Getting hooked or not?

[maquette]

I don't think American kids ride their bicycles like we did. We rode alone, in packs, drag racing each other, or racing to the top of a hill on those clunky single speed bikes. Rode as far as we could get to return by lunch, or the street lights coming on. Put big baskets on the bikes to go pick up soda bottles to get money for candy or smokes. 

We had to start somewhere:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-102&hsimp=yhs-102&hspart=mozilla&p=Ballad+of+Curtis+Lowe#id=1&vid=ef49568c059c709343a90a32802982c9&action=click

[Testarossa]

I don't think American kids ride their bicycles like we did.

Amen. I was a midget bicycle centaur. Between riding to school and scouts and piano lessons and the beach and out to the airport to watch takeoffs and landings and the paper route, I think I averaged at least 12 miles a day, eight months a year from age eight to seventeen, on clunker coaster-brake Schwinns and cheap 10-speed "English racers." Probably 20,000 miles or more. I rode on pavement and unpaved back alleys and parks and on beach sand. Of course I fixed my own flats, gearshifts and brakes. When I got on a motorcycle, no one had to teach me to countersteer or balance the brakes or judge the traction on terrain ahead. The only thing left to learn was feathering clutch and throttle. New bikes were out of the question -- I had barely enough cash to pick up junkers to wrench into rideable shape, so there was never a danger I'd have too much power. Who comes up that way now?

I learned to drive stick in a VW bug just to trailer my sailing dinghy to the beach. Understanding the sail made me a more-or-less instinctive sailplane pilot, and that gave me several dozen "forced" precision landings before I ever flew behind a Lycoming.

The idea of starting any sport on the most complex and demanding equipment is just insane.

[twowheeladdict]

Even so...aren't there tons of low mileage Harleys which get traded in by experienced riders?  I see many low mileage Porsches on the market as well, lots of people think they want one, but once they get it, realize it's not the type of car they expected and move on quickly.

Fact:  low mileage Harleys, and Porsches get traded in.

Conjecture:  applying your reason for low mileage Harleys and Porsches to everyone else.

Many of the guys I know with low mileage Porsches are leasing them for a weekend toy. They might drive it to work every other Friday. 

Both the owners of the high end Harleys and Porsches are working a lot and travel for their jobs so they don't have a lot of time to ride.  My boss was in that category. He did go to sturgis, and to anniversary celebrations in Milwaukee but didn't ride much in between.

Then you have people who want to experience many things in life and just keep moving from one thing to another gaining experiences and a breadth of knowledge.   

[larrys]

I don't think American kids ride their bicycles like we did. We rode alone, in packs, drag racing each other, or racing to the top of a hill on those clunky single speed bikes. Rode as far as we could get to return by lunch, or the street lights coming on. Put big baskets on the bikes to go pick up soda bottles to get money for candy or smokes.  Later we built go carts or mini bikes out of discarded junk, or "modified" our bikes to emulate motorcycles.

So, later, motorcycles became a way for us to watch the scenery roll by (faster!) without having to pedal. The logical extention of a start in bicycling.  Today's kids seem to skateboard, or get Mom to take them places. Many parents will not let their kids out of their sight. The kids don't care what lies beyond their little digital world. When some of them later get the idea to ride a motorcycle, they have not learned the basic physics of riding two wheels.  Hence the overconfidence, accidents, and lost interest.

Wow! I didn't know that you grew up in my neighborhood... 
Larry

[PJPR01]

Fact:  low mileage Harleys, and Porsches get traded in.

Conjecture:  applying your reason for low mileage Harleys and Porsches to everyone else.

Many of the guys I know with low mileage Porsches are leasing them for a weekend toy. They might drive it to work every other Friday. 

Both the owners of the high end Harleys and Porsches are working a lot and travel for their jobs so they don't have a lot of time to ride.  My boss was in that category. He did go to sturgis, and to anniversary celebrations in Milwaukee but didn't ride much in between.

Then you have people who want to experience many things in life and just keep moving from one thing to another gaining experiences and a breadth of knowledge.

That's the point, the people you know who have them haven't traded them in and bought it for occasional use.  The folks who never got hooked on the purchase have traded it in and there are a LOT of them.

[twowheeladdict]

That's the point, the people you know who have them haven't traded them in and bought it for occasional use.  The folks who never got hooked on the purchase have traded it in and there are a LOT of them.

There are a lot of people trading in a lot of bikes all the time.  They do it for many reasons.  For me motorcycling is about experiences so I trade for something that provides a different experience.  Not sure what trading in has to do with getting hooked or not.  Those who don't get hook usually just sell instead of trading in. 

The people I know do trade bikes a lot.  They have the money for the latest greatest so they just trade for the new features.  Of course that is why Mustangs, Trucks, Porsche and many motorcycles get updated continuously. 

[Stevex]

That's true.  Someone just deleted a well-written post about how although he's been riding his whole life and it WAS his whole life at one time, he's lately "losing the desire" to ride, and his bikes are just sitting now.

I read it, and decided to go take a ride.   Rode about 100 miles, 90 degree heat mixed with 75-degree rain showers, riding the first roads I ever rode on a bike as a 16-year-old in 1970, past my old home place (my Mom's gone now, we sold it to the farmer next farm over) ... almost nothing has changed except a couple roads are paved that used to be gravel, and I was on a Triumph Trophy 1215 triple and not a 200cc Yamaha two-smoker.

I've changed, too in 50 years.   I don't fanatically ride everywhere regardless of hassle, weather, or looking like a drowned rat when I get there, although I used to.   I still enjoy the feel, the smells, the feeling of freedom; I hope that part never changes!

Lannis

I wrote that post. After a few minutes I decided that it didn't really belong in this thread, hence the deletion.
Epic that it should inspire someone to go for what sounded like a great ride though 

[Lannis]

I wrote that post. After a few minutes I decided that it didn't really belong in this thread, hence the deletion.
Epic that it should inspire someone to go for what sounded like a great ride though 

Well, it touched a chord that chimes in most of us, eventually, and I thought I'd better have a go on the bike and think about it!   

Out again today, had a great time taking a long way home dodging summer thunderstorms.   Made it into the shed JUST as the skies opened up!

Lannis

[twowheeladdict]

Well, it touched a chord that chimes in most of us, eventually, and I thought I'd better have a go on the bike and think about it!   

Out again today, had a great time taking a long way home dodging summer thunderstorms.   Made it into the shed JUST as the skies opened up!

Lannis

I've been riding from sunrise to 10 am on the days I get to ride.  Weather is nice, but I have had a deer or two try and race me. 

[Gliderjohn]

Another thing I should have mentioned was how much harder it is today for most to find a fairly convientent place for kids to dirt ride unless you have around you and can afford a club. Where I grew up it was rural so pastures and dirt roads were always available. We would even pasture ride a Honda 300 Dream with street tires, buffalo wallows and all. Got to watch those cow patties when turning however. 
GliderJohn

[Lannis]

I've been riding from sunrise to 10 am on the days I get to ride.  Weather is nice, but I have had a deer or two try and race me.

I've been using the cool hours until 10 to pick beans and blackberries and squash (while it's 74 to 80 or so), and taking off about 1:00 on the bike with a mesh jacket and with the guard up on the modular (while it's 92 to 96 or so).   Stay hydrated and it's really not bad.   Especially on the back roads with lots of shady patches, and the downflow as you pass a storm cloud.

Like I said before, though, 98 and up with the humidity like it is isn't fun at that point!

Lannis