Séamus Doyle, double bass player in RTÉ's Concert Orchestra
Rides: Honda VT125 Shadow
What do you use your bike for? I use it to get me to work, or almost any other journey where it's just me that needs to get there.
Why the Honda Shadow? This is a bike that has enough power for what I need. It's economical yet it feels like a bigger machine in terms of its comfort, control and stability on the road. I think it looks good too.
Why were you drawn to two wheels? Over 20 years ago a bike was all I could afford. Now we have a family car, but I still favour the motorbike for city use for obvious reasons because of the traffic and ease of parking. Getting around Dublin is easy and most of all predictable on a bike. In the orchestra we need to all be there on time and a motorbike is the best way of ensuring this.
How far is your commute to work? My trip is 10 miles across the city and takes 30 minutes or so. In a car I could not be guaranteed to make it in an hour and a half.
Have you taken rider training? Yes, I had some lessons with the Irish School of Motoring. When someone looks you in the eye and tells you a sure way to lose or save your life, and he is talking from his own experience, you listen and it stays with you forever. I think lessons are a very good idea.
Does your wife mind you riding a bike? No, she has always known me as a biker. Her Dad used to ride a Honda 50 and she loved travelling on the back so she is very comfortable with the idea. Every now and then, all the same, there's a loving word of concern.
Do you worry about your survival as a biker? Of course. I think it's very important to worry about it. In my 20 years biking the only crash I ever had was when I was in the car. I worry about road safety, as I hope most people do, whichever way I travel. I think this is what helps keep me safe so far. Many bikers do crazy things and some have regular accidents. It's no surprise when you see the way they ride. I'm sure I can be guilty of the odd infringement of the rules of the road. I do try to look out for the unexpected and so far this has been a great help to me. I'm very wary of wet roads too, although I find my current bike handles very well in the rain.
Do you carry your double bass on the bike? I did once, about 20 years ago. I got so fed up waiting for a bus. I knew the bike was there and figured it wouldn't be a problem because I had heard stories of Aloys Fleischmann, the Cork musician and composer, doing it many years before that. I successfully made a journey from the National Concert Hall to Rathfarnham with the double bass strapped on my back. I suppose it was lucky a gust of wind didn't come at the wrong time! When I think back I dread to think what might have happened given any number of possibilities. I may have got there but I don't recommend it, and I don't think it was very legal. I am sure there are people still talking about the day they saw this mad guy with the bass on the bike.
What are your safety tips? Watch those wet roads and don't weave in moving traffic.
What would be your dream machine? I would like to find a bike that can cope with all the bumps and ramps on the roads, and allow a comfortable ring position that will not leave me with a sore back when I've got home.