Your thoughts on riding gear??

[Chaos83]

Hi KBrs =)

re: Please tell of experiences with indicidents with/without gear being worn. Could you give me advice on the gear I wear taking in to consideration my circumstances?

I have been riding for 4 years now. Since I started, I have never gone out without my: full faced helmet; leather jacket (TZ1); leather gloves; a pair of jeans (nothing special); and some closed footwear, but sometimes it is only a pair of sneakers.

Never owned a cage, so I use the bike to get around. My riding style is: mostly within speed limit but sometimes slightly more; some weaving and lane-splitting; a fair amount of overtaking. I ride about 130km per week around Hamilton.

Since I commute by bike, I have avoided getting armoured pants and boots - it would mean wearing those items to uni, to work, to shops, etc and it also means $$$. However, I like having a full functional body and sometimes when I ride I think to myself, "am I wearing enough".

I was hoping some more experienced riders could share their experiences with and without proper gear being worn. Could you give me advice on what I wear for my lower body?

Cheers

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[Maha]

Sneakers?....no..:gob:
If you cant afford leather pants, jeans will have to do but if you can afford leather pants, then go get some!...skin protection is paramount and im not talking SPF 30....go see Quasi , he is in your neck of the woods...:yes:

[Grahameeboy]

Or if you are thick skinned like Kittyhawk, you just wear leg warmers:gob:

[sAsLEX]

I would def get a pair of decent leather boots to cover your ankles as they often get trapped under the bike!

I wore John Bull combat boots to uni for years comfy as, dont give two flying fucks what people thought

[Phurrball]

IMHO boots are absolutely essential. Feet are intricate instruments.

After my wee bin recently, and the torn leather on the back of my right boot (!!!) and the damage my shin sustained even through a substantial riding boot - I'd never ride without boots. (And didn't and won't ride without boots)

I hear you re getting around with gear - but what price do you put on your skin? (Lockers are damn handy for the gear, and boots aren't too bad to walk about in on odd errands)

[blacksheep]

get yourself some draggin jeans,normal jeans will give you about 1 second of protection before skin contact:shit: definately get some ankle pro,the kms you do you should look at it as an investment to keeping yourself safe and healthy,cos if you haven't got your health wot have you got:sunny:

[Grahameeboy]

It's not just skin...knee joints etc need protection.

I only wear jeans if popping down the road.....to work and some rides I wear a two piece because it is more practical and on coro type rides I wear my 1 piece which has armour galore including shin armour so with my spidi's I have xtra shin protection.

Boots are a must if you are gonna spend some money now as you you seem to have a decent jacket, gloves and helmet.

Motomail do some good leather trouser with armour.

I remember when all we had was leather gear with xtra leather / foam on joint areas............we thought we were well protected then or was that well'ard

[Nasty]

Boots and good riding pants are essential. My sister had a major accident which included fatatlities and she was badly damaged wearing jeans etc, but she was wearing boots which basically saved her ankle (it broke but was able to be reset to heal) ...

I wear at least draggin jeans .. which offer what i think is the minimum protection. And have codura now as the weather closes in - I have a thing about not being wet at work.

[James Deuce]

If you want boots you can walk around in all day, StylMartin do an ankle high boot that is waterproof and has good ankle protection. Obviously no shin protection.

It is called the "City" and retails for around $220 and are very comfortable. I'm about to order my second pair as I muntered my current pair test riding an Aprilia Pegaso. That comfy walking sole wears away fast.

[sAsLEX]

oh and if your wearing jeans you can get knee armour to slip underneath that you can take off on arrival and hide in a locker, or leave on in case you get in a pub brawl....

[KoroJ]

I agree with the other replies, you need to wear some protection.

You can get boots that are comfortable to walk in and could wear all day without a problem, and cordura pants can be slipped on over your jeans and taken off on arrival.

They're a little bit bulky to carry, but better that than not being able to sit or walk for a week or two. I am sure you would only have to see one accident to be convinced to wear them.

[Chisanga]

All I can do is confirm what has all ready been said; the two times i've come off, my boots have taken a decent whack and scuffing up... the boots cost me about $400 but worth every penny and are still in a wearable condition now. I shudder to think what may have happened if I was wearing sneakers.

[TerminalAddict]

I've been known to wear jeans and doc martins while commuting

[Henk]

Ditto on the docs and Jeans.
Docs are ok, I've crashed in them a couple of times, with Levis the rivets get really hot and leave little round scars once the burns heal. Not recommended.

