Line #30 Main/RomanticRideSharing


1	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/Geronimo2014 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/w1280_7.png]]]]
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3	There are several ways to establish romance in a piece of work, such as including an AccidentalHandHold or a BridalCarry and so on.
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5	Similarly, another common way to establish romance is through having a character, usually male though not necessarily, ride a bike or a horse with a female character (the LoveInterest) holding the male character's waist for safety reasons (read: though it's really just an excuse to have her touch the guy; safety is the last concern here). This trope is a staple in Asian media.
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7	The trope can be played out in various ways:
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9	* The guy might pretend that there's something on the road that causes the bike to wobble so he can have the girl cling to him even tighter.
10	* The girl might be scared the whole ride because it's her first time doing this while the guy [[DrivesLikeCrazy drives insanely]] and laughs at her reactions.
11	* On the contrary, the girl might enjoy the new experience the ride brings and either put her hands up in the air or stand up on her backseat in joy.
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13	In any way, the guy is mostly a BadassBiker who is there to look cool in front of his LoveInterest. It may also happen with a KnightInShiningArmour.
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15	'''Remember''' it's not restricted to motorbikes only. Bicycles, horses, and all two-wheeled means of transportation qualify. It also can be ''gender inverted'' and include ''same-gender couples'' even if it's not quite that common. Also, examples that involve romantic flying go on FlightOfRomance, if it's not romantic nor a ride on the ground by any means then it's ''not'' this trope.
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17	If a female is doing the driving and the other person in the relationship is holding onto her instead, then she'll most likely be a BadassBiker and this will establish her as the cool, awesome girlfriend.
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19	SisterTrope to FlightOfRomance. If it's a tandem bike they're sharing, the person at the back might be a positive TandemParasite. See also MotorcycleOnTheCoastRoad if the romantic ride-sharing happens on the coast road. Unrelated to RidingIntoTheSunset unless the lovers' ride happens at the end of a work.
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21	----
22
23	!!Examples:
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25	[[foldercontrol]]
26	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
27	* ''Manga/TheDangersInMyHeart'':
28	** Chapter 16/Episode 4 has Ichikawa [[FateDrivesUsTogether meeting Yamada when she was walking out of candy story]], and ends up giving her a ride on his bike to a candy shop at her request (Which was a joke that he took seriously). At this point she's starting to develop an interest in Ichikawa, and it's among of the first times that they've had a proper conversation. Ichikawa lampshades the scenario and thinks about how Yamada's not sitting sideways.
29	** Way later, she has Ichikawa give her a ride out of school to the convenience store on [[ValentinesDayEpisode Valentine's Day]][[note]] Chapter 72, Episode 16[[/note]]. By now Yamada ''is'' in love with him, and intends on spending enough time with him during the day to try and get her [[ChocolateOfRomance feelings across through chocolate]]. She also tugs at his coat and leans into his back. And this time she ''is'' sitting sideways.
30	** Afterwards, Ichikawa defies this. Because he wants to get exercise by walking more (Still with Yamada), because two-person bike riding is against the law, and because this trope just flat out scares him.
31	* ''Anime/FullMetalPanicFumoffu'': Done twice between Sosuke and Kaname. The first time, they were riding a "borrowed" bicycle after retrieving Kaname's notes for a school assignment from Sousuke's apartment. It's a truly tender and touching scene... until a cop tries to bust them for riding double on a bike. Later, after a scare at an abandoned hospital where Sosuke thought Kaname had been hurt, he's carrying her on his bike and admits briefly that he'd been scared she'd been mortally wounded. Kaname was so happy about hearing this that she nearly caused him to crash, teasing him about it.
32	* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'': Henrietta has a PrecociousCrush on her handler Jose and is a fan of ''Film/RomanHoliday'', so she's delighted when Jose has to [[HeroStoleMyBike borrow Priscilla's Vespa]] so they can both chase after some terrorists. A more platonic version has Priscilla, who [[CutenessProximity dotes]] on the BadassAdorable cyborg girls, giving them lifts on her Vespa in an effort to make friends with them.
