Originally Posted by
Drew Eckhardt
It takes at least 6-8 hours a week riding to be in decent shape although more is better
To be most pleasant that must be
1. During daylight
2. Not overlapping typical commuting hours
which suggests some time in the middle of the day. I try to ride a couple of hours around 2pm (long enough after breakfast to finish work projects, long enough after lunch to not puke).
The schedule flexibility for that is most likely in a "middle class" job.
Cycling is also somewhat social. Working in that sort of job you're more likely to be exposed to other cyclists.
The guys who work Grave shift at my job are the ones who have time to go riding during the daylight hours year round. While there are some middle class grave shift jobs, it's the 9-to-5 crowd who would struggle to find time to get out.