Is it irrissponsible for me to get a bike

Message

stryped · #1 Unread post by **stryped** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:48 am

Hi, I have been posting about fixing up an old bike. I worry about having a 2 year old and a 7 year old and having a bad wreck or something. I know it is stupid but I emailed a pastor guy that I sometimes bounce stuff off of and it so happens that someone almost got killed on one in his congregation last week. Then, I looked up a website about a local Christian motorcycle club and one if its members hit another car head on and dies. It said something about the draft of a semi and the high winds blew her into oncoming traffic.

Am I worrying for nothing?

Dichotomous · Wed May 30, 2007 7:06 am

you are not worrying for nothing, its dangerous. so is life, how many people were sick and dying in that congregation from non motorcycle reasons? how many were unhappy with their lives and it shows in their kids, how many drove with cell phones at their ears? how many eat fast food, how many smoke?

I'm not going to try to convince you its not dangerous or that its less dangerous than anything else, its a deadly sport, you mess up, you die, sure you COULD live through a motorcycle accident but its much less likely than a car accident. decide for yourself if you want to risk yourself and your family on that, and decide for yourself how much of a risk it is. If it scares you, back out, there's no shame in not riding a motorcycle.

enjoy your life, if motorcycling lets you enjoy it more fully, then be a motorcyclist, if it doesnt, dont.

flynrider · #3 Unread post by **flynrider** » Wed May 30, 2007 2:43 pm

Motorcycles are more dangerous than cars. That doesn't mean all of those who ride them have a death wish. There are many hobbies you can take up that could end badly. Skiing, hang gliding, skate boarding, mountain biking, etc...

It's pretty much up to you to decide whether the reward of the activity justifies the risk. The vibe I get from your post is that motorcycling has a high chance of killing you. In reality, the vast majority of us are will survive motorcycling.

I've been riding for 28 yrs, about 1/2 million miles all around the U.S and Canada. I've had a few accidents over the years, but nothing that didn't heal up in a week or two. I might get too old and feeble to ride a bike anymore, or I might get run over by a truck tomorrow. I thoroughly enjoy riding a motorcycle, so I have decided that the rewards are worth it for me. Additionally, I make an effort to ride in a safe manner, and not ride above my skill level. Most of the bike accidents I've witnessed were the result of the rider not doing something he should have been doing.

Weigh the risks versus the rewards and make your own choice. No one else can do it for you.

Riding a motorcycle :

Potentially hazardous? - Yes
A whole lot of fun? - Yes
Irresponsible? - Depends on who's asking.

ofblong · #4 Unread post by **ofblong** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:32 pm

hmm Lots of people with children ride motorcycles. Some do it for fun some do it whenever they get a chance some do it to save on gas while having fun. I have a 5 yr old 4 yr old (well he will be in 2 weeks) 2 year old and a 10 month old. I ride because I enjoy it and 55mpg is way better than 23mpg. Plus I give my 5 yr old rides on it. Its all what you make of it. I have only bee riding for just shy of 1 year so I have a long ways to go but I havent crashed yet. As said above you can die doing anything. For all you know there could be black mold growing in a wall somewhere at your work and/or home that will eventually kill you. You could die just walking down the street or going across the street at a cross walk where you have the right of way (seen a guy in a wheel chair die that way it was sad and I wanted to beat the living daylights out of the guy who turned left without looking).

Sev · #5 Unread post by **Sev** » Wed May 30, 2007 5:07 pm

Then again being religious implies that there is some sort of grand plan. And if there's a plan that means there's an end to the plan... meaning you're supposed to die sometime. So when the time comes it's going to happen. And it's going to happen if you're doing 200mph down the freeway, or if you're in the bathtub.

Do I think you should get a bike... well, I don't think any kid should have to grow up without a dad, and I think that you're a great dad to be thinking that. I don't like I could live without a bike though. Ultimately it's your life, and you have to decide what level of risk both you and your family are willing/capable of tolerating.