Posted June 19, 201311 yr Well now. After years of riding I finally decided to go out for a spin this evening after work with a pillion. Common sense, sociologists and fancy equations would have told me one of the 2 boys would have been holding on for dear life but nope, that privilege went to my youngest daughter (11yrs). And here's the thing .... We only travelled a total of about 5 miles to some coast line, stopped, looked around for a bit before heading back as she's going out tonight with her mum. Stopped briefly to reward her with some chocolate for not falling off. And yet when we got off the bike in the driveway and I helped take off her helmet ... Well, we may as well have just stepped off the space shuttle having orbited the moon. Grinning ear to ear followed by hugs and "thanks daddy". Somehow I don't think I would have got the same reaction using our people carrier! Sorry for the pointless post but was just a great wee moment on the bike. Just makes me even more sorry for those cagers. A happy & grateful biker
June 19, 201311 yr Moderator my daughter won't go near, but my son loved it on the back and kept saying faster faster even though I was doing 80 on the back roads! great moment though
June 19, 201311 yr nice one, both my stepson and stepdaughter did the same thing to me when they came for a ride, well the step daughter did until i went a bit too quick for her
June 20, 201311 yr I can still remember going on the back of my dad's shooting star age 7. For the first time, the ride only last about 10 mins but the memory a lifetime and bikes in the blood ever since. well done that dad!
June 20, 201311 yr Few more years and she'll be doing CBT and stuff... Look after yer bike - It'll make a great gift later on!!
June 20, 201311 yr Never pointless, well done mate. My 3 kids love on the bikes, the auldest has his own now which opened up a whole new set of worry beads when he turned 16
June 20, 201311 yr Well done Mall! sounds like a fantastic feeling, so looks like you both have some more Father daughter time to come!
June 20, 201311 yr Author Cheers folks. All very encouraging ! About to leave for work. Came downstairs to find the same daughter eating breakfast (now like her dear Mum, wouldn't exactly be a ray of sunshine first thing in the morning . First words out of her mouth? "So, dad, when are you buying me all my bike gear?" I had a quick vision of happy (and totally broke) days ahead ..... Bring em on. Have a good and safe day folks
June 20, 201311 yr My oldest can't wait to go on the back of a bike its his mother that won't let him LOL
June 20, 201311 yr How was the actual ride? I know some pillions have trouble understanding the concept of leaning but would that have made much of a difference with an 11 year old? And props to you for introducing her to life on two wheels .
June 21, 201311 yr Author How was the actual ride? I know some pillions have trouble understanding the concept of leaning but would that have made much of a difference with an 11 year old? And props to you for introducing her to life on two wheels . Well, my daughter is a very average size & weight I would guess. Having NEVER had a pillion before I was probably a little over sensitive at first but even for such a short trip I could sense my confidence growing. I would guess that an extra awareness of braking distances and the extra load when low speed manoeuvring would be 2 key areas to keep in mind. Otherwise, it felt like a surprisingly 'intimate' way to travel knowing that you're sharing the journey in a fairly unique way. The odd wee 'thumbs up' coming into my peripheral vision made me smile
June 22, 201311 yr That's great mallory, my kids grew up coming on the back of my bike as soon as they could sit on the seat and put their feet on the foot pegs. How my lad does it I don't know, he just sits on the back and doesn't hold onto anything, it seems that he just moulds himself to the seat, I even have to keep his elbows in sight in the rear view mirror just to make sure he's still there. The worrying part though is that once he fell asleep while we were on the motorway, but the worst time was when he fainted on the back when we were coming back from a long ride from Poole in Dorset, luckily we just entered a 40mph area and I managed to put an arm lock around him to stop him falling off into the traffic behind us, if it had happened about a minute before while doing 60mph with cars right up our arse I dread to think what might have happened. As for my daughter, well that's another story. I didn't realise at the time when she kept asking me to take her to Cribbs Causeway in Brizzle, or Swindon, but she later told me it was that she wanted to go at fast speed on the motorway. Anyway that was years ago, they have both moved out and do you think I could get the missus on the back, no chance, which is a shame really because we could go anywhere. But if she doesn't want to I'm only grateful that she encouraged the kids to, which totally surprised me.
June 22, 201311 yr Author Mike, I'm breaking into a cold sweat just reading that! You mean wrapping them in bubble wrap on the bike isn't typical? Lol. My missus won't either but only cause she wants a bike herself I think hitting 60 on the bike with my daughter scares me more than her, hehe. Good to hear ur experiences ..... Keeps me motivated to keep the kids interested.
June 23, 201311 yr You mean wrapping them in bubble wrap on the bike isn't typical? Lol. That's the obvious thing to do Mall, but in all honesty who is the more scared when you take one of your most precious commodities out for the first time.
June 23, 201311 yr Author That's the obvious thing to do Mall, but in all honesty who is the more scared when you take one of your most precious commodities out for the first time. I hear that. She now wants taken to school in the morning. Weather permitting. Guess I just need to get up early and stick out a load of home made traffic diversion signs ... Just to keep things safe
July 8, 201311 yr this was my granddaughters first ride out a total of four miles got home and the first thing she said was "why are we home" lol so it was a case of say goodby to her mum again and we went out for the rest of the day she done nearly 200 miles that day and loved every minute of it cant get peace now for her asking to go out all the time now gotta love our kids
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