Bargain Central

(From our May 2025 Issue)

What’s Your Hobby?

By Debbie Neal

People often ask those planning to retire, what are you going to do when you retire? The common response is travel and spend time with the grandkids. My response will be, “Nothing”. Honestly speaking, I don’t want to wake up to an alarm, don’t want to join a zoom call, don’t want to check my email, don’t care what the weather is, nothing means nothing.

I want to relax doing NOTHING. Besides, I’ve been already working from home since COVID so no adjustments there. I don’t dress until noon,(working on that, lol). And while I love helping the community, I’m going to be picky about volunteering, because from what I’ve heard, they start treating you like an employee. “Hey Bob, see you tomorrow at the same time.” My response would be “see you when I see you’.

Although I’m very serious about doing nothing, I am open to taking up a hobby. I used to love reading books, so joining a book club isn’t out of the question. Writing a book, that’s a given. Although I visit the gym regularly (Zumba girl), when I retire, I’ll go during the day instead of always after work. Taking up archery and going to the gun range to sharpen my skills is another good hobby. But riding my e-bike is at the top of my list. Yesterday, hubby and I drove around Black Forest looking for bike trails and found a couple (Black Forest Section 16 and Pineries Open Space trailhead) to begin our journey. Park rangers and bikers alike warned us about choosing times to get on the trails carefully because it can get crowded with walkers, other bikers and even horseback riders.

While at the Black Forest Section 16 trailhead, we asked a biker about his bike rack. Well, we didn’t realize all the things you have to consider when choosing a bike rack, so I thought I would share.

Know the weight of your bike, since ours are 72 lbs. each, we must order online because the average one holds up to 120 lbs. We saw bike racks ranging from $300 to over $1,000. For e-bikes you’re going to need a bike rack with a ramp. Preferably, the rack includes storage for the ramp. Many reviews complained about those that didn’t have storage for the ramps. You also need to know whether your bike has a fender or not, because strapping the bike onto the ramp varies. Some have straps that tie the wheels down while others have arms that hook over the top of the tires to secure them. Those are nice. Another good feature is access to your trunk or truck bed. It’s a must for us. Some swing down with the bikes still on them and others swing out to the right for full access, the latter is made by Rocky Mount. Lastly, e-bike covers are available online to protect your bike from the elements.

Well, that’s all folks, the sun is coming up, the e-bike is all charged up and I’m heading out to the trails. Hope to see you there!

If you know of any local or national bargains you’d like to share with the community, email Bargain Central at contactus@coloradospringskids.com.