What are the best jobs for lots of free cycling time?

RyanBrook
RyanBrook Posts: 195
edited November 2007 in Road beginners
What career ideas do you guys have that enable lots of free time on the bike?
Preferably high paid with little stress :)
«1

Comments

  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    Unemployed gives the most time !! 8)
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY
  • RyanBrook
    RyanBrook Posts: 195
    True but its impractical as we need to buy new bike kit.
    I suppose the number 1 job would be professional cyclist only you need to be a cycling god.
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    Courier, but that might be like a busman's holiday?

    Postmen seem to work only in the mornings, leaving the afternoon's free for afternoon fun on two wheels.

    Self employed folk can presumeably give themselves plenty of time off, but there is an opportunity cost.

    Maybe the best thing is any job, so long as it is within your chosen commuting range?
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    RyanBrook wrote:
    True but its impractical as we need to buy new bike kit.
    I suppose the number 1 job would be professional cyclist only you need to be a cycling god.
    Or can take more drugs than anyone else...

    :twisted:
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Funny how all the fittest people in my club are "sales reps", and schedule "working from home sessions" that nicely coincide with the weather being at it's best. Once the month's target has been hit, the bike seems to be in use more than the company car.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Bronzie wrote:
    Funny how all the fittest people in my club are "sales reps", and schedule "working from home sessions" that nicely coincide with the weather being at it's best. Once the month's target has been hit, the bike seems to be in use more than the company car.

    I'm a sales rep and I certainly don't have enough time to train!! I may have to join up with your club Bronzie as it's local to me and get some tips from these sales guys.

    I know someone who is a train driver who tends to have a good amount of time to train, although the flip side being he has to work nights or weekends on rota.
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    When I worked in an organisation, I used to get loads of miles in by commuting to the office by bike.

    However, working self-employed from home definitely helps you take advantage of spontaneous opportunities:

    Take this morning, for example. After two days with client meetings not finishing until 9 and 10:30pm, I woke up this morning, emptied the house of kids and wife (all off to school) and thought: "Nice day for a ride!" Clear blue skies, moderate wind, quite mild.

    So I checked my emails and "to-do" list, saw that there was nothing so urgent that it couldn't wait until lunchtime, togged up, opened the garage door and hit the road. 2 hours, 40 odd kms, quiet roads, late Autumn splendour. Got back full of fresh air and contentment and worked like one of those Lance Armstrong mice all afternoon. Probably got more done than I would have done in a normal day.

    Smug, moi?

    BTW, the other cyclists I met this morning (and there were quite a few) all looked like they were retired, which is another option. However, I get the impression that by the time I get to retirement age, they will have abolished the idea altogether.

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • feel
    feel Posts: 800
    pneumatic wrote:

    BTW, the other cyclists I met this morning (and there were quite a few) all looked like they were retired, which is another option. However, I get the impression that by the time I get to retirement age, they will have abolished the idea altogether.

    that's what i want to be - think i will have to sell the car to help finance it :lol:
    We are born with the dead:
    See, they return, and bring us with them.
  • venster
    venster Posts: 356
    I work shifts and find I can go out most days, if I had the enthusiasm or energy!!!
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    hammerite wrote:
    I may have to join up with your club Bronzie as it's local to me and get some tips from these sales guys.
    Great - the more the merrier - click on the "It's a Lifestyle" link to find details of where we meet for club runs.
    hammerite wrote:
    I know someone who is a train driver who tends to have a good amount of time to train, although the flip side being he has to work nights or weekends on rota.
    Me too - same person?? - agreed he gets to train in daylight during winter if he's on lates :) , but the downside is many a missed weekend as he doesn't get in from work until 2am sometimes :( .
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • pedalpower
    pedalpower Posts: 138
    Judging by this article I'd say "nighttime church custodian"
    http://www.miles4melanoma.com/hoffman.html
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    A job you can commute to and one where your employer doesn't make you work long hours.... oh and lots of holidays... :D
  • sonicred007
    sonicred007 Posts: 1,091
    public sector
    My bike http://www.flickr.com/photos/68463844@N00/234032885/

    Leyton Rocks
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    pedalpower wrote:
    Judging by this article I'd say "nighttime church custodian"
    http://www.miles4melanoma.com/hoffman.html

    That's fantastic. Thank you for posting it.

    "His bicycle helped him ride away from his problems. When he rode, he says, he felt normal."

    eerily true of many of us, I suspect!

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • on the road
    on the road Posts: 5,631
    Be a postman, they get lots of free time, especially postmen in Liverpool, they never work, too busy striking :roll:
  • e999sam
    e999sam Posts: 426
    Fire Fighter. 2 Days, 2 Nights and 4 off. If you are on a quiet station you will be in bed all night on your nught shift so it's like having 6 days out of 8 off.
  • kmahony
    kmahony Posts: 380
    e999sam wrote:
    Fire Fighter. 2 Days, 2 Nights and 4 off. If you are on a quiet station you will be in bed all night on your nught shift so it's like having 6 days out of 8 off.
    Someone once said "never take on a fireman at table tennis or pool"
    http://2008etape.blogspot.com/
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    kmahony wrote:
    e999sam wrote:
    Fire Fighter. 2 Days, 2 Nights and 4 off. If you are on a quiet station you will be in bed all night on your nught shift so it's like having 6 days out of 8 off.
    Someone once said "never take on a fireman at table tennis or pool"

    and while you are on shift you can set up a turbo trainer for a few sessions while waiting for a shout!
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Bronzie wrote:
    hammerite wrote:
    I may have to join up with your club Bronzie as it's local to me and get some tips from these sales guys.
    Great - the more the merrier - click on the "It's a Lifestyle" link to find details of where we meet for club runs.
    hammerite wrote:
    I know someone who is a train driver who tends to have a good amount of time to train, although the flip side being he has to work nights or weekends on rota.
    Me too - same person?? - agreed he gets to train in daylight during winter if he's on lates :) , but the downside is many a missed weekend as he doesn't get in from work until 2am sometimes :( .

