I won't be cycling to work anymore

MadammeMarie

I got made redundant. Damn, I will miss that commute - not much the job, though. And the cycling facilities were pretty good.

Will miss Canary Wharf, great place to work, IMO.

Agent57

Sorry to hear that. On the up side, while you look for something else you may have time for more leisure riding. \o/ Besides, if you really miss the commute, there's nothing to stop you just continuing to do it for sh*ts & giggles.

itboffin

Aye snap

Still get to sleep in tomorrow :?

MadammeMarie

itboffin wrote:

Aye snap

Still get to sleep in tomorrow :?

Not yet, gotta wait until the 31st March for the sleep in.

jimmypippa

Bad luck you two.

Best wishes

itboffin

I'm prone to rather irrational outbursts of extreme activities - spent quite a lot of time reading solo LEJOG blogs and posts :roll:

Bike = check
Time = check
Fitness = hmmm ch-eckish

Fireblade96

Hmm well I didn't get made redundant, I quit, but the end result is the same....
Bad luck on the redundancies peeps, I hope you took them for a decent payoff to fund your free time activities.

Silly non-commuting tours, anyone ? (I've been contemplating a LeJog as well, gotta take advantage of the time off...)

itboffin

Fireblade96 wrote:

Hmm well I didn't get made redundant, I quit, but the end result is the same....
Bad luck on the redundancies peeps, I hope you took them for a decent payoff to fund your free time activities.

Silly non-commuting tours, anyone ? (I've been contemplating a LeJog as well, gotta take advantage of the time off...)

Ah sorry mate that's crap, no no pay off for me, the redundancy are financially related so nothing more than standard notice period.

If you're serious about a Lejog email me, this time of year is perfect for avoiding Scottish midges.

deptfordmarmoset

Who's up for a ''Fake commuter'' thread? I seem to be rarely in gainful employment these days and it's sometimes hard work disciplining myself to keep on getting out onto the bike - I miss that ''I've got to do it'' discipline that comes with the commute. There's a tendency to look outside the window and say ''Oh, it's wet, I'll wait to see if the roads dry out later,'' or ''It's freezing outside, I'll skip today's ride and go twice as far as soon as it's warmer.''

I don't know how it is for other unemployed or redundantified people, but getting out on the bike is one of the few things that keeps me capable of feeling positive - I can even sometimes face looking for a job after I've dragged myself out onto the roads.

So, as a fake commuter I've set myself a 4000 mile target for this year (I'm already 40 miles below target but with warmer weather and longer daylight I should catch up) and I've set up an impossible ''ride every road'' project. I've now cycled on every road (barring tunnels and urban motorway-style roads) in a 60 square mile radius around my home. As I live in London, it takes thousands of miles and an infinite number of U-turns to cover such an area. And yet I don't have to cycle more than 5 miles in any direction to find a road or an area I've never ridden in. Psychologically, I suppose, as I've lost a role in the world, I've regained the road. It seems to count positively for me. At the very least, it changes my frame of mind... If ever I end up with money I'll change my frame, for now though, changing my frame of mind is the best I can do.

itboffin

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Who's up for a ''Fake commuter'' thread? I seem to be rarely in gainful employment these days and it's sometimes hard work disciplining myself to keep on getting out onto the bike - I miss that ''I've got to do it'' discipline that comes with the commute. There's a tendency to look outside the window and say ''Oh, it's wet, I'll wait to see if the roads dry out later,'' or ''It's freezing outside, I'll skip today's ride and go twice as far as soon as it's warmer.''

I don't know how it is for other unemployed or redundantified people, but getting out on the bike is one of the few things that keeps me capable of feeling positive - I can even sometimes face looking for a job after I've dragged myself out onto the roads.

