Any new dads on here? Do you still cycle as much?

rjsterry

Deadeyebumhole wrote:

King Donut wrote:

If all else fails I remind the wife it was she that wanted the thing in the first place.

Now . . .

That is a conversation I have had with Mrs DeadEyeBumHole in my head a number of times . . . Never quite gets vocalised though as she would fecking kill me......

She would actually kill me

... and make it look like an accident.

crazy88

Deadeyebumhole wrote:

King Donut wrote:

If all else fails I remind the wife it was she that wanted the thing in the first place.

Now . . .

That is a conversation I have had with Mrs DeadEyeBumHole in my head a number of times . . . Never quite gets vocalised though as she would fecking kill me......

She would actually kill me

haha! That made me laugh, a lot.

bdave262000

On the weekends we sometimes take our three on the bike up to Richmond Park (2, 3½ and 5 years old). I have a child seat and a trailor attached to my bike and my wife used to attach my son with the trailgator to her bikealthough now he's 6 he's doesn't need it. Got to say it can be a real killer cycling up any hill with all that weight but is a fantastic way to see the park especially in the summer months when we pack a picnic with us and you have the advantage of pulling up anywhere.

So I would say on the weekends we have started cycling more since we had the kids, my commute hasn't changed as it takes the same time as using PT.

dynastarg9

The only riding I get on the weekends these days is with a trailer and my 2yr old daughter in it. Better than nothing though and great for the resistance training.

bobinski

i am in the rather frustrating position of my 5 yr old joining Mrs B and me in bed every night anytime from midnight onwards. He always has and I have given up arguing over it. His eldest brother did too but grew out of it by the time he was 6years old. I am used to being sleep deprived. Means i rarely get a solid 7-8 hours sleep . But i can honestly say that on those rare days i don't commute by bike i actually feel worse than if i did. like today. work drinks tonight so no ride in for me. I feel lethargic, I ache down my right side. So i would suggest you do try and keep commuting. also, i like many men put on weight during and after my partners pregnancy's. Cycling helps keep that down as well as keeping your energy levels up. sounds strange but its true. and certainly leaves me less stressed, however stressful the commute home, once i am through my front door.

As for weekends, in the early months why not get a child trailer and use that, nipper in the back, most love it. If you have a local park you can do laps . Also, gives your partner a rest and gets you brownie points for a ride on your own at some point the rest of the weekend, precisely when you will be grateful for your commuting miles too.

Hope this helps.

CiB

Look forward to the lull when they're about 5 and can entertain themselves - having n+1 children helps here. Once they get to about 9+ and take up organised sport though you'll be spending most of your time ferrying them to football training & matches, parties and whatever else lights their candles. Weekend rides? Aaah they were the days...

Make the most of it tho big time. It doesn't seem 5 minutes since I was looking after small nephews & nieces and they're now having their own 30th birthday parties & more parties for their own kids. Where did it all go? Whooosh - see that mate? That's your life that was. Blimey.

DonDaddyD

If Bassjunkie manages to get the odd weekend ride then you all need to man up.

CiB

DonDaddyD wrote:

If Bassjunkie manages to get the odd weekend ride then you all need to man up.

Yeah right. An good example of a single man with no children offering good advice.

DonDaddyD

But Bassjunkie has 6 kids and manages the odd weekend ride....

The obvious conclusion. MTFU.

:P

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

If Bassjunkie manages to get the odd weekend ride then you all need to man up.

Well when you finally get round to it, we'll see how you get on

Wrath Rob

I started commuting when my eldest was about 15 months. The commute gives me a real opportunity to de-stress on the way home so that when I get back I'm happy to be jumped on by the kids and do the whole bed-time routine. The wife says she can really tell the days when I don't cycle. So, she's a big fan of me commuting.

As for weekend cycling, we've reached an agreement where I look after the little'uns on Saturday morning so the wife gets some time off and I then get to go out for a ride on Sunday's so I'm actually riding more now than ever.

smithy21

rjsterry wrote:

smithy21 wrote:

I probably cycle about the same. Little girl now 2. One ride at the weekend is a given although I will have to get up early to do it. Dont commute in the week as the missus banned me from it after passing out on the roadside once.

I have a turbo and will also get to the gym/do spin sessions in the week to keep up the fitness. Its all about managing time and making the most of it. In the summer months I will try to get an hour in Richmond Park before going to work.

One extra bonus has been a couple of the guys in our NCT group cycle with me at the weekend sometimes so the other halves generally meet up if we go for a long one. Cant promise you will be that lucky if you do NCT.

Eh? What's the logic behind that?

Mrs RJS meets up with other mums - not NCT, but a group set up originally by our GP surgery - during the week quite a bit and as we had just moved to a new area, this was a lifesaver for her. Unfortunately I don't think any of the other dads cycle.

Its not great but I did pass out alongside the A316 once and was delivered back to my house by ambulance. There is no logic really as she doesnt mind if I go out on long rides at the weekend. I think its just an excuse to avoid the worry about me commuting in "scary" London. I dont push it as I'd rather do the weekend stuff then commute.

badgerman26

Cheers lads. Thats better advice than mumsnet and some other dad forum...

