Job type vs cycle miles

[Devon lass]

Do you think the type of job you do ie physically demanding vs mentally demanding determine how many miles you do a year?

 

[Deleted member 35268]

I sit at a desk all day. I covered 5000 miles last year. I am also a liar, it was 4500 miles and 150,000 feet of climbing.
I go out at lunch time to de-stress, and get fitter.

 

[derrick]

The last year i was working as a mechanic i covered 7500 miles for that year, i retired last year and my mileage for that year was 7500+, So i would say nothing to do with the type of work you do, Just how many miles you want to ride.

 

[Shaun]

I sit behind a desk all day too, but for me it's more about how little free personal time I have (coupled with an inflexible commuting time window) that limits my total available mileage for the year. I enjoy the miles that I do manage to fit in though.

 

[Brandane]

It must have some sort of influence. e.g. a couple of summers ago I had a cushy job in a shop 15 miles away; 10 am to 5 pm, so I commuted by bike as much as I could (i.e. when DRY) via a deserted unclassified road. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately business wasn't good and the shop closed down.
I ended up going back to HGV driving, for an agency. Then began shifts with different companies, the closest of whom are 25 miles away, via "suicidal for cyclists" trunk routes. Early starts between 6 and 9 am normally; and non specific finishing times - but you could guarantee it would be somewhere between 10 and 15 hours after the start time. Plus a load of stuff to carry every day, because as stated, you don't know where you are working from one day to the next. Cycle commuting is simply not an option (for me. Yes I know there are super heroes out there who commute 100 miles each way in all weathers along the busiest craziest trunk roads in the world, but I value my life more than I do cycling).
If it wasn't for the fact that I am a lazy sh1t when it comes to work and refuse to do any more than 3 shifts per week, my mileage might have suffered; but I do try to make up the miles on the days when I am not working!

 

[cyberknight]

Rotating day and night shifts in car factory weld shop , so a physical job with mandatory overtime to hit build targets.Last year i was doing 2+ hours overtime a day for 7 months or more so i did not feel like doing much at the weekend
last year was just over 4700 miles most of which was commuting.

 

[mjr]

Cycle commuting is simply not an option (for me. Yes I know there are super heroes out there who commute 100 miles each way in all weathers along the busiest craziest trunk roads in the world, but I value my life more than I do cycling).

I trust you have used www.WriteToThem.com to say that you'd like to cycle-commute sometimes but you think they should improve the roads to be better for cycling.

 

[ColinJ]

A mate of mine used to do about 6,000 miles a year commuting, and he worked as a mechanic so he was on his feet all day and using hand tools. It was often difficult to persuade him to do much of a ride at the weekend because he was usually knackered and wanted a rest.

Now he is well into his 60s and only works part time ... he is usually keen to get out on his bike any time he can, subject to acceptable weather. (He prefers not to ride in cold, wet and windy conditions.)

 

[classic33]

Went from 180 a week whilst working in an office, to 250 a weekend(four day) when working outside.

 

[Brandane]

I trust you have used www.WriteToThem.com to say that you'd like to cycle-commute sometimes but you think they should improve the roads to be better for cycling.

They won't even maintain the roads to a reasonable standard for the current traffic, so I won't be wasting time and stressing myself by launching a crusade for cycling facilities. Cycling facilities which I wouldn't be using anyway, due to the other significant factors mentioned in my post.

 

[vernon]

Do you think the type of job you do ie physically demanding vs mentally demanding determine how many miles you do a year?

No.

 

[Milkfloat]

For me out is more about free time. I am very sorry of free time so have to fit cycling in when possible. This usually means the odd hour during the week or 3-4 hours maximum at the weekend. It is fairly common for the family and I to go to the same destination but with me arriving by bike, whilst they go on the car.

 

[screenman]

Guy Martin seems to get a few miles in and be a tad busy on the spanners.

 

[ColinJ]

You know that jobs can be both? It's not either/or in many cases...

I don't think it would be very healthy to do a job which was both!

I did a factory labouring job for 5 years which was intensely physical. 50-65 daytime hours a week for 4 years and a 50 hour night shift for a year. I didn't use my brain much in that job.

After university, I switched to stressing my brain instead!

I could cope with being physically exhausted and I coped for quite a few years with being mentally exhausted, but it would have finished me off to have been both at the same time.

 

[mjr]

I won't be wasting time and stressing myself by launching a crusade for cycling facilities. Cycling facilities which I wouldn't be using anyway, due to the other significant factors mentioned in my post.

I didn't realise from what you posted that you were carrying that much stuff or whatever the blocker I missed was... and sending one email doesn't mean "launching a crusade" - or are you the sort who can't go for a ride without starting a round-the-world epic?