33	* Hilariously {{subverted\|Trope}} in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureJojolion''. Daiya attempts to {{invoke\|dTrope}} this trope, with her and Josuke sharing the same bike, and her asking him to sing Music/{{Queen}}'s "Bicycle Race" once she starts pedaling. Problem is, Josuke is {{oblivious\|ToLove}} of her advances on him, and because he's amnesiac, he has no clue what that song is.
34	* One of the earliest romantic moments in ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' comes when Kaguya is walking to school for the first time and is at risk of running late due to having gotten distracted escorting a young girl. Shirogane (who is also at risk of running late) then comes up behind her pedaling like a madman, and then (without even thinking of the romantic implications) demands that she gets on the back of his bike since a student council member being tardy would reflect poorly on the school. Kaguya returns to being driven to school the next day but is shown looking back on the memory quite fondly.
35	* A brief but tender scene in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'' sees [[LadyAndKnight Miorine and Suletta]] sharing a scooter under a bright starry sky. Miorine even lets slip a [[WhenSheSmiles rare little smile]] as she leans her head against Suletta's back and [[{{Tsundere}} affectionately calls her an idiot]].
36	* Played with in ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun''.
37	** Sakura, an assistant to shoujo manga author Nozaki, suggests the classic romance trope of having the male and female leads of his manga bike home together, with the female lead behind the male one. Nozaki bluntly replies that such a scenario is now against traffic rules.
38	** The next day, Nozaki invites Sakura to go home together. Sakura, who is in love with him, agrees; upon seeing Nozaki walk to where the students' bikes are kept, she dreams up romantic biking scenarios such as wrapping her hands around his waist. However, Nozaki unveils a tandem bike because of the aforementioned rule. [[SubvertedTrope What follows is a decidedly unromantic bike ride between the two of them]]; when asked if it felt romantic, Sakura responds that at best, it develops mutual trust. Nozaki even asks her to wrap her arms around his waist, but the seats are too far apart.
39	** Nozaki then attempts to [[InvokedTrope write the situation into his shoujo manga]], where the romantic lead Suzuki unveils his own tandem bike. Sakura says it's not appealing. Nozaki then gives him a ''four-person bike'', has girls fight over who gets to sit behind him, and all four seats get stolen. Eventually, it gets pared down to the leads walking home together instead of sharing Suzuki's bike.
40	** Upon seeing her classmates comment that the manga's final bike scene was very swoon-worthy, Sakura apparently changes her mind about the tandem bike and invites Nozaki on a ride with her, though the resultant ride is still unromantic.
41	* ''Anime/SingABitOfHarmony'':
42	** Aya recalls a memory of her object of affection Gocchan driving a bike with her in the backseat holding onto his waist while her face is blushing.
43	** At the end of the movie, when Shion's friends all go to save her, Aya is on the backseat of Gocchan's bike and lampshading this trope.
44	* ''Manga/SnowWhiteWithTheRedHair'': Shirayuki doesn't know how to ride a horse and thus has to ride with someone else or take a carriage for long distances. Her boyfriend deeply wants to ride with her, but his attendants point out that due to his station, he can't and she rides with one of them instead. While he does eventually get to ride with her for a short distance by the time he'd be able to ride with her again she's learned to ride on her own, which disappoints him while he tries to congratulate her.
45	* ''Manga/TeasingMasterTakagiSan'': Takagi convinces Nishikata to practice riding double on her bike with her to invoke this trope, as she has something of a crush on him, and it's not exactly hidden, though she's also aware that Nishikata is oblivious.
