People in oncoming cars going mental at you for wheelies

[3DP]

So what's it all about?

20 years ago, you could pull a wheelie in a safe place and at worst expect a headshake, at best a thumbs up, from oncoming cars.

Fast forward to now and even if on a wide country road, the common reaction is a driver of an oncoming car going into some sort of foaming road rage meltdown, giving it the coffee beans, headlight flashing and horn simultaneously. This in itself is a safety issue as it can affect the wheelie-er's concentration.

Are we headed for a society like Switzerland where a safe overtaking move is greeted with the same reaction? Are any of you who are pulling the odd cheeky minger seeing the same thing?

I weep for the children.

(Disclaimer - I am observing this behaviour from the side of the road and don't condone or partake of speeding, knee down, wheelieing or indeed anything that could be construed as fun).

[3DP]

Dr Jekyll said:

So 'distracting' someone with a horn and headlamp flash is dangerous, but doing a wheelie isn't?

Correct, yes.

[3DP]

Reardy Mister said:

Wheelies are no less than a public service. Those blessed with the ability have a veritable civic duty to conduct them whenever the opportunity arises. Anything in response other than rapturous applause or a grateful display of mammaries is tantamount to treason. Ignorance at the very least. It's the modern day equivalent of a noble knight rearing his trusty steed onto its hind legs, so that all around recognise him as a man of prodigious talent and steely resolve.

Sadly, even yer garden variety overtake is met with apoplectic rage from the Mail-reading lemmings, these days. As every right thinking Honda Jazz driver knows, beyond 55mph lies nought but death and destruction.

It's like you are in my head.

Here's another one - you can legally ride a unicycle on the public road. Are unicyclists met with the same level of venom by each passing car? No - I would imagine the same 'feral with rage' driver, would greet them with a wry smile and perhaps turn down radio 4 briefly to say to his wife "What a character, eh?"

[3DP]

Crossflow Kid said:

3DP said:

Reardy Mister said:

Wheelies are no less than a public service. Those blessed with the ability have a veritable civic duty to conduct them whenever the opportunity arises. Anything in response other than rapturous applause or a grateful display of mammaries is tantamount to treason. Ignorance at the very least. It's the modern day equivalent of a noble knight rearing his trusty steed onto its hind legs, so that all around recognise him as a man of prodigious talent and steely resolve.

Sadly, even yer garden variety overtake is met with apoplectic rage from the Mail-reading lemmings, these days. As every right thinking Honda Jazz driver knows, beyond 55mph lies nought but death and destruction.

It's like you are in my head.

Here's another one - you can legally ride a unicycle on the public road. Are unicyclists met with the same level of venom by each passing car? No - I would imagine the same 'feral with rage' driver, would greet them with a wry smile and perhaps turn down radio 4 briefly to say to his wife "What a character, eh?"

Yes, but the critical difference (brace yourself).....is that a unicycle is designed to have only one point of contact.
A motorbikey is designed to have two.
Sorry about that.

But the skills and principles are the same. Does this also mean that if someone converted a bike to a stunt bike, with an angled seat, designed specifically to wheelie, then it would be ok? If you can wheelie, then like a unicyclist, you are in no more dangerous state when monowheeling, than when on two wheels.

[3DP]

Reardy Mister said:

3DP said:

Crossflow Kid said:

3DP said:

Reardy Mister said:

Wheelies are no less than a public service. Those blessed with the ability have a veritable civic duty to conduct them whenever the opportunity arises. Anything in response other than rapturous applause or a grateful display of mammaries is tantamount to treason. Ignorance at the very least. It's the modern day equivalent of a noble knight rearing his trusty steed onto its hind legs, so that all around recognise him as a man of prodigious talent and steely resolve.

Sadly, even yer garden variety overtake is met with apoplectic rage from the Mail-reading lemmings, these days. As every right thinking Honda Jazz driver knows, beyond 55mph lies nought but death and destruction.

It's like you are in my head.

Here's another one - you can legally ride a unicycle on the public road. Are unicyclists met with the same level of venom by each passing car? No - I would imagine the same 'feral with rage' driver, would greet them with a wry smile and perhaps turn down radio 4 briefly to say to his wife "What a character, eh?"

Yes, but the critical difference (brace yourself).....is that a unicycle is designed to have only one point of contact.
A motorbikey is designed to have two.
Sorry about that.

But the skills and principles are the same. Does this also mean that if someone converted a bike to a stunt bike, with an angled seat, designed specifically to wheelie, then it would be ok? If you can wheelie, then like a unicyclist, you are in no more dangerous state when monowheeling, than when on two wheels.

That depends. Would you advocate cars careering around on two wheels, simply because they now are equal to motorcycles in terms of contact patches with the road?

I think the main reason you don't see this more is due to a lack of adequate launch ramps on the public roads. What you do see on the roads is the odd hot hatch lifting an inside rear wheel. Is this person in any less control? I don't think so.

[3DP]

shandyboy said:

I suspect it's frowned upon more due to the wheelie becoming popular with the chavvier/scratter element. I don't see that many 'proper' bikers doing it, but it looks good when done right.

Around Bradford you'll see the occasional wheelie, usually through a red light (as -most- cars have stopped either side of the light, so the chav can wheelie at speed between the queueing cars), wobbling side-to-side with little control. It doesn't do much for the image...

Wheelieing has always been popular with all areas of riders. The chavvier element are just more visible due to their penchant for doing it in inappropriate locations as you say, like past girls' schools or on high streets or generally urban areas.

The issue is the reaction to doing the wheelie in an appropriate location, with just the odd oncoming car or wildlife to admire your majesty and prowess.

[3DP]

raddish said:

Its not just wheelies the seem to get people annoyed. As I was riding home last night legally filtering past some very slow moving traffic, a nice old man poked his copy of the highway code out the window as I passed.

I use my highway code book mainly to hit cyclists round the back of the head who are riding 2 abreast on narrow country lanes.

[3DP]

leighz said:

then they have every right to throw a bidon at you

I googled a Bidon as it sounded like something you wash your arse with. Turns out cyclists not only have their own private version of the highway code, they have their own private name for a drinks bottle.