Why ride a bike?!!!

jetlagged

Was considering making the switch from car to bike recently, just wondering why people ride bikes, some pro's and con's...

Pro's
-freedom on the road
-cheap to buy
-cheap to run

Cons
-Get soaked in wet weather
-Cant carry hardly anything with them
-Girls wont ride on them cos their hair:pac:
-Dangerous
-noisy and antisocial
-in a crash you are minced
-cant listen to the radio
-have to wear set clothes
-have to drag the helmet around with you

Someone please give me some pro's:mad::(:(:(

randomway

"noisy and antisocial"

Hahahaha

Steffano2002

Pro's
- Freedom on the road (can't put a price on that!)
- Cheap to buy
- Cheap to run
- Cleaner for the environment
- Much faster than a car will ever be
- Owning a motorcycle makes you a man

Cons
- Get soaked in wet weather > Not true if you have proper gear!
- Cant carry hardly anything with them > Unless you want to carry matresses around you'll be grand!
- Girls wont ride on them cos their hair :pac: > Since when is this an issue?
- Dangerous > Can be if you don't know what to look out for
- noisy and antisocial > nonsense
- in a crash you are minced > Again, your job will be to avoid crashing!
- cant listen to the radio > You can but it's not recommended. Furthermore, you listen to the radio in a car because you're stuck in traffic... This won't happen on a bike!
- have to wear set clothes > Do you drive your car naked? :P
- have to drag the helmet around with you > Small price to pay for commuting on two wheels!

Interceptor

jetlagged wrote: »

some pro's and con's...

You've competely missed the point. You will never get the organic driving experience which biking delivers from a car. Thats worth repeating - never. same. driving. experience.

I've driven 400bhp cars on racetracks and been disappointed by the lack of feedback. On a bike you can tell the gender of the insects as they pop on the screen because you feel it through your fingertips.

As for getting wet, you must remember the Norwegian saying 'There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing...' I commute 40 miles a day all year round on my bike and rarely get wet. My jacket gets wet - I don't.

If you are worried about what happens in an accident then stick to the car - the difference between risk awareness, risk tolerance and risk aversion is what separates car users and bike users. I know what the consequences of my actions are, I just do everything in my power to keep myself safe.

If you like to listen to music in a car, you are already admitting to sacrificing half of your attention from your surroundings - you are putting yourself in danger if you smoke, eat, use a phone or carry passengers. Multiple studies have shown that a short (<5second) distraction is all it takes to wipe you out.

On a bike, you are concentrating ALL of the time. You are either trained to it or it comes naturally - you spot wet roads, spilled diesel, fallen leaves and you take appropriate action in a way that a car driver never does.

Pro's and con's I can't help you with. They'll eventually prise the keys of my bike from my cold dead hand, my car is of no consequence to me.

'cptr

Steffano2002

Interceptor wrote: »

You've competely missed the point. You will never get the organic driving experience which biking delivers from a car. Thats worth repeating - never. same. driving. experience.

Fair play for explaining this so well! My attempt was useless: "Freedom on the road (can't put a price on that!)". Yours is FAR better! But it's hard to explain such a thing... It has to be experienced to be understood!

Interceptor wrote: »

I've driven 400bhp cars on racetracks and been disappointed by the lack of feedback. On a bike you can tell the gender of the insects as they pop on the screen because you feel it through your fingertips.

LOLZ!!!

Cuddlesworth

Interceptor wrote: »

I've driven 400bhp cars on racetracks and been disappointed by the lack of feedback. On a bike you can tell the gender of the insects as they pop on the screen because you feel it through your fingertips.

On a side note, am I the only person who will aim for a big one just to get that satisfying splat on the visor?

gears

jetlagged wrote: »

Was considering making the switch from car to bike recently, just wondering why people ride bikes, some pro's and con's...

Pro's
-freedom on the road
-cheap to buy
-cheap to run

Cons
-Get soaked in wet weather
-Cant carry hardly anything with them
-Girls wont ride on them cos their hair:pac:
-Dangerous
-noisy and antisocial
-in a crash you are minced
-cant listen to the radio
-have to wear set clothes
-have to drag the helmet around with you

Someone please give me some pro's:mad::(:(:(

I think this is one of those questions where if you have to ask......

The Doktor

In words...
"................You see things on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on, it's right there, so blurred you can't focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness......"

In pictures and sound...

Scootay

I just got off my bike and I'm going to go straight out and get back on. There's nothing like it.

