As you drive along American roads, you’ll pass some riders or even bikers !  : 

 

 

 

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You may wonder what the difference between a rider and a biker is.

• A rider is a person who travels on the back of a bike.

• A biker is more specific and refers to a motorcyclist who belongs to a club or a gang.

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As a matter of fact, if you only drive at the weekends you can join a RC or Riding Club. 

Occasional bikers are also called farbs. 

However, if you consider riding a bike as a lifestyle, then, you’ll be more likely to join a MC or Motorcycle Club. 

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For many of us, bikers represent freedom and boundless lands.  

We also think of beautiful roaring Harleys . 

 

 

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Want to look like a biker ?  

• Grow your hair longer for a start or maybe you’ll prefer the bald style ! 

• Some decent shades will come real handy when on the open road ! 

• Get a black leather jacket , jeans and some decent boots !

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Well, you may indeed be riding all day long but if you want to be a real biker you have to respect the rules of the world of bikers.

What are these rules ? 

• If you want to become a biker in a MC, first you have to hang around with them, go on rides with the club and do things for the club. 

•  You will only become a «patch-holder» and officially part of the MC if you get the votes of the members of the club. 
• Live for today 
• Always help other bikers and never betray them
•  Don’t accept disrespect from anyone
• Be loyal and committed to your club
• Obey the decisions of the leaders
• Never talk to outsiders about the club business and keep to your club’s territory
• You should never wear your club «colors» in a cage ( the biker term for a car).

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Some motorcycles clubs such as the Hell’s Angels, the Mongols or the Bandidos have turned into real motorcycle gangs. They are also called «outlaw» motorcycle clubs.

They’ve become highly strutured criminal organizations and most of their crimes are related to drugs or arms trafficking.

The American Motorcycle Association asserts that 99 % of bikers are respectful that’s why the outlaw motorcycle clubs refer to themselves as «one-percenters» and they wear a patch on their jacket with «1%» marked on it.

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EASY RIDER 

BORN TO BE WILD !

This is an American film which was released in 1969.

It showed the freedom from responsibility that many young people wanted in the 1960s.

It stars Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.

It is about hippies riding their motorcycles from Los Angeles to New Orleans.

 

Questions I often asked myself about Route 66 …

• What does a ‘route’ mean in English language ?

It is a way taken in getting from a starting point to a destination or ‘a traveled way’, a highway.

• When was it built ?

It was built in 1926 and its birthplace was Springfield, Missouri.

• What route does it correspond to ?

The starting point was Chicago, Illinois,  and the final destination was Santa Monica, California (next to Los Angeles).

From 1926 to the 1960s, it was considered as the main road between Chicago and Los Angeles.

In Chicago, there are two brown Historic Route 66 markers one saying BEGIN, and the other stating END within 1 block of each other.

And this is what you will discover at the end of the road in Santa Monica

The «Mother Road» passed through eight states : Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

But it doesn’t appear on a road map of the US anymore because a new interstate freeways system was created in the 1980s.

So driving along Route 66 meant going through 3 different time-zones !

• How long was it ?

It was 2448 miles/ 3940 kilometers long.

• Why 66 ?

The name was chosen by Cyrius Avery, an Oklahoma businessman who wanted a round number that would be easily remembered.

Its popular name was the «Mother Road» but it is also known as «The Main Street Of America» !

Here is something I’ve learned as I was driving along American roads :

• Roads going East – West / West-East have even numbers like the famous Route 66.
• Roads going North-South / South – North have odd numbers like the famous 101.