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Message started by Routy on 07/04/10 at 07:58:23

Title: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Routy on 07/04/10 at 07:58:23

In short,......in "shorts" weather, I sometimes ride in shorts, T shirt, and sneakers.
I'm forced to wear a helment, otherwise I'd do short jaunts w/o that too.
Am I an idiot, or just an oldtimer,....keeping in mind that I have done many miles before any helment laws ever existed. And I remember my short trips uptown seldom if ever included a helment.
Wife and I had fun on 2 Mopeds 20+ years ago before the helmet law. When the law came in, it wasn't fun anymore, sold both of them.
I just wondered if I'm alone in this,.....riding now.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/04/10 at 08:06:06

I accidently rode off w/o my gloves one day. I thot, ehh wott the hekk,, but I just couldnt shake the feeling of vulnerability & couldnt enjoy the ride, so I went back home & got them. I get sick of the heat & the hassle of getting dressed to ride, but, if I want convenience, I have a car. If I want to ride, I just cant do it ( & have any sense of peace about me)w/o wearing the stuff that Ill be wanting if I should get on the road with my body. Certain times of the year I dont leave w/o a rain suit. Saw a guy yesterday, surely a 30,000 $ ish Harley custom job, no helmet, shorts, muscle shirt ( Ughhh, he should never wear that), slip on tennis shoes, caught in the rain & he had nothing, no bags, nothing, just his wet buttt & a pretty bike,

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Oldnewguy on 07/04/10 at 09:30:46

I'm glad you didn't screw up those last two descriptions. ;D

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by bill67 on 07/04/10 at 09:44:33

69667C677B7D6E6C646A7D0F0 wrote:

I ride just like you except I always wear a helmet.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/04/10 at 09:45:29

6F786978786A3C080 wrote:

I'm glad you didn't screw up those last two descriptions. ;D

No kiddin! That would have looked Prittee Bad..

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Serowbot on 07/04/10 at 09:55:18

In a 100'+ degrees,... a jacket just ain't gonna' happen for me...
I do wear longish sleeves and jeans,... more for sun protection than road safety...
FF helmet,... Yup...
Closed toe shoes at a minimum... ankle high boots for longer rides...
Gloves optional...

If I were a pretty young girl, I'd be more worried...
As it is,... I'm none of the three...

Keep in mind,..
road burn will only happen if you go down,...
sunburn,... will happen on any ride...
...and skin cancer is far worse than a road rash... ;)...
... a light loose covering is actually cooler than bare skin on a bike, 'cause you get better evaporative cooling......

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Routy on 07/04/10 at 10:12:28

I really did expect to be called an idiot,....even on my birthday ;)

But I am glad to find out I'm not alone on this.
A post to one of the threads last nite promted me to ask,.....kinda sounded like anyone that didn't wear full protective gear all the time wasn't normal. But I would NEVER knock anyone who does,.....or think I'm smarter if I don't. I been down once !

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Oldnewguy on 07/04/10 at 10:20:49

Happy Birthday!! :) :)

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/04/10 at 11:06:09

I wear chaps, I know, I know, flame away, its what I had $$$ for,,& theyve proven themselves in a crash. So, I wear those, I have a welders shirt, heavy khaki. It also proved itself & has wear marks to prove it. I wear a tee shirt under that & use a hose before driving off. I have a pump up sports mister I strap on the bike during summer & when I start getting dry, I wet the tee shirt again. Huge difference.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by jef.savage on 07/04/10 at 11:31:44

If I need to run to the post office (about 6 blocks) I'll ride in shorts otherwise I normally change into jeans. I've found in hot weather the jeans feel cooler than shorts because they insulate my legs from the hot air blowing off the engine and pipes. I have an armored mesh jacket that is just as cool as short sleeves once you're moving and I use that if I'm going to be on the highway. I usually wear gloves on the highway as well but not around town. I also often wear a half helmet around town and switch to a full face helmet on the highway.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Paladin. on 07/04/10 at 13:07:19

76796378646271737B7562100 wrote:

...Am I an idiot, or just an oldtimer,....keeping in mind that I have done many miles before any helment laws ever existed...
...When the law came in, it wasn't fun anymore, sold both of them.
I just wondered if I'm alone in this,.....riding now.

