Perhaps you are one of those who look at cyclists as a certain kind of breed and mentality that sets you apart as you may think of them as a plague that should be removed from the roads and neighborhoods. You are not alone and believe it or not your thinking can change drastically once you clear you're mind of the stigma attached to driving motorcycles.

My personal experience was just that as I was one who loathed bikers so much that I wanted to run them off the road when they did something really stupid. After all, I was a family man with a great job and status which made me feel above all these wanna be Marlin Brandos.

A co-worker asked me if I would be interested in buying his bike, and I responded with an indignant reply as I felt insulted by his thinking that I would ever consider owning a cycle. He explained to me some of the joys and that there are a lot of nice people who ride bikes.

Well, I thought about it for a while, and I remember how it felt going down a hill free wheeling with a bicycle when I was a kid. The feeling was great, and then it occurred to me that a small motorcycle is nothing more than a bigger bike with an engine, and I would be able to experience the feeling of never having to pedal a bike to get around and it started to sink in that maybe a motorcycle may not be a bad idea at all.

After much consideration, I decided to venture to a dealer and bought a Honda 305 Dream which was small enough, but big enough so as not to look like a sissy going down the road, and I was concerned about being able to handle a bike, so I made sure I didn't buy one that would control me instead of me being in control.

Since I had no clue as to how to operate the bike, I had it delivered, and then started to practice on rural streets to get the feel and coordination of the controls. Well, at first, I was ready to take it back and call it quits as I felt I would never master the coordinating of the clutch, brakes, and throttle etc.

I began feeling the thrill of the open air and the freedom that a bike offers, and I decided I would stick with it until I learned all I needed to ride safely on highways and busy streets.
I soon became quite accustomed to riding and with each ride I enjoyed the thrill more and more.

All I can say is if you don't at least try it one time in you're life, you can't imagine what it is your missing. There are idiots on the road who give bikers a bad reputation, but as long as you use common sense, and practice safe driving techniques, the pleasure of riding a cycle can only be compared to a thrill ride at a theme park. The difference is that you can get the thrill every time you have the time to ride.

No one can tell you whether you should ride or not, but to be sure, give it a thought as to how it would feel to have this power between you're legs that can propel you to highway speeds in a few short bursts of the throttle. I immediately went out and got a super bike, not the rocket bikes, but a regular cycle with power and great handling. I never regretted doing so, and it never ceases to amaze me each time spring rolls around and I crank up that engine and glide through the breeze like a bird. It's a feeling that only a cyclist can boast about.

Hope my little story sparks a little interest in going for it as I'm sure that you must be already interested or you wouldn't be reading these articles.

Learn more about this author, Richard Serra.
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