It's college football season (Go Hokies). My Saturdays are now occupied. My work schedule is about to eliminate my longer Friday rides (was getting off work at 12 on Fridays during the summer). So.... I'm basically down to riding on Sunday. It's been raining too much here for riding this weekend... soooo no riding.

I rode Thursday. Does that count?

I rode to the house of the girl I'm dating.. She lives less than a mile away. I'm going to be ridign this week with a co-worker, so I shoudl log a few miles. Once the heat breaks, I'm looking to do at least 100 a week.

:thumb: Some great responses here!

I love hunting for and fixing up older bikes, but for me, it wouldn't be quite as satisfying without riding them afterwards. Seems like the yin and the yang, they just go together so well. I love riding, but sometimes I feel a bike isn't quite "mine" until I put a bit of work into it.

I would like to wrench but unless I have an issue w/ one of my bikes, I just keep riding them as is ( I do keep them clean and lubed though). Last winter I sent my Mclean off for repainting and used that opportunity to service the headset, BB, and hubs. I will probably pick another this winter and do the same (not the repainting part, just service).
Oh yeah, ~40 miles on the Merckx on sun., very nice ride and riding!

With limited time recently I much prefer riding. I moved some bikes around yesterday, getting a bit more stuff stashed in the attic above the garage, and gettng closer to fitting the car back in the garage. When the snow is flying I plan to spend some time in the basement working on one of the half dozen project bikes.

Didn't get nearly the riding in that I would have liked, but I did clock in about 20 or so between Sunday and Monday.

+1.

In terms of time spent (from most to least) it would probably be:

1. studying and researching bikes
2. wrenching
3. wandering around my bikes and parts, deciding on the next project
4. searching and finding bikes
5. riding

Most of the riding I do consists of test and shakedown rides rides. I often feel that "just riding" gets in the way of the next interesting project ...

Wrenching is what I do and things have picked up since I got back and many of my little rides take me to the co-op where I help people with their wrenching.

I always make sure I ride at least 20 km a day and yesterday did 40, and did 40 before that... we are going on a 140km ride on Sunday which should be really enjoyable if the weather stays as nice as it is.

I'll take 80F days in September, especially since we had so few of them this summer.

Ditto on randyjawa's reply.

65'er wrote:
Something's not right here. You reported distances in km but you listed temperature as 80F. Don't you mean 80degC? :)

I need to ride more, plus I need to wrench more, but I'd rather ride more than wrench, but this year has not been condusive to riding nor wrenching due to a variety of factors. Next year, maybe, and hopefully some for the rest of this year, hopefully.

We seem to have the same disease.

My back sucks too. As a matter fact, parts of my spine (titanium) are more modern than my bikes. I really love riding, but longer rides cause a pretty fair amount of pain. Most activities I enjoy do, though, so I grin and bear it. I am NOT looking forward to getting old. I'm way better at wrenching than riding. I'm suspect I have poor form and it's evident that I'm not fast. ;)

Nah, we're just developing a different set of muscles and cognitive skills, removing stuck seat posts and BB cups and knowing when a frame of our favorite brand was built without having to refer to any documentation.

I hear you loud and clear. I'm hoping to sort my back issues out, but my hunch is that it is going to be a lengthy and frustrating process before it's all said and dine. And thanks to those who expressed sympathy. It stinks not being to take advantage of a beautiful day in as beautiful a part of the world as I am fortunate to live in.

I've been riding for fifty years, and just began wrenching this summer. And am enjoying it more and more, but nothing like riding. Riding is living. I've also been dealing with chronic back issues for 30 of those years, mostly because I don't stop doing the things that would make it better. Better to be in some pain and having a good time than sitting at home healthy.

Sorry to hear that so many of you have back trouble. I guess there's back trouble and then there's back trouble. I have scoliosis, genetic of course. Mostly I just live with it and ignore it but occasionally it hurts, generally piriformis irritation, I think. An orthopedic surgeon I saw recently told me she was surprised I hadn't had trouble much earlier, that I had bone spurs on some vertebrae, some bone-bone contact, etc. But one thing I've found is that staying active is better than stopping. Yoga helps, or any exercise that strengthens and stretches the back. Had physical therapy a few times. The quickest way to start hurtin' is to stop moving.

I've found that biking doesn't hurt unless I get fatigued. It helps if I get off the saddle occasionally and push my pelvis forward to arch the lower back. A slightly shorter stem reach helps. And I keep the handlebar even with the saddle, not lower, because I can't stay hunched over but so long. My Gran sport is set up this way, one reason it's so comfortable. I'll run the drops in a stiff headwind but I can't stay there.

I'll say again: The quickest way to start hurtin' is to stop moving. I'd rather move. But everybody's problem is different.

All good advice, Jim. :thumb:

+1 on the yoga. 3 cracked vertebrae in my lower back in 2008. Been doing the "hot" yoga for about 1 1/2 now and it has done wonders for my flexibility and relief from back pain. Jim is correct, I notice my back more if I skip the exercise.

I'm getting my eyes opened here. And feeling some camaraderie. All of us broken up old farts. Four fractured vertebrae 5 years ago, and three 30 years ago. I feel lucky to even be able to get on my bikes anymore. Let alone walk. There's nothing quite like the feeling of riding a fine, well-tuned bicycle. Nothing like it. But I usually end up tinkering with them more at this stage in life. I love working on old machines. Like Jim sez, you 've got to keep moving. Rust never sleeps.

and ...like all of us know, sitting here in these chairs doesn't help much. The more I sit, the more I hurt. Been toying with the idea of mounting this computer so I can stand up while doing this. :)

Due to my sweetie's pushing I have a "walkstation" set up, a treadmill with platform for a computer. I work from home two days a week and this lets me (or I could say makes me) stand or walk instead of sitting for some hours every day I'm working from home. I ain't sayin' it's for everybody though.

Most (all?) of my back issues, these days, come from tennis, which I'm about to give up yet again. Since I started doing core strengthening exercises about a year and a half ago, the bike no longer bothers my back. I also have the handlebars even with the saddle, and ride mostly in the drops.

i like both, but riding is the first priority. If I don't ride after a few days get moody. That goes for any type of exercise. Gotta have it.

i'm also not a huge fan of wrenching WHILE riding. That usually means something broke :)

I've been considering making a mount for my tablet on my handlebars... but yeah.. probably I'd just kill myself.