First time Dad - was your riding time restricted?
- Thread starter JTmofo
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slippy
Likes Bikes and Dirt
My riding time went down, but not that much. P.S. Congratulations.
Strategies: Night rides after bed time. Early morning rides so you're still able to meet your obligations through the day. Stay closer to home, road trips aren't the go. Get a weeride (google it, they're rad) and get them in it on their first birthday. When they outgrow that, get a weehoo igo (google it, they're rad).
Strategies: Night rides after bed time. Early morning rides so you're still able to meet your obligations through the day. Stay closer to home, road trips aren't the go. Get a weeride (google it, they're rad) and get them in it on their first birthday. When they outgrow that, get a weehoo igo (google it, they're rad).
Congrats!
But yes it does. Once a week should be fine, my missus is pretty understanding too, to a certain degree then sometimes she has a wobbly about how every weekend we have to organise the weekend around riding (I only do 1 ~2hr ride a week). But hey. Sometimes its fine and some it isn't, make the most of it!
But also be wary because you make a lot more mistakes when you are that tired...
But yes it does. Once a week should be fine, my missus is pretty understanding too, to a certain degree then sometimes she has a wobbly about how every weekend we have to organise the weekend around riding (I only do 1 ~2hr ride a week). But hey. Sometimes its fine and some it isn't, make the most of it!
But also be wary because you make a lot more mistakes when you are that tired...
Shrekmeister
Likes Dirt
became a parent gradually when two step children walked into my life two years ago when met partner....
now miss 6 and miss 11 going on 18....
so yeah i skipped the early years of the bub years...in some what the no sleep years....
but in those two years it has been an adjustment to life of learning how to cope with two kids in my life and for past six months we have lived under the one roof in same house...bit more of an adjustment...
yup a decent learning curve...
did my riding suffer....yes...was it their fault...NO...i just got complacent...lazy...focus changed for a bit...yeah ive put on weight a bit...but you can get that back...
these days...no real restrictions...could easily and do coupla hrs before work...just get up early and bike before they up and have breakfast with them...
similar on weekends...and just go tad longer....home in time to take Miss 11 to her netball etc...the balance...
now miss 6 and miss 11 going on 18....
so yeah i skipped the early years of the bub years...in some what the no sleep years....
but in those two years it has been an adjustment to life of learning how to cope with two kids in my life and for past six months we have lived under the one roof in same house...bit more of an adjustment...
yup a decent learning curve...
did my riding suffer....yes...was it their fault...NO...i just got complacent...lazy...focus changed for a bit...yeah ive put on weight a bit...but you can get that back...
these days...no real restrictions...could easily and do coupla hrs before work...just get up early and bike before they up and have breakfast with them...
similar on weekends...and just go tad longer....home in time to take Miss 11 to her netball etc...the balance...
Mywifesirrational
I however am very normal. Trust me.
My little fella turned 1 two weeks ago. I'm still knee deep in this shit!
Weekend MTB riding hasn't changed for me, I still get out half a day usually (it was a pre-pregnancy requirment I made), but weekday rides are non existant, I used to ride or ride after work, but I just don't have time now. I could ride at night after everyones asleep, but it's stabby around here and I am in bed with everyone else at 8pm anyways.
As he got a bit older and we got used having a little druck acting human, I've been away for 4 MTB weekends over the last 6 months, which is way above average for me. I take the family along, make she they have a good time, out to dinner (take away actually our kid loves throwing food), cook her brekky. Ladies in lodges love holding him and playing with him which gives the mrs a break.
WInd trainer hasn't worked out when he's awake, would happily stick his little fingers in the rear wheel, or stand outside the door screaming... pondering renting a recumbent for the lounge to prevent this, about to buy a kids trailer... and smash out many a rail trail and thrown in the picnic at the midway piont.
Our bugger was walking and climbing at nine months, bloody terrible. Don't get much sleep, but not unhappy about that.
Weekend MTB riding hasn't changed for me, I still get out half a day usually (it was a pre-pregnancy requirment I made), but weekday rides are non existant, I used to ride or ride after work, but I just don't have time now. I could ride at night after everyones asleep, but it's stabby around here and I am in bed with everyone else at 8pm anyways.
As he got a bit older and we got used having a little druck acting human, I've been away for 4 MTB weekends over the last 6 months, which is way above average for me. I take the family along, make she they have a good time, out to dinner (take away actually our kid loves throwing food), cook her brekky. Ladies in lodges love holding him and playing with him which gives the mrs a break.
