My weak point for bike racing is intensity. I can ride for days.
The main issue I have with the trainer is my dislike of working out indoors.

The winter of 2010-11 was rough in the NE given the amount of snow so I spent all of January on the trainer. LOTR movies got me through the longer sessions.

I've done that. Krull was another one.

[COLOR=#222222][FONT=Times]I drive 50+ miles each way to work. On paper, I guess it's not impossible to consider riding, but I think I would rather be able to have a little time to sleep at night.
I have considered driving 3/4 and riding the rest though.
So, I guess I just validated your point.

I envy anyone who is dedicated enough to maintain this kind of schedule. I do pre-dawn, pre-breakfast rides three weekdays a week (and on the occasional weekend morning too). It's helped to preserve a certain level of cycling fitness, but it has also affected my sleep, and for the worse. Even on mornings off the bike, I can rarely sleep past 5:15am.

(I don't do nighttime workouts, because (a) they are the opposite of relaxing; (b) I have to shepherd my kids off to bed; and (c) I have beer to drink.)

I do occasionally wonder whether a daily average reduction of 1.5 hours of sleep is, on balance, good for my health and well-being.

It's all about balance and choice. People who choose to have a career aren't saying they don't want to be with their kids. They're saying they recognize the financial flexibility that their career will bring them and their children down the road. College isn't free, a nice house isn't free and people who are in their 20s, 30s and early 40s today aren't going to have the same economic benefits in that the likelihood that their retirement plans, investments, etc. will skyrocket as they did over the previous decades is slim. All that's to say that for most people working hard and being time crunched is a necessity, whether they like it or not.

You are way off base, friend. And I don't mean for Leave. I believe you owe hhnngg1 and many other parents on this board a huge apology.

I think a lot of it has to do with the attitude each spouse has towards letting the other have some "me time". Even with small kids my wife and I have understood we each need to get out and do our own thing. Unfortunately not everybody thinks the same way. I have a friend that lets us know he's going to "pay for it" when we spend a couple hours out at night during the week, yet his wife takes long weekends with the girls.

Totally different argument.

2-3 20 mile rides at 6:30, when wife is home. One big ride 50+ on weekends, when I am off. Like to mix in a little Mtb riding when I get tired of routine.

I know some guys like that. I met my wife later in life and we both had our own lives. Now that we share a life together it doesnt mean the past interest or hobbies must dissolve in a soup of huggy-kiss's, you dont love me if you dont do everything with me quicksand. Some of the things she wants to do, I have no interest in and vise vera. We both like to ride and thats aplus and we spend alot of quality time with the child and her hobbies sports.

Why is this an issue ....? Wouldn't riding the bike come before your kids? I mean, especially at that age, would they even notice you were gone for several hours?

I was a stay-at-home dad for awhile. It meant that I could drop off kids at school, go for a ride, come back for lunch, do some house or yard work, then pick up the kids and do the whole homework-practice-get dinner ready thing. That was pretty nice, actually. I wish we could still afford to do it.

Now, I'm back to a 9-5 job and I'll either leave early, ride at lunch, or take a detour on the way home. Do what it takes to make it work.

I got out this morning a little later than I wanted and hammered out 100km. A lot faster than the intended 160km, but the workout I got was probably better. Longer does not always equal better. I also go to spend most of the day with the kids. You can do both if you time it right.

I used to take our youngest on 3 hr rides in a trailer for her naps. But I always did commute, too.

i both agree and disagree with you here. being a mom is a 24/7 job, after a long day digging holes you at least get a 16hr break. not only is housewife mentally taxing but is physically as well, sure the levels of physical exertion aren't the same, but when you add in mental exhaustion and its a recipe for a physical/mental toll. but more to the point, I was comparing my wife's "job" to mine, I'm an IT nerd, I sit and type/read all day for living.

Get one of these, then when I get back from a long ride, I pull out this heavy thing and my mountain bike and tow them around for 6 miles, they work a little, I work alot, wife gets some alone time and everyone is happy...

OMG yes thank you!! what is this 1950??

People need to really wake up and realize what society they are living in... and when they have FIRM grasp on that part they can then move on to adding/considering that EVERYONE's household is extremely different. Different from the household 3 houses from them, two blocks away, the next town over, the next county, state and so on. But you are right... not the forum for discussion.

We are in the opposite boat. We love our preschool. It's not a daycare though an actual academic program. Our daughter is 2 1/2 now and has done great. We think it is good to learn the social skills early, and to get used to an academic environment early. That's just us though.

Strangely enough we have encountered an interesting phenomenon, folks who treat us oddly since my wife is a stay at home mother. What the hell has this to do with cycling?

Anyhow, I have a Burley, a tag along, and three kids bikes. Now all I need is a dual seat Burley for when the next kid is 1 year old.