In this video I’m talking about something I’ve been side-eyeing since I moved from Ireland to North Carolina: are riders around here actually “bad”? And just to keep it fair, I’m aiming this at my little corner of NC, because I haven’t spent enough time all over the state (or the rest of the US) to pretend I’m some kind of authority on everyone. What I can say is I’ve noticed a difference in rider behavior depending on where you are. Near me, the overall vibe feels a bit more chaotic—more questionable decisions, less consistency, and more of that “I’m the main character” energy on two wheels. But when I get out toward the mountainous parts of North Carolina, the average rider seems noticeably better, which honestly makes sense. Better roads, more riders who are actually there to ride, and more experience dealing with corners and elevation changes instead of just blasting around town. The takeaway isn’t “NC riders are terrible”—it’s that your local riding culture can vary massively, and where you ride shapes how you ride.