WInd trainer hasn't worked out when he's awake, would happily stick his little fingers in the rear wheel, or stand outside the door screaming... pondering renting a recumbent for the lounge to prevent this, about to buy a kids trailer... and smash out many a rail trail and thrown in the picnic at the midway piont.
Our bugger was walking and climbing at nine months, bloody terrible. Don't get much sleep, but not unhappy about that.
Oh yeah. My advice is to spit the dummy and negotiate early i.e. i had to state clearly that "one mtb ride per week isn't enough" but my wife kinda knows that I go all bipolar without getting decent rides in !!
My first is 21 months now. If anything, my time is getting more constrained than when he was really young.
I get out on the MTB for on night ride per week and every Sunday AM for a 2-4 hour ride.
Beyond that, I ride to work most days (20km return) and use the stationary trainer 1-2 days per week for a 1 hour punishment session. I was doing this in the evenings but due to later bedtime have had to move this to 5:15am - which my body does not appreciate at all !!!
Best of luck, you will enjoy it but will lose lots of your free time. Hopefully your wife is as understanding of mine !
My first is 21 months now. If anything, my time is getting more constrained than when he was really young.
I get out on the MTB for on night ride per week and every Sunday AM for a 2-4 hour ride.
Beyond that, I ride to work most days (20km return) and use the stationary trainer 1-2 days per week for a 1 hour punishment session. I was doing this in the evenings but due to later bedtime have had to move this to 5:15am - which my body does not appreciate at all !!!
Best of luck, you will enjoy it but will lose lots of your free time. Hopefully your wife is as understanding of mine !
nzblakis
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hahaha, so funny, Max turns one in a week and sounds exactly like your little man. We call him Hurricane Max. :yawn:
Jim Junkie
Used to sell drugs, now he just takes them
This is pretty close to my experience - even down to the age of the little fella, 1st birthday 1 1/2 weeks ago!
My regular weekend riding didn't suffer too much, I still get out on a weekend morning for 3-4 hours, although the longer full day trips to slightly more remote areas have vanished. They'll return though, as he grows up and other commitments taper off. I've even managed a week-long holiday (with the family) to Thredbo for riding, which was great.
Night rides I've found harder to get out to though. His bedtime is around 8:30 and with a wake-up time of 5ish during summer, I didn't want to deal with that much sleep loss. He's sleeping later now though, so I do plan to bring the mid-week night ride back into the rotation before long.
Definitely looking forward to getting him on a bike, need to get him walking first though the stubborn little kid. Climbing? No problem - doing that since 7-8 months, but walking - forget it, why walk when I can crawl right?
SlowManiac
Likes Bikes and Dirt
It's all about expectations. I have carefully cultivated very low expectations from my wife (i'm talking YEARS of being a bad husband).
So any family time I do make is viewed as a bonus!
Nah - in my case I just wake up really freaking early, do lots of commuting and I'm allowed to go for a ride on the weekend.
Oh and congrats on the little mofo!
So any family time I do make is viewed as a bonus!
Nah - in my case I just wake up really freaking early, do lots of commuting and I'm allowed to go for a ride on the weekend.
Oh and congrats on the little mofo!
JTmofo
XC Enthusiast
The mrs is keen to make sure I keep riding, she knows how much I enjoy it and how sane it keeps me. If I get unfit, I get unhappy. She'd rather have me out for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning keeping fit than moping around the house pissed off.
In fairness to her, she's very understanding and always willing to compromise.
Really looking forward to the little one arriving. I'm in my mid 30s now and have putting off having kids as we emigrated to Oz 3 years ago. Still renting and living in Sydney, this could be the case for many years to come. We were going to wait until we had our own place, but with prices the way they are, that could have been another 10 years!
Cheers for the input folks, looks like there could be a compromise to be made.
In fairness to her, she's very understanding and always willing to compromise.
Really looking forward to the little one arriving. I'm in my mid 30s now and have putting off having kids as we emigrated to Oz 3 years ago. Still renting and living in Sydney, this could be the case for many years to come. We were going to wait until we had our own place, but with prices the way they are, that could have been another 10 years!
Cheers for the input folks, looks like there could be a compromise to be made.
Mywifesirrational
I however am very normal. Trust me.
It's a pretty interesting time, and not all of it easy or good, but the good bits far outeight the sleepless nights, getting piss, shit and vomit on yourself, usually as your trying to leave for work, or worse, when they get sick and there's nothing you can do about it, but hold them.
