RE: PH Blog: Harris learns biking, part one

[T1berious]

Enjoy Chris,

I fell in love with 2 wheels way before my love of cars and feel that the years of riding an RGV250 (think junior fireblade) certainly made me a more attentive driver, in much the same way cycling to work has also made me a more attentive driver.

I'm sure I wouldn't be the 1st to say that if more drivers \ riders experienced other forms of road transport the roads could be a safer place.

Next stop pedal power? (just kidding)

T1b

[srob]

A really nice read, that.

When I started riding on the road, my old man said to me that the most important thing to remember is, "it doesn't matter who ends up being proven to be at fault, if you're the one that ends up dead". They're words I always remember, ones which make me far more vigilant going past sideroads with vehicles waiting, and anticipating what anyone may (or may not!) do.

Biking is very much a club, and Biker Banter on here typifies it for me

[dapearson]

I hope it goes well Chris.

It will be interesting to see what happens to your view of supercars once you've had a go on something properly fast like a Fireblade, ZX-10, etc.

My interest in fast road cars has mostly gone now.

[The Danimal]

Rawwr said:

M666 EVO said:

But the more these clowns abuse their right on the road, the less likely i am to show compassion and will adopt the "I am bigger than you, if you come off, it will hurt you more" as opposed to the swerving and trying to avoid accidents waiting to happen...

I like how you've taken the concept of being a spastic and then improved upon it.

Best post ever...

[Shurv]

I've been riding bikes since I was 16, driving cars since 17. I have equal passion for both.I also feel that all car drivers should have to take a bike test,my wife's a far better driver since passing her bike test,her observation is many times better than before. I recently came back from a 2500 miles in a week French Alps tour with 4 mates,and we all said how much better the French are towards bikes,they see you, pull over to the right to allow you to pass and generally have a good attitude towards bikes. We felt it was because so many French teenagers have mopeds,I think they can heve them from 14 or 15.This means that they "think bike" when driving.I have to say, once you've sampled a bike with even modest BHP, any car is a bit rubbish in terms of acceleration and overall thrills.Anyone thinking of getting your bike test, do it, it's great fun,but please be careful,and get good kit and ride a small capacity machine until your skill levels are up.I wince when I see guys who've only just passed their CBT buying 180mph sports bikes,crazy, those things are not easy to ride and they are so sharp that new skills rarely cope with them.( I speak from the experience of bundling a pal over a stone wall on a stretcher in Yorkshire into a waiting air ambulance following a rookie error , he bought a sports bike with only a CBT!!!) Happy biking.

[VinceFox]

The Danimal said:

Rawwr said:

M666 EVO said:

But the more these clowns abuse their right on the road, the less likely i am to show compassion and will adopt the "I am bigger than you, if you come off, it will hurt you more" as opposed to the swerving and trying to avoid accidents waiting to happen...

I like how you've taken the concept of being a spastic and then improved upon it.

Best post ever...

give it time.

[garypotter]

Firstly, well done for the cbt, riding bikes is great fun, it can be cheap and certainly for smiles per mile than any car.

Secondly - I take it you did NOT pay for this course as you mention BMW so many BMW times, i hope BMW paid for you BMW and for all the BMW free BMW advertising.

The CBT is a great course now and has improved so much over the recent years and I believe has helped reduce the casulaties of bike incidents but also imprioved riding standards for new riders.

BMW are NOT the only ones to offer theses courses and their are many alternatioves so if anyone out there is looking into riding do some homework first, try and speak to people who have used the company for the training before.

As previously mentioned approx 80% of bikers also own a car (as do I) and only use the bike for a fun ride. There will always be the crazy small numbers of bikers who ride like they are possessed and have large testiculars which give all riders a bad name - like you on the A3 yesterday, a tshirt will not help.

I also found that when I went from my Suzi RG125 to a yam FZR 600 genesis the bigger bike due to power/weight/size was so much easier to ride, not changing gear every 5 seconds, being able to brake with alot more confidence etc.

And one more time BMW blah blah blah...........

[STiG911]

_Neal_ said:

M666 EVO said:

We all share the road, many bike riders need to appreciate this fact

Can we not go down the "them and us" route on this thread please? It's highly tedious.

^This.
As with a lot of things in life, there's always a minority acting like tts and thereby sterotyping everyone in the same 'field'. There are bad (some very) car AND bike users, the issue is how we all deal with each situation. As someone who doesn't have a bike, but my mates and some relatives do, as well as having spent a lot of time cycling (yes,yes it's not the same thing, but using Top Gear logic, its close) I appreciate the need for awareness of and providing space for, bikes. On fast roads I won't make a fuss about letting them past, on Motorways and such, I'll move over to make space even if they are passing cars between the Centre and Outside lanes. What DOES get me riled is the occasional one sitting right up close, in my blind spot, usually in a 30 / 40mph zone and more often than not overtaking into the bargain. If I'm doing 30 or 40 and so are you, why overtake? I don't get it. It's right up there with the increasing amount of morons who think indicators are to be used 'sparingly'

Oh, btw - 'Hire a van for a weekend's house-moving and the next time you encounter some poor sod limping past an HGV in a Mercedes Sprinter, you will be less hasty to take issue with his middle-lane occupancy.' Merc Sprinters are usually up everyones chuff trying to bully them out of the way at 85mph - in the outside lane.

