What other Hobbies or Interests Do You Have?

Geoff, I took the tubes out of all of my bike tires two years ago (sort of like fo.q tubes) and I am positive that,

 "the ride is smoother and the pedaling easier"

I’ve been experimenting with the quite versatile audiophile anti-vibration fo.q tape on the frame of my Macho Man road bike and am pretty sure the ride is smoother and the pedaling easier. Could be expectation bias but I don’t think it is. Anyone else use anything like this?

Used to be golf and shooting trap
now it's being locked inside avoiding fake news    ;-)

I did a lot of sailing in my younger days, thanks to a lot of friends & relatives who had boats.  It wasn't my favorite hobby.  I spent more than my share of time bent over the rail, feeding the fish.

This will probably be unique... I competitively shoot Rimfire benchrest. Had to give up golf and needed a competitive outlet. Pretty much a discipline populated by the retired baby boomers.

At 16 years old I started bodybuilding. In other words, I started lifting weights in my mother's basement.  Ha. I loved it and been doing it until 2 years ago at 48-49 years old. The big injury finally got to me.

Lifting weights absolutely changed my life.  I used to be super skinny, getting to 6ft 3. It took me a while but got up to a massive 270 pounds at my highest weight. My wife loves it. 

I have a dedicated gym in my basement that is super stocked and can give you a great workout. Looks like a commercial place almost.  Dumbells from 15 to 100 pounds on 5 pound increments... a bunch of stuff. Now my 14 year old works out there for his sport. He's already becoming a beast. Ha ha. 

Nothing like being in great shape all your life. It really changes your perspective on things. It's a lifestyle. Good times. 

As I type, my wife is lifting weights. My son told me an hour ago that he was extra sore from yesterday's workout. I'm so tempted to go back down and start again... it really did give me the life I have now. I'm so grateful to the gym. 

.....and no other sailors? Talk about a money pit. It's all worth it though, Christopher Cross got it absolutely right!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEO6gYCFbr0

Oh my, the time of my life and the funds available did have some impact on what I was "in to" at the time. To list a few,
Luthier made Archtop guitars.
Good wines from CA. and Bordeaux.
Biking. I have done all of the old former railroad track trails in Wi. and biked the majority of Door Co. Wi.
Most things Chicago, esp. Jazz bars.
Modern Architecture
Modern era furniture from Hans Wegner, Charles Eames and more.
Computers, to an extent.
When I owned my business I was very into giving back to the community and enjoyed helping many that needed help, not a hobby but a major interest.
When I was more into traveling, I enjoyed art museums, mostly those with modern art, like MOMA, Lousiana north of Copenhagen and others.
Photography, from the old Nikons to more modern digital.
I did have a few nice cars, Porsche, Lotus and others, but the Formula Fords at Road America were the fastest...and cornered the best.
But in my adult life my children and other family and friends have been my greatest interest.
 
Good thread, and enjoy the responses. And I did spoil myself with a few nice watches...which my sons now have.

Before I forget, for all you road bike enthusiasts, remember to use Helium canisters in lieu of air pump to shave precious 12 grams off your riding weight.

Collect vintage Rolexes and other high end watches.

The best thing about the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not having to commute to work. Three more hours for listening to music and closely monitoring Prime food delivery windows.

I'm passionate about reading the Bible and being more Christ-like.
I love working out w/ weights and long brisk walks.
I enjoy photography w/ my digital rangefinder camera.

That’s funny, in my twenties I knew a group of mountain bikers that called themselves Team Slop (Southeastern Lowland Offroad Peddlers). 
They would hit the old bubbler, jump in a van to the top of a mountain, and only ride down hill. 

Cycling, not being fond of hill climbs I’ve found a route around town here that is all down hill. Which steel frame bike excel at. 

Cycling. Have climbed many of the iconic mountains from the Tour, Vuelta and Giro. curious given I am the size of a circus bear and in late 60's. Wife and I have cranked out NM and AZ centuries in under four hours on our go-fast tandem. I've driven cars and motorcycles well over 100 mph. Pedestrian compared to 65 mph bombing down a mountain on the tandem or 55 on a half bike down Ventoux or the Stelvio.

I help my wife run a homeless teen drop-in center. I'm geezer security, gofer, plant waterer, etc. We also help human sex-trafficking victims.  Sometimes frustrating and dangerous work but immensely fulfilling. Although a former gymnast, I've been relegated to playing ping pong, golf, and pickleball because of age.

