Shorts and a Shirt

[Sycophant]

So, as it's been getting warmer I've been spending a lot of time stopped at traffic lights, sweltering in the heat only to see someone shoot past in shorts and a shirt looking cool and refeshed.

Normally, there's a moment of jelousy as I imagine how nice that airflow would be, and then the memories of how it feels, even in jacket and jeans to make contact with the road.

Anyone here putting aside sense in favour of comfort?

[wari]

Not me mate ... but then I avoid the traffic.

[Firefight]

So, as it's been getting warmer I've been spending a lot of time stopped at traffic lights, sweltering in the heat only to see someone shoot past in shorts and a shirt looking cool and refeshed.

Normally, there's a moment of jelousy as I imagine how nice that airflow would be, and then the memories of how it feels, even in jacket and jeans to make contact with the road.

Anyone here putting aside sense in favour of comfort?


Hopefully not, if the rider I was with yesterday had been, they would have been in ICU for weeks ! :doctor:


firefight :Punk:

[Antallica]

I confess, I had no Jeans last week so I HAD to wear my long shorts (or are they short longs?) Got my Jeans back now and damn it feels good to be in them again :) I was scared shitless each time I went out in my shorts, but nothing happened so *phew*

[James Deuce]

Was sitting in the FIAT (it's Italian so it's an honourary bike OK!!) and a dude lane splits up past me at the Korokoro lights on a Honda custom/cruiser of some desciption. He's wearing a singlet, shorts and running shoes with one lace undone.

I will ALWAYS remember what happened to a mate's girlfriend who binned a scooter wearing a mini skirt and pantyhose. The pantyhose melted from the friction on the road, balled up and was pushed under the top layers of skin - where it proceeded to cook the surrounding flesh. She ended up with a most unattractive crater on one thigh where the surgeon had to extract all the melted nylon and flesh that was intermingled.

Yukky.

[Jackrat]

Got,a admit sometimes I,m tempted to leave me jacket off or wear a light weight instead,BUT Nah,I don,t look good in scars.Funny I never envy folks I see riding in shorts ect,Pity em, really :no:

[marty]

i ride my push bike (carbon fibre peugeot...mmmmm)/mountain bike at ridiculous speed (110kmh down the kaimais is my best), wearing feck all.

i ride and jump my bmx bike on the track at up to 50kmh - sometimes in long shorts and tshirts (but admittedley usually fully cammed up)

i sometimes even cross the road without looking properly

when i go running, i don't even look up driveways to check if cars are backing out, and i almost always run in the country, on the road (no footpaths there). once i nearly got run down by a milk tanker, but that's another story

it's simply about minimising the risk. i often go pottering abound town on the RS in boardies and t-shirt. it definately keeps my speed down around town - i wouldn't do it on the open road - bumble bees just hurt too much. i even bought an open face helmet for doing round town jobs. don't forget though i live in a small country town with no traffic lights.......

in contrast, when i went out for a fang the other day, i wore full leather, kevlar gloves etc etc, as i knew i'd be riding fast.

how many of you do a quick trip to the shop and 'forget' to put your seatbelt on?

come on guys and gals. we're all big people, and we ride powerful machines. riding is inherently safe, it's just that mistakes are punished heavily. a bit like flying really, but you don't wear a parachute when you get into an airliner, you weigh up and justify the risk.

wearing shorts and t-shirts on your bike is no different.

[Lou Girardin]

I just got a Dririder mesh jacket for my birthday, it's the dogs nuts for riding in town. It's got elbow and shoulder armour and feels like having air con.
Lou

[jrandom]

we ride powerful machines

Humph.

:o

[Jackrat]

Marty,your right we are big boys an girls,an thats why I take due care.
No I never drive without my seat belt,It,s on before the wagon is started.
We all take our own risks in what ever we do,But riding in shorts an such just strikes me as asking for it.Your choise of course.
Good luck.

[GPz]

i,ve been driving around Tauranga this morning and seen 3-4 youngsters riding step-thrus and the like and they all were wearing shorts etc. While the two young women were nice to look at, i wouldn't like thier chances in an accident. The point is with these young riders (they all looked under 18) is who is teaching them basic safety skills, like wearing protective clothing. They are young so i would assume thier parents know they are riding. If the parents do know, they should be aware as to the risks, and advise their offspring correctly. or else who else will teach them the rights and wrongs. If they are taught and then decide not to wear protective gear then its their own fault.

[Sharkey]

i ride my push bike (carbon fibre peugeot...mmmmm)/mountain bike at ridiculous speed (110kmh down the kaimais is my best), wearing feck all.

Last time I rode a pushbike I almost wet myself because of the lack of PPE. I just felt naked. s a result I now feel sorry for all pushbikers as well as underdressed motorcyclists.