Off the cycling topic, any advice on things to do in prep for the big day?

Any good books?

What should I buy?

What would you do differently, more of, less of?

Starting to panic... :?

pastryboy

Don't look down. No matter how tempted you are - just don't do it.

clarkey cat

a friend looked down and said it was like seeing his favourite pub burn down...

im not so sure personally... your local maybe.

cjcp

badgerman26 wrote:

Cheers lads. Thats better advice than mumsnet and some other dad forum...

Off the cycling topic, any advice on things to do in prep for the big day?

Any good books?

What should I buy?

What would you do differently, more of, less of?

Starting to panic... :?

You cannot buy enough ground coffee.

The coffee machine was the first thing that was switched on in the morning, and the second thing in the winter (after the light).

Books? Hmm. Avoid Gina Ford, IMO. It seemed a tad extreme. Buy lots of muslins - the things you use to wipe up sick. Buy lots of baby wipes - they're awesome for cleaning the bike and removing bike oil from all sorts of surfaces; great for a little un's backside, too.

Get your hospital bag ready.

Don't panic. And buy a towel.

markshaw77

pastryboy wrote:

Don't look down. No matter how tempted you are - just don't do it.

chipandpin

the best advice i can give you is to keep well clear of mumsnet and all the other forums. we spent many sleepless nights during the first few weeks reading everyone elses thoughts and advice on these forums. stick to nhs direct for medical advice, and whatever you do, dont google 'how to get my baby to sleep through the night' you will get about ten million hits and not one of them can help you as every baby is different. we found the sleeping through thing to be the biggest challenge and learnt that the sooner you accept that a baby will sleep when it wants to and not when you want to, the happier you will be.

oh and re yiur original question, theres no doubt about it - you will have less time to yourself when your baby arrives but it is important as others have said to make sure you and your missus have some free time to get out of the house.

clarkey cat

my name is clarkey cat and im a new dad. its 4.30am.

markshaw77

clarkey cat wrote:

my name is clarkey cat and im a new dad. its 4.30am.

Many congratulations chap!! Blue or Pink?

Now buckle up, get stuck in and enjoy everything that follows!!!!!!!!!

Nik Cube

Try not to worry most of what you need to do comes fairly naturally.

On the book front I found most written advice to be a load of bollox baby's are indicator and you just make the best of it. On the whole being a dad is pretty cool!

Unclemonty121

Forget the ground coffee, I got a bean to cup espresso machine just before the little one was born, def first/second thing turned on in the morning!b

In terms of the riding, I didn't do any for the first 2 months but I was injured! Got back on the bike at the end of December and took on the imapmyride century in 30 day's challenge which helped a lot, and have now agreed for the moment 100 miles a month (non-commute) is acceptable averaged out, which is about twice a week, but now looking into commuting, 25 miles each way, to get the miles up.

But really as all have said, comprise is the best option, there are times that I really want to go out but know that it's not the best idea, and then there are times when I can get out and take the opportunity, even if it's just an hour or 45 mins.

My advice would be to sort out some routes that you know will take 30/45/60/90 mins, and then if the opp presents itself, go for it and make the most of it!

bdave262000

Lay down the law from day one. Never change a nappy otherwise you will be expected to do it on a regular basis, don't get up in the middle of the night either, your mrs is on maternity leave and will be able to sleep during the day. Don't let the kids into your bedroom otherwise you'll never get them out = no more baby making (maybe a good thing).

Don't get moody with the Mrs if your dinner is not ready and waiting for you when you get home from work / pub. She can always make it once shes put the baby to bed.

Don't worry if your Mrs stills looks fat after shes had the baby, it will take a couple of weeks to dissapear, if she still looks pregnant after about 3 weeks then renew her Gym membership.

Don't buy every baby gizmo going, but there will be a few items you will find invaluable such as the baby bouncer, they will be happy to sit in this for about a couple of hours, letting both dad and baby enjoy a Saturday afternoon fixture of sport on the box together.

Don't watch you other half breast feed as its takes years of memory wipe to consider them your own again.

As said before, stay up the business end during the delivery, leave the other end to the professionals.

And finally, never, ever agree to cutting the unbilical cord, I now consider this to be a surgical procedure and should be left to a suitable qualified individual.

Good luck btw.

Robstar24

bdave262000 wrote:

Lay down the law from day one. Never change a nappy otherwise you will be expected to do it on a regular basis, don't get up in the middle of the night either, your mrs is on maternity leave and will be able to sleep during the day. Don't let the kids into your bedroom otherwise you'll never get them out = no more baby making (maybe a good thing).

Don't get moody with the Mrs if your dinner is not ready and waiting for you when you get home from work / pub. She can always make it once shes put the baby to bed.

Don't worry if your Mrs stills looks fat after shes had the baby, it will take a couple of weeks to dissapear, if she still looks pregnant after about 3 weeks then renew her Gym membership.

