ATGATT - I know how important it is, but...

[shrub]

On a stinking hot day when I'm going to the gym, down to the boozer for a libation or just pottering around and visiting people I get sorely tempted to set off in jeans and a T shirt, and when I see guys riding in short sleeved shirts and open face helmets I genuinely envy them. I think to myself "I'll be fine, only going a few Ks and not going fast. Hell, back in the day I often rode with no lid and frequently wearing nothing more than a denim jacket and jeans".

Only problem is I know how important ATGATT is. Knowledge sucks sometimes.

[The Baron]

Get some summer gloves and a Dri-Mesh jacket and you will feel the wind again.

Stay safe and have a good xmas.

[MSTRS]

On a stinking hot day ... I genuinely envy them.

Know this. Most crashes occur within 5kms of home. Will you still envy the aircooled types when the nurse is wielding her scrubbing brush? Or will you wait until your arse is making like a potato to provide skin for your back?

Still - it's all good IF you remain upright, eh?

[riffer]

I rode heaps as a teenager in the 80s in jeans and either a jean jacket, or bomber jacket or leather jacket.

ATGATT is fine if you fall off. No gear is fine if you don't.

Are you a betting man?

[shrub]

Know this. Most crashes occur within 5kms of home. Will you still envy the aircooled types when the nurse is wielding her scrubbing brush? Or will you wait until your arse is making like a potato to provide skin for your back?

Still - it's all good IF you remain upright, eh?

Yeah, about 5 years ago I was riding my mountainbike down a hill and had a lovely faceplant. I was probably doing about 20 kmh and had a broken nose, smashed my front teeth and ended up with 40 stitches in my face. It fucking hurt and I remind myself of that every time I get tempted to ride in a T shirt or buy an open face lid.

[shrub]

Are you a betting man?

I am, but I like to stack the deck in my favour. I figure ATGATT is like a spare tyre - the day you have a flat is the day you don't have your spare in the car, so the day I drop my bike on an oil spill, shingle or any of the other myriad urban hazards is the day I left my jacket and gloves hanging up.

[spajohn]

Yeah, about 5 years ago I was riding my mountainbike down a hill and had a lovely faceplant. I was probably doing about 20 kmh and had a broken nose, smashed my front teeth and ended up with 40 stitches in my face. It fucking hurt and I remind myself of that every time I get tempted to ride in a T shirt or buy an open face lid.

Damn. That makes me not want to go mountain bike riding!

[shrub]

Damn. That makes me not want to go mountain bike riding!

That was the last time I did it. When they injected the local directly into the cuts and used the scrubbing brush to get the gravel out I learnt what pain really was.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Yeah, about 5 years ago I was riding my mountainbike down a hill and had a lovely faceplant. I was probably doing about 20 kmh and had a broken nose, smashed my front teeth and ended up with 40 stitches in my face. It fucking hurt and I remind myself of that every time I get tempted to ride in a T shirt or buy an open face lid.

my worst injuries have been on mountainbikes. and mountainbike helmets are shit. If I wasnt so fashion conscious I'd wear a fullface on the mtb.

[spajohn]

That was the last time I did it. When they injected the local directly into the cuts and used the scrubbing brush to get the gravel out I learnt what pain really was.

A mate was a few weeks off sitting the practical test to complete his paramedic training when he broke both arms coming off his mountain bike. Set the poor bugger back the better part of a year.

[macros87]

On a stinking hot day when I'm going to the gym, down to the boozer for a libation or just pottering around and visiting people I get sorely tempted to set off in jeans and a T shirt, and when I see guys riding in short sleeved shirts and open face helmets I genuinely envy them. I think to myself "I'll be fine, only going a few Ks and not going fast. Hell, back in the day I often rode with no lid and frequently wearing nothing more than a denim jacket and jeans".

Only problem is I know how important ATGATT is. Knowledge sucks sometimes.

OHHHHH MAN! do i know what you mean! during winter every time I see those people I think dickheads... particularly the guys with with the jandals... how can you comfortably change gears like that?! as soon as the heat
(and humidity now) of summer comes around I completely change my mind and start thinking lucky bastards... not about the jandal clad ones though.

I have thought about it a lot... but I am yet to leave my gear behind... I cant do it, I feel guilty, like I am doing something wrong even, dont know why.