You are not an Idiot. You simply are willing to take the risk for the enjoy of riding naked.

As far as I know, there was not "motorcycle license" in 1964. There was not MSF, no license, no required helment -- we just simply rode. My dad rode a 3-wheel H-D Servicar, with a normal badged (#241) cloth hat.

I ride t-shirt, no gloves, a helmet because of the law. When I took the tour I stopped just into Arizona to remove the helmet. Rode 2,000 miles with "protection" of dark goggles and SPF-45 lotion:
http://paladin.savageriders.com/LA-OKC/1000_Smiles.jpg

Thing is, I have never needed a helmet. Life total of road rash is about one square inch. Yet, I MIGHT fall/crash. But it is such nice without the "protection." Would probably dead with or without a helmet anyhow.

And I would FAR prefer dead on the road than in a old folks nursing home waiting to die.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by james may on 07/04/10 at 14:31:09

I'm not so worried about thE highway as with a helmet and full gear some body hits you your probably dead anyways. In a car your probably dead. Try to not ride when the bars get out 12-3am. And wear protective gear in town cause it could help if someone decides to turn left into me going straight. I don't worry about my skill even though a large portion of motorcycle accidents happen in forming issues. I'm worried about the lack of visibility of a motorcycle(led kit and loud exhaust with a loud red jacket to help with that). And stupid drivers who don't follow traffic laws(big Hispanic population here, they don't all know or care about all the laws here). Also it's a good idea to wear a helmet on a bicycle because falling over at 5 mph and hitting your head is enough to cave your skull in. Of course you can slip on ice in your driveway and cave your skull in(dead) And I don't usually wear a helmet to get the mail in the winter.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by jabman on 07/04/10 at 14:49:19

i ride with full gear all the time if the distance i want to travel is too short and i cannot be bothered to get changed i take the pedal bike ;)

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by jarrod on 07/04/10 at 15:08:36

I am sure in 1964 there was probably about a third of the cars on the road as there is now. Also, no cell phones, texting and the myriad of other crap cagers do now of days to occupy themselves from watching the road. As for me, it could be 6000 degrees and I am still wearing my gear, regardless if it is the law or not. That little piece of leather or fiberglass may be what helps me live or not. Just my opinion.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Tiefighterpilot on 07/04/10 at 15:35:46

I agree.

For longer (more than 30 min), I wear full face modular helmet, textile armored jacket and pants. If too hot, I remove the liners.

For short ride in town, I wear full gear except I switch to pair of jeans (I know, they are not that much of protection).

I enjoy riding too much risk not being able to ride again.

787360607D767F717F7B7E7E7B737C120 wrote:

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Paladin. on 07/04/10 at 15:43:45

7E7566667B707977797D78787D757A140 wrote:

I am sure in 1964 there was probably about a third of the cars on the road as there is now....

http://jagerkin.110mb.com/Vehicle_Accidents_and_Deaths.htm

While there were less cars, there were more accidents. In the '60's we had just starting to driver's education. Drivers are a LOT better at avoiding accidents than in the '60's. Back in the '70's I expected at least a week that someone would try to kill me. It now takes a year between decent tries of killing me.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Tanker2Biker on 07/04/10 at 17:24:44

5D5248534F495A58505E493B0 wrote:

I really did expect to be called an idiot,....even on my birthday ;)

!

Two days after mine :) Happy B-day.

Don't think you are an idiot, just made a choice that some may not agree with.

Personally, I'm pretty much ATGATT.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by onelunger on 07/04/10 at 18:17:08

WOW! :o Ask this same question over on the gixxer.com board I frequent and you'll be called FAR worse things than an idiot!