[quallman1234]

Boots and good riding pants are essential. My sister had a major accident which included fatatlities and she was badly damaged wearing jeans etc, but she was wearing boots which basically saved her ankle (it broke but was able to be reset to heal) ...

I wear at least draggin jeans .. which offer what i think is the minimum protection. And have codura now as the weather closes in - I have a thing about not being wet at work.
Agreed Jeans are useless.

[James Deuce]

Agreed Jeans are useless.
Especially your raggedy-arse ones.

[Mr Merde]

I have had a few accidents in my time.

Early on I wore very little for protection, not even a helmet. I have lots of scars to show for it.

Moved up to leathers a long while ago.

First jacket was a cheap version and resulted in skin and flesh ground off my fore arm.

Now wear a good quality jacket. Binned at 80kph and came down on my right shoulder. Jacket scuffed but no damage to flesh or skin.

Always wear boots now. Sopport for ankle.

I wear jeans and trou a lot but always feel alot safer in leather trou.

Gloves are a must for me. Easy to damage fingers and hands.

Ear plugs. Save the hearing. Noise in a cheaper full face can hit 110+ decibels.

All I can offer is that you buy the best gear you can afford. Bikes can be repaired or replaced. Body parts never.

[Chaos83]

Listening to everyone's posts... it makes it even harder to ignore the facts. Especially when there is a single message: save $$$ now and pay later in skin, or pay $$$ now and save later in skin.

Someone, after viewing this thread, has generously offered a pair of their old boots. They need a tad bit of repairing but are pretty much my size. I picked them up today. It's what I need until I can afford my own (could be a while!)thanks to the generous RTCL :rockon:.

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[dogsnbikes]

Like eveybody has said you need protection and well done to the member that has offered you boots ......

I have a scar on my knee from my younger days and spent 6 months popping stones out of my knee........

when a I had a crash with leather on it wasnt apparent that I had a broken arm and dislocated knee until my leathers came off at the hospital that was 17 years ago

and last week I just brought a new set of leathers they speak for themselfs and saftey gear on a bike is all we have for protection:Punk:

[ynot slow]

i allways wear my gloves,if just shooting out i'll wear jeans,slipon boots,to work all the gear on,including proper boots.i got mine from franklin imports,about $179.00,not to flash but weatherproof with velcro and zips,comfy to wear at work(on feet mostly).when i bought my gear at anza palmy great guys,no probs with helmet,pants had couple of try ons,also found perfect pair length wise and was told help yourself to a bike similar to see if they are comfy whilst sitting(good idea),jacket was same make as pants coinsidence,but gloves i tried several types,ignoring price as much as possible and chose spidi pair,were about $135 before discount,end of the day i figured hands need best protection so went with comfort,fit,style(not bulky)then price,could've bought cheaper but as i didn't think any fitted as well left em there.

[BarBender]

I have been riding for 4 years now. Since I started, I have never gone out without my: full faced helmet; leather jacket (TZ1); leather gloves; a pair of jeans (nothing special); and some closed footwear, but sometimes it is only a pair of sneakers.

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Its going to get cold soon.
Thermals will keep you warm whilst allowing you to wear what you already have.

Not sure what your current coin situation but if you're ok then you best get some quality two piece rain gear. Otherwise if you're living in the red then buy a one piece rain suit. Easy to carry around and will keep you relatively dry. Waterproof gloves or/and woolly gloves to wear under your leather ones are a wise investment also.

As with the others - get some protection for your legs and feet.
Believe us - you dont want to go through the experience of not having had the right gear to have realised that your should have.

[sAsLEX]

Its going to get cold soon.
Thermals will keep you warm whilst allowing you to wear what you already have.

Not sure what your current coin situation but if you're ok then you best get some quality two piece rain gear. Otherwise if you're living in the red then buy a one piece rain suit. Easy to carry around and will keep you relatively dry. Waterproof gloves or/and woolly gloves to wear under your leather ones are a wise investment also.

As with the others - get some protection for your legs and feet.
Believe us - you dont want to go through the experience of not having had the right gear to have realised that your should have.

pfft waste of money http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=43679&d=1160428373

custom jacket over the seat there, water and wind proof and less than a dollar and scrunches up to fit under the seat.

