Discussion
So - the start of a new term gives me the inevitable dread of being in education for yet another year. I'm looking at a career change, yes I will be one of those 'teachers who quit within 5 years' but enough is enough - all I'm seeing is headteachers hanging their heads in shame at the dross they enforce upon us through 'policy' and the chap at the top of the pile driving around in his 70k+ motor.
The obvious route for my skillset is motorcycle instructor - however I hear rumours that this kills any joy you had for biking in the first place and the money is awful.
I suppose my question for the PHers of biker banter is...
Do you work full time with motorbikes? If so, what do you do and how did you get there?
The obvious route for my skillset is motorcycle instructor - however I hear rumours that this kills any joy you had for biking in the first place and the money is awful.
I suppose my question for the PHers of biker banter is...
Do you work full time with motorbikes? If so, what do you do and how did you get there?
I was a very keen TVR owner back in the 90s and had the opportunity to become a partner in a local TVR specialist. I immersed myself completely in that world for 5 years. When I moved on out of the industry my own TVR sat in the my garage for 18 months and never turned a wheel. It was a great experience but killed my interest in TVRs.
In some cases I think when you turn your hobby/interest into your career you then need another hobby/interest to get away from work
In some cases I think when you turn your hobby/interest into your career you then need another hobby/interest to get away from work
As a spotty teenager I was a bit of a train enthusiast (yeah sad I know) I'm now 28 and after 10 years in the industry and becoming a train driver (the dream job) it's killed my interest/hobby. In addition as part of my job I drive hire cars across the country and has almost completely killed my interest in driving and cars, hence I've got into biking just to have a hobby away from it all.
I spent ten years as an instructor (part-time).
The pay is s
t, teaching a different group of numpties the same CBT course day after day becomes mind-numbing, July on a DAS course is good but January on the same course is hell.
Stick to proper teaching with its decent wages and nice holidays.
The pay is s
t, teaching a different group of numpties the same CBT course day after day becomes mind-numbing, July on a DAS course is good but January on the same course is hell.Stick to proper teaching with its decent wages and nice holidays.
The instructor I did DAS was a great rider who had once loved motorbikes, but twenty years of riding them round town as an instructor and killed his passion for them. He was saying he regularly has ex-students turn up with their
new bikes offering him a ride and he always declines, saying if he's not being paid to ride he'd rather sit and read the paper. A busman's holiday, he said.
new bikes offering him a ride and he always declines, saying if he's not being paid to ride he'd rather sit and read the paper. A busman's holiday, he said.
AlunJ said:
As a spotty teenager I was a bit of a train enthusiast (yeah sad I know) I'm now 28 and after 10 years in the industry and becoming a train driver (the dream job) it's killed my interest/hobby. In addition as part of my job I drive hire cars across the country and has almost completely killed my interest in driving and cars, hence I've got into biking just to have a hobby away from it all.
Conversely, my brother's been a bike journalist (now editor) for nearly 20 years and still absolutely adores anything with two wheels 
I don't work directly with bikes but sell bike clothing etc. I took the job at the time because I wanted something easier and less stressful. Obviously it being to do with bikes was a big bonus. Since starting i rode less and less, the usual problem is that if you want to sell stuff to bikers you need to be in the shop when they are so on weekends etc meaning you can't go out when your mates are out. This meant that I ended up riding on my own the whole time which ended up being boring and I lost touch with a lot of riding mates.
I changed jobs within the company which sorted that issue out but by that time I think I'd already lost interest in it and eventually sold my bike this year without replacing it. Instead I bought a push bike and that's now my hobby even completeing my first race last weekend.
I'll probably get another bike in the future but I just can't be arsed with it at the moment.
I know a lot of other people through work that ride for work. I know of police riders that have their own bikes but they don't ever ride them and the others don't have bikes at all. Some instructors I know love it and you can't get them off bikes, others can't stand the thought of going out on the bikes when they aren't working.
