UK Biking is dying out.

[chunky butt]

Biking has become a hobby for people with plenty of money.
Its no longer the way that working blokes get to work - starting off as a lad.

My point.....you can get a good second hand car a lot cheaper than even a new "budget" bike ......biking is for those that can afford it nowadays..

[steve the grease]

An old fart holds forth, " Back in my day etc etc." A Honda CD 125 was £199 an SL125 was £249. Apprentice wages, take home £12.63 seems to ring a bell. The company I worked for took on 30 apprentices a year , about half had bikes, 3 or 4 quid a week on the drip for 2 or 3 years. Maybe a pound a week for petrol. No body could afford a car on apprentice wages, why would you want to buy one when there was fun to be had for only a few quid. Second hand honda 50 was about £30 , (2 weeks dole, or apprentices wages, to put it in perspective)
Jump forward.
Compulsory education until 18
Virtually no "traditional industries", who aren't taking on any apprentices at any wages.
After gap years and so on , no one seems to have a job until they are about 25.
Honda 50 a grand.
Don't get me started on new bikes , ten grand , forget it.
They look like something out of transformers anyway..........
No one mends anyrthing any more.
At this point old fart
Has heart attack and shuts up.
World continues in downward spiral.

[garyboy]

well yes ..

globalisation
immigration
big business
`austerity`
lowering of wages
lowering of stds of living
propaganda
fear tactics
etc

have taken their toll

everywhere
except in fat cat land


no wonder the kids just want to stay in and play games

[Mad Hatter]

I think according to this thread I, and most of my friends and girlfriend, don't exist

I'm 29, I own 3 bikes, I've owned more than 1 since I was 20, I commuted on bikes alone for 6 years over the last 9 and was fortunate enough to get a good job and a van so now I can pick and choose when to use them.

My girlfriend has 2 bikes and she's 30, my lodger has a bike of her own in L plates and she's 25, another good friend of mine who's 26 has had her full license for 5 years, I know at least 5 other people under 30 who ride well enough to call them friends and dozens more who I'd call aquiantences, in fact I'd say I probably know more younger people who ride than older people. And the same they are a mix of people who only use the bike, use it for commuting because its cheaper and people who use it just for fun.

So yeah young people blah blah killing industries blah blah not buying property blah blah not getting jobs blah blah always playing on the Xbox blah blah. Not all younger people are like that, I "got on the property ladder" at 20 while I was still an apprentice, I've had stable jobs in a good career ever since, I still go out for food and buy nice food, I've not been unemployed but like most folks I've had some hard times, and I work more and go out on the bike more than I play on my Xbox and always have, and most of the people I know are in a similar situation or at the very least trying there best to do things like buy insanely overpriced property and competing with older people who are buying second or third properties as rentals, or get a decent job at 25 when employers want insanse amounts of experience.

So yeah peace out hombres

[Redmurty]

I think according to this thread I, and most of my friends and girlfriend, don't exist

I'm 29, I own 3 bikes, I've owned more than 1 since I was 20, I commuted on bikes alone for 6 years over the last 9 and was fortunate enough to get a good job and a van so now I can pick and choose when to use them.

My girlfriend has 2 bikes and she's 30, my lodger has a bike of her own in L plates and she's 25, another good friend of mine who's 26 has had her full license for 5 years, I know at least 5 other people under 30 who ride well enough to call them friends and dozens more who I'd call aquiantences, in fact I'd say I probably know more younger people who ride than older people. And the same they are a mix of people who only use the bike, use it for commuting because its cheaper and people who use it just for fun.

So yeah young people blah blah killing industries blah blah not buying property blah blah not getting jobs blah blah always playing on the Xbox blah blah. Not all younger people are like that, I "got on the property ladder" at 20 while I was still an apprentice, I've had stable jobs in a good career ever since, I still go out for food and buy nice food, I've not been unemployed but like most folks I've had some hard times, and I work more and go out on the bike more than I play on my Xbox and always have, and most of the people I know are in a similar situation or at the very least trying there best to do things like buy insanely overpriced property and competing with older people who are buying second or third properties as rentals, or get a decent job at 25 when employers want insanse amounts of experience.

So yeah peace out hombres

yeah but you're from Wolverhampton

cheers Spud

[daveuprite]

I think according to this thread I, and most of my friends and girlfriend, don't exist

I'm 29, I own 3 bikes, I've owned more than 1 since I was 20, I commuted on bikes alone for 6 years over the last 9 and was fortunate enough to get a good job and a van so now I can pick and choose when to use them.

My girlfriend has 2 bikes and she's 30, my lodger has a bike of her own in L plates and she's 25, another good friend of mine who's 26 has had her full license for 5 years, I know at least 5 other people under 30 who ride well enough to call them friends and dozens more who I'd call aquiantences, in fact I'd say I probably know more younger people who ride than older people. And the same they are a mix of people who only use the bike, use it for commuting because its cheaper and people who use it just for fun.

So yeah young people blah blah killing industries blah blah not buying property blah blah not getting jobs blah blah always playing on the Xbox blah blah. Not all younger people are like that, I "got on the property ladder" at 20 while I was still an apprentice, I've had stable jobs in a good career ever since, I still go out for food and buy nice food, I've not been unemployed but like most folks I've had some hard times, and I work more and go out on the bike more than I play on my Xbox and always have, and most of the people I know are in a similar situation or at the very least trying there best to do things like buy insanely overpriced property and competing with older people who are buying second or third properties as rentals, or get a decent job at 25 when employers want insanse amounts of experience.

So yeah peace out hombres

Well said, Hatter.