Fifty Plus (50+) - Effect of Family Life/Work Status/SO or not on bicycling time and mileage

I read some folks who ride seemingly almost a century a day or thereabouts, while others are lucky to get in 100 miles per week.

Any thoughts?

Those of you who ride a high number of miles per week, or go for long, long rides (i.e., double century, brevets) - married? SO ride with you or doesn't care or encourages you? No SO? Retirees? Work? Children?

Interested in responses and viewpoints.

I'm getting in between 100 and 130 miles per week. My summer schedule is pretty free and I could possibly do more, but I'm a clyde as well, so I figure that's pretty good. But now that school's back in session and I'm back to teaching, it's more difficult to do that many miles. Luckily, I've been able to arrange my classes so that I've got enough time to keep up the 100 miles. We'll see how long that lasts. BTW, I've got a brother and a nephew who are both Cat-1 racers, so it's hard for me to be proud of my weekly totals, when they are equal to their daily totals!

My wife and I have an agreement. I ride every other day unless she has other plans and she always lets me know ahead of time.
Why every other day? My body needs it, I get a great cardio workout (my wife and docs like that), and Joe Friel says those over 50 (Cycling Past 50) should have a rest day between hard rides. I've tried riding hard every day but after the third day I needed a LONG rest. :o

Married 50 years. Wife takes care of the food and my bike clothes.
She says ride all day.
I met a retired group that rides 6 days every week. Wednesday is Off Day.

The group leader is a mechanic. He keeps my bike in shape.
All I have to do is pedal.

I have a new girlfriend who got me distracted. She hasn't been on a bike in 38 years, but I talked her into buying a cheap bike to start riding along on short trips. I need to build her up gradually and not overwhelm her. But to be truthful, she's kinda holding me back. Well, she's holding me back a LOT. Right now, I figure I need the companionship more than the big rides.

Problem: Winter's coming!

DnvrFox, In my adult life bicycling has always been one of my few optional activities. The few periods of time that I've been able to ride daily during the week, while cherished were far and few in between and scheduled around work and family (single parent).
Brad

I get in about 400 km per week.I'm working temporarily in Victoria, BC, with a new gf in Vancouver, a ferry ride away (where my house is), whom I often see on weekends. But she's not really into cycling or into opera, so I'm seriously considering dropping her. May get back with a previous gf (she invited me to the symphony tonite). Life gets complicated, but cycling is the constant, and the bicycle is dependable and constant, as long as I maintain it. Females, not so much, even with lots of maintenance. Hence, 400 km per week.

Luis

I ride 400 km per week as well. Some of it is on the road while working but most is at home. My wife and daughters have always been supportive of my cycling. It is part of who I am.

I get off around 5 and my wife usually doesn't leave work until 6:30-7:30. I can go for an hour or two and still make dinner. I'm used to getting up early so i'm out the door on sunday AM and have an hour or two behind me before she is even out of bed.

Did not cycle for 45years until last year. My choice to get ready for surgery. Lost weight, better health, low sugar/salt diet. Work was slow so i had time to ride a lot. So i worked it into my weekly routine. After surgery used cycling as a way to get back into shape so now my family is used to me going out about 3 times a week. If something comes up i get it done first before going out on the bike. If i don't feel like riding i don't.

Family have left home but work and my metabolism is stopping me from riding.

Used to get in a 50/60 at the weekends and a couple of hard 20 milers after work in the week. I find that the different type of work I am now doing is more tiring and I just don't feel like doing much after a days work. Occasionally the weekend ride gets cut to just a Pie Ride so losing fitness fast.

Saving grace is I retire within the next two years and after gardening- house maintenance and Seeing the grand children- I will have all the time in the world for Bike riding.