I have a box on mine which carries anything I've ever needed to carry and also stores my helmet and gloves when I'm not on the bike so there's no lugging them around.

Bikes are cool. End of.

P.C.

I ride a bike because I can!

These stories of freedom of the road are bull IMO. They are a romantic idea from the USA. Remember, you are trapped inside your helmet, you hardly see the countryside - you are too busy concetrating on the road, and the other traffic.
You would be much better off with a decent convertable if you want to enjoy the freedon of the open road - but you would hardly use it in this country.

I am not going to get into the power and responsiveness debate, as I think it is a stupid debate.

What I will say is - try biking!

Max Headroom

As i've said sooo many times.if you have to ask this type of question then dont get a bike..its either in you or its not... i knew i wanted a bike when i was young, there wernt any pro's or con's...:rolleyes:

BTW i have 3 bikes, van and a car...dont consider myself a hardcore biker though..:p

rs

jetlagged wrote: »

Was considering making the switch from car to bike recently, just wondering why people ride bikes, some pro's and con's...

Pro's
-freedom on the road
-cheap to buy
-cheap to run

Cons
-Get soaked in wet weather
-Cant carry hardly anything with them
-Girls wont ride on them cos their hair:pac:
-Dangerous
-noisy and antisocial
-in a crash you are minced
-cant listen to the radio
-have to wear set clothes
-have to drag the helmet around with you

Someone please give me some pro's:mad::(:(:(

A few of your pro's are not really pro's.

Cheaper to buy maybe, cheaper to run maybe?

* You need good gear (helmet, jacket, etc) this adds up.
* Servicing is usually more expensive than a car (chains, tyres need regular replacing)
* Insurance can be pretty pricey too

Petrol, tax etc much cheaper. in general I think it balances out to about the same as running a cheap 1l car.

Pros

* Much faster than cars though traffic. I save about 1.5 hours a day on my commute.
* Much, much more enjoyable to drive (when it's dry)


Most important pro

* You have a plausible excuse to wear a lot of leather!

maccarthy_annem

I'm a recent convert....loved going as pillion last year, and thought, yep, I wanna do that....got the theory (20 years on from car driving license), got the lessons (having a blast) now got the bike and insurance, and I'm definitely a convert....and I have the convertible as well....no matter what way you look at, the bikes the biz!! Am also sure the nephews will be well impressed with the bike, convinced them the convertible was a transformer(not as sure about my sis though!!!) Oh well, can't please everyone.....:D

Cheers,

Anne Marie

P.S. Have the hornet 600....:cool:

spartan1

heres my tuppence

I do not ride a bike, but I think id love to, but I reckon they're just way too dangerous, the thing is I know if I bought a nice aprilla and all the gear Id just love it but it would probably be like a drug,
basically, if you crash you are minced..........full stop, you are a human catapult. and the thing is , it is usually not the fault of the motorcyclist, its i will agree stupid motorists who are not paying attention, that said, who cares whos to blame, if you are left disabled or worse, have fun pointing the finger, its like the person lying in the middle of the padestrian crossing sayin, but I had my foot on it first...........who cares, your paralysed now !

I always ask motorcyclists who big it up, would you buy your son a bike ! (answer is nearly always no, go figure)

for the record I have seen a fatal motorcycle accident happen, and have heard of many horror stories, (im not a guard but ask any guard)

I know many responsible motor cyclists, I just think the odds are stacked against them.

Leave a half an hour earlier

gipi

Bikes aren't dangerous, they're vulnerable - it's a clarification I make regularly. The trick is to get proper training so that you become more aware (like 'cptr said so eloquently) and thereby minimise the vulnerability.

To jetlagged - a bigger bike with rear panniers or one of the large scooter-types (e.g. burgman) will provide you with helmet storage so there's another con to mark off the list!

spartan1

vunerable to attack.........dangerous for your health

Interceptor

spartan1 wrote: »

I always ask motorcyclists who big it up, would you buy your son a bike ! (answer is nearly always no, go figure)

Both my son (6), my daughter (10) and my father (75) have bikes (QR50, PW80 and Fazer600). I've had a bike since 1986 and haven't fallen off since 1987. I like it that way.

I've lost friends, I've visited friends who have been injured and I've seen accidents too, yet people die horrible deaths in Volvos every day.

Your life will eventually end, and the odds are it will be in a bed somewhere and as a result of something you weren't expecting. Like cancer or heart disease. I just can't stand the idea of knowing I'm dying and having missed out on riding a bike for as much of my life as possible.

Keep her lit...

