whats the reason for getting into biking?

[ricky_v]

Ive always wondered, i imagine the large proportion of the biking fraternity is mostly people using it as a hobby, going to Devils bridge on any given day, most of the bikes look like there never used

My story is that i got into biking simply to save money. Car insurance was costing me well over a grand and diesel prices were rising, i did the CBT in February last year, and just planned to pootle about on L plates for a few years until i wanted to get a bigger bike (when insurance would be alot less), to which i would do the DAS, i was hoping to phase the car out, and eventually sell it. That summer I heard that the test was changing in September (at that time, it was delayed until March this year later on) and as soon as i heard the EU were behind this change for safety (i.e money and harmonisation) reasons i invested £400 in getting an A2 licence, just so i have the licence in the bag, and not have to jump through flaming hoops like todays test candidates, and win a little victory over the EUSSR

today, my primary reason for getting a bike still holds true, having a full licence for almost 16 months, and never been on anything bigger than a learner legal machine, i got rid of the car and insurance for my YBR is a fraction of what car insurance would be, therefore i can confidently say that my YBR is getting there to paying itself off, a bit like having solar pannels on your roof

whats your story?

[Stu]

always had bikes as a kid up to been about 14 and always been brought up with bikes in the family so always wanted one

did car test first though then a few months later did bike test

bike was just for fun nothing more

[hurtank]

i could ride a pushbike without stabilizers before i could run. used to be sponsered by noah's ark a local bike shop. and when i turned 16 i presumed bikes wouldnt be a great deal of diffrence and they wernt i loved them just as much ^.^

[techno]

Needed a cheap form of transport so got a scooter, was never into bikes didnt even think I could ride one...only lasted 7 weeks on a 125 after being taken out had a pillion run on a mates thundercat and just thought I had to get a big bike love speed and accelaeration...finally had the money after finishing with my ex, and did my test!

Never loked back still cant believe I ride like I do!!

[MonkeyKnuckle]

'Cos I was told ladies throw themselves at bikers in a crazy frenzy.

They lied.......

[ricky_v]

'Cos I was told ladies throw themselves at bikers in a crazy frenzy.

They lied.......

 

that reminds me I had a couple of girls on wednesday at college asked with enthusiasm what bike i have (i carry my helmet around, and it was the new term so they were new, etc) and when i replied "oh its just a boring 125 commuter, does 60 tops" the look of dissapointment on their faces was a f**king picture

in the future ill say the speed in KPH without saying KPH or MPH at the end

[Decor58]

ive always loved motorbikes, more than half my fam havehad one n i had one from the age of 7, i just love them, the fact that they are cheaper than cars is just a bonus for me, i love my bike¡¡¡!!!

[JoshRS]

Wellll, i could've got a car rather than a bike, and afforded insurance.

But why would i want to pay an extortionate ammount of money to get insured on a car? the convinience of a car doesnt justify the costs of insurance at my age.

But, that isn't why i like biking. The community, getting to give 'the nod' on to anyone i see during my daily commute. The fact that traffic means nothing to us, and how it makes us better road users! and manyyyy more. I just love it, and everything about it.

[Hywel]

I always had a secret fascination with bikes as a kid / teenager but my parents would quickly disapprove if I hinted at the subject so eventually I gave up. Passed my car test at 17 then after five years of not even slightly considering bikes, I started noticing them more and more when driving until I finally decided that there was no reason for me not to learn if I thought they were so awesome. So I went for my CBT and instantly loved it, passed my DAS and now here I am, saving up for my first bike in painful slow motion. I'll get there!

My justifications for learning and getting a bike are, cheaper insurance (my premium is still super high), able to slip through standstill traffic and it's heaps of fun.

[Guest]

I've always raced push bikes on the road and at 37 I finally hung up my lycra back in April, the training and sacrifices I've made over the years just got too much. But over the summer I really missed the road, the long training rides, the feeling you get when out on 2 wheels snaking down a mountain road.. I basically missed 2 wheels but couldn't face the thought of pedalling anymore and I got into a bit of a rut, I wouldn't say I was depressed but I was very close to it!

On top of that the petrol bill went through the roof as I was no longer commuting the 40 mile round trip each day to work as training and was driving in. It all just made sense.

I have to say I'm fully broken in with the dangers of the road, aggressive motorists, inconsiderate buses so that came as no shock but the feeling I get on my 125kg CBF125 is pretty much the same as I had on my 18lb Ridley, plus I now have hairy legs and I can drink beer on Saturday night

[alostmind]

uncle stuck me on the tank of his as we rode down the road !! fell in love then ! Meet BARRY SHEENE got to go on his ! fell future in love ! then had track bikes ! at 16 got a C50 then on to 125s ! wanted to do my test then but girlfriend came home & said those words (i'm pregnant) so i had to sell the bike too fund my car test ! once you have a car & son money goes !! I'd always bitch while in the car about ht ebikes going passed ! in dec of 2008 found out DAD had cancer in one of our conversations he told me to do it !! So i managed to get it done before we lost him !!

if you haven't done it i don't think you'll understand the thrill !

[queen bodecia]

Did my car test back in 1985 when I was 17 but I was a penniless student and couldn't afford a car, so I cycled everywhere. Then I got a weekend job 35 miles away and a very long walk from the train station. So I got a 125, no training or CBT required in those days, you could just ride a learner bike on your full car licence. I hated it at first but it was a means to an end and I eventually did my part 1. Plus I got lots of male attention, very few wimmin had bikes in them days. Anyway, that bike only lasted me just over a year (I fell off once and a few months later the engine died!). Then I went and studied/worked abroad and in London and bikes were very far from my mind.

