Bliss
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I want a motorcycle so badly, but the Hubby is afraid I'll be killed. If I get one, he wants a 3-wheel one, but the only one I can find is fitting a Honda goldwing with a kit.
Shhhhh..... http://craptasticnation.blogspot.com/[^]
Well, you missed your chance. The annual River Run was a few weeks ago, and there's always a bunch of bikes for sale, three-wheelers among them. There's also several customizing shops among the vendors happy to take orders. Maybe you should plan a vacation trip to Laughlin, NV next April, and bring the checkbook. :-D
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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Gary R. Wheeler wrote:
Subtract the motor...
50-75 km on a bicycle? OK, I do 10 now and then (24 gears - four times what I have on the Honda) and enjoy it. I did 60 once (on the island of Bornholm) and will never do it again. Collapsed from fatigue half-way and afterwards, I couldn't sit for a week... :-)
Gary R. Wheeler wrote:
It's nice to hear you wear a helmet
Law here. Remember, this is Volvo-land... and being brought up here it's sort of second nature... :-) My leather jacket also has integrated elbow and shoulder protectors, and a huge back protector (weighs a ton or so). The pants are somewhat similar. In Volvo-land, you don't lose man-points for that - you earn moron-points for not wearing it...
Gary R. Wheeler wrote:
Tenors are such pansies
In the words of Teal'c: Indeed.
PeterTheSwede wrote:
50-75 km on a bicycle?
I'm getting ready to ride The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure[^], a week-long bicycle tour. You average 70-100 km each day. It's a lot of fun, and much easier than you might think with a moderate amount of conditioning.
PeterTheSwede wrote:
In the words of Teal'c: Indeed.
Another SG-1 fan! Woo-Hoo!
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^] -
I want a motorcycle so badly, but the Hubby is afraid I'll be killed. If I get one, he wants a 3-wheel one, but the only one I can find is fitting a Honda goldwing with a kit.
Shhhhh..... http://craptasticnation.blogspot.com/[^]
leckey wrote:
...the Hubby is afraid I'll be killed.
Not uncommon. I have friends working in ICUs, and the first split-second look you get when you mention you ride a bike is certainly food for thought. Then again, some behaviour patterns can keep you out of the statistically most accident-prone groups: (all equally important) 1. Don't be a speed demon. Know your stopping distance (at various speeds and road types) and ride accordingly. 2. Assume that you are invisible, especially to car drivers. Forget the concept "right of way" - it has no bearing on reality when you're on a bike. The goal is not to win in court, but to stay in one piece. 3. Know how to ride. Specifically, know how to steer and brake in emergencies. Practice this thoroughly at least once a year (not on a public road). Swedish bike clubs hold refresh meetings each year at race tracks for that purpose. Your stopping distance is slightly longer than in a car if you do this - twice that if you don't. 4. Use protective gear - for feet, shins, knees, back, shoulders, elbows, head. Unless you drive a sports bike (race bike with a licens plate), go for stuff that's integrated into the clothes (or you tend to "forget" to put the stuff on). With a sports bike, the more serious (worn under the clothing) stuff should be considered (and always worn). 5. Yes, you do need a lane of your own (even when overtaking). You may not be as wide as a bus, but you need margin in case something unexpected happens. The fact that it is legal in some US states to ride side-by-side in one lane doesn't mean it's a good idea. I have no experience with 3-wheelers, but (without ever having tested one) they spontaneously don't feel much safer than a regular bike. You're still as unprotected, and I suspect that handling may not be up to par either (which may help to enforce rule #1, though). I may be completely off on this, though... :-) Also... Sweden is quite different from the US (unless I've been totally misled). The typical US stretch of straight highway for miles we do have in Sweden as well. In two or three places... :-) For the most part, the curves outnumber the straights by far... so the biking philosophy is quite different. Best of luck!
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leckey wrote:
...the Hubby is afraid I'll be killed.