'c

EvilMonkey

spartan1 wrote: »

heres my tuppence

I do not ride a bike, but I think id love to, but I reckon they're just way too dangerous, the thing is I know if I bought a nice aprilla and all the gear Id just love it but it would probably be like a drug,
basically, if you crash you are minced..........full stop, you are a human catapult. and the thing is , it is usually not the fault of the motorcyclist, its i will agree stupid motorists who are not paying attention, that said, who cares whos to blame, if you are left disabled or worse, have fun pointing the finger, its like the person lying in the middle of the padestrian crossing sayin, but I had my foot on it first...........who cares, your paralysed now !

I always ask motorcyclists who big it up, would you buy your son a bike ! (answer is nearly always no, go figure)

for the record I have seen a fatal motorcycle accident happen, and have heard of many horror stories, (im not a guard but ask any guard)

I know many responsible motor cyclists, I just think the odds are stacked against them.

Leave a half an hour earlier

Thats bollix bikes aren't dangerous, people riding them are.
The majority of motorcycle fatalities are single vehicle accidents.

When you ride a bike properly after getting training you are in a much better position to see situations develop around you and avoid them.
In a car you get a false sense of security.
I feel safer on the bike than in the car.

I dont have children but most bikers i know that do would let there child ride (most cant keep them away from bikes and encourage them). If i had a child i think if they had proper gear,training and were responsible enough i would let them.

OP, i would disagree that they are cheap to run, i think small engined car would be cheaper than most bikes, unless your considering 125 or less which if you do you will be upgrading soon after.

The main pro for me would be you look forward to riding home and sometimes when the sun is shining take the long route.

af_thefragile

I think nowdays protective gear has improved a fair bit so unless you're a complete lunac or extremely unlucky, most people get off wthout much major injury from most crashes. Its like when you watch motogp you see these guys crashing and falling off their bike at speeds close to 200mph and they just stand up and walk away from it.

Though I do know a couple of guys who have had some pretty serious bike crashes which left them in the hospital for weeks but I also know guys who had equally serious injuries playing rugby!

And also you're equally vulnerable driving around in an old banger car with a under 3 star safety rating. Its just a false sense of security you get in the car.

mr chips

jetlagged wrote: »

Cons - Girls wont ride on them cos their hair:pac:

Sorts the wheat from the chaff more like - who the fup wants to be stuck with a whinging barbie doll. Find yourself a real woman who'll ride with you and then you'll be happy!

KamiKazi

If you have never ridden a bike you just won't understand the feeling of it


And yes, if my son was into bikes I would buy him his first bike, but I of course make sure he has all the gear and has adequate training.

seanybiker

Dont have any kids so cant buy one for them. No money anyways so when I do have kids they can piss off and buy their own.

maccarthy_annem

Find a real woman who'll ride her own bike (and look after her own repairs) and still hang with you and you'll be even happier! :-)

Paparazzo

jetlagged wrote: »

Was considering making the switch from car to bike recently, just wondering why people ride bikes, some pro's and con's...

Pro's
-freedom on the road
-cheap to buy
-cheap to run

Cons
-Get soaked in wet weather it was said before, wear waterproofs. You'll get wetter driving your car, you have to walk out to it in the rain
-Cant carry hardly anything with them panniers. i can garry loads of stuff
-Girls wont ride on them cos their hair:pac:that's good! but it's also wrong, my girlfriend is on the back of mine all the time.
-Dangerous keep to the speed limit and you'll ge grand
-noisy and antisocial that's a good thing! seriously though, they're only noisy if you buy an after market can. don't buy one if you don't want noise!
-in a crash you are minced don't crash!
-cant listen to the radio so? you're busy driving!
-have to wear set clothes buy a few sets!
-have to drag the helmet around with you panniers!

Someone please give me some pro's:mad::(:(:(

Think you're coming at this as purely a functional way of travelling to work. If you're worried about missing the 98fm morning crew, a motorcycle isn't for you!
Almost all bikers go for a drive in good weather. They drive purely for the sake of it. If car drivers did the same, the roads would all be bumper to bumper on a nice summer evening! It's very enjoyable thing to do, never mind commuting.

spartan1 wrote: »

heres my tuppence

I do not ride a bike, but I think id love to, but I reckon they're just way too dangerous, the thing is I know if I bought a nice aprilla and all the gear Id just love it but it would probably be like a drug,
basically, if you crash you are minced..........full stop, you are a human catapult. and the thing is , it is usually not the fault of the motorcyclist, its i will agree stupid motorists who are not paying attention, that said, who cares whos to blame, if you are left disabled or worse, have fun pointing the finger, its like the person lying in the middle of the padestrian crossing sayin, but I had my foot on it first...........who cares, your paralysed now !

