Getting out the in the Morning - Kids etc!

wolfsbane2k

Hi.

I'm now almost 2 months into my daily 9ish miles each way commute, and am currently having serious issues with motiviation - not mine to cycle, but the rest of the family in letting me out the door in time.

Given that my ride is 30 mins in the morning, 20 in the evening, and the same distance drive is 10 to 15+ minutes, my mornings are just more and more constrained by dogs/kids/wife holding me up - nappies, fights, "garden toilets" etc. meaning that I'm "just" leaving in time in the morning, and in fact have been late to work because I didn't leave on time. Given that I used to leave for work 2 hours earlier to catch a train to get to work, I just don't understand how to keep this up.

Assuming that you choose to cycle, and cycling is longer than any other form of commute, how do you manage to convince your family to let you cycle, and therefore get your exercise?

Ta

corriebee1

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19744339#p19744339]Wolfsbane2k[/url] wrote:

Hi.

I'm now almost 2 months into my daily 9ish miles each way commute, and am currently having serious issues with motiviation - not mine to cycle, but the rest of the family in letting me out the door in time.

Given that my ride is 30 mins in the morning, 20 in the evening, and the same distance drive is 10 to 15+ minutes, my mornings are just more and more constrained by dogs/kids/wife holding me up - nappies, fights, "garden toilets" etc. meaning that I'm "just" leaving in time in the morning, and in fact have been late to work because I didn't leave on time. Given that I used to leave for work 2 hours earlier to catch a train to get to work, I just don't understand how to keep this up.

Assuming that you choose to cycle, and cycling is longer than any other form of commute, how do you manage to convince your family to let you cycle, and therefore get your exercise?

Ta

I have a similar problem, in that we have a nearly 2 year old and another on the way.

I find that my cycling saves me time in the mornings (I don't have to leave as early so can have breakfast with the wife and the boy) but costs me in the evenings (i get home slightly later than i otherwise would, leaving the wife in charge of bathtime). I always try to acknowledge the effort that takes for the wife and thank her. I also continually stress how much more i enjoy cycling than driving and how much better i feel about life when i'm getting regular exercise.

The fact that my wife loves to cycle too makes it even more difficult for her, watching me rack up hundreds of miles while she can't get out much. But the above strategy at least makes her realise the importance to me, and makes her realise that i acknowledge her efforts in allowing me to do so.

PS. Cycling takes the element of traffic risk out of commuting, so has led me to cut my work timing more fine, or occasionally be late in if the slightest little thing goes wrong. Try to plan for having to fix a puncture every day (it's a possibility!) and you'll be in a litle bit early most days.

y33stu

I'm the same, my boy is almost 18 months, but as above, my commute in is 12 miles but quicker on the bike than the car, but takes 10-15 minutes longer than the car on way home.

I think you should also factor in the cost of driving in vs the cost of riding. I've saved god knows how many £000's in the past 4 years (albeit spent the equivalent on bikes/parts/ etc!) through commuting. I'm sure that money would help go towards childcare/christmas/anything else baby related... I'd go down that angle.

I sold my car so that I just didn't have another option but to bike. You could also go down that route

slowbike

Ours is 5 months old and my cycling miles have plummeted ... not their doing - but mine, I don't get to see him much - especially with club rides at the weekends too. Driving takes 10-15 minutes, cycling takes 30-40 minutes - plus I have to leave a bit earlier to allow time to cool down and change.
I'm trying to get riding back into a routine so we all know when I'll get up that bit earlier and leave for work. But I'll drive when I need to be back earlier for my wife to get out for her evening rides.
Weekends are the hardest as I know club rides will take up about 4-5 hours - time I could be spending with my son - I feel better when I've got back and find out he's been grumbling all morning!

veronese68

Does your wife stay at home with the kids and do you have only one car? If yes to both, cycling enables you to leave the car in case she needs it. Assuming she can drive. You are saving money over using the car and saving time over the old train commute, so it's a win-win. If you ride to work you are getting exercise done in what would otherwise be wasted time. This saves you having to exercise in what can now be family time.

