Call me a pansy, I think I'm hanging it up

[Apoc]

...and some make fun of the amount of riding I do... but I don't like traveling on my bike. I'll ride all day long to ride but using it to get somewhere is when I think accidents tend to happen (aside from speeding or jackassery). You're doing a lot of highway miles and you're on the bike for extended periods of time... a perfect recipie for highway hypnosis. Hell, I know when I'm driving to VIR or CMP I'm in another freakin' world. Combine that with 5000lb vehicles tailgating you at 80mph and it's just not my thing.

[.RJ]

I did some research...

200 million - number of cars on the road
3 million - number of car related injuries a year
1.5 - % injures versus number of vehicles

5 million - number of motorcycles on the road
65,000 - number of motorcycle related injuries a year
1.3 - % injures versus number of vehicles

Are you able to find out the nuber of avg miles per year on each? I'd imagine that most people ride their bikes fewer miles per year than their car - if its half as many miles, then you're twice as likely to get in an accident as with your car.

It does get a little tiring to read the same stories in the paper, internets, etc each year about people losing their lives on the bike - but at the same time it keeps it in perspective to ride safe and be attentive on the road. I imagine at some point I'll stop riding on the street, but I dont know when. Commuting on the bike every day is getting a little old as well, but HOV ftw!

[Evan]

your 10 minute commute is getting old?

:middlefinger:

[.RJ]

your 10 minute commute is getting old?

You suck at reading almost as bad as I do My last commute was almost 30 min and it wasnt too bad.

There's some days that I'd like to just tune out and roll into work, with the a/c on and a cup of coffee.

[Apoc]

My commute is 4 miles and I don't even bother riding anymore. I love A/C and coffee.

[Mike]

hurray for flawed statistics. give me that per mile...

Drivers average 8x more mileage in a given year. 8 != 1000000

thanks for correcting a gross exaggeration. :roll:

[ScottyB]

i can't really add anything constructive, as it's all been said already, but i just thought i'd add that your reasons for thinking about haning up the towel are the same reasons i'll never ride. it's just too much of a risk of getting into a bad situation even if i get really good at riding.

this is also the reason that i probably won't set a tire in an HPDE session without some major investment in safety equipment (which is why it's taking me so damn long to get there :lol: )

ultimately you gotta have fun and love it. if in the back of your mind you're subconsciously guilty or scared then it's probably just not worth your time.

[BLINGMW]

Doesn't make you a pansy at all Mike, glad you had fun and gave it a shot! :thumbup: And as of today I just took my first short ride on my new bike, so we cancel eachother out. :wink:

[Dave]

For the record, I really enjoy bikes, but I doubt I'll ever own one. I've ridden and they're definitely lots of fun. I also really enjoy watching them, whenever I get the spare moment and catch one on TV.

However, Mike's reasoning, as well as my complete distrust for all other drivers on the road, are the 2 sole reasons I doubt I'll ever ride. If I can't trust some stupid fuck to not run into a GMC 3500 with flashing lights and send it flying off the road, how the hell can I ever trust them to avoid the tiny, 300 pound, jet-powered bicycle? The simple fact is that today's drivers are not attentive to their surroundings and that you simply cannot control all of the variables to prevent somebody from creaming you. I can not bring myself to take that kind of risk to let somebody have to clean me up and put me back together. I have to much to live for I would hate to subject that misery upon the people I care about.

There is always the argument that people who won't accept that risk are hypocrites for driving on track. This is idiotic, since it is a controlled environment, with emergency personell who will be there in less than 3 minutes if something happens. I drive like a grandma on street and

[Apoc]

I drive like a grandma on street and

and....

Don't leave us hanging, I can't stand the suspense!

[BLINGMW]

Ironically he died while sitting at his computer from a heart attack :bootyshake:

[Dave]

hahahahaha, dammit. I got distracted and just click "post" while I was editing. I don't even remember where I was going with that.

[Apoc]

...post like one too.

Just a wild guess.

[Dave]

Yeah, it would seem that way. Bigtime senior moment.

[Kaan]

My father has been riding much longer than I have. And to this day, he'll still ride to work the day after they scrape the roads free of snow.

He's had two issues while riding... one accident and one medical emergency. He was hit nearly broadside by a Ford Explorer leaving an intersection when the light turned green. He broke his wrist ... that was it... lucky? Maybe... you canÔÇÖt really tell. The bike was a total loss... but rarely will a multiple vehicle accident with a motorcycle result in a motorcycle that is salvageable.

My mother made both of us get rid of everything motorcycle related. But that couldnÔÇÖt stop the fact that my father and I still loved to ride. We still talked about it, the new bikes coming out, the new gear, people going on rides, etc.

2 months after his cast was removed he and I were both back shopping for motorcycles and gear, with my motherÔÇÖs permission.

Almost 12 months to the day, after his accident... he had a stroke on a 100+ degree day sitting in traffic coming home from work. DonÔÇÖt ask me how he road home... of course my mother freaks out... some how blaming the motorcycle. Once again everything thing is sold or hidden

It took my dad 14 months to recover from his stroke and start working again. I worked a part time job and jobs on the side to make money to help pay the bills.

14 months passed, my father was cleared to play sports, ride, etc again. So he and I went shopping again. Other than the fact that my mother couldnÔÇÖt use the interweb to save her life... she would never post a blog like this.

Motorcycles have been in our family for years, generations! All my family accepts the risks... we all have wills, power of attorneys, life insurance, etc. Its part of being responsible as a rider.

Mikey you do what you feel you need to do... But I know you'll be attending a funeral for me before you see me post up about giving up riding. ItÔÇÖs not in my nature to give up something I love to do.

[Mike]

That's cool, you've obviously got your things worked out. My post was mainly for those who do not... And I know some of you don't (i.e. people taking care of you don't even know you ride). If you've covered all your bases, everyone involved in your care knows the risks and is OK with it, more power to y'all. If you're assuming your Mom or whoever wants to take care of you because you got run over doing something for fun, well, you shouldn't do that, and I did. My Mom doesn't like bikes, Caitlin doesn't particularly care for them... I was being nothing more than selfish for those months that I rode.

[.RJ]

i.e. people taking care of you don't even know you ride

FWIW, I finally told my mom that I ride - she knew anyways, and everyone else in the family knew. They're not really ok with it, but at least they realize I'm old enough to make my own choices. That was an interesting conversation though....

[Beej]

My post was mainly for those who do not...

And I'll be one to thank you for posting it.

You of all people know how on the fence I've been about bikes...but I never really did think about it this way. As you've pointed out, it's kind of selfish that this doesn't come across most of our minds, but now that I think about it, it's more important than the "man, I hope I don't fuck myself up" kinda shit that I normally think about.

[Apoc]

Just a few comments and these really aren't supposed to come off the way they're going to. They're not for anyone specific, just general thoughts about the topic.

1) If you're not thinking about the consequences you're either not mature enough for a bike or just plain ignorant... that includes what could happen and who would take care of you. Anyone who buys a bike without considering those around them is either rushing in or just being selfish.

2) No one wants to take care of anyone infirmed. That goes for motorcycles, smokers, car accidents, strokes or any other way you get fucked up. People do it because they care, not because they want to.


I think Mike and I are really trying to say same thing, he just didn't realized he was in #1 until recently.

[Kaan]

oh i almost forgot... mike you are a pansy. that is all.