In addition to my lifelong hobby of model making - mostly ships and boats, in wood, plastic etc, I’m a motorcyclist (and I’ve never had a car drivers license) but do about 20,000 kilometres a year riding for pleasure.
Alongside this, I’m a book addict, often to support research and immersion into whatever model I’m building. I like to really get into their history, their story etc before I start building.
My worst though, is having formerly been a racing cyclist, with a reasonable talent for building them, I collect and restore classic racing bikes from the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. The current count is twelve, with another frame ready to go off for repairs and new paint back in the UK by the end of summer.
I’m said by friends to be the least retired retired person they know.
Oh, and I photograph, mainly extreme sports, but hardly ever now.
It’s a hard life, if you don’t weaken.
Awesome interests Sticky fingers! What kind of motorcycle do you ride? I’m also a bicycle enthusiast(NUT) too.
Hi Tom, I’ve been riding a BMW GSA for the last 12 years, after 4 Harleys and a couple of Ducati’s. Buying another one in the next few weeks I hope, as mine is getting a bit tired.
And yes, the bikes are the big addiction. Just finished a Merckx Professional and the next will be a Mercier.
As for models, I just finished the HP Victor by Airfix, so I’m doing a simple, almost out of the box Academy B-17 before diving into a 1/200 HMS Rodney which has a stack of extra detailing parts I’ve amassed. I’ll be building it in very rough condition, as it was just before the Bismark action, when it was in its way to a refit in the US.
Stickyfingers, that’s a great ride that you’ve got. My “Dream Bike” has always been to own a restored BMW R100RS Airhead. Have you attended any BMW Owners rallies? My current ride is a Kawaski Voyager touring bike. Your bicycle collection sounds awesome. Once they’re restored do you ride them or are they for display?
I’m definitely a solo rider, and mostly always have been. I occasionally ride with a guy from village - maybe once a year, and occasionally with my oldest friend here in France. I used to do rally’s years ago, but I’m not a fan of hard rock and drunks!
As for the bikes, I try to ride all of them at least once year, though I do have favourites. Cycling where I live is tricky, as it’s a farming area, and cycles and big tractors don’t mix on the tiny country roads I like. Not so bad in autumn and winter though. Current favourite is a Marnati and my ‘go to’ Bianchi Reparto Corsa.
I find myself hopelessly devoid of hobbies and I have always been, I think.
The only one that’s been sticking have been computers, video games obviously, but it’s something that’s suddenly been taking a dive these past couple of years. I just… Don’t like them as much as I used to. Hence why I picked up model building, by the way, something I liked a lot when I was younger but had to give up when I went to boarding school, and then away for college.
I also chose a path at the crossroads of computers and art : I’m a vfx artist and work on various medium : movies, shows, music video, videogames trailers, ads, etc. And I have period of times where I go home from doing CG to doing CG again! There’s always something new to do, to experiment, to get curious at. But mostly I prefer to go home and watch shows with a good meal. Movies at the theater are another thing I let slowly go : despite viewing conditions getting better and better ( amazing seats, screen, etc ) the price that keeps rising and people getting more and more uncivilized seriously dampened my enthusiasm.
I used to play piano but I never quite liked it, which, when I reflected upon it years later, is something I now regret. I hope I’ll be able to get a piano when I finally get my own house. Music, however, is something I’ve never felt attracted to. I’m one of those rare people, I guess, who never listen to anything! Regardless, there is a physicality and joy in playing that I’d like to feel again.
Lastly, I have my own Paint mare, but she’s far away and I can only ride when I actually go on holidays. She’s peacefully living her life with her friend and rival, my father’s Arabian mare.
I also love my cats, with an unnatural obsession despite the male, a Bengal cat, being loud obnoxious and clingy. I still love him very much and he could be considered a hobby on his own merit lol
So yeah I’d say I never had a very specific ‘lifetime’ hobby and I keep jumping from one to another. I tried many things over the years but find hard to stay at it.
I load my own ammunition and shoot OFTEN during the summer months and then retire to modeling in the cold Indiana winter months - usually with a bit of overlap.
Photography has been a prime interst of mine as well as stamp collecting and reading.
Prior to modeling it was old British cars. Although I sold my Land Rover (shouldn’t have) I still have an MG T series awaiting restoration. I used to love hiking and camping but as age crept up on me so did all the things I didn’t pay attention to in younger times…my feet aren’t what they used to be. I have played guitar over the years…
creading, is it true what they say about owning classic British sport cars, you work on them and get them running well all week so that you can drive them on the weekend. Then the process starts all over again. BTW, one night I was leaving a night class that I was taking for my master’s degree and I saw a guy “cranking” his vintage Land Rover to start it and after that I was hooked on them.
Yep! all week for a Saturday drive!
Do you know why the Brits drink warm beer?
It’s because they all have Lucas refrigerators.
My buddy wanted to get a 4 wheel drive and I talked him into a Land Rover. That was in 1973 and he bought a brand new Series III 88
($3500) off the showroom floor! Those were the days.
Ahhhh… the famous Lucas Electrical System!!! There’s two guarantees in life, 1. All classic British motorcycles will leak oil 2.If you own a classic British Sports Car, the Lucas wiring will leave you stranded. Man,I wish that one of my “buddies” would’ve steered me towards a Series III 88 Land Rover instead of a 1972 Jeep Commando!!!
@WhatIfRebel EXCELLENT POST! This topic is one I struggle with…as I am constantly jumping from one hobby to another. Scale modeling building, Tennis and shooting have been with me since a teenager. Photography, printing and custom framing only since 2010. I have become very good at all…considered advanced…won tennis trophy tournaments on a state level…Sold one model…Compete in local sporting clays shoots…Sold custom framed photos.
However, often, I REALLY wish I had only ONE hobby that I did all the time! In that way, I could completely master it and teach it.
For now, I have juggled all of these hobbies for decades. But there will be times where I stop a hobby for 3-6 months but always come back to it.
The question I keep asking myself is “What is my one true passion?” The wife also keeps asking me…she sometimes gets tried of all my hobbies. LOL
I have found having many interests makes life more interesting, especially since I’ve retired.