Have you ever considered giving up riding?

[Conquiztador]

I was sitting here pondering (as you do after a JD or two...) about my biking. And I started thinking back on how life has panned out. There has been travel, change of countries, relationships, a marriage, and now single parenthood.

But I dont think I have for one moment ever thought of giving biking up. Never crossed my mind.

Yes, there has been times when I have not been on a bike, and even short periods I have had no bike that has been working. But giving up... nope.

I have at the odd occasion seen threads started on here by riders who have decided to not ride again...

How could you do that when it is your blood??

Have you ever gotten close to giving up? (as you are reading this I assume you have NOT given up, probably need to go to that other side "ExBiker.com" to find them...)

[Jerry74]

I did for ten years - oh my god why?????

[smoky]

NO











But my wife has considered it on my behalf

[Nagash]

Err, when I was first learning to ride, it was during winter and I was having aparticularly bad period. Dropped it at low speed maybe.. 4 times in 6 months.

Was seriously thinking if biking really wasn't for me, but I kept at it and haven't since considered stopping. Still haven't driven a cage as of yet, so that's not too bad I reckon..

[alanzs]

Never really thought about giving it up. Even after a serious crash, I remember thinking how long will it be before I can ride again.

Sometimes when I am riding and its really cold and I am freezing my balls off, I think how it might be nice to be warm.

I can't ride for about a month, and it really sucks. I even cleaned and polished the bike. Riding is in my blood. Live to ride, ride to eat, ride to live, eat to ride. Something like that.

[Conquiztador]

NO

But my wife has considered it on my behalf

Ai, so considerate creatures they can be...

[beyond]

yep, all the time.
I love riding and yes I couldn't think of anything worse than not riding again.
BUT: if you ride slow or ride fast or ride careful.... you are at high risk all the time. That's a sad fact and one I don't like to dwell on. For the sake of my wife and daughter, then yes I should give up, but how? I certainly can't and yet I still hope to leave this life in my sleep at a ripe old age which is why I posted this some time ago:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=75347

[dino3310]

well bro, i didn't have my own ride for 15 years with my first missus, i was lucky enough to have mates that would let me have the odd blat.
no matter how hard i tried not to think about riding, ya just cant. it can even make ya feel a little depressed. no matter what ya ride i think once you get the bug you always have the bug weather you hang out for a ride or just fancy a play every now and then or just admire from a far the bugs still there.
Ride on.

[dino3310]

yep, all the time.
I love riding and yes I couldn't think of anything worse than not riding again.
BUT: if you ride slow or ride fast or ride careful.... you are at high risk all the time. That's a sad fact and one I don't like to dwell on. For the sake of my wife and daughter, then yes I should give up, but how? I certainly can't and yet I still hope to leave this life in my sleep at a ripe old age which is why I posted this some time ago:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=75347

kinda know what ya mean i got five rug rats.
even though theres a heightened risk on a bike theres a risk of the inevitable
no matter what your riding/driving.
lifes to short to dwell on the inevitable i just do my best to be safe an enjoy it while i can.

[Motu]

Sometimes I don't ride for a while....sometimes I stop working on my bikes....but I don't stop thinking bikes.

[justsomeguy]

Yes. YES. YES!!!

I wish I was rich. Then I would go race cars in my free time and would never have discovered bikes.

Bikes are so bloody dangerous.

But then I would have never felt what it would be like to enter Jennian at 200 totally blind, smile knowing that my past lap felt just perfect, time myself from one end of Scenic Drive to the other, spend all day racing your mates around the Loop and at night when you know there will be less police in the country, get a chance to meet so many nice people and make so many friends...

I also would never had to learn what it feels like when you know you've just past that point of no return and a bed at the hospital or morgue awaits you. Seen your friends dead on the road, the aftermath of your friends dying on the road, see parents bury their children, see your parents look at your broken unconscious face. Have your non-biker friends ask you "WHY?" with a level of seriousness only non-biking people can muster.

I'm bikeless at the moment and have no realistic idea when I'll have another one. I can't really afford to ride the way I do but I can't bear riding any other way either.

The worst thing is I can't seem to find anything to replace biking with. Damn bikes, they are worse than women.

DON'T click this to visit this site.

DON'T click this to watch this.

I'm currently saving up to buy my second Gixxer Thou

[swbarnett]

I did for ten years - oh my god why?????

Ditto.

13 years in my case.

Why? Changed countries to one with an awesome public transport system. Combine that with the fact that I arrived in the middle of winter to a decent amount of snow and by summer I'd gotten out of the habit. It wasn't until two years ago with the petrol price starting to climb that I got back on. I instantly rediscovered what I'd been missing. Can't wait for my wife to finish her PhD and get a job so I can upgrade.

I will never be without a bike again. I will probably even ride to my own funeral!

[Blackbird]

Stopped riding when I first got married, moved to NZ and had kids, simply seemed too busy (and maybe short of cash ). All that changed in 1987 when I went to Auckland to pick up a yacht sail. Right next door was a Honda shop and in the window under spotlights was this brand new stunning midnight blue metallic GB400. I was smitten all over again and after some tricky negotiations with Mrs B, ended up buying it.

Haven't been without a bike since then and simply couldn't be without one. I'm 60 now, and the family are financially secure so there's no worry from that angle. I have thought about my own mortality or risk of serious injury but have come to the conclusion that playing safe and giving up bikes would be like losing part of my soul and that's not what living is all about. I'm a lucky guy because my family totally understands.

[portokiwi]

After my 2nd crash I did for 12 years, Getting hit by drunk drivers do that to you and it was 2nd by drunks that gave me the shakes. I had a 150 trail in Afghanistan but that was just for around the compound.
It was my brother in law (Thanks Andre) in Portugal that got me back onto bikes. But he knew not to push me when riding after dark. Still that a few years ago and I am back on bikes and loving it. just as not as fast as i use to.

[NZsarge]

The only reasons that I can think of off hand (although it's not something that bears thinking about) are financial hardship or it being too painful via an accident or whatever.