My Porche 911 and my Porsche Cayman - I love to drive. They have the WORST stock audio system lol

Feel free to check out my page on Facebook: DM Motorwerks

I work exactly half the year, I fill the half off with a few hobbies one of which is enjoying music, the gear is fun too. A large piece of rural Georgia property keeps me busy, very easy to stay isolated. My other interest include a few (fun) cars, a 1985 BMW 535 full of goodies, a 2015 MK7 Golf GTI that’s boosted up nicely. I like surprising performance cars with a silly blue Golf and some old dude driving. I have a larger turbo to install which should give me another 80hp and just 25lbs of torque at the wheels, right now I am putting down 320hp, 395tq, it’s my most recent toy.
I have always observed that appreciation for audio, watches, firearms, and vehicles seems to go together. I think it’s the appreciation of the engineering and quality of the build, could be wrong. I do travel a bit, usually somewhere off the beaten path and interesting. I spend a fair amount of time restoring audio gear, sometimes selling it, sometimes just for fun and giving it away.

Thanks oregonpapa

the road biking and surfboard themes resonate with me as well.  

I still have a few “holy grail” Italian frames hanging off the ceiling in tribute to my former king of the hill glory racing days.

 Also have at least 5 custom made performance longboards made by the top island shaping guru’s....Brewer...Lopez..Apia....etc....and a balsa gun for large Hanalei made by Gary Linden...all again from my former big wave glory days.

Yeah I spend a lot of time playing and messing with musical instruments. Jammed it out last weekend with some other guys. I have way, way more music gear than hifi gear.

Mitch, I had been using Stan's and it did work. Trust me on this one next bottle try the Orange Seal. It  stays in solution better and my impression is that it seals faster. I think I lose less air.

axememan ...

I have one of P.T. Gazell's harmonicas. They are terrific. Easy bends in both blow and draw. Really nice tones too. As you can see, they are modified Seydel harps. I love mine.

http://www.ptgazell.com/gazell-method-harmonicas-1.html

Again ... try a Lee Oskar B-minor. Lots of fun.

Take care ...

Frank

For those of you with film cameras, you might want to drag them out and look at what they are currently selling for on Ebay. Those who call albums "vinyl", are now dying to shoot film.

oregonpapa->>I too have a bunch in different keys in a Harmonica case..I just bought a pair of Brendon Powers Modified Harps but,I'm not sure what I think of them yet

Hi @mijostyn 
I have many miles on Specialized S-Works Turbo 700c by 26mm here.  Been using Stan's sealant with good results but have been very lucky without many punctures.  I wish I could run 28mm, which may be the road sweet spot but neither my older titanium nor my carbon frames will support that larger size.  

axememan ...

I have five harmonicas, all in different keys, and one "C" chromonica sitting on the little table just in front of my "sweet spot." When I have a nice familiar ballad playing on the system, sometimes I try to play along, or just accompany the other musicians.

If you want a challenge, buy a Lee Oscar B-minor harp. It is confusing at first, but you'll start to pick out some songs that you normally play. You can get a mean "Summertime" on it for starters ... then branch out from there. I love the ethnic sound of the B-minor harp.

Here's Lee Oscar playing the B-minor harp. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKLjLFHSnqc&t=5s

I've gotten so that I can follow along with most of it. 

H.L. Mencken once wrote that:  "you can always tell a true music lover because they always try to play their own music. They may be atrocious at it, but they try."

I am atrocious at it. :-)

Frank

OREGONPAPA..I've been noodling on the Harp for awhile..I have 4 or 5 moves and I milk the heck out of them.

Sportbikes, Sportscars, Mountain Bikes, Twisty Canyon Roads...Adrenaline dumps!!

Ran 10.9 @ 140mph on my GSXR1000 at 4900’ elevation.  Saw 186mph before and topped 170mph quite a few times.

Bigtime Porsche fan.  The new Speedster is something special. My local Porsche Dealership has 6 of them currently, along with the Aurora Singer!  I’d be happy with a 987 Boxster S and I will have one someday!

I have a Mini Cooper S.  Brother just got a new M2 😁.

I ride my Chromag Wideangle, steel hardtail, Enduro Mountain bike 4-6 days / nights a week.  Endless miles of Singletrack start 2 blocks from my front door.  I spent quite a few days riding downhill parks the past 3 summers.  

I can, and have done, multiple 500 mile loops in 1 day on Sportbikes on twisty canyon mountain roads.

I have always been in the right place at the right time regarding cars.  At age 6 I rode in my first Ferrari, a 512bbi.  I’ve been in Aventadors, 1400hp Evo’s, 1200hp M3’s, and countless other awesome cars!  
I’m also interested in good looking Women but can’t afford them and would have to give up most of my other hobbies...

Much to the dismay of my budget I seem to choose hobbies that have the ability to easily drain ones bank account. Besides the money pit of audio I also dabble in astronomy, bicycling, photography, and rc helicopters. Audio is by far the biggest money pit.

Yes, it takes a very steady hand with an Exacto knife. Black is a tough color to wrap also. Any bubbles show up white. What year is it 2004?
Asv, us cyclists have an expression, eat to ride, ride to eat. You ride through Tuscany then stuff your face. Can you tell how skinny my butt is?