Personally, I feel that riding w/o any gear of any sort (shorts, tank top, ect) is a reckless and irresponsible decision. "No man is an island unto himself". That mean there are friends, family, and loved ones that will pay the price for your decision should you take a nasty spill. Now, I'm not necessarily an ATGATT person, but I NEVER ride w/o what I consider the MINIMUM acceptable gear. That would be: a full face helmet (some 30-odd percent of helmets involved in wrecks suffered impacts in the facial region, be it primary or secondary), leather palmed(at least) riding gloves, a protective jacket (be it leather or textile w/ armored inserts), long pants, and shoes or boots that cover the ankles and can be laced tight to prevent them coming off.

That being said, I will be the first to call it as I see it: You're being an idiot. Notice I did not call you an idiot. I just said your making an idiotic decision. I hope and pray that it doesn't catch up to you some day.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by kimchris1 on 07/04/10 at 18:29:08

Happy Birthday, May you live to celebrate many many more.
Myself I am also a firm believer in ATGATT. I have been down and had not been for full gear would have had greater injuries.
With that said I would never call you an idiot. Yet like some may agree you make idiotic decisions.
Each to their own. Enjoy the ride as well as your life and birthday.. Kim :)

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by alcoa on 07/04/10 at 18:34:22

I dont ride unless I have on a full helmet, gloves,armored mesh jacket, armored denem pants both tourmaster and high boots. I hope I never have to test the jacket and pants in a spill. :)

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by earlytimz on 07/04/10 at 19:26:14

Shorts, t-shirt, ankle high boots & shades. Half helmet sometimes, FF helmet maybe if it's dark to fight the onslaught of bugs.
Jeans, FF & a thick Carhartt hoodies if it's chilly.

Live your own life, or don't... Whatever

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Horatio Hawkshaw on 07/04/10 at 20:00:24

If I had access to showers at work, sure, I'd wear the full leathers when I ride. But since I can't bathe when I get to the office and I don't want to smell like crotch-pot soup for ten hours, I wear jeans, short sleeved shirt, half helmet, fingerless gloves (to work, full fingered on the way home) and vest. And the boots. The only thing I don't compromise on are the boots.

I work in Atlanta and have about an hour and a half ride in everyday at 2pm. When the heat index is over one hundred and the relative humidity is well above 80%, I am more than willing to accept the risks of not wearing ATGATT. If I could wear shorts to work, I'd probably wear them for the ride in.

Someone mentioned that 'no man is an island'. My wife's only request is that the insurance is up to date. Otherwise, she lets me do what makes me happy. Or at least comfortable.

Motorcycling is supposed to be about freedom and the spirit of independence- it always bugs me when another rider tells me I'm a bad person because I don't wear all the gear, all the time. I've even had people go off on me for taking a picture of myself and the bike in less than ATGATT. ::)

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Routy on 07/04/10 at 20:44:13

First, thanks for birthday greetings,........it was a good day ! Wife and I even rode our side x side ATV in our 4th of July parade uptown. Lots of Harleys, (riders loaded w/ leather) in the parade too, but no Savage, but then I don't see a Savage-40 any other day either. I think a Savage is a well kept secret in these parts.
Well, at least some of the later replies are like I expected more of, but its probably good we all don't think alike on the subject. But I am glad I'm not alone. I always wonder where the line should be drawn on saftey,..... when you have to compromise comfort.
I still think a roll bar should have been mandatory in a convertible (no discomfort whatsoever) long before seat belts became mandatory, and I'm not sure they should have been ! :o

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by RidgeRunner13 on 07/04/10 at 22:05:23

I think a lot depends on how long ago you started riding & if you continued to ride. Older riders, I think, are less likely to be ATGATT simply because there wasn't much gear besides a helmet when we started.
If you don't like what I choose to wear, don't ride with me. 8-)

You won't hurt my feelings, I see people I won't ride with no matter what they are wearing. I care a lot more about how well you ride than your gear. ::)