Don't buy every baby gizmo going, but there will be a few items you will find invaluable such as the baby bouncer, they will be happy to sit in this for about a couple of hours, letting both dad and baby enjoy a Saturday afternoon fixture of sport on the box together.

Don't watch you other half breast feed as its takes years of memory wipe to consider them your own again.

As said before, stay up the business end during the delivery, leave the other end to the professionals.

And finally, never, ever agree to cutting the unbilical cord, I now consider this to be a surgical procedure and should be left to a suitable qualified individual.

Good luck btw.

blimey you're a charmer and a half, i somehow hope your post is ironic?

NEVER change a nappy? seriously? i have changed more than I care to remember, but to the OP they're really no big deal at all, if it's a boy remember they can often pee during nappy change which can then require a change of clothes.

Don't get moody with the Mrs if your dinner is not ready and waiting for you when you get home from work / pub. She can always make it once shes put the baby to bed.

you never know, the Mrs might be quite busy, and might appreciate a bit of help with the bedtime routine...

Don't buy every baby gizmo going, but there will be a few items you will find invaluable such as the baby bouncer, they will be happy to sit in this for about a couple of hours,

good point, kids toys are v expensive and they may not be interested, some are better than others. my wife takes junior to a 'toy library' where for a small fee (c. 2-3 pounds per toy) you can hire otherwise expensive items (which could cost up to £100) for a period of two weeks. saves a hell of a lot of money, and let's face it a toy for a small child is only worth having for as long as they like it, and given how quickly they go through developmental phases this may not be long.

CiB

Robstar24 wrote:

bdave262000 wrote:

Lay down the law from day one. Never change a nappy otherwise you will be expected to do it on a regular basis, don't get up in the middle of the night either, your mrs is on maternity leave and will be able to sleep during the day. Don't let the kids into your bedroom otherwise you'll never get them out = no more baby making (maybe a good thing).

Don't get moody with the Mrs if your dinner is not ready and waiting for you when you get home from work / pub. She can always make it once shes put the baby to bed.

Don't worry if your Mrs stills looks fat after shes had the baby, it will take a couple of weeks to dissapear, if she still looks pregnant after about 3 weeks then renew her Gym membership.

Don't buy every baby gizmo going, but there will be a few items you will find invaluable such as the baby bouncer, they will be happy to sit in this for about a couple of hours, letting both dad and baby enjoy a Saturday afternoon fixture of sport on the box together.

Don't watch you other half breast feed as its takes years of memory wipe to consider them your own again.

As said before, stay up the business end during the delivery, leave the other end to the professionals.

And finally, never, ever agree to cutting the unbilical cord, I now consider this to be a surgical procedure and should be left to a suitable qualified individual.

Good luck btw.

blimey you're a charmer and a half, i somehow hope your post is ironic? ...

Whooosh.........................

bdave262000

Robstar24 wrote:

bdave262000 wrote:

Lay down the law from day one. Never change a nappy otherwise you will be expected to do it on a regular basis, don't get up in the middle of the night either, your mrs is on maternity leave and will be able to sleep during the day. Don't let the kids into your bedroom otherwise you'll never get them out = no more baby making (maybe a good thing).

Don't get moody with the Mrs if your dinner is not ready and waiting for you when you get home from work / pub. She can always make it once shes put the baby to bed.

Don't worry if your Mrs stills looks fat after shes had the baby, it will take a couple of weeks to dissapear, if she still looks pregnant after about 3 weeks then renew her Gym membership.

Don't buy every baby gizmo going, but there will be a few items you will find invaluable such as the baby bouncer, they will be happy to sit in this for about a couple of hours, letting both dad and baby enjoy a Saturday afternoon fixture of sport on the box together.

Don't watch you other half breast feed as its takes years of memory wipe to consider them your own again.

As said before, stay up the business end during the delivery, leave the other end to the professionals.

And finally, never, ever agree to cutting the unbilical cord, I now consider this to be a surgical procedure and should be left to a suitable qualified individual.

Good luck btw.

blimey you're a charmer and a half, i somehow hope your post is ironic? .

Well she certainly didn't marry me for my good looks that's for sure.

woodford2barbican

rjsterry wrote:

Mine's 19 months old now, and I probably ride more than I used to to keep travel costs down - about the same distance as you; I live near Croydon but wrk in central London, and a Zone 5 travelcard is £159 a month :shock: - but weekend rides are a distant memory. It is knackering, but after a while you become accustomed to it.

The urge to get home to see the littl'un can improve your commute times, but more seriously, although it's physically tiring, I find a bit of time twice a day to myself helps cope with the stresses of work and everything else, so I'm a bit more sociable when I get home.

+1

time pressures do mean I get the tube more often now as it is important to get them both in bed before they lose it.....

flateric

Not a very new dad, our baby is two now!!!

i am actually thinking of selling the bike, i dont do the long rides now so its wasted really. :-(

Never mind still got two, also when it gets warmer bike rides are back on, child in trailer or bike seat and off!!