Originally Posted by
tarwheel
When my office moved downtown 3 years ago, I wasn't sure if I could continue bike commuting. My one-way commute increased from about 10 miles to 15 miles, with a lot of hills and traffic lights in the extra 5 miles. I continued riding and it wasn't as grueling as I expected. However, I am much more likely to drive now if the weather is sketchy because I don't want to spend 2+ hours slogging through pouring rain, thick fog, high winds, etc. We've had a lot of cruddy weather this year, so my commuting frequency is down, but I'll still end up with more miles than ever except for last year.
I'm wondering now how I will cope with retirement, which will be in about 4 years if all goes to plan. It seems like it will be harder to motivate myself to ride 30+ miles nearly every day when I don't have to ride to work.
I know some guys pushing 70 that ride all the time. Sometimes I'll get a little jealous because they'll be planning some fabulous ride on a Tuesday morning and I have to work. It's a ways off for me and it'll come down to how much I enjoy riding at that point in my life and whether or not there are health issues getting in the way.
There are lots of things I'd like to do more of that I can't because of work and family obligations. In some ways I feel like once I reach retirement, the sky will be the limit.