Do you own a bike and how often do you ride?

supernova84

I'm slowly getting back into this riding game and I'm liking it, hadn't ridden in years. Do you ride much?

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Only sideways

I try to do it every day. Sometimes twice.

Fr_Dougal

I always wear protection when I do.

BillyMitchel

Don't own a bike but I ride whenever I can.

I like to ride my bicycle
I like to ride my bike

I own a beautiful bike.
I ride as often as possible.
I don't cycle much though.









too easy OP. too easy.

gobnaitolunacy

Try to get a leg over (the bar) everyday, though the pissing rain puts me off most mornings.

Chris Ryan

I don't own a bike, and the second part is a bit personal don't you think ?

Son Of A Vidic

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

I always wear protection when I do.

More exciting without, though the ladies do seem to prefer a good quality helmet.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I also prefer tandem riding to solo.

1ZRed

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

I always wear protection when I do.

Course. Sure you've got to protect your head

Wibbs

Deleted User wrote: »

I own a beautiful bike.
I ride as often as possible.
I don't cycle much though.

Actually this is true for me too!

Even when I did cycle more I almost always avoided doing so in the fcuking awful Irish winter. Cos it's shíte and freezing and horrible. Yea those hardy self flagellating onanist types claim you heat up with the effort, but your face is still cold with snotters like a water clock at the end of your nose and fingers you could snap like a kitkat. Sod that crap.

PLus there's the gear. Cycling attracts almost as bad a set of fashion choices as golfing, particularly among middle aged men. Middle aged men and lycra are words that rarely make good bedfellows. Add in odd bobble hats topped with those safety carbuncles called bike helmets... *shudder*.

Now cycling down a glorious road in north Italy, bare headed, save for (non trending on Twatter) shades in good company and in late August with the promise of vino and good food at the end of it...

daenerysstormborn3

bicycle or motorbike?

Galwayguy20

Last time I rode a bike was on Inis Mór this summer. I hadn't ridden one before that in about 10 years. Within 5 minutes of starting cycling again I ended up a*se over tits over the handle bars, and after two days of it my legs were so crippled that I just couldn't do it anymore. Never again.

admiralofthefleet

i dont have one at the moment, the last time i cycled was from the harolds cross end of leinster road to rathmines (downhill) had to walk back with my smokers chest

Praetorian Saighdiuir

^^^

Man up Wibbs . If you actually want to cycle then cycle, never mind the weather! I was warm while out in the pissings of rain today.

Clothes wise...illuminous jacket, gloves and shorts is all you need. There is no need to go overboard.

gurramok

Think i'm a summer only rider, last cycled a month ago while on hols in the Everglades of Florida, was nice in the heat:) The Irish weather would put you off at times though, just getting belted with freezing rain is not appealing for cycling.

Thing is I never get why some cyclists don't have back mudguards, ffs their backsides do be covered in muck, are they thick?!

I have a lovely mountain bike at home in my parents' house. When I was 16/17 I whizzed all around county Wexford on it. Had it in Dublin a few times but the fear of being knocked down in traffic made me leave it in the shed all the time. Rats ate the tyres. Got new tyres, and left it in the shed still.

I take two buses into work every day, cycling would take half the time, though it's a long journey. I'm now more afraid of having the bike I never use nicked. Go figure.

Thinking of getting the old bike back now anyway. I was always super fit as a teen/early 20s and I miss that.

I bought a really gorgeous city bike. With a wicker basket and everything.

I had visions of myself looking like this. When in reality I look like this.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Deleted User wrote: »

I bought a really gorgeous city bike. With a wicker basket and everything.

I had visions of myself looking like this. When in reality I look like this.

Jesus Whoopsy!

benwavner

benwavner wrote: »

Jesus Whoopsy!

Ok, ok, so I don't use stabilisers. But still :P

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Deleted User wrote: »

Ok, ok, so I don't use stabilisers. But still :P

Get a set of Frosties reflecters and handlebar streamers and you are sorted!

Lando Griffin

Don't cycle anymore what since the Celtic Tiger when I traded my racer for a GTI when I started my apprenticeship.
Would never go back and have great respect for those who can't afford a car and must cycle to work. Those are the real people of Ireland.

Boscoirl

Deleted User wrote: »

I bought a really gorgeous city bike. With a wicker basket and everything.

I had visions of myself looking like this. When in reality I look like this.

Did you eat the basket?

Cee-Jay-Cee

I cycle...was out early this morning, it was 5 degrees and it took me nearly 15kms before i warmed up properly but was perfectly warm and comfortable after that (done approx 40kms)

Boscoirl

Boscoirl wrote: »

Did you eat the basket?

