[Bike] Final lesson

Just had my final lesson before the test on Wednesday. Pretty much nailed it. I don't want to float my own boat, blow up my own balloon, blow my own trumpet or yank my own chain -- but I'm pretty confident that the tester is going to watch me ride for 4 minutes, pull me over, and award me an Advanced Riding Permit.

Partly due to the generous folks over at the Perth Street Bikes forum who have allowed me to get 10+ hours of riding experience (legally). But mostly due to my extreme levels of natural skill with vehicles of any type. (Oh and also due to the fact that we inflated my tyres and found they were at 24 PSI, instead of 33 .... That might have sharpened the bike up a little bit .... Whatever).

So, is it really worth spending $1000 on gear, spending 5 minutes gearing up while the bike warms up, literally dripping with sweat at the traffic lights even on a pleasant 25 degree day, and being vulnerable to all manner of horrific injuries? Yes. There are also many benefits to riding a bike, such as:

1 - Sex appeal. Just carry your helmet into a bar, and watch the ladies come flocking like seagulls after some discarded chips (does not apply to me, obviously. It will take a lot more than a helmet to make me attractive).

2 - Speed. Blasting down the straights, leaning into the corners .... Sheer fun. (does not apply to me, since my bike struggles to beat a Hyundai Getz off the line).

3 - No traffic jams. Split between the cars and make your way to the front of every red light. BAM! Time saved. In slow-moving rush-hour traffic? Split your way past all the suckers and save yourself some serious time! (does not apply to me, I'm not confident enough to split moving traffic, and don't have the power to pull away at the front of the lights anyway).

4 - Never have to give lifts to your friends. You have a valid reason not to have to be the DD at your next pub outing! (does not apply to me, since I basically have no friends anyway).

5 - Fuel. A 250 bike will probably do about 4 litres per 100 KMs. So you're literally going to spend half on petrol than, say, a Commodore driver. Filling up with Premium for a total of $21 is awesome. (does not apply to me, since my Barina was nearly as cheap, and I don't ride often enough to make any real savings).

6 - Meet new people. Biking as a hobby will let you meet loads of people with the same interests. All sorts of people ride a bike, young and old, rich and poor, and it's a great way to socialise! (does not apply to me, because I'm too shy to chat to everybody and who wants to talk to the guy in the corner with the CBF250?)

As you can see, there really is no good reason for you to not sell your car immediately and switch to a bike. I'll see you out there!

-Gray