[ZesPak]

M666 EVO said:

But the more these clowns abuse their right on the road, the less likely i am to show compassion and will adopt the "I am bigger than you, if you come off, it will hurt you more" as opposed to the swerving and trying to avoid accidents waiting to happen...

XKCD made this sign for you:

[Dakkon]

Dave Hedgehog said:

so Chris has taken his first steps to coming out, cant wait to see him in the power ranger suite

Thanks for your contribution

[exocet ape]

NW2 said:

M666 EVO said:

But the more these clowns abuse their right on the road, the less likely i am to show compassion and will adopt the "I am bigger than you, if you come off, it will hurt you more" as opposed to the swerving and trying to avoid accidents waiting to happen...

Chilling words. Please keep well out of central London. I don't wish to come across you when I'm cycling to work in the rush hour.

Definitely sounds like the type of driver I used to come across(in more ways in one!) on the roads. 'It's My Road and I do what I want because I'm bigger than you' mentality.

Broken bones, dislocated shoulder, haematoma or five. Gave up cycling on roads because of the amount of impatient inept idiots that you would come across on a daily basis. At least now on my day to day I have the protection around me..

[Hooli]

MrKipling43 said:

ETA: just realised that you're quite clearly thick, so I'll spell this out for you...

I'm implying that you're a bellend, which is why there is an arrow pointing to the end of a bell. Geddit? Lovely.

excellent post

[MarJay]

I saw a guy in a Mercedes Vano thingy taxi go around the outside of a queue of traffic and then push in at the last minute. Twice. I wondered if he forgot he was driving a four wheeled vehicle instead of a bike...?

[Pothole]

K2MDL said:

Hopefully Mr Harris's attitude will change towards bikers then. I clearly remember him slagging them off when he used to write for Autocar and thought they shouldn't be on the road. Thought he had been reading Clarkson too much. Ironic that he's decided to learn the craft...

Did you read his opening paragrpahs at all?

[Ferosferio]

Oh dear. This thread seems to be breeding a lot of contempt.

Anyway, I'm not a biker (although I'd like to give the CBT a shot one day) but a few friends are and I've ridden pillion on numerous occasions - The sense of freedom, speed and 'occasion' is unmatched in a car.

Great read Chris, thanks.

[M400 NBL]

That's it Chris, blame your teacher for your mid life crisis

But really, well done. My only motorbike was a Honda RVF 400 (NC35) and it was very liberating to be able to ride fast without the effort of pedalling.

[Chris Harris]

K2MDL said:

Hopefully Mr Harris's attitude will change towards bikers then. I clearly remember him slagging them off when he used to write for Autocar and thought they shouldn't be on the road. Thought he had been reading Clarkson too much. Ironic that he's decided to learn the craft...

Utter, patronising nonsense. I once wrote that the incidences of what I'll simply call 'aggressive' riding were increasing where I live. That was maybe 8 years ago, and I haven't been drawn on the subject since. I have never said bikers should not be on the road. I have made exactly the same observations about car drivers many more times in the past.

[priley]

I can relate having just done all of this recently. I'd never sat on a bike until my CBT on the 19th May, four lessons later I passed everything first time and had my 1200GS delivered the afternoon I passed 29/6.
I've a hell of a lot to learn and currently each journey lies somewhere between exhilarating and terrifying.
My car driving has changed markedly for the better.

[Rawwr]

I'm actually quite happy that at this precise moment in time I'm probably more capable of controlled oversteer than Chris Harris.

[Chris Harris]

garypotter said:

Firstly, well done for the cbt, riding bikes is great fun, it can be cheap and certainly for smiles per mile than any car.

Secondly - I take it you did NOT pay for this course as you mention BMW so many BMW times, i hope BMW paid for you BMW and for all the BMW free BMW advertising.

The CBT is a great course now and has improved so much over the recent years and I believe has helped reduce the casulaties of bike incidents but also imprioved riding standards for new riders.

BMW are NOT the only ones to offer theses courses and their are many alternatioves so if anyone out there is looking into riding do some homework first, try and speak to people who have used the company for the training before.

As previously mentioned approx 80% of bikers also own a car (as do I) and only use the bike for a fun ride. There will always be the crazy small numbers of bikers who ride like they are possessed and have large testiculars which give all riders a bad name - like you on the A3 yesterday, a tshirt will not help.

I also found that when I went from my Suzi RG125 to a yam FZR 600 genesis the bigger bike due to power/weight/size was so much easier to ride, not changing gear every 5 seconds, being able to brake with alot more confidence etc.

And one more time BMW blah blah blah...........

The article was 1142 words long, according to Bill Gates.

The acronym BMW was used 4 times, once to describe the vehicle I was riding. Not in the title, or the standfirst. Is that excessive?

At what point was it suggested that BMW are the only people to offer these courses?