And the girl on the other bike

JuliusCaesar

Wibbs wrote: »

Even when I did cycle more I almost always avoided doing so in the fcuking awful Irish winter. Cos it's shíte and freezing and horrible. Yea those hardy self flagellating onanist types claim you heat up with the effort, but your face is still cold with snotters like a water clock at the end of your nose and fingers you could snap like a kitkat. Sod that crap.

PLus there's the gear. Cycling attracts almost as bad a set of fashion choices as golfing, particularly among middle aged men. Middle aged men and lycra are words that rarely make good bedfellows. Add in odd bobble hats topped with those safety carbuncles called bike helmets... *shudder*.

Crikey, it's rarely THAT cold in Dublin. And if you've any flexibility about your time of leaving home/leaving work/going out on the bike, you rarely get caught in a shower. I wear the plastic trousers only ten or so times a year.

benwavner wrote: »

Clothes wise...illuminous jacket, gloves and shorts is all you need. There is no need to go overboard.

And fluorescent jacket? SHORTS?? Wear your normal clothes: coat/jacket, gloves, hat as you would for walking in winter. Most of us wear the clothes we're going to be wearing for work/rest of day and don't get changed. I don't wear a helmet either, on the principle that cars are more careful with ordinary decent cyclists than the lycra-clad get-out-of-my-cycleracetrack lads. But then I'm a woman, and just use the bike to get around. :rolleyes:

TLDR: Yes I own a bike and use it most days.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

And fluorescent jacket? SHORTS?? Wear your normal clothes: coat/jacket, gloves, hat as you would for walking in winter. Most of us wear the clothes we're going to be wearing for work/rest of day and don't get changed. I don't wear a helmet either, on the principle that cars are more careful with ordinary decent cyclists than the lycra-clad get-out-of-my-cycleracetrack lads. But then I'm a woman, and just use the bike to get around. :rolleyes:

TLDR: Yes I own a bike and use it most days.

I'm a commuter cyclist on a road bike. I do 22 miles about 3-5 times a week and have the luxury of a shower in work. I have started to cycle longer spins lately, 64km this evening but do not class myself as a "cyclist".

I wear a tshirt with an Altura illuminous jacket over it, and a pair of shorts, gloves and a helmet.........whatever the weather.

This is a load of BS:

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

"I don't wear a helmet either, on the principle that cars are more careful with ordinary decent cyclists than the lycra-clad get-out-of-my-cycleracetrack lads

When I drive I respect all cyclists whatever their attire or apparent skill level!

Wibbs

benwavner wrote: »

^^^

Man up Wibbs . If you actually want to cycle then cycle, never mind the weather

!Ah yes but the weather informs the act. To compare to another physical activity? Sure if pushed I'll go for a leg trembler in an alleyway at closing out time. If needs must, however give me a bed any day of the week.

I was warm while out in the pissings of rain today.

You had my attention up until "pissings of rain". Oh I like a stroll in the rain, where I meet the rain at a speed that is natural. Intentionally increasing that speed into it, not so much.

Clothes wise...illuminous jacket, gloves and shorts is all you need. There is no need to go overboard.

Luminous is a step to far for a start. For me to want to cycle in the depths of an Irish winter I'd consider wearing this if Campagnolo made one.. In charcoal black.

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Crikey, it's rarely THAT cold in Dublin.

It is for me. Nearly 4% Neandertal DNA and yet when the temps drop below 18 degrees I cease to function well. Can't explain myself in this climate at all.

I wear the plastic trousers only ten or so times a year.

"Plastic trousers ten times a year" There are underground clubs for your sort JC. Perverts I say!!.

But then I'm a woman, and just use the bike to get around. :rolleyes:

Aha! There's the explanation. Women are hardier souls than men. They're just quiet about it. Evidence? Go out on this coming New Years eve and observe many ladies in short skirts, bare legs and arms out and about in ensembles that would have Sir Ranulph Feinnes in tears in seconds, while men got up like eskimos dressed by The North Face(tm) shudder and extremities fall off..

Wibbs

Helmets? Pffft. I give you

Praetorian Saighdiuir

^^^

Wibbs...I agree with all your points!

Canis Lupus

Everyday to work and back, rain or shine (which is mostly shine atm) although I've done London for years. Weather is really only offputting for commutes over 10km otherwise as long as there is a nice hot shower in work it's all good.

Fr_Dougal

Wibbs wrote: »

Helmets? Pffft. I give you

Wait...I thought this thread was about sex?

Slunk

I cycle to and from work most days. Its quite enjoyable in the summer and the weather is calm. I don't mind the rain too much. It's the wind that annoys me. Cycling against it going to work and against it on the way home too. Wtf? Sure does beat the bus with traffic and sweaty oul ones with tonnes of shopping though

Larianne

My bike got stolen in May so haven't had a good ride since.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Larianne wrote: »

My bike got stolen in May so haven't had a good ride since.