[Nouseforaname]

Me and my mates all have shitty ass scooters that we take to the local bmx track and race them, it's like a 50cc minture version of moto-x :Punk: ... we ride up to the track in shorts and thats all, the last time i rode up i was wearing a WWII german soldiers helmet :shit: ... for some reason i think if im on a lil piece of shit i wont get hurt, but on my road bike i always wear full gear. I dunno, i guess it's just my mentallity. stupid i know.

[Andrew]

Anyone here putting aside sense in favour of comfort?

Dude, do you want to be nick named dumbass? You had your accident in jeans first time round and that was bad enough. If you plan to ride around in shorts you may aswell ride wearing a hawiian shirt, thong and jandals.

Buy yourself some leather pants, and just bear the heat. If you don't you'll only regret it and perhaps you should just ride a push bike instead.

[marty]

If you plan to ride around in shorts you may aswell ride wearing a hawiian shirt, thong and jandals.
and there's something wrong with that?

[Andrew]

If you plan to ride around in shorts you may aswell ride wearing a hawiian shirt, thong and jandals.
and there's something wrong with that?
Think of those who have to scrape up dead bodies from accidents. It must drive those professionals crazy each time they see a biker without adequate protection.

[Sycophant]

Dude, do you want to be nick named dumbass?

I wouldn't even think about it. Like I said, I normally have a moment of "ahh, that must feel nice" followed by "by god he's going to be really screwed if he bails."

I won't even ride without gloves.

As for a pushbike, I've hurt myself enough on them to feel under-dressed when I ride them now.

[marty]

Think of those who have to scrape up dead bodies from accidents. It must drive those professionals crazy each time they see a biker without adequate protection.

ambos maybe. cops probably not.

it's not the grazes that kill - it's the aorta tearing off the heart when the body comes to a sudden stop and the heart is still moving forward that'll do it every time.

[Antallica]

Humph.

:o

Hehe, hey!.. it's more powerful than a push bike ;)

[Hitcher]

There was a great article in the UK Bike magazine earlier this year where they had four bikers -- three guys and a gal -- fanging their bikes round a circuit whilst wearing fewer and fewer garments and noting the lap times. Needless to say the times for full leathers and armour were notably higher than full nude...
:whistle:

[Marmoot]

Gotta follow the Vespa club guys. They almost always wear full suits. Except, they're not leather....................... :whistle:

[SPman]

Full suits gotta be better than Fool suits! :niceone:

[jrandom]

... a gal -- fanging ... full nude...

And you didn't scan the relevant photos for us?

[750Y]

i occasionally ride, gumboots & shorts, on a couple miles ride to the gas station.
btw i don't live in a built up area so the risks are drastically reduced due to their being only 2 side roads on that journey and an average 2 to 3 cars.
a small point is that i trust myself enough to feel confident doing so(& that's not complacency either). but i do worry about learners who can't ride well & don't know the risks cos they are the ones more likely to ass off and graze themselves. ouch!!!!

[Nouseforaname]

OOOO sitting on the bus last night on my way into the city for a few beers.... i spot a brand new Gixxer Thou with a rider wearing shorts and a singlet and his pillion wearing the same..... sneakers, no gloves, nothing. It made me feal sick to the stomach looking at these guys and thinking 'what if'. But hey if thats there choice, fine :disapint:

[diss1dent]

Shit;

I'd never ridden be4 this weekend; and when I went and bought my bike on Sat morning I rode it back with a shirt and shorts. I came to my sences and put a jacket on when I got home (admitidly only a shower proof one) and some thick work pants; but by the sounds of it I better invest in some gear quick smart. Obviously I havn't come off before, but the pain is still vivid of coming off my push bike years ago.

So is a leather jacket and pants the go? Or a suit?
Also I'm wearing my work boots (steel caps) but theres definetly no ankle support there.

I dont know how you guys on the bigger bikes can actually wear just shorts and a shirt. I went up the motorway yesterday and all but 2 buttons on my shirt un-did and my shorts blew right up my legs; thats why I came home and put the better stuff on.

[bluninja]

Wow! Not really the best way to start, glad nothing happened on your ride home. At a minimum, properly fitting helmet, motorbike gloves, stout boots with ankle protection, plus pants and jacket designed to protect you in a spill, (as opposed to jeans and a fleece). I'd also highly recommend a back protector.

[Slingshot]

As a side thought, does anyone know where you can buy Kevlar material like the stuff used in Draggin Jeans? I normally ride in jeans but I prefer my Levis to the Draggin jeans, I figure if I could get the kevlar I could have it sitched into my Levis.
Ideas anyone?