46	* In ''Anime/TerrorInResonance'', [[https://youtu.be/tEKsAFlty3M Twelve comes on his bike to take Lisa away from the cops, and she gets to enjoy the air]] as it hits her face during the whole ride.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Art]]
50	* The American illustrator Creator/TomLovell has a painting of a couple riding a white horse at the beach with the woman tightly hugging the man from the back while looking at the spectators.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
54	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Entergalactic}}'': Jabari takes Meadow home on the back of his bike. Though his friends make fun of him for not at least booking an Uber, the [[DisneyAcidSequence trippy sequence showing them connecting in space]] that occurs on the ride shows that it was a really romantic moment.
55	* In ''Anime/TheGirlWhoLeaptThroughTime'', Makoto is seen without her signature bike, so Mamiya tells her to hop on his bike instead. He takes the opportunity to ask her out during their ride.
56	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGONinjagoMovie'', when [[spoiler:Garmadon imagines the life he could've shared with his wife Koko had he given up his evil ways]], Koko is shown embracing Garmadon as they ride off on a motorbike into the sunset.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
60	* The end sequence of ''Film/{{Amelie}}'', when Nino and Amelie are shown riding down the streets of Montmartre on a motorcycle, teasing one another playfully and generally being so deeply in love that they are completely oblivious to the world around them. Watch the scene [[https://youtu.be/jJc36AjHxoQ?t=34 here]].
61	* Downplayed in ''Film/ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid'', which only goes as far as [[ThreesomeSubtext implying mutual attraction between Butch Cassidy and Etta Place, the girlfriend of his best friend the Sundance Kid]]. Said mutual attraction is exemplified in a scene where Butch takes Etta on a bicycle ride -- he steers while she sits on the handlebars -- set to the lighthearted song "[[Music/BurtBacharach Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head]]", and the two are very physically affectionate throughout.
62	* ''Film/TheDistanceBetweenUsAndTheSky'': This short film centers on two young gay men, a man on foot and a biker, who meet at a gas station and immediately start flirting. The coda shows the two young men riding away on the motorcycle, the first young man not riding behind the biker with hands around his waist as is usually done, but nestled up against him in an embrace.
63	* At the end of ''Literature/{{It}}'', Bill takes his wife Audra - who is [[HeroicBSOD catatonic]] from the horrific events - for a ride on his old bicycle, riding fast and recklessly as he did in his childhood. It snaps Audra out of her catatonia and they kiss, finally able to get on with their lives.
64	* There are several scenes in ''Film/TheWraith'' where Keri rides on the back of Jake's motorbike [[spoiler: that are intended to suggest Keri being close to the ghost of her dead boyfriend]]. There's also a moment early in the film where Jake offers Keri a ride on his bike, but her overly possessive, evil "boyfriend" Packard gets in the way. [[spoiler: At the end of the movie, after Packard is killed and Jake reveals his true identity to Keri, the two take off together into the Arizona desert.]]
65	* In the ''Film/TheKissingBooth'' movie, Elle rides on the back of Noah's bike. This is the beginning of their forbidden romance, as her best friend Lee absolutely hates the idea of her dating his older brother. Later, it shows a montage of Elle sneaking into his room, riding on the back of his bike again, and screaming in delight.
66	* ''Film/LittleBirds'': Over the opening credits, Allison rides her bike while Lily holds onto her at the back. [[DownplayedTrope Though their relationship is not explicitly romantic]], it reflects the intense co-dependency of their PseudoRomanticFriendship (and that Allison is the more traditionally "masculine", responsible friend, while Lily is flighty, irresponsible, and more feminine).
67	* ''Film/MySummerOfLove'': Once the moped of Mona (Creator/NataliePress) is fitted with a working engine, she goes on a ride with Tamsin (Creator/EmilyBlunt) just as their friendly relation veers lesbian.
68	* In the first ''Film/PaulBlartMallCop'' film, after the second time they meet, Paul gives Amy a ride on his segway through the mall to her car, all including slow motion and set to the tune of ''I Can't Hold Back'' by Music/Survivor.
69	* ''Film/TheQuietMan'': While on a chaperoned courting date (as is custom in the old Irish village where the film takes place), Shaun and Mary Kate decide to ditch the chaperone by grabbing a bicycle built for two and riding off.
