How many of you do wear protective clothing, because........

timothy.davis

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1 st Wreck, 1976 on a Kawasaki H-1, Shoei full face helmet. I slid in a curve due to salt and sand accumulation. Flew over a five foot bank and landed skidding on my face. One Shoei full faced helmet completely destroyed, one rider walked away with a minor abrasion on left palm. 1978 on a KZ 900, some three quarter helmet. Went into a left hand curve, high rate of speed, kickstand left down. Bike was thrown into a ditch I was thrown onto the road on my back. When I got through scouring down the road most of the skin on my back and upper arms was removed, just had on a long sleeve shirt. The back of the helmet looked like someone had taken a belt sander with 50 Grit paper and gone from one ear to the other across the back. I do not think the back of my skull would have survived that one. Just procured a bicycle riding helmet the other day, I chose a Bell Super 2 Mountain Bike Helmet to use for mild road use. The sales attendant was arguing with me about not needing the extra protection, she lost the aurgument.
 

Will Rotten

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Living in Florida it can get hot when at a stop, but I wear my gear almost all the time. If I'm just running to the grocery store I may just wear jeans but boots, gloves, full faced, mesh padded jacket and yellow vest are still required.

I went with the BMW airflow suit and love it. The cool black is pretty amazing how it doesn't get hot.

I've never went down on the street but a few years ago my son was in nasty wreck. His helmet saved his life but he broke both of his arms. And I thought I was done wiping his ass....
 

Freebooter

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The only wrecks I have had were on dirt roads where I was on a street bike and hit deep sand spots, and layed her down. I have done that several times over the years. I finally just got to where I avoid dirt roads, sand, etc. I am strictly a street rider. Oh, I laid both my FJ09 and my S10 down in my front yard, which is a slope, just idling around turning to leave and slipped in some leaves one time and another time a rough, worn spot from our cars tearing the yard up over the years. It just slipped off the edge f a big pot hole like worn away spot and went down fast. I had on my padded mesh riding jacket but I landed onn some tree roots on the side of my elbow and had a very painful goose egge there for like two or three weeks. It missed the elbow pad of my jacket. I like these armored shirts and jackets I have been seeing at Revzilla:
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/thor-impact-rig-armored-shirt
 

murdock2002

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I don't live too far from work. One day I decided to ride home for lunch - really debated about changing back into my kevlar jeans with knee and hip armor, or just going in the khakis.

I changed into the jeans and put on the boots.

Went to the bike, started riding out of the parking garage, and the rear wheel hit an oil spot…bike went out from underneath me as I fell to the left side. First part of my body to hit the ground was my left hip and then left elbow (had armored KLIM jacket too) and then the bike slid on the ground for about 12 feet with my left side in contact. Left boot was all marked up on the toe and heel.

I got up, lifted the bike, assessed the damage, pushed it to a parking spot, and went back to my office. No injury. Had I not worn my armored jeans, jacket, and boot, probably would have had at least bruising, or worst…

Buy the gear…wear it. Why take the chance? Even if it's only a short ride…accident might happen before the bike even makes it five feet.
 

CentralCal

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Buy the gear…wear it. Why take the chance? Even if it's only a short ride…accident might happen before the bike even makes it five feet.


::026::
 

Dirt_Dad

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I'm a gear guy. My wife and I have both totaled a bike in the last few years. It happens in an instant and without warning. At that time there is nothing more useless than the gear you left at home.

We're all breakable. Wife and I picked up a couple of these last weekend.



Helite Airbag Vest in Hi-Viz http://www.helitemoto.com/helite-airbag-vest-in-hi-viz/
(15% off retail at Romney)
 

talcon

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My motto "Dress for the slide, not for the ride".

I also own both a mesh suit and a Stich Roadcrafter. I never bring both on a ride though - I look at the predominant temps beforehand and decide.

I've been down at speed twice - ruined both helmets and riding suits - minor scrapes and a broken collar bone once - pretty amazing so little damage.

I'm also a firm believer that you need to be comfortable. ATGATT isn't going to help a rider who is completely uncomfortable either - I believe that is a dangerous way to ride. At the end of the day, it's all about how much risk you're willing to manage. Those with kevlar suits probably frown on me for just having mesh, etc. You get the idea.
 

Cycledude

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I'm so used to wearing riding gear that I feel strange without it, VERY rare for me to not be wearing gear when on the bike.
 

Madhatter

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gear is good..... even on the hottest day..... you will dehydrate faster with out gear .... and will fatigue slower with gear..... it can be a hassle to wear the gear, but I hear skin grafts are a hassle too.... I wear attgatt, but I'm human and ive gotten a little lazy. sometimes I leave the over pants off.... not often , and I feel exposed... got to man up and wear the full gear.... aerostich darian jacket, Olympia waterproof pants and mesh pants , winter gloves rain gloves summer gloves , Nolan n-104 helmet, leather lace up boots.....
 

Rasher

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First thing I would say regarding the OP is get a good base layer, T-Shits tend to be crap.

A good thin summer base layer that wicks moisture away from the body will be much cooler and more comfortable under bike gear.

On top of that I use a Halvarssons Prime jacket and Prince Trousers, best kit I have ever owned, as we live in a cooler climate this works really well, with the Outlast (google it) liner it is warm with nothing but the case layer underneath down to about 6-7c and remains really comfortable until past 20c so this covers about 90% of the days in the UK with no other layering up, or needing removal of the liner.

