Adventure Bike Rider Forum

I've been the same for a few years now.I used to always be out on my bike and taking it to work unless it was frosty or snowing even though it didn't really save any time once you put your kit on and off.Now I do a few day runs between March and October but they're usually at least 150 miles or else I'm strapping a tent on the back for a 500 odd mile overnighter on the west coast or the annual trip abroad.I just can't be bothered getting the bike out now to go to the shops or take a run of less than 150 miles.

It's a hobby and occasionally you lose interest or fancy a change.
Try a different sort of riding or a smaller bike transported in a van to get quality riding instead of covering lots of boring miles.
I know that without our Sunday breakfast club ride once a month the bikes wouldn't get used during winter.

threepot wrote:A biker friend of mine died last month of liver cancer. I'm sure he'd swap places with a few of you right now? FFS,get on and ride!!!!

Ok i was going to ignore your comment for the worthless piece of crap it is but f##k it its been eating away at me. Do you think your the only person on here to have lost a friend or loved one to cancer. Catch yourself on. Your comment has nothing at all to do with the thread. I wont go into detail here but i lost my wife to cancer after a twelve year battle. My lad was five when she was diagnosed and witness to the whole horrific episode. Iam proud to say she was on the back of my bike just six weeks before her death. But thats nothing to do with the situation i find myself in now. Of course in your wee mind you will probably justify your comment instead of doing the manly thing and admit it was ill thought out and apologize. I am sorry for your mate but this wasent the time or place. If you,ve nothing constructive to say then best say nothing at all!!!

threepot wrote:A biker friend of mine died last month of liver cancer. I'm sure he'd swap places with a few of you right now? FFS,get on and ride!!!!

Not as meaningful as Mac's reply but did it ever occur to you that maybe some of us have other hobbies away from bikes? I'm sitting here now exhausted but feeling really contented after completing a 25 mile hike over the Cairngorms this weekend.The first time I've tackled anything like that in almost 20 years, so as much as I enjoy riding my bike I don't get the same sense of achievement from sitting on my arse for 6 hours.

Why sweat it if you're not feeling it anymore?
Life is what you want it to be, and if that's not bikes then go find something that floats your boat.
Hope you find something stimulating.

Way back I use to ride everywhere in jeans, leather jacket, decent boots (not bike boots), gloves and open face helmet. When I say everwhere I mean all over Europe, US and down to Cape Town. Progressively, I've been made to feel guilty about not being all fitted out with body armour etc. I do now use body armour trail riding and have some armour in my gear that I use for touring but if I'm going out for a couple of hours on a nice day I just ride in what I'm standing up in plus jacket, helmet and gloves so no hassle. There's a good thread on another forum at the moment, about which helmet is the coolest which makes the point that it's YOUR choice. Me, I've never knowingly looked cool on a motorbike anyway but fully understand why the pressure to get all togged up detracts from the pleasure.
Take a leaf out of the French Gendarmes safety handbook and just ride in your T shirt

Mac 60 wrote:

threepot wrote:A biker friend of mine died last month of liver cancer. I'm sure he'd swap places with a few of you right now? FFS,get on and ride!!!!

Ok i was going to ignore your comment for the worthless piece of crap it is but f##k it its been eating away at me. Do you think your the only person on here to have lost a friend or loved one to cancer. Catch yourself on. Your comment has nothing at all to do with the thread. I wont go into detail here but i lost my wife to cancer after a twelve year battle. My lad was five when she was diagnosed and witness to the whole horrific episode. Iam proud to say she was on the back of my bike just six weeks before her death. But thats nothing to do with the situation i find myself in now. Of course in your wee mind you will probably justify your comment instead of doing the manly thing and admit it was ill thought out and apologize. I am sorry for your mate but this wasent the time or place. If you,ve nothing constructive to say then best say nothing at all!!!

So what do you want? An apology? Say nothing? Justify my post? Think you've probably taken it a bit too seriously? My post did mention a 'few of you'? I lost my mother 15 yrs ago. She was only 60.Four sons,and four grandchildren miss her! My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer 2yrs ago,but luckily it hasn't spread,and seems under control? So I know what you've gone thru with your wife,and I'm sorry for you. That's why I grasp every chance to go out on my bike! Life's too short thinking of excuses not to?

Mac,if we ever meet up,the first rounds on me!

FFS give it a rest , it's about bikes not who's had the most drama in their life,

I used to think about my own mortalty based on the fact that I've only had a couple of minor bike accidents and they were 30 years ago so I must be heading for a big one. Then I noticed that once I was on the bike I never gave it another thought. Solution - ride the bike more.

SPEN wrote:FFS give it a rest , it's about bikes not who's had the most drama in their life,

Yes your 100 correct so to put the thread back on track if anybody is still interested, i was walking my dog yesterday having a hard think about biking, what has changed and what biking means to me and came to the conclusion that its not just about biking. Ive never owned a sports bike and never wanted one. Always had cruisers, muscle bikes and adv type machines. A bike for me is a tool that enables me to combine a few of my other passions, camping and travel. Ive never owned a bike that i havent strapped a tent to. Iam not really a fast rider (yet do love the road racing here) but will get a wiggle on if the roads are appropriate. When i tour its all about what i see on the journey and not how quick i can get there. I think its more now that i cant be bothered to get my kit on to ride all too familiar local roads that are congested and with nothing i havent seen a thousand times before. No legal green lanes here so not much choice of something different unless i can make at least a day of it and clear off to unfamiliar areas. So its up to me to put in the effort to get futher away more to keep my interest alive. (thumbs)