So, as a fake commuter I've set myself a 4000 mile target for this year (I'm already 40 miles below target but with warmer weather and longer daylight I should catch up) and I've set up an impossible ''ride every road'' project. I've now cycled on every road (barring tunnels and urban motorway-style roads) in a 60 square mile radius around my home. As I live in London, it takes thousands of miles and an infinite number of U-turns to cover such an area. And yet I don't have to cycle more than 5 miles in any direction to find a road or an area I've never ridden in. Psychologically, I suppose, as I've lost a role in the world, I've regained the road. It seems to count positively for me. At the very least, it changes my frame of mind... If ever I end up with money I'll change my frame, for now though, changing my frame of mind is the best I can do.

I think I created one of those about 3 years ago, ironically though whilst unemployed I actually discover my current commute route was entirely possible without main roads, great you'd think but I had already spent the best part of 2 years riding twice a day on a busy A road

What will I discover this time - i'm guessing a mythical winter wonder land ala Narnia

Fireblade96

itboffin wrote:

Fireblade96 wrote:

Hmm well I didn't get made redundant, I quit, .....

Ah sorry mate that's crap, no no pay off for me, the redundancy are financially related so nothing more than standard notice period.

If you're serious about a Lejog email me, this time of year is perfect for avoiding Scottish midges.

It's not as crap as working for my new boss was, I like to think I left with some style ;-)

I'll mail you...would love to fit in LeJog, I've just signed up for another snowboarding trip week after next, my periods of unemployment are rarely dull !
Could be a good time to bump your Kennet & Avon towpath trip thread too...

itboffin

Fireblade96 wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Fireblade96 wrote:

Hmm well I didn't get made redundant, I quit, .....

Ah sorry mate that's crap, no no pay off for me, the redundancy are financially related so nothing more than standard notice period.

If you're serious about a Lejog email me, this time of year is perfect for avoiding Scottish midges.

It's not as crap as working for my new boss was, I like to think I left with some style ;-)

I'll mail you...would love to fit in LeJog, I've just signed up for another snowboarding trip week after next, my periods of unemployment are rarely dull !
Could be a good time to bump your Kennet & Avon towpath trip thread too...

Your totally right, in fact now is perfect these cold mornings will make the canal path hard enough to ride on. I will investigate forthwith

deptfordmarmoset

itboffin wrote:

I think I created one of those about 3 years ago, ironically though whilst unemployed I actually discover my current commute route was entirely possible without main roads, great you'd think but I had already spent the best part of 2 years riding twice a day on a busy A road

What will I discover this time - i'm guessing a mythical winter wonder land ala Narnia

That alternative route thing is exactly the kind of thing you can discover when you have the time. Working, you're under pressure to follow the corridor. Abandoned by the clock, you learn the lie of the land and in an unexpected kind of way it then becomes your land.

But I'm against the winter wonderland idea - winter things make me look out the window and make excuses. And when it come to making up excuses, I think I'm pretty well qualified.

itboffin

this is my 2nd time as dole scum last time I rode the Communicat sportive route pretty much everyday and amazingly enough can third on the day, which could and should have been first - however I was distracted by erm a rider of the other sex.

Guess what I've got planned for tomorrow?

deptfordmarmoset

itboffin wrote:

this is my 2nd time as dole scum last time I rode the Communicat sportive route pretty much everyday and amazingly enough can third on the day, which could and should have been first - however I was distracted by erm a rider of the other sex.

Guess what I've got planned for tomorrow?

Catching up the rider of the other sex?

stuaff

itboffin wrote:

I'm prone to rather irrational outbursts of extreme activities - spent quite a lot of time reading solo LEJOG blogs and posts :roll:

Bike = check
Time = check
Fitness = hmmm ch-eckish

If a group ride appeals- to you or FB-, I'm sure you'd be very welcome on the one I'm doing in aid of the British Legion (8 days from May 28 ).

Best of luck to you all in the job-hunting.

redvee

itboffin wrote:

this is my 2nd time as dole scum last time I rode the Communicat sportive route pretty much everyday and amazingly enough can third on the day, which could and should have been first - however I was distracted by erm a rider of the other sex.

Guess what I've got planned for tomorrow?