In very hot (by European standards) weather I may remove the lining, this does not help all that much TBH, but I think it gives a bit more room for air to move around in the clothing and when it is really hot I tend to partly unzip the front to let air in more easily.

It also has Knee / Hip / Elbow / Shoulder / Back armour and an light version of the Halvarrsons Abrasion Resistant Textile (ART) in areas likely to hit the deck (not quite as strong as leather, but about 10 times stronger than normal textile fibres in CE tests)

Also waterproof so no need to carry boil in the bag oversuits around and have to change with the weather.


At home I may sometimes just wear a thinner Mesh jacket I have if I am just going for a slow ride along the local lanes, this is not as protective, but still a hell of a lot better than a T-Shirt!

My biggest flaw is I rarely zip top to bottom which I really should do as the best jacket in the world is no good if it slides up to your neck as you are sliding along the road at 60mph.
 

JRE

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I always wear gear. There are some interesting reads on why mesh jackets don't cool you as well as non-mesh in the heat. I don't recall the specifics or have links but google around...good reads.
 

Madhatter

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I can testify as to mesh vs non mesh.... mesh keeps you dry as your sweat evaporates almost immediately , non mesh will be damper as the sweat is not going to just blow away.... and in my darian jacket it ( have the vents open correctly ) generates a flow or a chimney effect as I move through the air , and this creates a cooling evaporative flow... almost a chill at times.... it works for me and I will not go back to a mesh jacket.... to be cool in the mesh I had to pour water on me and I would rather drink the water than wear it...of course when I stop it gets hot in mesh and non mesh jackets... and when you ride off you will have a few moments of evaporative cooling in the mesh before it dries out.... the non mesh will continue to create sweat and evaporative cooling as long as you stay hydrated.... I wear long sleeves as that holds the sweat on my arms ( my shirt will be damp and that's the point) now if you don't like sweaty shirts then stay with mesh, but to me dry aint necessarily cool so I will stay with non....
 

ejy712

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Madhatter said:
I can testify as to mesh vs non mesh.... mesh keeps you dry as your sweat evaporates almost immediately , non mesh will be damper as the sweat is not going to just blow away.... and in my darian jacket it ( have the vents open correctly ) generates a flow or a chimney effect as I move through the air , and this creates a cooling evaporative flow... almost a chill at times.... it works for me and I will not go back to a mesh jacket.... to be cool in the mesh I had to pour water on me and I would rather drink the water than wear it...of course when I stop it gets hot in mesh and non mesh jackets... and when you ride off you will have a few moments of evaporative cooling in the mesh before it dries out.... the non mesh will continue to create sweat and evaporative cooling as long as you stay hydrated.... I wear long sleeves as that holds the sweat on my arms ( my shirt will be damp and that's the point) now if you don't like sweaty shirts then stay with mesh, but to me dry aint necessarily cool so I will stay with non....
::026::

Mesh used to give me a hot spot down my back. My light colored aerostitch darien light gets wind up the sleeves which inflates the jacket. I get a layer of moving air all over my arms and torso. I have put screen windows in my hand guards to get good airflow over my hands. Cover up the screen windows in winter/rain with velcro'd vinyl covers. Works well for me. Don't think much of the areostitch pants. Went with klim.
 

howier

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Freebooter said:
How were you ejected from your bike? What happened? Glad you were not hurt worse by the way.
Sorry for the delay, was out of town. I hit a four inch lip in a construction zone doing about 50. They had ground the old ashpault and left this lip in the lane of travel. It was going the direction of travel. It was similar to when you were a kid riding your bicycle and trying to hop onto a curb and you only get the front tire up. The back slid for a second till it cought and when it did it snapped the whole bike. I guess it would be considered a high side accident. I was thrown down the lane of travel and the bike nearly flipped all the way over. There were scratches on the top of the windscreen. I was kept in the hospital for a day and a half for lacerations on the liver checking for hemorrhaging but all was good. Today all is good except my left elbow will hurt if i set it on something hard the wrong way. New bike is at the dealer waiting for me to pick it up.
 

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Rasher

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Apart from the gloves it looks like the gear held up pretty well.

I fell of a Moped (FS1E) as a teenager, probably doing no more than 35mph when I hit the deck, with just Jeans on my knees were torn to shreds, being young and stupid it was probably another 5-6 years before I started wearing proper protective gear, pre 1990 a paddock jacket and pair of trainers were considered perfectly adequate for riding in a stupidly dangerous fashion on the superbikes of the day.
 

howier

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Yes it did real well. Had to replace jacket pants and gloves but I would do that any day to not have road rash or worse. I had a gerbing heated liner on under my outer coat and it had funny damage on it too. Friction marks, puncture holes. Have not tried it to see if it works yet.
 

oldbear

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ATGATT always. Have both "solid" and "vented" gear (Olympia AST jacket and Olympia Bushwacker jacket). The earlier comments about mesh vs non mesh have a lot of merit. Up to low 90's the mesh is great, however as temps approach body temp (98F) mesh will actually ADD heat to your carcass (from the air) rather than taking it away. In those extreme heat conditions a good "solid" jacket with vents partially opened WILL be cooler that a full mesh jacket. Get a decent wicking base layer (LD comfort for example) and you can do pretty well even here in hot and humid Kentucky summers.

When young and dumb I too used to ride without proper gear. I remember wearing jeans, a t shirt and denim jacket and thinking I was pretty well protected-'till I dropped my '76 Yamaha 305 Cross Country in gravel on a low speed turn and shredded the jeans (and my hide underneath!!). I'm too old for gravel rash, so it's ATGATT for me. ::)
 
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