It would be interesting to have a poll on how many people who generally follow ATGATT succumb to temptation on the hotter days of summer.

[HenryDorsetCase]

in summer I wear draggin jeans and engineer boots instead of leather pants and Sidis. but still helmet gloves and jacket

[Danae]

Open-faced helmets look dorky. :(

[Slyer]

Riding in a t-shirt feels amazing when it's hot. Only around town though.
You get dirty looks but really, you're safer than all the lycra wearing cyclists.
I'm guessing the abrasion resistance of lycra is not great. :bleh:

[wysper]

On a stinking hot day when I'm going to the gym, down to the boozer for a libation or just pottering around and visiting people I get sorely tempted to set off in jeans and a T shirt, and when I see guys riding in short sleeved shirts and open face helmets I genuinely envy them. I think to myself "I'll be fine, only going a few Ks and not going fast. Hell, back in the day I often rode with no lid and frequently wearing nothing more than a denim jacket and jeans".

Only problem is I know how important ATGATT is. Knowledge sucks sometimes.

I hear ya. I feel guilty if I don't properly suit up to nip out to get lunch at lunch time.

Every now and then I would love to be able to jump on and ride sans helmet and leathers, but for me the price (and pain) would be too high if it all when pear shaped. We know it will hurt even if you ARE geared up.

[superman]

I only currently have jacket, helmet and gloves at the moment. So always just wear jeans and boots underneath, leather pants are on the way... just had to send the ones that arrived back because they were too small. And should get some boots for Xmas so that I can follow ATGATT properly.

Plus side is my Viper jacket is sooo nice and breezy without the lining in, lots of perforarations :yes:

Still terrible at stand still. But never go through more than a couple traffic lights so never have to stop too often.

At least the GF doesn't mind the helmet hair too much, sweat obviously can mould hair into some half decent shapes :facepalm:

I guess luckily for me nothing is too close to my place for me to consider not wearing it, shortest drive I seem to do is usually 25km.

[Kermit250]

I always ride in full gear (perk to living rural is always open road to keep cool) but what does ATGATT stand for? Sorry I don't spend much time on here to be hip with the acronyms

[HenryDorsetCase]

I always ride in full gear (perk to living rural is always open road to keep cool) but what does ATGATT stand for? Sorry I don't spend much time on here to be hip with the acronyms
All The Gear, All The Time

[Kermit250]

Ah makes sense, cheers. I remember once (back on the first bike I think or second) I shot down the road to the gas station only wearing a helmet. Had no incidents but felt like I was naked (was pretty sure that I had some clothing on though)

Haven't done it again since.

[Grubber]

I've always been well covered when i ride, but there is some days that i chuck my jeans on and my jacket ( as opposed to full leather suit) and head down the road some 17 k's to work. I just can't ride the same as when i'm all suited up. It just feels like i'm going to shred my kneecaps or something if i get too close to the ground.
with my suit on it feels much different. Tend to be a little less reserved when i feel safer. Not sure if that's a good thing or not. I know i feel better when i ride ATGATT though.

[shellfish]

The most underdressed I get is army style boots instead of bike boots, jeans instead of bike pants (I still feel guilty doing this).

Leather jacket is great in summer or winter, not wearing anything under the jacket works wonders in the summer!

The thing I hate is seeing is riders with ATGATT, and passengers wearing f*ck-all. Why is it always the girl on the back who get to wear jandals and a t shirt - and will you still love me when my skins on the road not my body???

[awa355]

Why not jandals? Here's why, Took the Putaruru ambulance out to a local rider ,had been shunted by a car. His right foot ( samoan safety boot on), had gone about 6 metres across the asphalt. Leg trapped under the bike. top side being ground down to the bones and the exhaust burning into his sole. Not nice!

I ride a scooter around town sometimes and it is tempting to leave the safety stuff behind. Just not worth it.

[Kermit250]

My god, message recieved, I just pictured that in my mind *shudder*

I have ridden mine in barefeet before: moving 5 meters from the garage to driveway to clean it :woohoo:

Respect to your occupation btw

[steelphoenix]

I'm a noob, but I do the ATGATT. I've seen enough pictures on the internet of what happens if you're in a crash without gear. My jacket has nice vents so that I don't overheat too much - but I'd rather be hot than dead.