Jeremy Kyle

As an aside I was no longer needed at the charity where I have voluntered for the last 4+years this time last week and was going to make the most of the free time by putting in more miles which hasn't quite worked out so far :oops:

jonny_trousers

Bad luck boys and girls; I feel for you. I was offered a snippet of information this week that might mean my present employment will not last for as long as I hoped it would and so my plans to create my ultimate commuter are to be put on hold yet again. Should I have to go back to pure freelancing then I doubt I will commute by bike much at all and so I would be better off buying a different kind of bike altogether.

Must be a really sucky time for a lot of people out there. Good luck to all!

MadammeMarie

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I don't know how it is for other unemployed or redundantified people, but getting out on the bike is one of the few things that keeps me capable of feeling positive - I can even sometimes face looking for a job after I've dragged myself out onto the roads.

It does that to you. Excercise is the best to combat "moody days". It always works for me.

I was told last Tuesday, on the 1st March. The shock is numbing, really. Worst thing that you can do is to get drunk, which is what I did on Saturday. Was feeling like sh1t on Sunday, hangover and down. It was freezing cold and a bit overcast, but I know that the only t hing that will get me out of that mood is the bike. So off I went for a few spins in Hyde Park. Saw beautiful winter sunset, while listening to argentinean 80's pop in my iPod. AWESOME! :-)

Still not sure what to do after the 31st. Trip back to home country likely, but not 100% sure yet. Maybe cycling trip to US? Or Spain? I go through all the emotions in one day. From anger and anxiety to "it's what I wanted" and optimism for the future. :?

SimonAH

Bad luck both, all the best for resuming the income stream asap.

I'm the other way round to almost the same effect - my company car arrives on Friday and with its arrival goes my commute. From next week I will only be in the office one day a week.

NGale

at the moment mine and a few other colleagues are in danger of redundancy at the moment which is a real pi**er as my job pays for my tuition fees for my HNC which I intend to take me into a career change. Ironic really want to change careers yet may not be able to do it without a job!

would love to have some time away from working just to study, but just can't afford it, but then so many are also in that position

Fireblade96

I was going to resurrect the "weekday anti-social rides" thread, but I can't find it...so here will have to do:

Went out for a quick blast round my 13-mile uncommute route. Racing the incoming dark clouds, all was going well until I came over the brow of a hill to find a little cow standing in the middle of the lane !

So rather than setting 2011's fastest time round the route, a helpful car driver and I spent 10 minutes herding an un-cooperative cow back to its field - much fun was had by all :-)

itboffin

CV updated
god damn linkedin updated
job sites updated
new mobile purchased
first blitz on the job sites completed

BORED :evil:

jonginge

itboffin wrote:

CV updated
god damn linkedin updated
job sites updated
new mobile purchased
first blitz on the job sites completed

BORED :evil:

Hence you DIYed your toolbox... or something

itboffin

I have and I quote "The Ultimate Do-it-yourself book" and a list of stuff to fix from the Mrs

BLAH!

Stone Glider

What a load of bad news. Good luck with the job search folks, it is not becoming easier these days. Just short of three years since I left the world of work, happy days :roll:

shouldbeinbed

Commiserations and good luck, my swinging axe will come down around July. Major pay cut at best(!) but redundancy well on the cards. I'd rather they stop pratting about and get on with it so I know where I stand.

jpm5555

Hmm, I'll be out at the end of March too

Still, the weather's improving. Looking forward to some spring rides!

itboffin

jpm5555 wrote:

Still, the weather's improving. Looking forward to some spring rides!

Looks out of the window, you sure about that ...?

gtvlusso

@itboffin - have some roles in Bristol and Farnborough, PM me if interested and I will send you the listy...

Fireblade96

ITB, if you're bored and your redundancy pittance is burning a hold in your pocket, I'm off snowboarding next week, there's lots of space left in the chalet and it's super-cheap (£400-ish for flights & transfers, catered luxury chalet with **free unlimited wine**).
Let me know if you're interested...