Advice please?

[curious george]

Dear Mr K informed me last night that he doesn't want me riding a bike.

If this thread is still being viewed by you Keystone, what did this mean?
Was it a term of reference, or an ultimatum?

[White trash]

Dear Mr K informed me last night that he doesn't want me riding a bike. It's too dangerous, I will get killed and I should be more responsible.

Any of you people out there have trouble with partners with ideas like these?

Is there a good way to approach this?

I don't want to give up riding...

Become a lesbian mate. Perhaps if I offered to take him for a hoon on the back of the Gixxer, that might change his mind?

[SPman]

Perhaps if I offered to take him for a hoon on the back of the Gixxer, that might change his mind?

The mind wobbles....

[RantyDave]

Dear Mr K informed me last night that he doesn't want me riding a bike. It's too dangerous.

Any of you people out there have trouble with partners with ideas like these?

Is there a good way to approach this?

Hey,

I just started biking (like, I did my first fill up from empty about an hour ago) and had a similar set of concerns going into this. I have a three year old daughter too, so face planting an R1 into a Volvo is just not an option for me. My partner has been very understanding that this is something I want to do, that I've always wanted to do, and that I'm going to keep doing it while I'm enjoying it but the safety thing has come up more than once.

The conversation goes like this:

Me: "It's very dangerous. I have to concentrate much harder than driving. All these retards in Land Cruisers keep trying to kill me. There's no side intrusion bars or airbags. Frankly, I'm scared shitless."

Her: "Good. I'm glad you're taking it seriously."

Between that, buying *everything* to do with being safe - none of this jeans and trainers shit for me - and getting actual proper training, she's cool about it.

So I guess all I'm suggesting is that you make it clear to Mr K that you know what you're doing is dangerous, and that you're doing what you can to prevent it from being a problem. But he does need to know that this is part of who you are, and that if he doesn't like who you are then motorbikes are the least of your problems.

Good luck,
Dave

[BTW, De-lurking!]

[pritch]

Hey,

I just started biking (like, I did my first fill up from empty about an hour ago) and had a similar set of concerns going into this. I have a three year old daughter too, so face planting an R1 into a Volvo is just not an option for me.

Good one. Take it easy, ride safely. Learn in small increments :-)

[Big Dave]

Not being able to get my head around your problem myself, (Co-pilot is as ardent as I) I went and outlined the problem and sought her Post-Graduate-Certificate-in-Change-Management-qualified advice.

'Tell him to get over it.'

[Riff Raff]

Perhaps if I offered to take him for a hoon on the back of the Gixxer, that might change his mind?

About motorbikes, or sexual preferences???

[Keystone19]

Become a lesbian mate. Perhaps if I offered to take him for a hoon on the back of the Gixxer, that might change his mind?

I don't think either option is good. I like boys too much and as for the second one, umm, perhaps you could just take me?

[Keystone19]

If this thread is still being viewed by you Keystone, what did this mean?
Was it a term of reference, or an ultimatum?

Bit of both I suspect!

[Keystone19]

Hey thanks everybody for your ideas. I'm sure some kind of compromise will be reached eventually!

[Sniper]

Heres my advice. Dont drink furniture polish

[inlinefour]

Selfish??? for being concerned about his partners safety.??? I think not. Biking, and any other sport considered dangerous, are the realms of the more selfish among us. How many of us give second thought to our wives and families when we get aboard the bike for a sunday run. How many climbers wonder how it would affect their loved ones if they fell to their death. A single handed sailor caught out in a storm may feel reasonably safe but what about his wife and kids waiting for news. I may have been riding longer than most but I still have to put up with comments about the risks involved, not from the wife, but from my own kids and now grandkids. When people stop worrying about their loved ones the world will be a poorer place.
As to allaying his fears, not difficult. Stay safe. Don't come home from a ride and regale him with stories of the guy who binned, the idiot in a car who nearly ran you off the road or the speeds your mates achieved on some country road. If you have biker mates call round at your place keep the conversation positive. No mention of crashes, speeding tickets, wheelies etc.
Maybe I got lucky when I met my wife, or more ikely because I included her in my riding, but I've never had this problem. If she worries she doesn't show it. and after many years of riding I can point to my record and say with authority that motorcycles are potentially the safest vehicle on the road. The only danger is attitude of the guy on board. I wish you luck and many more years of riding.
PS. Don't try to talk him into riding. It's obviously not his thing and even a minor accident would convince him he was right.

What should we do with our significant others??? Wrap them up in cotton wool for the rest of their lives or actually allow them to do the things that make them enjoy life??? I think there is nothing wrong with doing dangerous activities for fun. What sort of life would we have if we stuck with the mundane? I'd go from a staff nurse in a psych ward to a patient, I'd bet...
Just because your with a bloke/lady does not mean that you have to conform to what they say or do. We are all individuals and have our own likes and dislikes. Yea he might be wanting to "protect" her, but telling her to stop riding is selfish. Heck could get run over by a bus just walking down the street. I'd stick to what Big dave said earlier and tell him ti get over it.

[Rashika]

Hey thanks everybody for your ideas. I'm sure some kind of compromise will be reached eventually!

hope you can figure a way round it
...but dont compromise yourself out of what YOU want to do, life is way too short to have regrets or resentments against ya loved one

[Pixie]

As Mick said "you can't always get what you want"

[ManDownUnder]

I don't think either option is good. I like boys too much and as for the second one, umm, perhaps you could just take me?

hoo boy... wait till BJ get's hold of THAT one