The thing I hate is seeing is riders with ATGATT, and passengers wearing f*ck-all. Why is it always the girl on the back who get to wear jandals and a t shirt - and will you still love me when my skins on the road not my body???
+1... also the fact that you have to have a 6F to be two-up on anything... <_<

[Kermit250]

My other half (she argues the better half) asked me for a ride once on the back of my bike, I said "you got gear?" "nope" "get some then"

She gets a full suit, has a ride, says "Now I have the gear I should get a bike"

alright! :woohoo:

[Kermit250]

The thing I hate is seeing is riders with ATGATT, and passengers wearing f*ck-all. Why is it always the girl on the back who get to wear jandals and a t shirt - and will you still love me when my skins on the road not my body???

+2

Seeing that pisses me off

[hellokitty]

I love my teeth and I want to keep them! I will always wear a full face helmet.
I have these ventilated bits in my leather jackets - you just stick your elbows out a little bit and you get a nice cold draft through your armpts :woohoo: awesome!
My hands sweated in my new gloves and I had black hands = not a good look.

[miloking]

Yeah, about 5 years ago I was riding my mountainbike down a hill and had a lovely faceplant. I was probably doing about 20 kmh and had a broken nose, smashed my front teeth and ended up with 40 stitches in my face. It fucking hurt and I remind myself of that every time I get tempted to ride in a T shirt or buy an open face lid.

20Km/h is walking pace...iam pretty sure you were going much much faster down the hill (fastest i managed on mountain bike was just over 70km/h going down hill), but anyway i get your point...

[caseye]

Hey Shrub, nice thread.The one time I didn't wear the gear, on bike, 2 k's to shop and back.Shorts, jandals helmet."Note" I was young and silly back then, never done it again since.
got 400m's down the road, meet Big ol Bumble bee coming the other way at warp 9.
Straight up shorts leg.
Stop bloody laughing, it hurt.
Posters here all seem to have realised the obvious, it is still a personal choice, but these days every off is a potentially bad one, the chance's of getting away without injury are nill.
While the best gear in the world wont stop life threatening inuries if excessive speed and or immoveable objects are involved.
It is preferable to many months of rehab if you suffer even a minor off and get caught up.
Having just expoused on that, I'd love to ride with no helmet or a jacket on a closed road with no other idiots to kill me. In this sort of heat it's just sooooooo hard pulling on the jacket, the gloves and the trou, spa city before you've even taken off.
'

[vifferman]

The first few years I rode, I had a leather jacket (didn't alwyas wear it), open-face helmet and gloves. No big deal. I even used to ride with jandals on occasionally (like the day I wrote my first bike off - still no big deal). I didn't get my first proper bike boots until I was on my third bike, some 18 years or so after I started riding. Didn't get my first pair of leather pants until about 12 years ago, and my first jacket with armour in about 10 years ago. Pants with armour about 8 years ago.
In the 37 years I've been riding, I've had some spills, and written off two bikes - no big deal. I usually wear all the gear, but sometimes I just wear whatever I've got on, boots, jacket and helmet. When I was in Raro a couple of months back, it was shorts, t-shirt, sandals, no helmet, no gloves. Standard attire in Raro. Standard attire in Indonesia and Singapore (and other Asian countries) is the same, with the addition of a helmet (most of the time).
It's all about risk mitigation. Since I first got a full set of decent gear, if I ride with less than the whole kit'n'kaboodle, I ride more carefully, and not on the open road. However, ALL my spills have been around town, possibly due to higher traffic density and more distractions, more intersections, more risks, and people not perceiving that it's more dangerous.

[Tink]

Hey Shrub, nice thread.
got 400m's down the road, meet Big ol Bumble bee coming the other way at warp 9.
Straight up shorts leg.
Stop bloody laughing, it hurt.


LOL That scares the bejeebers outer me, even in full ATGATT, I have had the odd bug up my helmet, straight up goes the visor...

Just got some new boots, NO LACES ANYMORE whew, what a hazard doc's are on a bike... laces coming undone.

Boiling in gear is part of biking, do it.... or don't ride I say. :):yes:

[rwh]

20Km/h is walking pace...

20km/h is a damn fast walk.

I generally wear ordinary jeans, but proper boots/jacket/glove/lid.