rhodrich

I've got a 3 year old and a 5 year old, and I feel your pain. The only way I can get out on time is to get up and leave before anyone else gets out of bed (I leave the house from 6.30-7am or so). Less traffic at this time as well.

dyrlac

Mine are 11, 9 and 7; cycling adds about 15m all in each way for me. It gets better once the sprogs can sort their own breakfast and dress themselves, so you may just need the application of time. Other than that, you need to establish a routine in the AM (I announce, loudly and obnoxiously, "T minus __ minutes" for various tasks). Lay out the kids' clothes, kit bags, school bags, etc. the night before (or make them do it). On the missus front, make time to bring her a cup of tea as soon as you get up (you are out of bed first, right?), but most of all, look busy, purposeful and on the bounce; no sitting around to read the paper, no faffing with your kit, every move you make in the morning needs to be directed toward imposing order on the house, leaving her with a reasonably tidy start to her day. Finally, train more to ride faster .

surrey_commuter

So if you are going out 15 mins earlier why not get up an extra 15 mins earlier so you are helping out for the same length of time.

Alternatively use Lady Maths to your advantage

People like the AA calculate the running cost of a car at 50p per mile. Based on your timings above you can claim a running cost of £2k per year.
All that cycling means no gym membership saving £1k per year.
Now add in the money that you save by using the ride to work scheme, the excellent discount thread and money you make selling stuff on e-bay.

If you get your calculations right she will be looking at you in awe and will tell all of her friends about the lengths that you go to for your family.

Daz555

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19744491#p19744491]Surrey Commuter[/url] wrote:

So if you are going out 15 mins earlier why not get up an extra 15 mins earlier so you are helping out for the same length of time.

Alternatively use Lady Maths to your advantage

People like the AA calculate the running cost of a car at 50p per mile. Based on your timings above you can claim a running cost of £2k per year.
All that cycling means no gym membership saving £1k per year.
Now add in the money that you save by using the ride to work scheme, the excellent discount thread and money you make selling stuff on e-bay.

If you get your calculations right she will be looking at you in awe and will tell all of her friends about the lengths that you go to for your family.

....and then you blow £2k on a new bike...... :oops:

dyrlac

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19744514#p19744514]Daz555[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19744491#p19744491]Surrey Commuter[/url] wrote:

So if you are going out 15 mins earlier why not get up an extra 15 mins earlier so you are helping out for the same length of time.

Alternatively use Lady Maths to your advantage

People like the AA calculate the running cost of a car at 50p per mile. Based on your timings above you can claim a running cost of £2k per year.
All that cycling means no gym membership saving £1k per year.
Now add in the money that you save by using the ride to work scheme, the excellent discount thread and money you make selling stuff on e-bay.

If you get your calculations right she will be looking at you in awe and will tell all of her friends about the lengths that you go to for your family.

....and then you blow £2k on a new bike...... :oops:

This is why money-saving based arguments are a trap no matter how tempting in the short run!

surrey_commuter

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19744514#p19744514]Daz555[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19744491#p19744491]Surrey Commuter[/url] wrote:

So if you are going out 15 mins earlier why not get up an extra 15 mins earlier so you are helping out for the same length of time.

Alternatively use Lady Maths to your advantage

People like the AA calculate the running cost of a car at 50p per mile. Based on your timings above you can claim a running cost of £2k per year.
All that cycling means no gym membership saving £1k per year.
Now add in the money that you save by using the ride to work scheme, the excellent discount thread and money you make selling stuff on e-bay.

If you get your calculations right she will be looking at you in awe and will tell all of her friends about the lengths that you go to for your family.

....and then you blow £2k on a new bike...... :oops:

So for arguments sake let's assume you got £500 off RRP and with the first £1k being tax free and the old bike can be sold which together should gain you another £1.5k... with which you could buy a winter bike

what could possibly go wrong :shock: