Spokes!

All this talk of pies, I think I've worked out who WDB is:

Wheel truing is the one bike mending skill I've been beaten by. Replaced the odd broken spoke in an emergency but the wheel's gone into a bike shop at earliest opportunity to be properly sorted.

There’s a lot to be said for “doesn’t need the money”. A year or two ago I had an idea that when 55 rolled around, children were mostly paid for and options arose concerning the (reasonably well-filled) pension pot, I might downshift into something related to European travel writing with a photographic angle, generating enough to cover my costs and provide a small income on top.

I made the mistake of mentioning this to MrsB1, who rapidly and with some verbal force let me know that she’d be needing the benefit of my full earning power for a good few years beyond 55. And then the apocalypse killed travel, and we haven’t spoken of it since. But I’d still like to do it, or something similar.

...the "doesn't need the money" is important, but remember, depending on what you want to do, and Mrs Dubya allowing, you probably won't need anywhere near as much money as you currently have coming in....

At risk of repeating myself, I never intended working beyond 60, when all the lines sort of came together, but, after a pretty crap year at work (one of very few in my career) when an opportunity presented itself to negotiate my freedom, I took it. At worst, it was going to be about a year's less income than planned, and 3+ years off one of my pensions. As it happens, low ensuing salary increases vs a deferred pension rising in line with a then higher inflation rate meant my pension when drawn was virtually indistinguishable from what it would have been if I'd worked the 3+ years

Between us, the current Mrs nE and I are drawing 5 separate pensions, and the total (net) income is somewhat noticeably higher than that from the not-inconsiderable salary I was earning 12 years ago (though I miss the add-ons, such as bonus, medical insurance, company car LTIP, etc). Part of that is the way the income is split between us (considerably less goes in tax) and, of course, we no longer have to fund the kids (much); two through Uni without resulting debts was a significant drain.

I had no real focused intention after retirement, simply a desire to step back from the almost continuous pressure of at least the last 25 years (just about all of my post-programming IT life - I never found that pressured). Though much of it at the time was invited and enjoyed by myself, in retrospect I jumped from one hard and intense assignment to another, often into areas I had little or no experience of (and on more than a few occasions, I was asked to do things I wouldn't necessarily have chosen me to do!). All tremendous experience, and largely enjoyable both at the time and in retrospect through being challenging, but I'd had enough.

So, 12 years with no regrets. The income has meant that original savings have been untouched, despite major purchases and a number of expensive long-distance holidays. Day-to-day expenses have generally dropped-off; lockdown will have demonstrated how much that can happen . I don't get bored; we've knocked a good few things off the bucket list; I can please myself when I get off into the outdoors, and can time that to avoid weekends and holidays, so there is more enjoyment than previous restricted sessions.

But....all people are different. My ex-work-colleague, who I regularly walk with, vacillated over early retirement until he had a few health scares, and then also negotiated his way out. He comes from a different working background, and wanted some focus, so, amongst other things he is now a luthier (making magnificent electric guitars, the like of which I would have thought beyond him) and took a set of RHS exams, putting the fruits of that to work as a volunteer in the gardens of a large country seat nearby. His wife is now very close to retiring, and she's pinched his woodworking tools to build "library chairs" (I'd call them book chairs) and appears to be getting a little industry set up.

Frankly, though I enjoyed the vast majority of my working life, I always worked to live, rather than lived to work (the family might have a slightly different view) and the last 12 years have been just as enjoyable as the best parts of my working life. I think life is going to be a bit different for a bit (or even longer). Don't leave it longer than you have to.

...yes, much of my various pension income is defined benefit, final salary (though a couple of years at the end were average salary, making virtually diddly-squat difference). I didn't transfer any of it on various moves, since the resulting salary increases made the transfer values unattractive in terms of years bought in the new job. Retrospective calculations show that that decision was correct in each case.

Odd really what life's choices can deliver. My time at the railway was under-salaried, but the work was interesting and varied. I resisted part way through my time there a job offer that would have tripled my salary overnight, but was certainly more of a dead end without a further move (they were overtly buying my then, rare, current skills). The drawing of the pension now makes me doubly glad I resisted.


Are the spoke holes on the broken wheel eyeleted? 

The wheel is now back with the supplying dealer. The workshop didn’t seem at all surprised when I described the problem and immediately offered to talk to Whyte and get it replaced.

Oh, and I owe T&E an apology for scoffing at his ‘eyelets’ question. Moving Boy2’s bedstead out of the way in the shed, I noticed that his wheels have them, so they’re not just something from the world of Pashley. Sorry.

IME it's always drive side spokes.

Many years ago, before children, we rode off the Western Isles ferry at Uig headed for Glenn Brittle Youth Hostel on Skye. As we climbed out of UIg Bay towards Portree there was a loud 'ping' from Mrs B's Peugeot Tourer. Closer investigation disclosed a broken spoke drive side rear. Couldn't do anything immediately due to millions of midjies which descended the moment we stopped.

Ended up attending to the wheel sat on a bunk in the men's dorm - anything outside was still untenable. Somehow managed to weave a replacement spoke in without means/opportunity to remove the freewheel and get it broadly tight.

Lasted until we got home and the bike shop in Bushey could deal with it properly