Saturday, September 3

I live opposite a biker bar





OK, OK, it's a pub. But it's a magnet for some of the area's proper British bikers... those that are not swayed by the vagaries of fashion; who wouldn't dream of swapping their camo gear, Storming the Castle t-shirts and hair dye for Pendletons, Vans and hair grease.

You don't even need a bike to be a proper British biker; a trike is better, and you don't need to bother with a silly motorcycle licence. And you can pull a caravan, or a trailer to rallies where you can sit around campfires sharing your vegan fare with other caravan-haulers. Ever heard a Robin Reliant engine through straight pipes? I have, outside my office window, numerous times a day.

I've never been a biker. And this is why. Although as my wife says as she looks at me pitifully, "at least they're riding."

18 comments:

arcadian said...

haha, go on guy... tescos do there own range of camos now...

Quaffmeister said...

Lead Wing trike with caravan!
Way to go.....................

Tibbs said...

Ya could get a few cover storys there Guy

Anonymous said...

looks depressing!

Paul Watkins said...

You've keeping this place all to yourself.

matt machine said...

funny.

shrew said...

What's wrong with it? I ain't like that, I ride alone, I don't like the bike shows really, and do my own thing - a renegade like wot Thin Lizzy said - but I don't see the problem everyone seems to have with it. As far as I'm concerned the whole vans/check shirt thing is just the same as the camo gear and reliant trike and checkerplate thing. I gave up trying to be part of something a long time ago because it leads to playground bullying, the same as it did at school. Why does there have to be any pretence? There's so much more to the book than bikes, but read Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance - it's a pretty literal take on the book, but the same thing figures. Your wife is right - don't tell her that thought :) That's not a dig at you at all Guy, you work hard and I like what you do a lot, I mean that.

longk said...

Live and let live

Guy@GK said...

One of the trike blokes had 'No club No colours' on the back of his jacket.

Wonder what the colours for the caravan club look like?

pete Pan said...

Each to his own, but to me, trikes just seem to defeat the object of bikes generally.
On a bike, you can blow past all the stationary vehicles, whereas trikes are stuck in the throng.
Each to his own.

Roger Chambers said...

Well yes, live and let live is fine, as long as it's not across the road ha ha. I was at the the bike shop where I hang out last Saturday and a bloke rode up with his girl on a blinged out Softail. The guy was indeed wearing camo pants and a cutoff over his leather jacket. The cutoff was plastered in sew on patches, one's that said things like DILIGAF, FUBAR etc.....his girl was similarly marked, except for the camo pants. The guy proceeded to look about the shop and was stoked to have found a dusty skull aircleaner....it was elongated with flames at the back, a ghastly fucking thing. He just had to have it, bummer it was for a Dyna.....the guy was pissed, he couldn't find anything to add to his bike (the bling stock in this shop is diminishing thankfully). I think it's great there's people like this, me and my mate were provided with about an hour's worth of entertainment.

Anonymous said...

They look like they're off on a good holiday and that they're into what they do. Live and let live. What you need is a spare old runaround bike for when your Harleys down.

Spindlebilt said...

boxes are uncomfortable, labels stick, i don’t possess a competitive edge, I’m me and happy being so, my first venture with a new friend led me to believe I need a camo jacket and Dale Winton style leather jeans, I felt a twat, i looked a twat, my new friend called me a twat, lesson learnt, just be me!!

Anonymous said...

All these lot going on about patch clubs and the like - there's nowt wrong with folk wanting to be part of something like that if they want to be. They go away on a bike, on the road, meet friends, have fun, then go home - same as any other person on a bike, perhaps moreso, same as "the stockers" or "dirty bobbers types" - who seem to have something against certain others. There seems to be a bit of a divide at the moment, perhaps certain people thinking they're better than others, but there's a lot of circumstances that affect peoples choices, styles and desires. Live and let live, grow up and get on with it. Stop being snobby and just ride. I call myself a biker, I call anyone who rides a bike a biker - if you ride a bike, I'll look out for you, help you, whatever - if you ride only in the summer or all year round it doesn't matter. There is a saying that bikers are often strange but never strangers. That side is dying out, or maybe it only applies to select few. We may get and use bikes for different reasons but we're all in the same position on the road. Why does there have to be a divide? Do your own thing, but don't have a go at people and make snidey remarks for what we all enjoy.

Anonymous said...

...and breath

Guy@GK said...

Lots of 'anonymous' comments here. What are you all so afraid of?

I dislike so much of the British bike/r 'scene'. Always have, always will. If that's being elitist, fuck it.

As far as I'm concerned, the more people spending thousands on Goldwing trikes and matching caravans the better... means fewer people are after the worthwhile bikes and parts I want.

Guy Bruxelles said...

I made the anonymous comment regarding having a spare old runaround for when your favourite bike's off the road. Never commented before. didn't realise it was so easy to put a name to a comment. I agree with the other anonymous though that there should be a common bond between all bikers, never mind what make you ride, fuck it we're all in the same boat when it rains!

Blue said...

Don't get me started on rally tankards.





Or, as they are properly known, 'fucking rally tankards'.