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/05/10 at 04:28:29

The 1st total I did , I was 23, exactly zero riding gear, just walkin around clothes, but, I always did walk around in Red Wings, cuz I was a roughneck.
2nd good crash, short sleeves, jeanes, & some very light shoes, no helmet. Busted the bars with the spot where thigh meets torso & that bruise was sufficient for my Dr to be afraid I mite lose a leg, so I let him hospitalize me. Otherwise, I walked away, didnt even go to the dr for about 4 hours,
3rd total, I was fully dressed, dented the cab of the pickup behind the driver with my face. Thankfully, the helmet limited the damage to a split lip. My shirt has some little grooves burned in it, where I landed face down on the bike in a ditch with wheels spinning. The edge of the rim burned the shirt. Glad I was dressed.

All that said, had I been wearing a helmet on the first crash, I would have been dead. It cracked 3 vertebrae w/o the helmet being a fulcrum between head & shoulder( MRI after last crash revealed that, I never knew). Imagine if I had had one on. Woulda been about the same move as a hanging accomplishes, only harder.
So, ya pays yer money & ya takes yer chances. I like my chances a lot better with some protection.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Paladin. on 07/05/10 at 05:17:32

526964676552756E6E65723133000 wrote:

I think a lot depends on how long ago you started riding & if you continued to ride.....

Also depends on how often you have needed. My biggest fall was dirt riding. I was stopped to a fall and rolled over. Fall off the light t-shirt so into the gravel a inch a 3/4" long that nearly scratched blood. Rolled off the shoulder and snapped a collarbone. No pain on the fall, just didn't couldn't pick up the right arm. A few fallen on very slow spills have called no use on a helmet and life total of rash road has almost elbow with a square inch.

I'm 63 and have never needed "gear".

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by bill67 on 07/05/10 at 06:31:57

Women don't like men in leather shorts,Men in leather shorts don't like women ;)

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Routy on 07/05/10 at 07:21:37

3 times down wouldn't make me gear up, but I'm afraid would make me give it up. I'm not sure I could ever ride in comfort......or confidence after being down 3 times. After going down just once, (age 21) I still find myself slowing way down when meeting a car w/ a left signal on,......yep, thats how it happened.

36292F2835320333033B29256E5C0 wrote:

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/05/10 at 10:29:42

I am more confident now than I was, actually. I ride a lot smarter & am PAINfully aware of the difference in my body's ability to take a whoopin, tho I did help load & tie down the Guzzi after I stuffed it into the pickup a few years ago. I went to the hospital about 9 hours after the crash, with a headache. Shoulda stayed home, but thats a whol;e nother story. I am very aware of oncoming & anyone looking around like they might be about to turn. I know to not be trailing a line of traffic if someone is in the left turn lane & dont be in front, either, cuz theyll try to rush across & not have to wait. I flas High/Low as I approach anyone who gives me one tiny bit of reason to not trust them & I move back & forth across my lane, to give them something to see.
I still play in corners, but I check them to make sure theyre clear. I dont mind rolling thru a corner & scope it out, turn around & go back thru & play with it. I dont try to play road racer, just play a little & see how it6 feels. 20,000 on the savage & its only been down on wet grass & loose gravel at a stop sign. Ive never dropped it because I was bein an idiot.
Im more cautious, more aware & better trained. Not bulletproof or unable to screw up, I just think Im a lot safer now.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by bill67 on 07/05/10 at 10:39:50

If I ever go down I would never ride again,I don't like pain.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by jef.savage on 07/05/10 at 10:50:58

I have two favorite helmets that I wear most. The first is a Fulmer half helmet that I think looks cool and gives me a little more air. The other is an open face helmet fitted with a full face shield. At high speeds the half helmet starts to catch air and feels like it's trying to pull my head off. This begins around 50mph and is bad enough at 80mph that I seldom ride that fast in it. The other helmet is more aerodynamic and offers better protection and makes me feel safer at speed. I am much more likely to ride at 90mph with occasional bumps up over 100mph in the second helmet. Which helmet is safer?

