Vicki - me again -
In town here in Grand Junction, CO it is dangerous as heck - worse than London for riding - with all the old folk (big hospital in town & good climate) & young kids (small college here) who either don't see stop signs or seem to take them as a threat to their (young) manhood.
Seems here 99% of Harley riders don't wear helmets period, many crotch riders do & then don shorts, t-shirts & trainers too when it is really hot. Most of the women on the pillion (English for back seat) wear halter tops & cut offs when it gets hot.
So, @ risk of ticking some people here off, if I could give you any more advice it would be wear jeans @ least & a proper jacket with padding on shoulders/back/elbows. advise one of the mesh ones for summer (Kathe & I wear Joe Rocket - they do nice women's sizes too & are great price & have held up well for us. Get a light colored one (I imagine the Harley guys must roast in their toe to toe black leather).
also advise boots that go over the ankle. I don't wear "real" motorcycle boots but some lighter weight "Stanley" (like the tools) brand construction style boots bought @ Payless (do you have that chain in Canada?) Alright, if it rains I get moderately wet feet, despite having weatherproofed them, but my ankles are covered with good leather.
also always wear gloves - except when really cold when I don fake sheepskin lined leather gauntlets form centuries ago back home I wear simple leather gardening gloves. Feel anything else too constrictive, but will check out Walmart's shooting dept for the insulated deerskin ones mentioned on another entry.
last - speaking from early experiences. I expect a lot of flack here (& know in most States it is legal to not wear them & is a freedom of choice issue) but I do advise always wearing a helmet - even to pop down the shops.
when young (around 17 the 1st, under 19 the 2nd) I had 2 incidents (we all do but mine were doozys) - 1 involving shaving a piece off the side of my helmet (goodbye ear otherwise) on a metal line holding a phone pole up, the other involving me, my bike & a semi (no guesses who came off best!) Results - the stuffing knocked out of me, a crushed (but later resurrected bike) & blood in my helmet (& no stitches!)
Without a helmet each time I a) would be saying "What?!" every time someone spoke in my left ear or b) just not be around over 35 years later typing this.
In fact this year, after always feeling like a fish in a bowl in one I switched to a fullface rather than an open one. This was before the Pittsburg Steeler Quarterback tried to headbut a a little hot when it hits 100 for a few days in Agust here, but...
So, no matter what anyone else does/says around you, I urge you to "buckle up (a helmet) - you know it makes sense." (also again buy a light colored one - say white or silver - a black one looks cool but sucks as far as reflecting sun's rays or being noticeably to car drivers.
Now I wait for the brickbats... george