"Casual" Rider - yes or no?

[sapaul]

Seems like this is a world wide trend, my take on all of this is that people must be getting dumber. They have this image in their heads that this is how they look when they ride like that and that obviously fills some void they have in their lives.

I cannot think of any other reason why an otherwise sane and reasonably intelligent person would so blatantly disregard their own safety.

As for the guys that do this with their kids, hey just give me 5 minutes with them in a closed room that you can't hear the screams.

Otherwise I give up, I have ceased to frustrate myself over people that get all emotional and "poo poo" and accuse you of preaching or impinging on their rights. Now I only talk to those willing to listen and have some common sense. It seems though that common sense is not so common anymore

[storysunfolding]

Otherwise I give up, I have ceased to frustrate myself over people that get all emotional and "poo poo" and accuse you of preaching or impinging on their rights. Now I only talk to those willing to listen and have some common sense. It seems though that common sense is not so common anymore

Amen.

Of course common sense only comes from common experience. I view this as an idiot's right to self identify.

[dr_bar]

or maybe a Darwin award is handed to you... .

I guess that would be a postumous award? :?

By the very nature of the award, it would have to be. You only get an honourable mention if you survive.

Too bad so many of the listed awards are hoaxes (

My favorite one was the guy with the J.A.T.O. unit strapped to his car, hoax. What a rip...

[flw]

You don't need to accept any "trends". But you also don't need to pass judgement on anyone else's riding choices.

We all make judgements about people we see everyday, we may not say it aloud but we do.

But a saftey twit, is a twit, no matter what wrapping you put around it. We have all seen them. Shorts and flip flops are clearly a twit outfit for a bike ride unless your only at a summer party and drove your car.

[shane-o]

I was at the beginning of a 5 hour ride last weekend on my 2010 Heritage Softail Classic and hit a stop light where I pulled up next to a guy and his wife (vs. a dude and his ol' lady) riding a HD Touring bike. I took a quick glance and noticed the guy wearing cargo shorts and flip flops and his passenger wife wearing similar attire.

What caught my attention was the dude wearing cargo shorts and flip flops. Yes, FLIP FLOPS - not tennis shoes, sandals, etc. They were like shower flip flops. His bike must have been over 800 lbs. My first thought was WTF???

I've been riding for many years so I'm kind of set in my ways. As an example, I ALWAYS wear jeans and boots over my ankles. I recognize that I'm an old dude so I'm wondering - am I just old and need to accept new trends OR was that dude a complete friggin' idiot?

I'll use your input as my guide.

Apart from all the obvious issues with not protecting your feet, geez it would be uncomfortable to kick up the gears with the skin of your big toe



.

[dr_bar]

Apart from all the obvious issues with not protecting your feet, geez it would be uncomfortable to kick up the gears with the skin of your big toe

Isn't that why they invented heel - toe shifters??? )

[shane-o]

Apart from all the obvious issues with not protecting your feet, geez it would be uncomfortable to kick up the gears with the skin of your big toe

Isn't that why they invented heel - toe shifters??? )

lol not on a real bike Dr


.

[dr_bar]

Apart from all the obvious issues with not protecting your feet, geez it would be uncomfortable to kick up the gears with the skin of your big toe

Isn't that why they invented heel - toe shifters??? )

lol not on a real bike Dr


.

You calling my bike a fake??? LOL

[antigrav1117]

I generally dress as protectively as the weather and my clothing budget allow (insert- can't afford the super mesh bike jackets) lol- but I have on rare occasion chanced "mini-rides" around the block (VERY rural) with the wife 'cuz she was dying for a lil ride.. LOL - and on some of those I have worn less than choice foot attire (I actually got out on the road before I realized I had on crocs!). Still - as has been mentioned, these are risks, and there are consequences.

[vito]

Why would you even care a s**t for what other riders wear or don't wear? I mostly wear my helmet, jacket, gloves, boots and occasionally overpants. But I live 1.5 miles from my office so sometimes I take the bike to work and wear NO protective gear (by the way, wearing a non-button down collared shirt can result in getting your face slapped non-stop by the wind slapping the collars against you). If folks see me riding without gear and they get upset, that's their problem. We each decide on how much risk to take when riding. I used to tell my students when I was an MSF instructor that some riders are smarter than me because they KNOW when they will crash and when they will be safe, since they are dressed sometimes NOT to crash. Each to their own.