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Serowbot on 07/05/10 at 13:45:33

if you never ride with no helmet at all,... then I guess, no helmet at all is the safest.... :-?...

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by jef.savage on 07/05/10 at 15:48:15

lol

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Paladin. on 07/05/10 at 17:07:45

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation

Wearing protection causes collisions. We are human, we cannot win.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Jimmer on 07/05/10 at 17:27:29

I ride with at least a vest, gloves, jeans, riding boots, and helmet. Usually a denim jacket if the weather isn't to hot. Any protection is better than none at all.
Cooler and cold months,riding jacket,cold weather pants, and the above mentioned items. Getting older I just got a set of riding mittens with the first finger and thumb separate from the rest of the glove base. They even have a pocket for one of those hand warmer packets, that you snap to activate.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by cursal on 07/05/10 at 23:35:15

ATGATT :)

FF helmet
Leather Gloves
Textile Jacket w/ Amor
Leather Boots
Jeans around town, but chaps come on for longer rides or if I have Freeways in m future.

To each there own, but I own the gear and feel I should have it on when riding...otherwise why did I buy it :-?

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by jabman on 07/05/10 at 23:44:53

10212C2124292E400 wrote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation

Wearing protection causes collisions. We are human, we cannot win.

what a load of crap

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Angie on 07/06/10 at 04:14:32

I agree that adults should make the informed decision to wear what they want regarding gear. We do not have a helmet law here, but I always wear one. A FF when Im by myself, a 3/4 one when I ride on the ol man's bike. (the FF sticks out in front of me more and it makes me lean back a bit so I dont bash him in the back of the head with my helmet. he never wears one) Aside from safety issues, I dont like bugs in my teeth and the wind makes my eyes water. I always wear jeans, and I've had rocks/bugs hit my shins and hurt like crap even through denium. I always wear my riding boots. I always wear either gloves or fingerless gloves. I feel more comfortable/safe with that kind of gear on, so thats what I do. In our group of friends that ride, Im the only one that wears a helmet. I dont give them a hard time, and they dont give me a hard time. To each their own. ;)

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by babyhog on 07/06/10 at 09:20:29

I finally found a pair of fingerless gloves that I can wear and ride in comfortably. Bought a pair of leather ones first, but they were too bulky across the top of my palm. They ended up in a wad between the grip and my hand. Difficult to drive with, to say the least!
So I found these in the bicycle section at {geez, this thing even edits out the name of the Sporting Goods store... lol - D i c k's.}
Rode almost 300 miles in them yesterday. Took alot of the vibration out. So now these are added to my wardrobe minimum of my 3/4 helmet, Harley boots & jeans. The rest depends on weather.
Look at my cute little gloves. (Hey, its tough being a woman with tiny little hands!)

*Edit - Forgot to say Happy Belated Birthday Routy!!

http://dsp.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pDSP-7214643dt.jpg

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by bill67 on 07/06/10 at 09:37:50

I see you changed the 10 days

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by babyhog on 07/06/10 at 12:57:45

202B2E2E7475420 wrote:

I see you changed the 10 days

You are too quick bill. I was gonna say he is 10 days older than me, give or take a few years, but I don't know how old he is, so I took it out.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by bill67 on 07/06/10 at 13:38:08

He's a couple years older than you he's 69. And also one of the smarter ones here.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by MaxMayhem on 07/06/10 at 19:45:04

About 10 or so years ago, I owned my first bike.
Suzuki '87 gsxr250 hypersport - Death on wheels, redline@14k

Was cruising along on the Auckland (that's in New Zealand) motorway, approaching the Harbour bridge.
It was a Saturday afternoon, had finished work for the day, and there was a leather sale on at the waterfront in the city.

At this time I was riding with FF, fingerless gloves (not leather), track pants, and a standard leather jacket.

Beautiful sunny day, looking to my left at the Rangitoto volcano in the harbour (while riding at about 130kmph in the fast lane on a very slight bend), only glanced away for a second, looked back up and was face-2-face with the moveable medium barrier.