And a pair of surgical gloves under normal gloves keeps your hands warm and dry.

[BarBender]

Nice.:laugh:
Surprised you're using surgical gloves.
You could have continued the theme with custom fitting Gladwrap mittens.

[beyond]

When I was a teenager :rolleyes: I had plenty of nasty accidents. Suprisingly I survived with some injuries but not to bad considering that I rode with a car racing helmet, plastic Line Seven jacket, gloves and motorcycle boots. However, the boots did save my feet in two accidents.

Now, in this modern day and age, there is all sorts of gear and no excuse not to have decent protection to fit most budgets. I have learnt that you get what you pay for and it's best to buy the best you can afford cos you only have one life.

Jeans? :( Sneakers? :( Around 60-70% of accidents happen within five kilometres of home. Thats a trip to the burger bar, the corner diary, lotto shop and that's when you are likely NOT to put all your clobber on.

Some cold hard facts. Every second you slide down the road you lose 5mm of skin muscle and tissue. If you haven't got 5mm of meat such as on your knees, ankles etc, you start losing bone.

If you hit something solid without armour, it's the kneecaps, the ankle bones and shins that get munched. Why be a cripple for life if most times you can prevent it?

Recently I came off my bike at around 100kmh, didn't hit anything solid thankfully but slid along way. My leather suit is good to go again, not a mark on me. Twisted my wrist and broke my ankle. Had real good boots but the weight of the bike coming down hard on my ankle broke it. Without boots.....? :(

I will NOT ride anywhere without all my gear on, even down the road. Good quality boots a MUST! I swear by leather for full proterction to the soft bod.

DO NOT JUST WEAR JEANS! Get draggins or kevlar pants of some type if you do not want to wear leather and wear armour add ons. Try running along the road even in Kevlar jeans, jump up in the air and come down on your kneecaps. If you can walk after that congrats but I bet you willbe out of action for 6-8 weeks. You hit the ground a hell of a lot harder when you come of your bike and without armour, the crunchies can get quite bad. :sick:

[Chaos83]

When I was a teenager :rolleyes: I had plenty of nasty accidents. Suprisingly I survived with some injuries but not to bad considering that I rode with a car racing helmet, plastic Line Seven jacket, gloves and motorcycle boots. However, the boots did save my feet in two accidents.

Now, in this modern day and age, there is all sorts of gear and no excuse not to have decent protection to fit most budgets. I have learnt that you get what you pay for and it's best to buy the best you can afford cos you only have one life.

Jeans? :( Sneakers? :( Around 60-70% of accidents happen within five kilometres of home. Thats a trip to the burger bar, the corner diary, lotto shop and that's when you are likely NOT to put all your clobber on.

Some cold hard facts. Every second you slide down the road you lose 5mm of skin muscle and tissue. If you haven't got 5mm of meat such as on your knees, ankles etc, you start losing bone.

If you hit something solid without armour, it's the kneecaps, the ankle bones and shins that get munched. Why be a cripple for life if most times you can prevent it?

Recently I came off my bike at around 100kmh, didn't hit anything solid thankfully but slid along way. My leather suit is good to go again, not a mark on me. Twisted my wrist and broke my ankle. Had real good boots but the weight of the bike coming down hard on my ankle broke it. Without boots.....? :(

I will NOT ride anywhere without all my gear on, even down the road. Good quality boots a MUST! I swear by leather for full proterction to the soft bod.

DO NOT JUST WEAR JEANS! Get draggins or kevlar pants of some type if you do not want to wear leather and wear armour add ons. Try running along the road even in Kevlar jeans, jump up in the air and come down on your kneecaps. If you can walk after that congrats but I bet you willbe out of action for 6-8 weeks. You hit the ground a hell of a lot harder when you come of your bike and without armour, the crunchies can get quite bad. :sick:

:shit: :shit: :shit: :shit:
Thank you for shock-horror nudge. I'll be making sure I get better protection within the next couple of pays. Damn... I really wanna keep my knee caps for a long time. I really wanna keep my skin and bones on/in my body.. not scraped along a cold road.

[beyond]

Good on ya mate :)

Sorry about the shock treatment but sometimes we all need to consider the cold hard facts or we can get a little complacent.

It's tough enough out there with all the cagers trying to take us out and the gravel on corners, potholes, diesel and oil spills, wet paint markings, greasy tar..........

You can be the best rider in the world but have no control over others. