Adjusting to 'normal' life post tour

[elduderino]

Am I alone here, or does anyone else have problems getting back into the swing of what passes as a normal life after a tour?
Call it post-tour depression or whatever but life seems a bit of a letdown.

It's been 6 weeks since my tour ended and even though there were times on tour I vowed never to ride a bike again, I now spend the majority of my day's and night's drinking tanglefoot, dreaming up future routes and thinking of various shiny new equipment I can buy.

I miss living out of my panniers

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

.. I am still sufferring even though I did both my tours in July & then August.
I am taking solice in my new Bianchi and by obsessing over learning how to maintain my own bike...driving everybody crazy over in the Know how forum

I think I am starting to get over it a bit...although my panniers remain packed on the landing ready for the next trip...whereever & whenever that may eventually be.

I am prety much bankrupt now after the new bike buy so planning another tour isnt really realistic just yet...well thats what i tell myself because as soon as I start planning I will get obsessive about that as well and drive everybody mad at home...you are right though, like here is DULL compared to life on the road.

 

[maurice]

In work I often long to be out there again.

Currently amusing myself with the very feint idea of a trans-canada epic.

 

[xilios]

You're definetly not alone. After several tours we still feel strange getting back to life at home. I just checked out a couple pages from our site (again) with my morning coffee and already started thinking about next springs tour. Sometimes looking back I don't belive we rode so many kms on our loaded bikes.
That's the nice thing about having a web page, when bored or tired, we sit with our favorite drink to do our tours all over again
We do mis life on the road.

 

[elduderino]

Don't get me wrong I can accept my tour is over, but I'm still a little gutted.

All that said though, half the fun is stitting at home with a coffee, looking over maps and dreaming up even bigger plans than the last.

Roll on next spring/summer. Just need an idea of where to go, but that's for another time.

 

[dubman]

take some drugs that will help

 

[snorri]

I miss living out of my panniers

Perhaps you could apply to your local council for a home improvement grant?

 

[Kirstie]

Absolutely. It's terrible. So terrible in fact that next weekend I am going touring again. It's only 4 or so weeks since the last one, and prior to that there was a 6 week gap. The next one is just a weekend but it's enough. And I just planned one for the last weekend in November too.
I try to tour all year round...

 

[Dayvo]

I always suffer with the post-holiday blues, whether it be skiing holiday, cricket tour, long weekends etc. I'd suffer with the 'back to the same old routine' feeling.
Living abroad, that 'old routine' doesn't exist as such, and I always try and have a few events or travels planned for the near future.
Just get your maps out and PLAN!

Good name, by the way! It'd go well with my avatar!

 

[yenrod]

One thing i like doing if ive done a ride etc.. is checking it out on a map and thinking WOW ive rode over ALL THAT AREA !

 

[elduderino]

Good to know I'm not the only one after all, makes me feel better

I've been doing the whole looking over my map's thing, as well as boring all my 'normal-holiday-going-friends' with tales from the road and trying to convince them of the beauty of cycle touring. So far they aren't buying it.

Good name, by the way! It'd go well with my avatar!

Dayvo- I spotted The Dude. Quite simply the greatest film of all time.

I practically know all the words and during tough times on the trip (or the lonley strecthes in Norway) I would often play the film over in my head whilst reciting the words for each character, scene by scene. Must have looked quite odd for the passer by as I often got quite into it

 

[vernon]

Am I alone here, or does anyone else have problems getting back into the swing of what passes as a normal life after a tour?
Call it post-tour depression or whatever but life seems a bit of a letdown.

It's been 6 weeks since my tour ended and even though there were times on tour I vowed never to ride a bike again, I now spend the majority of my day's and night's drinking tanglefoot, dreaming up future routes and thinking of various shiny new equipment I can buy.

I miss living out of my panniers

I only have problems if I have been out for a fortnight or so.
After my LEJOG and JOGLE rides, I had problems adjusting to using a bed again. After a Channel to Med ride, I dreampt in French for several days after my return.

Never had any emotional post ride depresssions apart from the 'Is that it?' feeling I had when I arrived at John O'Groats and found it to be a 'busy little dump'

It's only just dawned on me why I might not have post tour depressions - I ride 100km Audaxes every week and have to DIY route plan 75% of the rides, the remainder are organised events. Touring, for me, is a release from the tedium of planning I only knopw the start and end points for my tours. The rest evolves as the tour progresses.