Advice for moving on from the obsessive types …
 

i’ve had a number of hobbies in my adult life - photography, scuba, computers, drones, cars, cycling. i typically get pretty deep into something, probably to a point of excess, and then get sated, back off, but maintain some connection to it. e.g. i still have tons of camera gear and love taking photos but don’t plan multiple trips a year solely for that purpose, often don’t bring the full rig to an event, don’t go to trade shows any more, etc.

the problem with cycling is that i haven’t reached that saturation point, but have to stop for health reasons. unlike other pastimes i’ve moved on from, i know i never got anywhere near the bottom of the rabbit hole. i think of the fantastic rides i’ve had and just want to do them again, and more, and others, and so on. i think about it pretty often, and it’s distracting and depressing.

so, there must be others who escaped the pull - without substituting some other equally athletic activity. is there a cheat code to stop loving cycling? is cold turkey better than cutting way way back?

Sorry to hear that. Is there no way you could use an ebike or other physical adaptation?

Start home brewing. You'll be too fat to ride seriously.

Have you tried sailing?

what is the one about a hole in the water … ?!?

but seriously, despite living in a place a lot of people sail, with lots of water, it’s never appealed to me.

it’s complicated but the short answer is, not in a way i’d find satisfying and safe. one or the other. i do have a nice road e-bike. commuting is fine.

Please don’t be offended, but I suspect the problem is not with cycling but with the cyclist.

Can you take up swimming? The pool is quite forgiving on the body.

If you're looking for an alternative to cycling that can give you a decent workout (unlike, e.g., most recreational sailing), and you're in an area with lots of water, maybe consider an ocean kayak. You can get your feet wet, so to speak, with a cheap (200 bucks?) but decent inflatable ocean kayak, electric pump, paddle, and a life jacket.

Many years ago I got stuck with no vehicles to get to work. My Subaru was getting heads and transmission reworked and would be down for a few weeks. Hey, no problem. With a few modifications my bicycle was on the road to work. I got the car back on time yet still continued with my bike till winter. What I am saying is that no matter what ya get into that bicycle, and how you know how to use it, is a survival skill at the very least...

I suggest golf. It has a deeper rabbit hole than cycling and there are some nice courses / country clubs in your area. If you have not played as a kid, it is hard to learn but certainly doable. And great for business outings with clients.

no offense, at all. it’s a quandary. basically all cardio is out, or risky at least. if i was satisfied to ghost pedal an e-bike there would be no problem with them, but i find it deeply unsatisfying and impossible to not go a little harder every time. if i didn’t have kids i’d absolutely just say F it, i love doing it and will accept the ongoing or occasional catastrophe.

the “decent workout” part is the problem. that’s a big part of what’s satisfying to me about cycling (i know others engage it in different ways) and that’s the part that’s bad for me.

golf is actually not a terrible suggestion. my friends golf, it’s not actually exercise. it is a pretty deep rabbit hole. unfortunately i’ve never enjoyed it but maybe i could learn to?

Last year I was lusting first after a new road bike, and then short of that new aero wheels. But my age disabused me of that desire. My current bike I've been riding for 20 years now, and yet it weighs all of 16 pounds, but at 70 there is no way I'll get the price/use ratio like that. If I can ride a decent pace for just a few more years I'll be happy.

I still want to TRY aero wheels on my bike to see if it'll make a difference, but no longer willing to spend $1k+ to find out. With rim brakes and Campy drivetrain it is unlikely I'd find someone to borrow from even for a quick test.

As for photography, I was never really into it but I inherited a Mamiya 645 AFD camera. Wow. I never knew I could take pictures like that. I felt like I'd taken some pro level shots, but maybe that's why the pros all used medium format. It's kept me busy. I've so far bought a tele lens for it and a TTL flash. My first shots were at my son's wedding and a flash would've been very helpful. He hired a real pro so no problem. I'm still looking for a good wide angle but those get relatively expensive.

getting back into photography isn’t a terrible idea, i really enjoy it and already have 20+ nice lenses, a great state of the art body etc. idk, maybe i should get a high powered gravel e-bike and kit it out as a photography transport ….

Sorry to hear that your health has forced another hiatus from cycling.

I don't think I can stop loving cycling, unless maybe if I am forced to ride only on grossly sub-par bicycles? To me, cycling represents a type of freedom and Zen that I have only also experienced during performance driving. But rarely with the driving school car, only with my own. You mention cars as a hobby; perhaps track driving is an option to explore? Sonoma Raceway is somewhat close to SF. Otherwise (or maybe also) travel may bring a similar sense of wonderment?

You've had some good suggestions, so maybe one of them will work out. I think I know how you're feeling. I was a runner for more than half a century. It was more than exercise. It was part of my identity. I had to give it up eight years ago because my knees just couldn't take it anymore. Constant knee pain, and limping around. I felt like I lost a part of myself when I couldn't run anymore. That's when I took up cycling, as a replacement for my running. I still miss being a runner, but I enjoy cycling, so it's worked out as a pretty good replacement. I hope you're able to find something to take the place of riding your bike.

I'll also mention that my knees are in better shape now than when I gave up running. The bike seems to be good for my bad knees.

If you're looking for a non-athletic addiction, chess is a very deep rabbit hole.

A low cardio but high effort activity is strength training - weight lifting. If there is a local Y or gym, you could start there. Besides doing weights is highly beneficial for people over 50 to retain muscle fitness and to help stave, or slow down, sarcopenia - muscle related wasting with age.

You could become a connoisseur of phonographic sound reproduction!

https://audiokarma.org/forums/styles...lies/music.gif

What do you like to shoot? I occasionally get burnt out (really get tired of the post-processing), but usually after a short break I'm back in and happy. What I'm getting at is maybe change up your subjects. Chase after birds or other wildlife. Or kids sports. Car racing - you have some great tracks near you. Or aviation. I shoot informally for two high school hockey teams and two D3 college hockey teams. It's really satisfying to give these kids and families images they wouldn't otherwise have. And it makes the winter fly by.

Mark

landscapes and architecture mostly, but also wildlife, candid portraits, etc. landscape drove a lot of travel, but birds, wildlife, kids… could be interesting again.

i like post a lot, unless the backlog gets too big.

I’ve started doing a bit of that, the quick gains are satisfying! probably worth doing no matter what, for all its’ own reasons rather than to try and help quit riding.

Hiking is my go to, when I need a break from cycling. It's only a cardio workout if I want it to be. Distance can tame from four to twenty miles.

Yoga is a good starting point that should be a foundation/building block of any exercise program.

i’ve always wanted to get into yoga, found it somewhat difficult to stay focused and stick with it.

today i tried a ride that i’d have considered ghost pedaling a few years ago. 120w average and 90BPM average, 95BPM max. it was OK, just doesn’t really feel like exercise or give quite the same mental health boost. maybe i can make that work. still risky and extremely hard to not go harder uphill.

Mebe if you double or triple your distance the exercise component might happen.