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17

Bike Gangs

When you see a big group of people riding Harleys on the highway, nobody messes with them. They get plenty of attention and respect. If there were large groups of cyclists wearing colors, riding 2x2 and obeying traffic laws, would they get the same treatment? Since cyclists are already viewed as lawbreakers and outsiders by the cagers, how can cyclists adopt more of a biker status on the roadways (without all of the crazy 1% stuff)?
ericf
2014-09-27 07:44:11
Time. Motorcyclists first got their outlaw status (regardless of whether or not they were just people trying to get around) after WWII, and the general public looked at them with disdain. People just kept riding, the activity matured, and it gradually became normalized. Actually Honda almost single handedly changed everything with the introduction of a simple, practical little motorbike that anyone could ride. I think we are now at that point with practical, upright, commuter bicycles. Keep riding, friends and associates will associate the activity to a real human being, and everything will change. Now all those Harley riders are just fking doctors and lawyers with money they don't know what to do with. I'm apparently one of the crazy 1% of bicyclists as defined by Roger Geller, so I will look wistfully at the normalization of biking.
edmonds59
2014-09-27 08:27:12
Not all are doctors and Lawyers. Life would be a little different if you had a cool jacket like the one above. I don't think we are going to reach that status, unless a bunch of us start shooting at drivers that come too close and a regular basis. I don't think I am down with that.
gg
2014-09-27 14:04:46
Just to mention this: when it does become normalized (and I truly hope it does) a lot of us early adopters might resent the changes "they" bring.
vannever
2014-09-29 08:58:57
ericf, how would this be different than the group rides that have been going on for decades?
mayhew
2014-09-29 09:25:07
All I know is that "Pagan's" had better be some place and not the actual name of the gang.
alucas
2014-09-29 09:27:24
You should definitely confront them about this in a 2x2 formation.
mayhew
2014-09-29 09:39:17
@ Alan: Feel free to mention that to a member if you see one in your travels. lol There are plenty of them in our region, but not often seen in the city. Good luck to you if you tell them it should be a name of a place though. The name seems to fit them well. Pagan: a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions. adj: Ungodly. Anyway, my suggestion wasn't to be taken seriously. I don't think bicyclists would pull that off too well. I do think if there are more and more cyclists, the respect will come. I think it is better now than 15 years ago. Back then people would cut you off and tell you to get off the road. I don't have that happen anymore. Well sometimes cut off, but it is rare.
gg
2014-09-29 09:44:41
Flagrantly misusing apostrophes is how you know they're badasses. Or possibly badas'se's.
steven
2014-09-29 09:50:46
@ Lee, Guess they do make there way into the city of Pittsburgh these days. Of course we don't know it was the Pagans. Where is the video? No proof.
gg
2014-09-29 13:16:17
@ Steven. Pagans insist that the apostrophe in their top "rocker" patch is correct. They're not fixing it and no one outside the club is really sure what it means. It could mean that the club belongs to each individual Pagan, or maybe it (or they) belongs to the chief Pagan, their dark lord Surtr. That being said, it could be correct.
gg
2014-09-29 13:25:09
Apparently:
ericf
2014-10-11 13:23:31
^ LMFAO!
headloss
2014-10-11 14:00:38
"Ovarian Psycos" I'd like to see them get in a fight with the gang/band I made up today: Postmen Apostles (Post Menopausals) yuck, yuck, yuck.
headloss
2014-10-11 19:22:35
well played, very nice.
vannever
2014-10-11 20:52:05