70	* ''Film/RomanHoliday'': Joe takes Princess Ann to see the sights of UsefulNotes/{{Rome}} on his Vespa. Ann later tries to drive it herself and Joe chases after her to try and steer it properly, causing a disturbance that gets them arrested. They get out of it, and the experience is one that solidifies their odd mutual attraction.
71	* ''Film/TopGunMaverick'': Maverick drives Penny home on his motorcycle multiple times. She eventually invites him into the house, rekindling a decades-long, on-again-off-again love affair. [[EarnYourHappyEnding This time it sticks.]]
72	* ''Film/TronLegacy'': Sam and Quorra have some subtle ShipTease. At the end, he gives her a ride on his bike, with her hugging him from behind, and she admires the view of their surroundings before burying her face in his back.
73	* ''Film/TheWayHeLooks'': Early in the film, Leonardo (who is blind) comments to Gabriel (who gives him bike rides) that it would be impossible for him to ride a bicycle. The film ends with Leo and Gabriel confessing their relationship to their friends and riding a single bicycle down a road, with Leo cycling and Gabriel standing on the back wheel and helping him steer.
74	[[/folder]]
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76	[[folder:Literature]]
77	* ''Literature/{{Hyouka}}'' provides an interesting example. When Chitanda offers Oreki a ride home on her bike he begins to [[ImagineSpot imagine two scenarios]], one of Chitanda being the one to drive the bike while he's the one holding her waist with a colorful background behind them along with butterflies, and the other is him driving the bike while she's the one holding onto him with angels and birds in the background. He refuses the offer anyway.
78	* The {{novelization}} of ''Film/WarGames'' by David Bischoff had Jennifer giving David a lift on the back of her motorbike. Given that they're not involved at that stage, he holds on to her a bit tentatively until [[ShipTease she tells him to hold on tighter]], as she doesn't want to end up scraping him off the road.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
82	* ''Series/TheCrown2016''. In "Beryl", Princess Margaret realises Antony Armstrong-Jones is trying to seduce her and cuts things short. Undeterred, Antony gives her a ride back to Buckingham Palace on his motorbike, evading the Rolls Royce with her driver and bodyguard. He makes a point of telling her to keep her crash helmet, implying that more rides will follow.
83	* ''Series/HappyDays'': Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli is a promiscuous biker. As such, he's often seen riding on a motorcycle with a woman hugging him from behind.
84	* ''Series/ItaewonClass'': Yiseo asks Geunsoo to take her on a ride on his bike and he refuses but she tells him she wants to go with him or she'll be pissed at him so he agrees in the end and tells her to hold tight as he drives off.
85	* ''Series/{{NCIS}}:'' In "Jet Lag," Tony and Ziva are assigned a case that brings them to Paris. They spend a night there before needing to pick up their witness, and the episode begins as Tony playfully pulls up to the cafe Ziva is sitting in on a Vespa, having been sightseeing. She hops on the back, ostensibly so he can drive them to the airport. This moment gets a CallBack in season 13's "Family First," when Tony finds a framed picture of it in [[spoiler: Tali's bag. She points out Ziva, and then him, successfully pulling off a LukeYouAreMyFather despite being under two.]]
86	* ''Series/SesameStreet'': At the end of the "One Way" song, the biker rides a motorcycle with his girlfriend in the back seat, hugging him.
87	* ''Series/{{Skam}}'': In "Keen for a Swim", Isak and Even ditch the girls they were pregaming with and share a nighttime bicycle ride, with Even cycling and Isak behind him. They ride the bike to a [[TwoPersonPoolParty pool together where they eventually kiss]].
88	* When Jugyeong from ''Series/TrueBeauty2020'' forgets her bag at the Karaoke, and thus has no money to go back home, she asks Seojun to lend her money. He initially refuses but then he gives her an extra helmet and tells her to ride his motorbike instead. They share a bike all the way home and this is the first gesture that shows that Seojun cares for Jugyeong.
