Should we feel bad for wanting to ride with the sun on our bods? As you say we are adults and as such surely we should be able to make up our own minds if we feel it's dangerous?

Don't slide unless you mean too.

Be sure, ride safe and enjoy

From what I can gather, you like your music. Just been listening to 'Maggotbrain' by Funkadelic, what an awesome guitar solo. Endo, you come across that track before? Reminds me a little bit of 'Im so afraid' by Fleetwood Mac featuring Lindsay Buckingham on gittar.

Sideways through time

Be sure, ride safe and enjoy

Damn, Hoov, there's a blast from the past! I had some mates back at university who were huge on the Parliafunkadelicment collective (and the Grateful Dead). Still got [a selection of] the Dead albums, but nothing by Funkadelic. I remember 'em as enormous, sprawling Hendrixesque slabs of rock-edged soul. May have to purchase and trip down memory lane...

People've long said I look better with a lid on, preferably with a dark visor! I tend to agree on practical grounds: since I was lucky enough to cop a permanent dose of alopecia aged 21, I'm grateful for the warmth a helmet gives! But since we're talking fashion crimes here: spoddy long-haired yoof at the turn of the 80s, step-thru 50, army greatcoat, leather strides, para boots and Stadium Project 9*. Sadly, no pics of the 'ped survive but this were me: (* No wonder I looked hacked off!)

Luckily, I'm ever so much more stylish now. Really.

Returning briefly to the (non)protective clothing scenario - no, I don't think you should feel guilty, rebelman. Biking's a pleasure, whether you want to get from A to B thrashing or cruising (hell, it's even a pleasure in the winter, for rather different reasons...). Just dress appropriately for the occasion: on an easy rider kind of day, it's counterproductive and undermines concentration to be sweltering away in boil-in-the-bag leathers. All you end up wanting to do is ride fast to cool down. Better to consciously pick lighter clothing and give other vehicles a slightly wider berth...

>> ex silens nox noctis <<

Sixteen. Hmmm!, tight jeans with more patches than jean, white trainer type things (NWOBHM look) and an assortmrent of multi coloured waistcoats, usually a mustard yellow one or a Grenadier guard red one with usual anti-social badges, cut down over filthy leather jacket covered in studs n shit, hair that hadn't been cut for a a few years in no particular style other than out of my eyes.

Riding apparal on my fizz consisted of most of the above but with the addition of a scarf my nan knitted, an assortment of gloves and  a Centurion something or other, soon substituted for a nondescript black pisspot (because it was cooler). I'm not sure if I was a wannabee Hells Angel, hippy, rock n roller, pisshead or what. One things for sure my taste in music hasn't changed much, still play my vinyl as much as my CD's. Still thats not hard when you consider the amount of utter shit and rubbish mainstream new music out there at the moment. I listened to Radio 1 this morning (out of politeness for my colleague who was driving). What a crock of toss that is, the music on their playlist is just 'kin rubbish and insult to injury they keep playing the same stuff, formulaic nonsence (having said that most of the 'rock' stations are no better), (and it's not an age thing, it genuinely is unadulterated talentless rubbish, feck knows what their target audience is 12 and under but must have aural dysfunction I shouldn't wonder).

Damn It!  Going to have to listen to the new Wildhearts album, just to calm down.

Sideways through time

Have to agree, my musical taste hasn't changed significantly since I first started buying records with the proceeds from my Saturday job...Wish You Were Here, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Warrior On The Edge Of Time were, at one point, my entire collection. Still love 'em now. I do regret getting rid of vinyl, however, it's taken the best part of fifteen years to track down the majority of my obscure old albums on CD...

It's interesting how closely allied bikes and rock music are, though. It's pretty much true of ever rider I know/have known that they're into both. Or maybe that's an unscientific poll, as they're the kind of people I prefer to hang out with. 

Top rant, though. I'd have to concede that there has always been bad mainstream music: for example, we had years of soul/disco nonsense where everybody sounded exactly like Lionel Ritchie, even the women. I lived through Mull Of Kintyre being no 1 for about a year and a half, for goodness' sake. And that Bryan Adams song. But it was, perhaps, a less cynically marketed and less ruthlessly exploited market back then. Plus you had to have at least some miniscule talent, even to be a rubbish pop band, because the mixing technology wasn't that good..! It's rather depressing that nowadays you don't actually need to be able to sing, play an instrument or write your own material to be called a musician, as long as the public will vote for you on a reality TV lack-of-talent show.

>> ex silens nox noctis <<