Had a split second to think before impact (Only thought "Not my bike!"), managed to pull bike parallel to the barrier, but clipped it with the right handle bar.

Vaguely remember going over the barrier into the oncoming traffic side, and sliding up the tarmac on my back.

Came to, and some guy's standing over me, thumbs up "Dude, saw you come flying (literally) over the barrier. Awesomest crash ever", I said "Cheers dude" then passed out.

My FF was cracked from the base of the rear to the forehead from the impact of my head hitting the tarmac.

Came to in the ambulance bay, and doc said I had ground down the flesh to the bone on my little finger and the one next to it on my right hand; I had a hole the size of a fully grown man's fist in my right thigh (needed skin graft from left thigh for that one and the dressings were inside the skin of the leg so the male nurse had to stick his whole hand inside my leg to change the dressings), and 2 other smaller holes just above the right knee; broke my small right finger in 2 places, was temporarily paralysed on my left side from the shoulder down to the fingers for a week; and had (still have) small indent above my right eyebrow (any deeper and doc reckons it would have been curtains for me). Spent 3 weeks in hospital.

Now ride with FF, proper riding gloves, jacket & pants, and my steelcap work boots.

Oh, and as for the bike...

I asked my bike mates how bad it was. They looked at each other, turned to me and laughed.
I had kept the bike perfectly balanced when I ejected from it, it then crossed over 4 lanes of traffic, with no rider on, no car's hit it, then it rammed the arse end of a police jeep sitting outside the way-station just before the harbour bridge about 100m down the motorway.
Cops got out of the jeep, saw the bike but no rider. Saw the crowd gathering around me on the other side of the bridge and realised where I was.

Outcome - $110 fine for careless use, & $20 per week for 2 years to repair the damage to the police jeep.
Bike only had a punctured front tyre, and needed 1 new headlight and the headlight frame was twisted.

Now I only occassionally wear jeans/trackpants and checkered shirt if I'm going 1km up the road to the gas station for milk etc otherwise I'm kitted up.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Joe F on 07/07/10 at 18:55:02

Scorpion EXO-700 FF High Viz Yellow Helmet.
Columbia High Viz Yellow mesh jacket
Hit-Air High Viz Yellow mesh Air-Bag vest (when its under 90 degrees)
fits over my ski coat in the winter
Thin leather gloves (summer) High Viz Columbia gloves (fall/spring)
Mesh overpants so I don't ruin my work gabardine pants

I commute into DC and my wife hates that I ride so I gear up.

Yeah I'm a human glow stick.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by jef.savage on 07/07/10 at 19:14:33

656A677F2B756E6969726374060 wrote:

I commute into DC and my wife hates that I ride so I gear up..

That's the best reason I've seen yet.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Skid Mark on 07/07/10 at 19:16:17

Full face helmet, riding jacket, boots, gloves, jeans. I'll put on the chaps if I'm going any distance on the hiway.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Overdrive on 07/08/10 at 07:14:51

I personally don't like seeing someone on any type of road bike wearing minimal or no actual gear, but to each his own. If they were a loved one I'd be more of a jackass about it and harass them about it, but the guy who loves to fly up my street on his custom chopper wearing sunglasses, a loose cutoff sleeve t-shirt, shorts, and low boots trying to set off car alarms and wake up the geriatrics can do what he wants. I simply hope he doesn't become a statistic. I can't make him change his mind.

I'm not going to call anyone an idiot, because we have free will for a reason. I prefer to wear a full helmet, textile or leather jacket with armor in the shoulders, elbows, back and chest, thick jeans with some kevlar stitched into a few spots, full leather gloves and the boots the military issued me. I'm also looking to pick up some knee and shin protectors to wear under the jeans. I don't care if it was over 100 degrees plus humidity (like it was two days ago over here), I'm wearing it all and carrying plenty of water. I like my skin and can tolerate the current arrangement of my face. I want to try and keep things the way they are...I don't need asphalt or someone's hood to rearrange things for me. I look at the gear like insurance: you have it, and just hope you'll never need to put it to use.

