gets you out in the fresh air, does some good for the environment, and is good exercise. Councils are always short of money now and a lot of places don't have regular cleaning anymore. It may not be our litter, but it is our planet. Be the change you want to see.

Yep. Do this regularly.

There’s a local group who provide bags, grabbers, etc. and you just drop the full bags by the council bins for collection.

bjorn_toby_wilde

MallyGirl said:

german_keeper said:

I have signed up for Trek26 with my sister and brother in law at the end of May. It is a 26 mile walk in aid of Alzheimers Society and we have chosen the Ullswater one. I have done a lot of walking since I retired, often walk with a mate in the morning and wife in the afternoon. But preparing for this has made me broaden my horizons a bit and instead of doing fairly easy local walks we have been going further afield and doing some hillier ones.

There are loads of different walks under Trek 26 and we are making a weekend of it in an AirBNB. I can see us signing up every year and trying different ones. Preparation should keep us busy and also see a lot more of our Great British countryside.

We did the Ullswater 26 miler for Macmillan last year. It was tough as the weather was dire. I ran a marathon the year before - first and possibly last ever - and I thought that the walk was harder!
For various reasons we didn't do as much training as we would have liked - definitely get plenty of hills practice in. I also recommend walking poles if it is wet as it was quite slippery in places. It was a great experience and well organised for us - I expect yours will be the same.

They’re great events and really well organised.  I did the Ashbourne to Buxton event a couple of years ago with my two lads. A great day out and for a good cause. They moved the starting point for logistical reasons and it ended up closer to 29 miles. I certainly knew I’d done it!

cfw1994

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

pterri said:

Moonwolf said:

Sarahspangles said:

I joined the gym 18 months ago, OH then signed up “to keep me company” but found he loves particular classes. Mon-Fri this week he’ll have done three Pilates classes, two yoga, one circuit and three long cycle rides with friends of 3 to 5 hours. The yoga is all I will have done, I need to manage his expectations that I am going to match this from day one of retirement!

I gave up road cycling after a couple of near misses and being put on anti-coagulants, just feels too risky now.  Just one example of how health can hit you.

I still road and parkrun and use the rowing machine at the gym.  I also do a few weights but I will look for a yoga or pilates class when I retire as I have to do something about my hips, my working weight for squats is the same as my chest press as I don't have the mobility.

Me of the many reasons I want to retire early is to enjoy my new found love of cycling while I can. 57, good health, I can do 100km without much difficulty (if not very hilly) and want to do more including tours. Inexpensive as well. I’ve got a slight well managed BP issue so yes, need to keep on top of fitness. My dad lived to 83, was an ex heavy smoker until his 40s, over weight and never saw him excercise. Hopefully my much healthier lifestyle will give me a few more years or at least the same years but fitter. 

You might like Audax. It’s basically long distance cycling but starts from 50km rides upwards. They’re self guided using a route card or gps and self supported. Basically you ride at your own pace, with friends or on your own.  There are usually cafe stops and food at the end, all organised by volunteers.

Every weekend and some weekdays there are Audaxes to ride all over the country. Take a look at the Audax UK website and you’ll probably find one locally to try. You don’t have to be a member and I find they’re a good way to explore other places. I know every lane near me like the back of my hand so it’s nice to ride somewhere new.

I did an Audax a few years ago with a pal…think it was about 60km.
I’m not saying I’m slow, but the only ones finishing after us were a pair of octogenarians….& they had needed to stop to fix a puncture 🤣

I’m happy cycling on quiet roads - use cycle.travel to plan routes, it is BRILLIANT 😎  I used it to plan my LEJoG, had a fantastically quiet ride.
One safety device I invested in was a Garmin Varia - essentially a rear radar that notifies your Garmin or Wahoo handlebar device when cars approach.  Just amazing.   An expensive gadget, but I rad a few reviews, & everyone who tried it would not ride again without it 💪 It lets you know how fast cars are approaching (by colour) and how many….if I am approaching a hill or corner, I would then wobble out a bit to dissuade overtaking 😉

Litter picking is a great idea…bumped into a fella I worked with 30 years ago after a gig a couple of years back: asked what he was up to & he said he does a lot of litter picking👍

Never been keen on running, but well done to those who do 💪

ali_bear

Hm yeh. I wouldn't brag about deliberately obstructing the road in overtaking situations. Just saying. 

barnstar2077

Personally I always do the opposite, as a cyclist I am so vulnerable that I will often stop before tight corners and wait till there isn't any traffic coming to go.  As someone who has been hit by a car previously, the idea of getting my elbows out to dissuade overtakes seems somewhat fraught with danger! :  )

Storcko14

As per the Highway Code 2022 amends, most of the time the best position to take is the primary position which is essentially the middle of your lane.  If you stick too close to the kerb / edge it encourages close passes (driver thinks you're one dimensional and can squeeze past without allowing sufficient space - min 1.5m).  It can feel counter-intuitive but you don't want to spend too long thinking about the consequences of striking a kerb or other street furniture as a car passes half a metre away at 40mph.

pterri

Personally I think the 1.5tonne vehicle has the greater responsibility 

westv

pterri said:

Personally I think the 1.5tonne vehicle has the greater responsibility 

That's true but it's always best to take the route that will be least likely to involve an accident.