I'm not a baby person so I tolerated the first 6+ months without to many issues, but now that where in the toddler phase, it's really good, there's at least one person at home super excited to see me when I get home from work, and watching them learn and experience things for the first time is priceless (at least when it's your kid).
My golden advice is, everytime your going to try new foods which are more than likely going to get a very positive response (chocolate, ice cream) be the one to be holding the spoon, it's parent warfare from day one to be the favourite!
Once I can cough up the money for a bike trailer - Thule Chariot cougar - the mrs has said the two seat version.. better start saving up a few big loads :heh:, should be able to get some decent 2-4 hour rides in, I'll aim for first thing in the morning after I feed him and let the mrs get a sleep in once or twice a week. Don't under estimate how crazy shit will get with a chronic lack of sleep!
steve jobs' pancreas
Eats Squid
+1 for the sleep deprivation - the unassisted type really fucks with you
Knuckles
Lives under a bridge
The good news is, by the time no. 2 comes, you're completely over being protective and caring parents, an pretty much leave them to their own devices. Plenty of time for riding when they're home alone, working out for themselves why it's a bad idea to stick a filleting knife in a power point.
*not based on actual events :behindsofa:
Mywifesirrational
I however am very normal. Trust me.
I'll have to get the car tinted to make it harder for nosy pricks to spot them at the local pokies carpark mid summer!
NUMBER5
Likes Dirt
The first 6 mths is a real doozy... The only thing you're going to give a shit about is SLEEP!!! Your riding will def take a hit, esp in the first 6mth to 1yr, but depending on how you plan & organise you can still get your rides in. I'd say the all day epics or weekends is gone(at least for a while), but an 1hr or 2hr rides here and there is very possible. When our first arrived I didn't get out for 6mths, then the Mrs started to shuttle me when the little one was asleep here and there, after which I started getting out for 1 to 2 hrs a week. No. 2 coming along kinda chucked a wobbley in there for a little while, but in the whole scheme of things it's only a very short period of time, and you won't even remember cause you had no sleep.
Before you realise you'll be teaching them to ride and hitting trails. The other thing you'll notice is that the other half will be a lot easier with bike purchases for the little ones. My usual response was a flat "NO!!" but now.... little Timmy needs a race bike,, "Yup, just buy it". new stem "Yup, just buy it"...... and just recently I was at a race event and saw a couple of things I wanted for myself,, and asked... response "Yup, just buy it, don't you save on shipping?"....... Wot da?? I luv being a dad,,, haha.
We got a 5yr old(just started school) and a 4yr old. Both were hitting the pump tracks by the time they were 18mths and now fully bitten by the BMX race bug. I've even got a BMX and haven't touched my MTBs in mths and spend most weekends at races..... there is light at the end of the tunnel
Congrats,, and get as many sleep ins as you can before you can't,,,
Before you realise you'll be teaching them to ride and hitting trails. The other thing you'll notice is that the other half will be a lot easier with bike purchases for the little ones. My usual response was a flat "NO!!" but now.... little Timmy needs a race bike,, "Yup, just buy it". new stem "Yup, just buy it"...... and just recently I was at a race event and saw a couple of things I wanted for myself,, and asked... response "Yup, just buy it, don't you save on shipping?"....... Wot da?? I luv being a dad,,, haha.
We got a 5yr old(just started school) and a 4yr old. Both were hitting the pump tracks by the time they were 18mths and now fully bitten by the BMX race bug. I've even got a BMX and haven't touched my MTBs in mths and spend most weekends at races..... there is light at the end of the tunnel
Congrats,, and get as many sleep ins as you can before you can't,,,
pistonbroke
Eats Squid
You will not be able to ride your bike for the next 25 years. Is it worth it? Hell no.
Everyone is saying the first 6 months is hard. That's total bull shit. In the first 6 months you can't loose your baby. It will be right where you left it. Then they start crawling and then walking.
Neck minnet they are running down the street because you looked away for a second to check that your rims were straight and true. Of course they were.
Everyone is saying the first 6 months is hard. That's total bull shit. In the first 6 months you can't loose your baby. It will be right where you left it. Then they start crawling and then walking.
Neck minnet they are running down the street because you looked away for a second to check that your rims were straight and true. Of course they were.
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DMan
shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
I'm with Mr Reality here. First 6mths easy. Next 6mths you spend your time reliving how good it was when they couldn't move. All good though. Their personality kicks in too which makes for a lot of fun.