Want a crossbar?

BillyMitchel

whoopsadaisydoodles wrote: »

I bought a really gorgeous city bike. With a wicker basket and everything.

I had visions of myself looking like this. When in reality I look like this.

PM sent

I have cake.

opti0nal

gurramok wrote: »

Thing is I never get why some cyclists don't have back mudguards, ffs their backsides do be covered in muck, are they thick?!

It discourages the Klingons.

mikemac1

gurramok wrote: »

Thing is I never get why some cyclists don't have back mudguards, ffs their backsides do be covered in muck, are they thick?!

Not allowed use them

Don't you know the rules?

There is a huge list of rules that every cyclist must follow

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

gobnaitolunacy

gurramok wrote: »

Thing is I never get why some cyclists don't have back mudguards, ffs their backsides do be covered in muck, are they thick?!

Fitted new tyres and the b____ mudguard doesn't fit anymore!

Pherekydes

I have a bike with a flat tyre. Feckin' rubber always lets you down at the worst time.

So no ridin' for me. :mad:

mickdw

I have the use of a bike but i wouldn't go so far as to say I own her.

elefant

Cycle everyday, but I live in Amsterdam.
The cycling is one of the best things about the city.

irishmotorist

Wibbs wrote: »

Helmets? Pffft. I give you

Ah yes - the old University of Bath study. I have so many problems with this 'study'!

1. Conducted by one person. Hardly conclusive, but it is brought up the whole time by the more anti-helmet lobby in online discussions.
2. Does the study measure his distance from the kerb? Could it be that when he was wearing no helmet that he was closer to cars than cars being close to him?
3. Cars pass on average "4.4" foot away from him. However, on non-helmeted cycles, they pass 3 inches closer. In my opinion, that's so insignificant, it's not worth mentioning.
4. The whole "study" seems like a moot point to me anyway. I would say that I've had cars pass uncomfortably close to me about 4 or 5 times ever. I'm currently commuting about 200km per week, most weeks, through Dublin. The things that threaten me more are cars pulling out of side roads ahead of me and pedestrians stepping onto the road in front of me.

tmc86

I walk to work but cycle most evenings to and from the gym - wouldn't really consider it cycling to be honest its only a short journey!

Wibbs

irishmotorist wrote: »

Ah yes - the old University of Bath study. I have so many problems with this 'study'!

Ahh TBH IM I feel the same way about it. I figure you wanna wear a helmet go right ahead and if you don't go right ahead too. I was about to type "go knock yourself out" but... So long as they don't make the damn things compulsory. It seems it would put more people off cycling. EG Melbourne has good cycling faciities and a hire a bike scheme, but since the powers that be insist on helmet use it's very under used. Personally speaking I'd not be arsed with one. I've come off bikes a lot in my time and never came close to hitting my head. Plus I'd have little faith in most of the helmets I've seen as far as protection goes in anything but a very light shunt. Helmets like horse riders wear? Yes. Superlight polystyrene foam with a thin placcy coating full of holes? Nope. Sorry.

The things that threaten me more are cars pulling out of side roads ahead of me and pedestrians stepping onto the road in front of me.

Pedestrians. Oh yea. Bad and stupid enough when they walk in front of a car, but many seem to think a bike won't hurt them. Thicks.

Capt'n Midnight

Wibbs wrote: »

Evidence? Go out on this coming New Years eve and observe many ladies in short skirts, bare legs and arms out and about in ensembles that would have Sir Ranulph Feinnes in tears in seconds, while men got up like eskimos dressed by The North Face(tm) shudder and extremities fall off..

Women make better mountain climbers and Arctic explorers precisely because they have less extremities to get frostbitten *shudders at the thought*

Wibbs wrote: »

Middle aged men and lycra are words that rarely make good bedfellows.

Jay Maynard *shudders*

gobnaitolunacy

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Women make better mountain climbers and Arctic explorers precisely because they have less extremities to get frostbitten *shudders at the thought*

They have a higher % of body fat than guys.

*waits for backlash*

corktina

OK which one of my kids are you OP? Yes I know I bought a bike to get fit, ..yes I know it's sat in the garage for the last year and a bit and used only about 10 times...yes I'm a fat lazy git.... do you want to stay in my will or not? up to you OP.

Death and Taxes

I dont own a bike and ride as often as the AH is willing:D

WileyCoyote

WileyCoyote wrote: »

I dont own a bike and ride as often as the AH is willing:D

The hole whole of After Hours?????