'WHY I LOVE BIKES…'

[Zakie]

That's really great story so far. Thank you!

 

[ttaskmaster]

But it is still predominately a way of commuting.

Is it, though?
Seems I've always been one of just three or maybe four out of the 400+ people at various workplaces who commutes on my bike, yet there are always dozens who come up and tell me (with an overabundance of enthusiasm) how they're bikers too and have XYZ bike, but only ride it at weekends in good weather....

I'd be curious to know how many people:
Ride only for commuting (maybe just a 'Ped?).
vs
Ride only on weekends/good weather.
vs
Ride everywhere as their primary form of transport.

However I have never felt the need to brag about being a biker and certainly not because some see it as dangerous.

I think a lot of the bragging is defending one's choices - I don't know THAT many people who ride.... but most people know someone who used to ride a bike and then ****** themselves up and/or died in some overly dramatic horrific accident... and indeed complete strangers come up to me with annoying frequency to relate such stories.

"Oh... you ride a motorcycle, do you? Yeah, I knew a biker once.... lovely chap... DIED riding, he did..... It was awful. So many people killed by such machines......"
Maybe they've had enough of you lot going all Emo at them and decided to go out Meatloaf style?

I guess I just don't identify with being a Biker any more than I do about being a driver, cyclist or skateboarder.

I still identify with some of the typical Biker things, like manners and behavioural traits, stopping to help a fellow rider and all that. Much of what you see on t-shirts and motivational posters.
Not so much into the community/scene though. Once I'd been to a few rallies, been "BOOOOOOOOOOOOORN-Ta-Be-WIIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIILD"ed out of my mind by cheap, unimaginitive cover bands and bored to tears by how many of the attendees think I care about Real Ale, I kinda figured I'd been to all of them... I now live 1.5 minutes walk from where our local rally is held and it doesn't look like anything has changed.
Same for the biker cafes, especially on a Sunday morning!!

 

[Yaayuh!]

Yep, sounds like a complete **** to me.

That guy sounds like a bit of a dick imo.

"I'm a special ********* because I ride bikes and I don't want other people to ride bikes because I will feel less special"

edit: Nope, after reading it for a second time he sounds like a colossal dick.

"I enjoy the exclusivity, the misconceptions and the fear."

He's probably that kinda guy

Hahaha! Exactly

 

[Junglist]

Is it, though?
Seems I've always been one of just three or maybe four out of the 400+ people at various workplaces who commutes on my bike, yet there are always dozens who come up and tell me (with an overabundance of enthusiasm) how they're bikers too and have XYZ bike, but only ride it at weekends in good weather....

We are a minority of road users in this country but in other places in the world bikes are the number 1 transport. Whilst I was recently in Malaysia and Thailand there was probably 10+ bikes to every car.

I'd be curious to know how many people:
Ride only for commuting (maybe just a 'Ped?).
vs
Ride only on weekends/good weather.
vs
Ride everywhere as their primary form of transport.

I'm a mix of the bottom 2.. I'll ride over use my car any chance I can get typically (there's times when a bike just isn't practical though) even if it's raining as that's why I have waterproof gear. I rode into work today because it wasn't freezing over (last 2 days of freezing temperatures was not fun with summer gloves)

But I have no shame in taking the car when the roads get icy. I much rather have 4 points of contact vs 2. If that makes me any less of a biker or lose points, then so be it.

I think a lot of the bragging is defending one's choices - I don't know THAT many people who ride.... but most people know someone who used to ride a bike and then ****** themselves up and/or died in some overly dramatic horrific accident... and indeed complete strangers come up to me with annoying frequency to relate such stories.

"Oh... you ride a motorcycle, do you? Yeah, I knew a biker once.... lovely chap... DIED riding, he did..... It was awful. So many people killed by such machines......"
Maybe they've had enough of you lot going all Emo at them and decided to go out Meatloaf style?

Yeah those people are annoying. I know people who died driving cars but that still doesn't stop people driving. My uncle who still rides but is now a fair weather rider gave me plenty of horror stories. Worst being him watch his mate lose his head on their way to the Aisle of Man (very fast into the back of a lorry) but for every bad story he told me, he'd tell me of a much better story rammed of fun. The message? Yeah, bikes may kill you. But you'll have a bloody good time meeting your maker

I still identify with some of the typical Biker things, like manners and behavioural traits, stopping to help a fellow rider and all that. Much of what you see on t-shirts and motivational posters.
Not so much into the community/scene though. Once I'd been to a few rallies, been "BOOOOOOOOOOOOORN-Ta-Be-WIIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIILD"ed out of my mind by cheap, unimaginitive cover bands and bored to tears by how many of the attendees think I care about Real Ale, I kinda figured I'd been to all of them... I now live 1.5 minutes walk from where our local rally is held and it doesn't look like anything has changed.
Same for the biker cafes, especially on a Sunday morning!!

Oh I love that side of biking. The comradery and social side of it is great and as IC3 said you do end up talking to people who you've parked next to about their bike/your bike and that is a really nice thing about biking as well as the little nod, it's a pretty cool thing. Or the eagerness to help. When I got knocked off plenty of cars drove by but the first biker I saw rode past did a big U turn and came to see if I was OK or if he could be of any help. I've never seen a car driver break down for another car driver.

But in spite of that I still don't think of myself as a biker. I'm just someone who loves the aspect of riding a bike and the way it makes me feel. The way I feel when riding a bike is much more important to me than the way someone see's me.

I don't even know my original point any more

 

[ttaskmaster]

We are a minority of road users in this country but in other places in the world bikes are the number 1 transport.

But is it just a commuting/traffic-avoidance tool for them, or is it an everyday thing?

I think this is why my attitude toward filtering conflicts with many a rider on here - I ride all the time, every day, to work, the shops, round a friend's... just about any time I leave the house (partly because we live in the countryside where there are no pavements), so narrowing my space and filtering just to get there 90 seconds sooner isn't always a big thing for me, whereas some seem to think filtering is the only reason to ride!

But I have no shame in taking the car when the roads get icy.

My bike keys get taken away when it snows, now... Fair point, I suppose and there's a line between how well you can ride versus the increased risk of someone else causing the accident.

Oh I love that side of biking. The comradery and social side of it is great and as IC3 said you do end up talking to people who you've parked next to about their bike/your bike and that is a really nice thing about biking

It was nice when I first started out. I joined a club (more of a riding group, really), hung out with various types, learned a few things and even got asked to Prospect a couple of times... but after a while, it was the same old same-old with a large serving of BS, as dull and repetitive as the "I knew a motorcyclist once..." crowd, really.

as well as the little nod, it's a pretty cool thing. Or the eagerness to help.

I'm not really a people-person, as I'm sure you can tell from the above, but I quickly learned that nodding and helping are two of those Bikers' Good Manners type things... No need to be all Knights Of The Road about it, like some people get, but it's just the done thing, as it were.

I've never seen a car driver break down for another car driver.

Because most will be warm, dry and mostly safe, at least, whereas bikers usually won't be and is where the custom came from I think.

But in spite of that I still don't think of myself as a biker. I'm just someone who loves the aspect of riding a bike and the way it makes me feel. The way I feel when riding a bike is much more important to me than the way someone see's me.

I find it more a term of convenience personally, as it's part of who I am but still doesn't fully define me - But what you say ^above is more of the 'proper' Biker attitude than many attitudes out there... Just gotta BS me a bit more about how you "got yer knee dahn" on the last roundabout and you're all there!!