I always ask motorcyclists who big it up, would you buy your son a bike ! (answer is nearly always no, go figure)

for the record I have seen a fatal motorcycle accident happen, and have heard of many horror stories, (im not a guard but ask any guard)

I know many responsible motor cyclists, I just think the odds are stacked against them.

Leave a half an hour earlier

I was bought a bike by my dad. so was my brother. Leave half an hour earlier? that's about 10 solids days extra a year you'll spend behind the wheel of your car. 30 8 hour days! Probably more than your whole annyal leave! Too many people are paranoid about riding bikes. They think you're going to crash. You're not! Take it handy, ride at your own pace. I reckon if most single vehicle biker deaths came back from the dead, they'd admit they were taking the p!ss when they came off.

Interceptor

Paparazzo wrote: »

I reckon if most single vehicle biker deaths came back from the dead, they'd admit they were taking the p!ss when they came off.

Thats a tough thing to generalise about. In the UK they have been studying patterns of bike SVA's and concluded more or less the same. Mature rider, sportsbike, pushing a little to hard, panic, crash, die. A bit of extra training and a lot of common sense will keep you alive a long time.

I try and do a day or two of advanced rider training every year - I have my next day booked on Sept 6th and plan to work on my cornering technique for five hours with an instructor.

'cptr

Paparazzo

Yeah, I mean with about €3K you can buy a bike that'll do 170mph. If cars of similar performance were available for that price imagine the road deaths.

P.C.

So. what did you do this weekend?

I Woke up late on Sat, then met up with a mate and we first went to the Honda open day (we both ride Hondas), then, just for fun we went down the road to the Harley open day.

Then four of us went down to Roscrea. We left two of them there, and two of us came back. Got home just after 10pm.

Got up this morning and went to meet a few people for a ride.
Ended up about 50 bikes on the ride.

So, I spent most of the weekend riding my bike - covered over 500 km.

mcguiver

I'm still somewhere in the middle.
Bikes make more sense than these big metal boxes that can carry 5 people but mostly carry 1!!
I do feel vulnerable on the bike.
I respond to accidents few times a week, bikers have NO PROTECTION! when dealing with other bad drivers etc.. I wouldnt go anywhere on the bike without alll my protective gear. Some of the most horrific sights I've ever seen have been motorcyclists who have hit the deck/kerb/pole etc.

Driving a car gives you a huge amount of protection.

If there were more bike riders maybe everyones road awareness manners would improve... as I said, undecided.

From a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, driver, and a Garda.

Safe home folks, fingers crossed its not your loved one that I have to break the news to next.

Interceptor

mcguiver wrote: »

If there were more bike riders maybe everyones road awareness manners would improve... as I said, undecided.

Gosh you're a cheerful sod! I don't envy you your job though (is it true about using the 2L bottles of Coke for getting the blood off?). I'd say you are more likely to be put off bikes from what you see - but would you agree that most bike SVA's are down to a lack of rider experience, machine condition or road conditions?

What about bike accidents involving other vehicles - what is the most common root cause of the accident?

Teenagers in France, Spain and Italy are more likely to start out on a bike and stay riding one for longer. Do their bike or car accident figures show any improvement as a result?

Stay safe and you didn't see me pop a wheelie on the Quay in New Ross, right.

'c

Idleater

wasn't there a saying that only bikers know why dogs like to stick their heads out of the window?

galwaytt

...cheaper to run than a car ??? On what planet is that, perchance ?

If money's the issue, you need a Micra. End of story.

For everything else............there's motorcycling.....

spartan1

hold on now, can we not just accept that if you ride a bike you are way more likely to die than if you drive a micra, again, my mate, who was a motorcycle cop and still loves bikes tell tales of peeling skin ond limbs (no joke) off tarmac, it happens in cars, it happens on bikes way more often....it just does

Idleater

spartan1 wrote: »

tell tales of peeling skin ond limbs (no joke) off tarmac

Kangaroo leather is great for preventing this.

Stainless_Steel

nereid wrote: »

Kangaroo leather is great for preventing this.

Not really...you'd still be peeling skin off the ground!....the kanagroos! :pac:

Interceptor

nereid wrote: »

Kangaroo leather is great for preventing this.