With 6K+ miles in so far this year & 5K+ average over the last 4, I'll chime in (& likely catch a few barbs after). I am fortunate to have a spouse who supports my cycling, as do both my daughters. They have accompanied me on numerous event rides, been my SAG for RAIN 3 times over the last 4 years as an example.
I work 50+ hours each week, and still keep up with a home, my daughters activities, my share of the chores around the house, including cooking the more than occasional dinner meal. It's hard to keep up, but I choose to do all these things, so if I'm a bit tired frequently, wish I had more time to read another book, go to a ball game, etc, that's my issue.
My wife and my daughters (both 14) realize that the riding maintains my sanity over a work situation that is highly stressful. My bride knows that the exercise keeps me fit and also helps deal with the more daily pressures of life. I am very aware of how lucky I am, but also they recognize that my cycling is a critical component of keeping me able to maintain this pace, keep me young, and a part of who I am.

I almost always ride with my wife which makes things easy. In fact, I would probably ride less if she didn't ride. But we are more like 100/week, not 100/day. Maybe I should switch to metric and start saying 160/week.

Despite work/family obligations I can usually manage three to four weekday training rides each week, but they're short (only around 10 miles). When the days get shorter its back to the wind trainer. Depending on my daughter's gymnastics meet schedule I can squeeze in a fast 20 to 25 mile ride on the weekends, but it seems that my days of frequent longer rides are over with for now. I'd like to do another century, but I just don't have the time to put the miles in.

Just a comment on this subject. Many of the 50+ high mileage riders in our group live in condos and apartments, thus no lawn or house to maintain. About this time of year with all the time spent on house and lawn I swear if someone shoved a contract for a condo in front of me I would sign it.

So for me home ownership impacts my riding time, a lot, as well as normal family demands.

Reminds me of the old racing cyclist category's explained, with each related to training time

Cat 1 - Car
Cat 2 - Car, Job
Cat 3 - Car, Job, Wife
Cat 4 - Car, Job, Wife, Kids
Cat 5 - Car, Job, Wife, Kids, House

SB

"My wife has learned that when I'm out riding she has one less child to deal with." --kbbpll
:beer:

SB, Perfectly logical list!

Braad

We don't own a car so we do ride quite a bit but not "long miles", the avg. for me is 100 miles a week, that includes, errand and food runs, rec. riding, etc. My wife also rides but she's still working full time with crappy hours (9am-6:30pm) mon-fri. She does ride a lot, she commutes to work every day, except mondays, (works 9 to 9) or if there's bad weather, (then she uses city bus) but her commute is only 2.5 miles each way so she's more like 50 miles a week. We mostly ride by ourselves but do some "local club rides/events", here and there but they have to "start" locally as without a car, you can't do the "throw the bike on the rack and start 50 miles from home" rides that seem to make up, a lot of "CLUB" rides here. Sometimes the limit's to riding isn't, TIME but FUNDS, the more your ride the more maint. and replacement parts the bikes need, we have a: Alpha bike and a Beta bike each so maint. cost's sometimes means I don't have the funds for constant long rides. Like most, my wife is "way" slower than myself but, I've found that IF you want your wife to be your main riding bud, you let HER set the pace and learn how to "spin", LOL! ;)

My wife drags me out the door to ride when I'm feeling lazy. She's the tough one. Riding with her is great.

I'm a daily rider, five days/week commuter and two 25 to 100 mile rides on the weekend. I've been doing this for the past three years (since moving back to the US from overseas). So far, my wife is relatively supportive and my teenage son has not needed a lot of my direct supervision (fingers crossed that this continues). On days when I have no particular ride scheduled, I try to get out at first light so that I am home with enough time to get errands and chores done. I also try to use our stationary bike if I'm going to be watching anything on tv.

I usually ride early in the morning when there is little traffic. Sometimes it is dark- I have lights, wet- I have rain gear and fenders, cold- I have lots of layers and Lake Winter biking boots, etc. The average ride is 20-30 miles with longer rides on the weekend. I guess I average 150-200 miles a week. I don't ride when there is ice on the road.