Partly because I'm a bit on the wide side for standard fittings, and I haven't got round to doing something better (I've got custom 2-piece leathers, but not practical for going to work)

Richard

[jimbo_on_travels]

I came off my bike in ordinary jeans last year and skidded down Oriental Bay.. I blame myself - was distracted by 2 girls in hot pants. Needless to say I won't be wearing jeans again.. the grapefruit sized haematoma sticking out of my hip / thigh meant I couldn't walk for a month.

[SMOKEU]

I ALWAYS ride ATGATT, even if it's only 200m to the petrol station to check the tire pressures. The one time that I didn't go ATGATT was last month. Yup, I binned the bike and phucked myself up.

[pzkpfw]

Back in 1990 I used to wear TWO pairs of jeans. Man I was safe! Then at pretty much zero speed came off on a newly metalled corner, landed knee first, and both pairs of jeans just ripped right open.

Luckily no permanent damage (to my knee) but quite a bloody mess for a while.

[Genie]

In the good old days one didn't even think much about what one wore. My body bore the brunt of it one day when I slid full frontal down the ashphalt! Ouch.

Now it's the hot leather stuff all the time.

Went out for a ride yesterday and man it was hot to stop, so I thought, best I find the open road and ride some more, and some more...was a great way to cool down, just a bugga to come home again.

My awesome Revit gear has lovely, well placed little zips that let in the air, goes right down my spine too!!

I'd rather be hot than grated!

[Kermit250]

20Km/h is walking pace..

Damn you're either 8 foot tall or have a very fast walk :msn-wink:

[MSTRS]

I guess wearing the gear is like having insurance. Chances are, you won't need it, but...

[sinfull]

Ok showin me age here,

but back in the day there was sweet faaark all choice as far as good gear goes, so jeans were it as the price leather was over the top and usually just work gloves if any but

we were hard

Had my share of spills, usually on trail bikes but the odd road rash and usually my own stupid fault
One memory is of smashing my right foot and knee into the side of a car, to the point i couldn't kick the bike over with that leg, so was startin it with the left and it was workin, sure it hurt to stand and start the bike but

We were hard

Next day i came round a blind corner too quick to find an ole lady doing a uturn (slooowwwly) no way under her so had to go round the outside, but ran out of room and climbed the curb etc etc slid sideways backwards round and round till i slid backwards into a car in a carpark, part of riding aye and

we were hard

looked at the bike which was laying there ticking over still in third, then at all the people rushing toward me and thought fuck this i'm off , unlicenced, couple under me belt, i dragged a bloddied left leg and bandaged right over to the bike yanked the clutch in, stood it up, threw the body over the seat and chugged off in third gear cause

We were hard

Now days i still ride and hard, aint had a spill for decades (touch wood), older, wiser maybe (though still do stupid shit)
but if i don't wear full armour over my knees, good boots, etc and if the weather is even slightly cool, i have trouble walking for days afterwards, the cold just gets in to them smashed up knees and ankles from years back and totally fucks me up !

Sorta wish there was more choice in protective gear back then and

We weren't so hard

[Danae]

I have ridden mine in barefeet before: moving 5 meters from the garage to driveway to clean it :woohoo:

I managed to fuck even that up, forgot to stick the sidestand up and dragged it over my foot. :facepalm:

[MarkH]

When the weather gets warm I remove the lining from my leather jacket and swap to my summer gloves. I have a heap of storage under the seat as well as a 35 litre top box so when I get to where I'm going I put the helmet & gloves in the top box and the jacket under the seat. It might feel nice riding without the jacket & helmet & gloves when it is hot, but I am a gambling man and don't like the odds - the risk is too high and the rewards just don't compensate enough for those risks.

I tend to wear the Draggin' Jeans through summer and on short trips in winter, for the longer rides in cooler weather the leather bike pants are very much worth it.

In my youth I used to ride with helmet, gloves & boots - but only jeans and nylon wind-breaker sort of jacket. The only protection I had for my body was wet weather protection. Back in those days the gloves were leather but didn't have the reinforced knuckles. I was lucky, never had an off at any real speed - I had lost more skin riding a pushie than I ever did on a motorcycle. Considering the various speeding tickets and general young person risk taking - I was VERY lucky.

Now days I just wont go back to normal jeans or less than an armoured leather jacket - it's not worth risking months in hospital. I'm 43 and haven't spent a single day in hospital, I'd like to keep up with that record.