Personally instructing sounds dreadful to me but you're already a teacher so you must have some patience.
I changed jobs within the company which sorted that issue out but by that time I think I'd already lost interest in it and eventually sold my bike this year without replacing it. Instead I bought a push bike and that's now my hobby even completeing my first race last weekend.
I'll probably get another bike in the future but I just can't be arsed with it at the moment.
I know a lot of other people through work that ride for work. I know of police riders that have their own bikes but they don't ever ride them and the others don't have bikes at all. Some instructors I know love it and you can't get them off bikes, others can't stand the thought of going out on the bikes when they aren't working.
Personally instructing sounds dreadful to me but you're already a teacher so you must have some patience.
I have been in a similar situation as since the oil companies have taken a dive I have been looking at changing career in something I am passionate about.
Like what other people have said it can kill the love you have for it so you have to be selective in which route you take. Unfortunately there's not a lot of bike jobs are at least ones that are easier to get into.
I considered bike sales but again not a lot of money and you could end up getting fed up with bikes. I think a bike journo would be a good option but again not easy to get into and no idea what kind of money is in it?
Like what other people have said it can kill the love you have for it so you have to be selective in which route you take. Unfortunately there's not a lot of bike jobs are at least ones that are easier to get into.
I considered bike sales but again not a lot of money and you could end up getting fed up with bikes. I think a bike journo would be a good option but again not easy to get into and no idea what kind of money is in it?
I know people who are paid to ride 500 miles a day, and still go out for a fun ride at the weekend, they just can't get enough of bikes.
On the other hand, there are those for whom it ruins the joy of it, so I think it comes down to how much you really like riding. It has to be a lot to make sure you would still get out on the bike when you weren't being paid
On the other hand, there are those for whom it ruins the joy of it, so I think it comes down to how much you really like riding. It has to be a lot to make sure you would still get out on the bike when you weren't being paid
Max5476 said:
I know people who are paid to ride 500 miles a day, and still go out for a fun ride at the weekend, they just can't get enough of bikes.
I am one of these people albeit not quite that many a day and it is for my commute to work.It has not killed my love for motorcycling. Only fueled the fire knowing that I can ride for hours and hours at a time. I now have a burning desire to jump on my bike and cross some continents.
Just make sure you have separate bikes for the job, separate work and play.
One day I will!
In the mid 90's I got into 3D graphics in a big way. I would spend all my time just doing graphics and working on my skills.
Did it as a degree, went to work on PS2 and Xbox games and then started my own multimedia consultancy.
That lasted 2 years. It took me 5-6 years to even pick up another computer game and I still only really do graphic stuff when I HAVE to.
On the biking front, I used to ride all the time. Bought an MV and started a club, now doing loads of admin for the club and trying to mediate between members, dealers and spammers. The bike has been out around 10 times this year. I commute on my Monster (before I was knocked off, 50 miles a day). The last thing I want to do on the weekend is ride.
So yes, too much of a good thing can kill your enjoyment.
Did it as a degree, went to work on PS2 and Xbox games and then started my own multimedia consultancy.
That lasted 2 years. It took me 5-6 years to even pick up another computer game and I still only really do graphic stuff when I HAVE to.
On the biking front, I used to ride all the time. Bought an MV and started a club, now doing loads of admin for the club and trying to mediate between members, dealers and spammers. The bike has been out around 10 times this year. I commute on my Monster (before I was knocked off, 50 miles a day). The last thing I want to do on the weekend is ride.
So yes, too much of a good thing can kill your enjoyment.
It seems like beyond the riding bit the jobs are fairly crap. Not much variation, limited amount of mental involvement...
Journo would be different due to variation and you wouldn't be riding 500 miles a day. It would be a mixture of office, riding and trips. How you actually get into it on the other hand... Jobs for mates...
Journo would be different due to variation and you wouldn't be riding 500 miles a day. It would be a mixture of office, riding and trips. How you actually get into it on the other hand... Jobs for mates...
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