Following up on my car post and having the entire car wrapped in paint protection film (and the great advice here not to do it myself) I finally found someone at a reasonable price. He is doing such a great job so far, I made a 45 second video of him wrapping my 911 if anyone cares to see it, with my car up on ramps and with the headlights removed.

https://vimeo.com/397358202/3f94b9661a

Pardon....I'm just having a 'reaction formation' to all the 'biker' posts....

...all these visions of Lycra tights, stuffed with....well, Hopefully 'skinny butts' but fearing the opposite.....*LOL*

@loki1957....*S* Ah, a romantic....I hope....*L*

If your spouse is your hobby....what are you to her?! *L*

(Just a tease, please....no weird inference implied....;)...)

My wife

mijostyn ...

Yes, thank you. I love those guys.

Here is THE Robert Bonfiglio CD to own. Super nice recording, great group, and Bonfiglio’s genius: Recorded live at the amphitheater at the Grand Canyon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXiQbV5qY-k

Here is THE Lee Oskar album to get. Fantastic Eastern European sound using a B-minor harp. The recording is first-rate and a great demo disc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKLjLFHSnqc

I attended a harmonica clinic put on by Lee Oscar years ago. The guy was fantastic. He taught me how to play using the lip-blocking technique, which finally allowed me to bend notes. I was always a tongue blocker and could never figure out how to get the blow and draw bends properly. One little session with Lee and I had it.

Here’s another great ... P.T. Gazell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5zGvLJwkqM

Frank

Frank, you must then be a Jaco fan! 

Heaudio, stay away from Schwalbe. I had too many punctures. I have run Hutchinson Sector 28's and 32s with great results. Orange Seal is the absolute best sealant. I ran one 28 down to casing 500 miles after it punctured and sealed. I never took the tire off to patch it! Putting the tires on is just like a car. You use tire levers then you rapidly pressurize the tire to snap it onto the bead. Once the tire is mounted you take out the valve core and fill the tire with 60 cc Orange Seal with a syringe then put the valve core back in and pump up the tire. I use 50 psi in the front and 75 psi in the rear. My wife uses 50 in the front and 65 in the rear. We routinely do gravel roads on these tires no problem. In three years my wife has punctured once and I have punctured twice. All of them sealed fine and usually you do not realize you have punctured until you get off the bike and see Orange Seal on the seat tube.
Although you can use regular clincher wheels that have been taped to seal the spoke holes it is better to use a tubeless rim which has a bead.
IMHO Campy/Fulcrum makes the best tubeless wheels because of their MoMag system. No spoke holes, no tape, no leak! The nipples get a magnet screwed into them then are dragged to their location with an other magnet. The magnet is taken off then the spoke is mounted. 

There is one sport I have not seen yet. Anybody turn wood? There must be some wood turners out there. I forgot to mention I am a fellow lathe junky. 

Music production, cooking, badminton, table tennis, gardening.

Skydiving have over 10,000 jumps.

Racing my Ducati and going Shooting. 

Bee Keeping

axememan ...

• Love me some Harmonicas ...

Me too. Been playing them since I was nine and still haven’t mastered the darned things. I listen in awe to the likes of Charlie McCoy, Robert Bonfigileo, Toots Thielemans, and Lee Oskar.

Frank

Love me some Harmonicas,
 Guitars, Acoustic and Electric,
Small Tube Amps.
I just sold 12 Amps and a few Cabinets to get down payment money for a car.
Of course when I sold the Amps I did not need a car,the universe has a way of knowing when I get extra Cash!!
I did sell them to my son-in-laws cousin to help him get some stock buildup for a Music Store he is opening next month.
Radio Control-Planes,Helicopters but sold most of them.
I still Have my Trex 450 Electric Heli.
Quadcopters[2]
Most all of my RC stuff ais now electric.
I have a Hawker Seafury Gas and maybe a Nitro or 2 stashed away.
Been into the Nitro cars,Trucks and Monster Trucks.I never made it up to 1/5 Scale but..all sold.
Had Boats..LOTSA Work!=Sold

Ban that person! 

• "Content may be removed for one or more of these reasons:
• It looked like spam
• It was abusive towards another member
• It depicts explicit and/or violent content
• It contains profanity"

So, posting two links to pictures of bicycle frames applies to the above, how??

Frank

My wife still uses sew-up/tubular tires on her Campy-ed out Colnago C59.  I went to clinchers when I heavily crashed my Time Edge Translink about ten years ago and replaced the twisted-up steed with my fully-built Bianchi Infinito.  Ya know what?  I don't miss 'em.

millercarbon,

There is always room for improvement.

https://www.classesandworkshops.com/acting-classes/stand-up-comedy/

I enjoy downloading porn. Also sometimes scavenge around for old abandoned refrigerators and turning them into a playhouse for kids. Its hard though. The ones with the secure latch are getting harder and harder to find.

Plenty.