    for some reason I thought you were an Icknield rider (I think you may have mentioned them on a local TT recommendation). That siad Barton isn't too far further for me.

    I would love to join a club, but with already being a member of a running club, triathlon training and the OH playing netball, I think a commitment to a cycling club would be too much at the moment, the little one will start to think he only ever has one parent at a time!!! I think I'll have to see how my fitness improves and wait until the OH has finished her teacher training :shock:
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    I work from home as a graphic designer and go out riding most mornings, or lunchtimes, or afternoons, oh and weekends too :)
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    hammerite wrote:
    Bronzie wrote:
    ....

    I know someone who is a train driver who tends to have a good amount of time to train, ....

    :D:D:D
    Want to know the Spen666 behind the posts?
    Then read MY BLOG @ http://www.pebennett.com

    Twittering @spen_666
  • wilkies80
    wilkies80 Posts: 67
    C'mon e999sam ! It's not 2 days 2 nights 4 days off, it's only 3 1/2 days.But then again there 's the 12 days off every 6 weeks and 20 days off in the summer, don't get 2 many quiet nights but get time to train tho :D
    dsc00020qd8.th.jpg
  • Cajun
    Cajun Posts: 1,048
    Here in the US, it would have to be working for the Fire Department...
    24hrs on-duty/48hrs off-duty.....however, most of them get a second job, so that may interfere (: On the other hand, during the 24/on, they can exercise to their hearts content if not completing details or putting out fires
    Cajun
  • woody-som
    woody-som Posts: 1,001
    how about Vicar- only work on sundays. Or policeman - do you ever see them on the streets?
  • chunkytfg
    chunkytfg Posts: 358
    sonicred007 wrote:
    public sector

    Agreed. I'm full time doing 35 hours a week 4 nights a week managing on average to get 4 hours kip a night while at work.

    That means in these limited daylight hours times i'm able to get home for about 9, have brekkie, doss about a bit then get out on the bike for a few hours before catching up on sleep when it gets dark intime to get up for dinner and then back to work. Not to mention the fact i get a long weekend every week.

    Oh and The do pay very well for the amount of work i actually do!
    FCN 7

    FCN 4

    if you use irrational measures to measure me, expect me to behave irrationally to measure up
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    chunkytfg wrote:
    sonicred007 wrote:
    public sector

    Agreed. I'm full time doing 35 hours a week 4 nights a week managing on average to get 4 hours kip a night while at work.

    Oh and The do pay very well for the amount of work i actually do!

    This one's for my clients:

    Obviously not a public sector manager then! Going quietly mad 70 hours a week whilst caught between taxpayers girning about how much your service costs/wastes, politicians coming up with stupidly naive "initiatives" to make you more efficient, journalists patronising your staff by calling them "angels", "heroes", "dedicated" and "self-sacrificing" when, in fact they are resisting change, moaning about the pay, sleeping on the job and dossing around on their bicycles while everyone else is at work!!

    :? :x (are those the right smileys for slight irony and having a rant?)

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • wastelander
    wastelander Posts: 557
    I think that if you've got regular shifts and/or hours and the distance involved isn't massive then everyday is a potential training day. If you're self employed then any 'freelance' role is gonna lend itself to 'creative time management' :wink:
  • ColinJ
    ColinJ Posts: 2,218
    wastelander wrote:
    I think that if you've got regular shifts and/or hours and the distance involved isn't massive then everyday is a potential training day. If you're self employed then any 'freelance' role is gonna lend itself to 'creative time management' :wink:
    I'm setting up my own little one-man online games business but since the sun is shining, I'm switching my PC off now and getting out on my bike - see ya later :wink: !!

    PS Wilkies80 - that is a nice picture of your bike but it is a bit Huuuuge to post on the forum! You can shrink pictures down to a more manageable size on this website.
  • terongi
    terongi Posts: 318
    You are all being a bit narrow minded thinking about existing careers here.

    I think this calls for some job creation.

    In WW2 in Paris during the blackouts, cafe owners hired out-of-work professional cyclists to pedal on bikes hooked up to generate electricity.

    Imagine how we could cut carbon emissions, nowadays, if legions of cyclists on turbo trainers could power the national grid.

    Work in shifts, time to train on the road for the rest of the day.

    Who's coming down with me to Barclays for a start-up-loan?
  • MrT
    MrT Posts: 260
    May sound silly as you want no stress, but ever thought about teaching. Riding to and from work is agood way to unwind plus 18-20 weeks holiday a year (paid). Plenty of opps to take in the Tour in the summer or some of pring Classics at Easter hols. Weekends free etc...all depends on your stress threshold :arrow: :x

Categories