[StoneY]

If I wasnt so fashion conscious I'd wear a fullface on the mtb.

I do ever sinc I went face first into a blackberry patch after being flipped over the bars!

Brought me a full face,lightweight plastic off road MTB lid that actually weighed less then the polyshit that it replaced...never looked back and feel 100% safe flying down western hills tracks in Lower Hutt or Karapoti in UH

Fuck fashion bro, im already ugly enough without filing off half my face!

[Timmeh:P]

Leather jacket and leather pants (zip together), back protector, helmet, boots, gloves...

Overkill for going a couple of km's down the road in the blazing heat of the summer sun... but I do it anyway... I ain't going to risk it.

I'm soft.... :baby:

[Daffyd]

20Km/h is walking pace...iam pretty sure you were going much much faster down the hill (fastest i managed on mountain bike was just over 70km/h going down hill), but anyway i get your point...

Wish I could walk at 20km/h!:shutup:

[steve_t]

I wish I could run at 20km/h for more than a few minutes!

[StoneY]

Wish I could walk at 20km/h!:shutup:

From Wikipedia

For humans, walking is the main form of transportation without a vehicle or ... the average human walking speed is about 5 kilometres per hour (km/h), ...


And

The average running speed of an human?
In: Track and Field

about 12 to 15 MPH (read 20kmh is FAST for a human)


Read more: http://wiki.answers.com

Must be because he is 'Milo' king he can keep that pace up ;)

[R-Soul]

My other half (she argues the better half) asked me for a ride once on the back of my bike, I said "you got gear?" "nope" "get some then"

She gets a full suit, has a ride, says "Now I have the gear I should get a bike"

alright! :woohoo:

Dont do it!! :shit:

Next you'll have to stay at home looking after grubs when she goes riding. Or she'll get allnaffy when you go riding and she can't...


:shutup:

[sinfull]

My other half (she argues the better half) asked me for a ride once on the back of my bike, I said "you got gear?" "nope" "get some then"

She gets a full suit, has a ride, says "Now I have the gear I should get a bike"

alright! :woohoo: Can the dog cook yet ? If so, good girl, now teach it to use the vaccumn !

Other list of replies in my black book should she get fuck off clever !!!

[shrub]

years ago I was riding reasonably hard round a corner when a big insect of some form hit me in the eye. Instinctively I closed both eyes which makes cornering really interesting. Then about 3 months later a mate was in traffic doing less than 50k on his Bonnie when a cage clipped him and sent him down the road - face first. He spent months having reconstruction surgery on his chin. Made him even uglier and on account of me being ugly enough i figured that I'd preserve my looks and bought a full face and been wearing them ever since.

When I was in the Air Force one of my mates rode his XS650 about 100 yards down the road to the bike shed after cleaning it in jandals and shorts. For some reason he put his foot down while still moving and the thong ripped up the centre of his foot and he then dropped his bike losing vast amounts of skin. He was a fucking mess and was off work for months despite not having exceeded 30 kmh.

[Kermit250]

Can the dog cook yet ? If so, good girl, now teach it to use the vaccumn !

Other list of replies in my black book should she get fuck off clever !!!

LOL. I'll make sure not to repeat that when she's around or my bike may just get pushed over. On the bright side, she can cook, not so good with a vacuum, but does do the washing!

[hellokitty]

[QUOTE=shrub;1129934525]a mate was in traffic doing less than 50k on his Bonnie when a cage clipped him and sent him down the road - face first. He spent months having reconstruction surgery on his chin. Made him even uglier and on account of me being ugly enough i figured that I'd preserve my looks and bought a full face and been wearing them ever since.

[QUOTE]

:shit: I hate open face helmets - my husband asked for one for Xmas :facepalm:

[awayatc]

summer.....?
around town....?
shirt
jeans
open helmet
boots
Insurance?....
haven't got that either
Life isn't meant to be foolproof.

[Genestho]

summer.....?
around town....?
shirt
jeans
open helmet
boots
Insurance?....
haven't got that either
Life isn't meant to be foolproof.

I don't know how Australians deal with it - insurance wise, but I saw a fair few over there on the Motorways, in shorts, jandals and T-shirts.

But (according to the news report......) this young kiwi guy must've forgot his helmet and his jeans..
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10695048