Fast forward to 1995 and I had been living in Nottingham for two years reliant on public transport. I knew a lot of people with bikes and kept thinking about getting another one. So I got another 125, the law had changed and I had to do a CBT and part two. But after that I got a 250 and it was my main transport for a couple of years. I eventually tired of riding in rubbish weather, I really hated it, so I got a car too. But I've had a bike ever since then for leisure purposes only.

[Guest]

It was so long ago .......

But I always wanted a bike ever since i saw a geyser walking past my house pushing one ( a crosser ) and I was like ...WoW!! can I have a go? Anyway the powers that be (parents) said no, and everyother time of bringing up the subject resulted in a no also. The usual stuff, 'not when you live under this roof' etc... Even by the time I was 16 and all my mates had things like the ER50 and stuff... I was still trying ... Anyway, the dream lay forgotten on the depths of my mind .... until I moved out and became financially independant.... TheWife and I (well she was TheMissus then) were driving to Sainsburys and there was a bike shop next door ... Instead of driving into Sainsburys (other supermarkets are available....) I turned into the bike shop.

'Where you going?' she says...

'Booking my DAS' i says ....

First she'd heard of it And all that was last century!! Had a bike or bikes ever since. And generally speaking they are my preferred form of transport. Nothing quite like it. One of the hardest things in the World to explain to someone who doesn't ride. Its funny cos TheWife only did her DAS last year and she said to me recently

'I understand why you always go on about biking now .. !'

One of lifes pleasures for sure

[wiggleit]

Had mopeds in my late teens, basically as a cheap from of transport.

Never thought about riding again tho enjoyed the odd back-seat spin on my brothers assorted bikes.

Have had and ridden horses for years, but when my marriage broke up 3 years ago and then my daughter hit puberty and discovered boys, I found I needed something more, that my equine hobby just wasn't 'doing it' for me anymore.

Then the beginning of this year saw the end of a relationship with a guy whose enthusiasm for 2 wheels was totally infectious. We'd had all sorts of plans for trips on his bike this summer.

I guess the decsion to take my test was partly to prove to myself that nothing was beyond me & partly so I could do all those things without relying on a blokes back seat ever again!!!lol

The unexpected bonus has been that, from the moment I sat on the school 500, I absolutely LOVE it, far more than I ever imagined, can't get enough, just me and my bike, having a ball and no looking back!

[techno]

On a slight tangent, I look at where Ive been and things ive seen from the back of a bike the roads you discover that you wouldnt even bother with going a-b in a car and the diverse people Ive met and are now good friends with and socialise with, this would never have happened without biking..

[Guest]

My sole reason was so I could ride this.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f205/potnoodle1977/photo14.jpg

[Bogof]

Simple. I ride a bike cos I can.

Hmmm, actually at the moment I can't

[houltmac]

I remember sitting in showrooms and drooling over the bikes when I was a kid. Dirt bikes, sports bikes, tourers... I loved them all and would bug the life out of the staff with questions. There was just a draw to bikes I never found with cars.

I never got a bike or a scooter because I never had the cash. Last November I quit smoking (started at 16) and have used the money for DAS, clothing, insurance and a deposit on a bike. Awesome.

[Guest]

Mostly for commuting, so I voted that, though won't be using it on very very cold or very very wet days And frighteningly, the costs of getting it on the road are less than I should save in petrol over the next year, even not using it daily

Also for fun though, I do enjoy it.

[Fazer Pete]

Got into them as a young kid in the late 60's early 70's riding crossers and old British bikes in woods and fields. got a moped at 16 and passed my test in '82. Been riding ever since. Had a spell as despatch rider in London, fantastic fun but rubbish money.

Gave me a buzz the first time i swung my leg over a bike and still does to this day

[Guest]

Always liked bikes since i was a kid..got back into riding about 2 years ago with the notion of using two wheels to commute...that soon went out of the window..now ride for enjoyment and like the social scene that you get with biking..had some amazing rideouts this year and met some great people from all over..

[Guest]

Had bikes as a youngster, due to affordable and fun transport, but missed the ethic and comaraderie, so got back for the fun and rides,

things i have done on a bike, that wouldn't have happened with a car.

Pudsey Run-2006

TMBF rally - MFN 2009

Demo ride against test centre closures, 2007

weekend in the lakes, from Oxford, 2005

TMBF Beetle ride/olympics 2009

Mikeys run 2009,

weekend riding round Scotland, loch Lomond, 2006

couple of days in scotland 2009,

met lots of nice people, all who enjoy bikes, bought some bikes that were destined for the scrap heap, and returned to a roadworthy state.

[kate1]

Partly because of a bet and partly to save money.

[Guest]

Grew up around bikes and my Dad bought my first road going bike (a Honda MT5) to get out of being the driver of 'Dad's free taxi', and I did my CBT on my 16th birthday, that was 17 years ago.

[Aussie]

me well had one 20 years ago and then girlfriend, married, kids etc.!!!! also now it's easier for work and i can escape the madhouse more easily. plus loads of medical problems and thought what the hell i loved it all those years ago why not enjoy now!! saying all this i have to pass my cbt on friday!!

oz