For me, riding isn't something I can just jump up, grab the keys and go gearless. Sure, rides come up spur of the moment, but I'll just go do a quick clothing change and I'm ready to go. It's not as inconvenient as people try to make it seem.

Rash is one thing, but people seem to forget that bones can break too when you go down, especially if you start to tumble rather than slide. Those knee and shin protectors saved the knee of a guy I know in a fall. He hit some sand, fell, and landed on his knee among other things. His kneecap may have still split in half, but I imagine it would have been somewhere along the lines of powder if he hadn't been wearing those, and at least now he can recover and still walk.

This is one of those things that's like people and smoking. People are pretty much going to do what they want, and that's really all there is to it. My personal confidence in my riding skill, nor the amount of gear I wear, will cause me to be any sort of reckless when I ride. I'm about as defensive as they come when I'm on two wheels, gear included.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by weracerc on 07/08/10 at 08:00:30

Since I earn a living as a Safety Professional (OSHA & DOT) 48yr old with my first bike (May 2010)....now have put 300 miles on it mainly just to & from work 10 mile round trip on all dry days - have not will not ride in the rain......heard the ATGATT from all MC buds prior to getting the bike - problem 1 400lbs = limited availability of the "proper" protective gear.......so I bought a 6X hi-vis coat for fall/winter/spring - 6x hi-vis mesh lightweight vest for summer - wear safety boots everyday of the year riding or not - FF modular helmet white, and the only gloves i could find to fit my hands were Mechanix ORHD (Oil Rig Heavy Duty - 2x $65).......does not matter where i go i wear the gear i have and long pants...short sleeve shirt summer long sleeve fall/winter/spring.....plan to ride every dry day of the year.....bike is off the road before dark.....but i glow in the dark with my gear.....I am a safety guy by trade and i have to trade off some protection just because it is not available in my size - if it were then i would be fully protected ATGATT.....how could i explain at work i cant work because i got hurt riding because i did not have on the gear?

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by bill67 on 07/08/10 at 08:01:00

You guys with all your clothes on would be like fish out of water here in Wisconsin.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by gerald.hughes on 07/08/10 at 08:46:06

Normally, I don't get involved in these discussions, because I think that a person should wear what they want, and then deal with the consequences. The choices are theirs.

That being said, I would like to point out that this discussion should involve a discussion of what people wear who ride for a living. The two groups that I would like to point to are motorcycle racers, and motorcycle police officers. In the first case, they ride for short periods of time at high speeds, and at the limits of their abilities. In the second case, they are on the bikes for eight hours at a time, day after day, and are riding well within their skill levels. The racers wear every imaginable piece of protective gear. The police officers wear 3/4 helmets, gloves, boots, and during the cooler times of the year, jackets. (In the summer here in Tucson, they wear short sleeve shirts.)

Personally, my riding style is more in line with the police officers, as is my attire. Lancer, on the the other hand........

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by Skid Mark on 07/08/10 at 19:27:10

It was one of those rare +85 days up here today. Sometimes you just gotta live. Rode with just tee shirt jeans boots and gloves and helmet. Whoo Hoo!!!! don't do it often and it is a treat.

Title: Re: Riding Apparel (am I alone?)
Post by james may on 07/08/10 at 21:15:54

Would like to mention that I went down wearing just jeans to protect my legs and grated on the pavement for a dozen feet with the weight of the bike on me at a slow speed and just a few tears in the jeans and no damage to my skin. So I think jeans are pretty good protection.

Also don't forget about hypothermia. When you are exposed in colder weather going 50-60mph the windchill is pretty bad. Even if it's the middle of the summer it can get fairly cold at night into the 50's and with wind chill especially if you aren't wearing full gloves and don't have a fairing on your handle bars your hands can get very cold on a longer trip.