How do you guys deal with pressure?

Hmmmm.... let's see. For me the P.S. option would be a recommendation. Sorry not the PC thing to say but yea.... umm....you made a conscious decision to get on a bike and go riding. To hell with what everyone else thinks, UNLESS she is wearing your ring. Then the law of compromise comes in.
Personally I get all the, do you realize how dangerous that is... or ... are you trying to kill yourself, etc. yadda yadda.
In this sanitized BS state of time we live in where if you do anything less then smile I couldn't care less about others opinions. If you frown or have an opinion flipped from everyone else you are a candidate for prozac to them .
Puff you chest out and give them a very hearty and well meaning ( teenage derived) ...SO?!
Look, it's your life and unless they hold your wallet and/or cojones in your hands they have nothing to do with it other then a very "dangerous" stink eye. Just stick your tongue out at them and move on.

The problem is that it is the social norm to berate people for riding motorcycles. When some of my friends started riding back before my own riding days, I vividly remember saying something like "You got a death wish or something?" It's just the reflex reaction for most people as a result of all the negative press, and to be fair, common sense (it IS more dangerous) that dictates that motorcycling is a good way to die.

What's most irritating to me is not other's concern, but rather their ignorant and all-too-flippant suggestions that you are not far from death the moment you throw your leg over a bike. Every single one of my best friends in succession have gone through the process of education. They start telling me to "try not to die," "stay out of my ER," etc. and over time, and with enough open-minded discussion, they come to respect my choice. You can't help running into people who throw stereotypes your way, but you can change the opinions of the few you care about. Ok, maybe not all of them, and maybe not all the way, but all I really want from those I care about is respect for my decisions, and THAT you can usually get.

Here's really what it comes down to: riding motorcycles IS more dangerous, but not that much more dangerous that you're crazy to want to do it. Yes, there are all kinds of risks that don't exist in a car, but when Bob announces that he's going to bicycle his way to work everyday wearing a bike helmet and spandex does anybody throw a hissy fit? When your friends go up to the local mountain passes to go bombing down a frozen slope peppered with trees and rocks at highway speeds with nothing but a helmet, do you make snide comments about their life expectancy? NO! Ultimately, the people you care about need to understand that, like mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, in-ocean swimming, and plenty of other things nobody ever gets upset about, there is a fantastic reward afforded motorcyclists that, for now, compensates you for whatever added risk you take on as a result of enjoying your hobby/sport/mode-of-transport/lifestyle/whatever-the-F#$%-you-want-to-call-it.

And if you try to rationally discuss this with them and they don't want to hear it, time and time again, despite supposedly being close to you and caring about you, well then F$% 'em.

If you want to ride for image, or to get girls or any nonsense like that, they may be right.

If you want to ride because you have that calling to do so, just for the ride, then the risk has at least some value. If you chose to ride, do it well, do it responsibly, and be responsible for your own safety. This is a skill, and it takes work and dedication.

If you do that, the stress is not anything you have to deal with. People worry because they care. Be understanding and empathetic. No anger, no arguments . . if you must say anything, just say "I understand how you feel". (-; Thats it, done. All you see is friends and family that care about you. Nothing is wrong with that.

Ride like a rational grown up and in time that evil eye will fade to the back ground some. Mom will never stop worrying, it is her job. But if they see a responsible operator, they worry "less". And if the see you are responsible NOT as a "show" you put on just around them, but as something YOU do for YOURSELF and your own well being .. they will see that and find comfort in it. At some point people will accept your choice weather they agree with it or not.

+1 Eternal. Great post man!

Ben

never mind found their website for the uk