Not uncommon. I have friends working in ICUs, and the first split-second look you get when you mention you ride a bike is certainly food for thought. Then again, some behaviour patterns can keep you out of the statistically most accident-prone groups: (all equally important) 1. Don't be a speed demon. Know your stopping distance (at various speeds and road types) and ride accordingly. 2. Assume that you are invisible, especially to car drivers. Forget the concept "right of way" - it has no bearing on reality when you're on a bike. The goal is not to win in court, but to stay in one piece. 3. Know how to ride. Specifically, know how to steer and brake in emergencies. Practice this thoroughly at least once a year (not on a public road). Swedish bike clubs hold refresh meetings each year at race tracks for that purpose. Your stopping distance is slightly longer than in a car if you do this - twice that if you don't. 4. Use protective gear - for feet, shins, knees, back, shoulders, elbows, head. Unless you drive a sports bike (race bike with a licens plate), go for stuff that's integrated into the clothes (or you tend to "forget" to put the stuff on). With a sports bike, the more serious (worn under the clothing) stuff should be considered (and always worn). 5. Yes, you do need a lane of your own (even when overtaking). You may not be as wide as a bus, but you need margin in case something unexpected happens. The fact that it is legal in some US states to ride side-by-side in one lane doesn't mean it's a good idea. I have no experience with 3-wheelers, but (without ever having tested one) they spontaneously don't feel much safer than a regular bike. You're still as unprotected, and I suspect that handling may not be up to par either (which may help to enforce rule #1, though). I may be completely off on this, though... :-) Also... Sweden is quite different from the US (unless I've been totally misled). The typical US stretch of straight highway for miles we do have in Sweden as well. In two or three places... :-) For the most part, the curves outnumber the straights by far... so the biking philosophy is quite different. Best of luck!
My husband while in high school, had a friend's dad die so that's where the fear comes from. I'm all about safety so I find it funny that my husband thinks I'll be an idiot all of a sudden. Eastern SD is very flat. I make jokes you can see for 5 miles; stand a can of tuna and you can see 10. Because of this, most of our roads are very straight. When I was commuting 70 miles I think I had four curves. Now that I am jobless...again...I'm looking closer to home. I wouldn't mind a small scooter. Hubby doesn't have a problem with that though. Weird.
Shhhhh..... http://craptasticnation.blogspot.com/[^]
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My husband while in high school, had a friend's dad die so that's where the fear comes from. I'm all about safety so I find it funny that my husband thinks I'll be an idiot all of a sudden. Eastern SD is very flat. I make jokes you can see for 5 miles; stand a can of tuna and you can see 10. Because of this, most of our roads are very straight. When I was commuting 70 miles I think I had four curves. Now that I am jobless...again...I'm looking closer to home. I wouldn't mind a small scooter. Hubby doesn't have a problem with that though. Weird.
Shhhhh..... http://craptasticnation.blogspot.com/[^]
leckey wrote:
had a friend's dad die
Yep, that could do it. A friend of mine had a friend die in a motorcycle vs car crash (the car driver who should have given way didn't see him coming) a couple of years ago. My friend reacted by converting his bike to race specs, buying a van for it and now only drives amateur racing. No cars, no wild animals, no speed limit, and wearing the right gear is mandatory. An image of what he looks like doing that is here[^]... Someone else on this thread mentioned losing man-points for wearing protective gear... Yeah, right!
leckey wrote:
...small scooter. Hubby doesn't have a problem with that though. Weird.
Indeed. Protective gear (at least a good helmet and a sturdy jacket) is probably not a bad idea in that context either...
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leckey wrote:
had a friend's dad die
Yep, that could do it. A friend of mine had a friend die in a motorcycle vs car crash (the car driver who should have given way didn't see him coming) a couple of years ago. My friend reacted by converting his bike to race specs, buying a van for it and now only drives amateur racing. No cars, no wild animals, no speed limit, and wearing the right gear is mandatory. An image of what he looks like doing that is here[^]... Someone else on this thread mentioned losing man-points for wearing protective gear... Yeah, right!
leckey wrote:
...small scooter. Hubby doesn't have a problem with that though. Weird.
Indeed. Protective gear (at least a good helmet and a sturdy jacket) is probably not a bad idea in that context either...
