Is biking too dangerous?

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

But we are talking about how dangerous motorbikes are in comparison to anything else you may choose to do in life. Both of these accidents can happen on a bicycle just the same.

Motorbiking isn't any more dangerous than many other pastimes, unless you make it dangerous. The point I am trying to make (and of course you don't have to agree with it) is that motorbikes don't deserve the dangerous image that they have, their image is disproportionate to the reality, it's certain riders that deserve the dangerous image.

When someone says, isn't that a bit dangerous? I assume they mean compared with not doing it. Everything has associated risk that you cannot control.

Motorcycling is probably, in 99% of cases, the most dangerous pastime that motorcyclists participate in. I agree that it has this kamikaze death-wish image that it does not warrant, and that a lot of other activities such as horse-riding have just as much life-threatening risk attached (if not more), but do not evoke such a reaction due to their apparently much more sedate nature.

It doesn't mean motorcycling is not dangerous if other activities are equally dangerous, though. We can reduce the danger (compared with the hooligan brainless morons that give us a bad name), take fewer risks, make it a lot safer, but doing these same things in a car instead would in general make us safer still. Fact, imo.

Originally Posted by sinbad

When someone says, isn't that a bit dangerous? I assume they mean compared with not doing it

I'm quite sure they do mean it that way, but that person may have an equally dangerous hobby, but they think biking is MORE dangerous than their hobby, otherwise they probably wouldn't be saying "isn't that a bit dangerous?" in the first place. This is a perception about biking that is driven by statistics and public opinion, a perception about something that they have no experience or knowledge of. One of my wife's friends is a paraglider and thinks that biking is too dangerous.

Originally Posted by thulfi

Unfounded conspiracies??...more like Strong Evidence

It was a bit of sarcasm, but i do think its blown out of proportion

Motorcycles are dangerous, but so can walking across a road be. We all take risks and chances in life, if you feel its too dangerous for you then don't do it.

Its all about perceved risk and actual risk. For example, people think climbing is really risky but it is actually quite safe. The kit is up to high spec and the chances that it or the rope will snap (what mst people are freaked out with) is next to nuffin. Th risk is the person. Do they know what they are doing? Do they push too hard? Do they not do what they are meant to do?

Biking is the same. If your a a$$ on a bike you increase the risk. But you are the only one that can decide if the risk is too much, its not about what other people think....most the time they are wrong

Thulfi you make some interesting points. But I get the impression that you're afraid of something and are having to justify your bike to yourself. Probably cos your folks don't approve. I can't really add to the points on here but you really must tell them to mind their own business - not in quite such a blunt way of course, but it's your life, you do what you like. So drink, smoke, get tattooed, do what you like, it's your life and nobody else's. It makes things much easier if you only have your own life to live rather than having to live everyone else's too and to justify everything you do.

Originally Posted by Ed

Thulfi you make some interesting points. But I get the impression that you're afraid of something and are having to justify your bike to yourself. Probably cos your folks don't approve. I can't really add to the points on here but you really must tell them to mind their own business - not in quite such a blunt way of course, but it's your life, you do what you like. So drink, smoke, get tattooed, do what you like, it's your life and nobody else's. It makes things much easier if you only have your own life to live rather than having to live everyone else's too and to justify everything you do.

I don't quite get what you mean about having to justify the bike for myself?

Besides, my parents dont know about my bike yet - aint been riding long, but will probably tell 'em soon. I think we are ALL entitled to our own vice's etc, but when they start to effect others (even emotionally) then we have to sometimes reconsider if the pro's outweigh the cons - with the cons not just being about the cons to oneself.
When I was learning to ride, I'd hide my bike boots under my bed. When my mum found my boots under my bed one day, it made her cry a bit - thats what the thought of me being on a bike did to her. So I decided ignorance for them may be bliss for the meantime, til I find a way to break the news to them.

My parents think biking = death. We all know thats not the case, and so I feel if I can't convince them otherwise, then perhaps them not knowing, (at least now in the early days when im still living at home during the uni holidays) may be for the best.

When I tell em im getting married, I'll also tell em bout the bike, lol!

Originally Posted by thulfi

I don't quite get what you mean about having to justify the bike for myself?

As a medic you'll know much more than I do about this. I suspect your ma and pa have been telling you for years that bikes = death and 'don't you ever get a bloody motorbike', 'we love you too much' and all that sort of emotional blackmail. So I guessed - and it's purely a guess - that you were battling yourself a bit cos you could hear your ma and pa saying how dangerous it all is and you don't want to let them down.

As stated, just a guess. But I've been there... my folks were exactly the same. My dad is dead now, and he died many years before I got interested again in bikes. I told my mum but a serious off soon after didn't help

But I disagree with you when you say that we have to consider the emotional impact of what we do on others. No we don't, we are individuals with our own lives to lead. I mentioned smoking - I hate it - but the point is that it's entirely up to you what you do with your life. People should stop imposing their views on others and recognise that everyone is different. And when it comes to hangups then sensible mature adults can make their own decisions without having other peoples' one-sided and ignorant views imposed on them to make them feel guilty. I'm sure that you respect your parents hugely but this is something that matters to you and they, in turn, should respect you.

Ed

Driving a car is dangerous, but when you have an accident, no one ever asks if you are going to give up, they always say get back behind the wheel as soon as possible or you'll never drive again.

I highlight this for two reasons:
1. I've had worse injuries from my car accident (which still play me up 20 years later), than I did from my bike accident.
2. I had a close one in the car tonight on a dual carriageway, where I was doing about 70 and a young lad pulled out on me from a layby, from a standstill.

So, no, I don't think biking is anymore dangerous from anything else we do on the road.

[G]

Originally Posted by Ed

I suspect your ma and pa have been telling you for years that bikes = death and 'don't you ever get a bloody motorbike', 'we love you too much' and all that sort of emotional blackmail.

I had that all my life, my dad had a bad accident on a bike.

So I didnt tell them cunningly rung my dad to check my mum was not in, he confirmed as such so I popped around on my shiny new bike.

He forgot to mention she had just nipped to the shop around the corner