Not falling off is better I find. And I don't encourage kangaroos to ride bikes due to their short arms and big feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uif-HFBxNcc

'c

Idleater

Interceptor wrote: »

Not falling off is better I find.
'c

You're preaching to the converted, I (unfortunately) was lowering myself to the level of ignorance.

EvilMonkey

spartan1 wrote: »

hold on now, can we not just accept that if you ride a bike you are way more likely to die than if you drive a micra, again, my mate, who was a motorcycle cop and still loves bikes tell tales of peeling skin ond limbs (no joke) off tarmac, it happens in cars, it happens on bikes way more often....it just does

Any real facts to prove this claim not just what your mate says?

Idleater

EvilMonkey wrote: »

Any real facts to prove this claim not just what your mate says?

his mate's a bike cop.

them's all the facts you need.

Steffano2002

Slightly off-topic but has anybody seen the latest RSA advert for "Biker Awareness"? Saw it last night and thought it was very good. A step in the right direction anyway!

And they weren't afraid to say that car drivers are responsible for a lot of "our" accidents!

KamiKazi

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Slightly off-topic but has anybody seen the latest RSA advert for "Biker Awareness"? Saw it last night and thought it was very good. A step in the right direction anyway!

And they weren't afraid to say that car drivers are responsible for a lot of "our" accidents!

Haven't seen it actually. Is it on youtube?

Steffano2002

KamiKazi wrote: »

Haven't seen it actually. Is it on youtube?

Don't know... Can't access YouTube in work...

Interceptor

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Can't access YouTube in work...

You'll want to watch this at home then...

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

maccarthy_annem

Brilliant video!! Don't think I'll be trying that in this weather (and the fact of needing the extra hide potentially against the Irish tarmac!!!)

Steffano2002

Excellent vid!

no scope

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_M2Lf8D2oM&feature=related

no scope

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-mdoambAQQ&feature=related

the second part of the vid is the best

galwaytt

spartan1 wrote: »

hold on now, can we not just accept that if you ride a bike you are way more likely to die than if you drive a micra, again, my mate, who was a motorcycle cop and still loves bikes tell tales of peeling skin ond limbs (no joke) off tarmac, it happens in cars, it happens on bikes way more often....it just does

No, actually, I don't have to accept it. What I do accept, and the RSA now rightly states, is that 50% of collisions are caused by cars. Micra's included.

So, I can accept that 50% of my risk of colliding with a vehicle is down to you, in your Micra. That being the case, what are YOU going to do, to improve your driving ??


As for the new bike ad on the TV- well no, you can't see it, or get it, on the web. I know this because I contacted the RSA on it, congratulating them, actually(novelty for me ), and they told me they were not allowed to put it on their site, or the web because...............of copyright reasons. Yep, they don't own the ad, and they are not allowed to have it anywhere except on the telly.

So, there you go, education of the afore-mentioned car drivers who cause 50% of accidents is not deliverable because..........of copyright infringment.

Fan-tastic :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

seanybiker

my brother is a bike cop aswell and he is after seen bad stuff on bikes and cars. Ya dont need to be a cop to know that if ya act the bollox you are in far more danger of crashing.

Fabio

Why ride a bike?

You ride a bike because you can, because you have the choice to skip traffic, to have fun on the daily commute, to carry your helmet with you when off the bike and feel like the man .

A bike is so so different to car. You are more committed in every sense to the world around you as you can see everything without the constrictions of a car, you can feel the wind against you and you can feel the tarmac if you ever do fall. What it is, is living, and living requires committment.

That's scary at first but all you are doing is living and living to enjoy it.

faceman

jetlagged wrote: »

Cons
-Get soaked in wet weather
-Cant carry hardly anything with them
-Girls wont ride on them cos their hair:pac:
-Dangerous
-noisy and antisocial
-in a crash you are minced
-cant listen to the radio
-have to wear set clothes
-have to drag the helmet around with you

Someone please give me some pro's:mad::(:(:(

Re the cons:

* Get the right gear and the rain wont bother you at all.
* My bike has panniers and a top box. I can carry quite a bit of stuff.
* Girls dig bikers (may not be necessarily true!) :pac:
* As someone already said, vunerable. the correct protective gear and training could save your life.
* My bike is quiet. Not sure how its antisocial tho.
* I used to have an autocom fitted to my bike and to my helmet. Could listen to my Ipod, the radio and receive phone calls. Some bikes can have speakers installed, mostly tourers.
* No different than people who have to wear certain clothes to work in the office or on a building site etc.
* get a top box and you can leave your helmet in it.