89	-->'''Seojun:''' Hey. ''(Touches the extra helmet)'' Hop on before I change my mind.\
90	'''Jugyeong:''' Really? Thank you.
91	* ''Series/TheWhiteLotus'': Invoked. Tanya wants to feel like Creator/MonicaVitti, so she rents a vespa for her and her husband to drive through the streets of Sicily. The resulting ride is very uncomfortable for Greg.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Music]]
95	* Music/KatyPerry's "Harleys in Hawaii" song revolves around this trope since a Harley is a famous American Motorcycle brand.
96	-->''You and I, I\
97	Riding Harleys in Hawaii-ai-ai\
98	I'm on the back I'm holding tight-ai-ai\
99	Want you to take me for a ride-ai, ride''
100	* The romance between bikers James and Red Molly in Music/RichardThompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", having developed thanks to their shared enthusiasm for a certain bike, naturally evolves this way.
101	-->''Says James to Red Molly "My hat's off to you\
102	It's a Vincent Black Lightning, 1952\
103	And I've seen you at the corners and cafés it seems\
104	Red hair and black leather, my favourite colour scheme"\
105	And he pulled her on behind\
106	And down to Box Hill they did ride...''
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Video Games]]
110	* Invoked in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' when Jessie Raspberry hires Cloud to help her on a solo mission to the upper plate. Biggs and Wedge join them, and both pairs travel on motorcycles. Jessie takes every opportunity to play this trope up, hugging Cloud from behind more than once. It's implied that at least part of the reason she does so is that [[TheStoic Cloud]]'s responses amuse her.
111	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' ends with Snake riding a snowmobile into the [[RidingIntoTheSunset Alaskan sunrise]], with either Meryl or [[HoYay Otacon]] right behind him.
112	* In ''VideoGame/Persona4 Golden'', Yosuke ''attempts'' to invoke this trope by getting a motorcycle, and convincing the protagonist to do the same, so he can take girls out for rides (and feel their chests pressed against his back when they get scared). Unfortunately, he can only afford an electric scooter, which doesn't exactly give him the BadassBiker image he was looking for, and his attempt at picking up women only leads to a repeat of the catastrophic "Operation Babe Hunt" from ''VideoGame/Persona3'': the only girl who's remotely interested is [[{{Gonk}} Hanako]], who destroys the scooter when she tries to sit on it.
113	* ''VideoGame/StardewValley'': Sebastian's four-heart event reveals that he owns a motorcycle, and he offers to take the Farmer on a ride sometime. He makes good on that promise if you [[RomanceSidequest romance him]] and unlock his ten-heart event.
114	[[/folder]]
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116	[[folder:Web Video]]
117	* A gender inverted example in ''WebVideo/InSeoul2'' where Harim drives her bike to go to the supermarket with Chultto sitting in the back asking her why they're going to the supermarket and she answers him that she wants to spend time with him and to grab tight.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Western Animation]]
121	* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': In "[[Recap/KingOfTheHillS7E13QueasyRider Queasy Rider]]", Hank and Peggy get a motorcycle to try and fix their strained marriage. At first, Hank drives with Peggy holding on. When Peggy wants to switch, he makes excuses. Eventually, he reveals he doesn't want to ride in the back because "it just doesn't work that way with biker couples" and the back seat is called the "bitch seat", and they have a fight. By the end, they make up and ride home together with Peggy driving (because Hank's glasses broke). He starts out holding onto her shoulders, but as he grows more comfortable, moves his hands to her waist and holds her closer.
122	* ''WesternAnimation/MuzzyInGondoland'': Bob the gardener takes princess Sylvia out for a ride on his motorbike. Bob rides the motorbike up front, while Sylvia hugs him from the back. They sang a song about how much they love each other.
123	* ''WesternAnimation/KiddVideo'': The show's intro features the live-action Kidd and Carla doing this. This being a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon, however, the romance is largely implied.
124	[[/folder]]
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