We appear to be living through a period of extremes. In recent years we’ve had the hottest summer since forever, the wettest rain since Noah and the coldest days (don’t have winters anymore, just cold days) since people started counting minus numbers. Now we have the worst financial crisis since money was invented! Every bit of miserable news is fed to us by a sensation seeking media trying to grab our attention with ever more dramatic headlines. Well, maybe I’m being cynical, but has anyone actually died of the bloody Bird Flu recently…?!
Okay, I’ve taken my happy pills and calmed down enough to finish this article. It’s probably the lack of biking that’s getting me down, bit like SAD syndrome but involving two wheels as well as a lack of sunshine. Several planned rides didn’t happen over Christmas and a glorious two thousand mile ride across north Africa over New Year was instead driven in a beat up old Renault Clio… But that’s another story!
To brighten the mood of this piece, we can look forward to a great year’s biking. Less foreign holidays means more people riding bikes in this country. We could see a growth in UK biking holidays. Dealers are offering some of the best deals I’ve ever seen for new machines; and used bikes, especially sports models, are incredibly cheap. Many businesses know that it’s you, the paying customer who keeps them afloat so use that power to reward high standards of service and customer care. And if you do visit any of the advertisers in this magazine, please tell them you saw their ad as they are investing their faith - and cash in making this publication possible!
I expect to see more commuters on bikes this year. The Credit Crunch, whether real or perceived will convince more people to switch from their cars to mopeds and 125s. Don’t laugh! Big bike riders often shake their Arai lids and poke a Dianese gloved finger at the learner biker - but don’t forget, we all started there once upon a time. If you’ve never ridden any kind of bike, even a 125 can be a snarling beastie!
The DSA is still making a mess of the new bike test, which is going to push more riders towards small bikes and increase the number of bikes ridden illegally. Their latest brainwave is to split the test into two separate parts. Go along one day and do the off road bit then, at some point in the future, go back again and have a go at the second part... Did I mention that they will increase the test fees yet again for this “improvement” in service to the biking community? The new test has been postponed until the end of April so I’ll cover the sorry mess in more detail in the next issue.
All these factors will change the appearance of bikers, but not the reasons why we do it - the fun and freedom of riding a bike, any bike.
So, am I going to give up my Rocket III and throw a leg over a CG125? Not yet, but I’ll be doing a lot more nodding to bikes with L plates!
Peter Karmios,
Editor
I want to go faster, I want to go faster..
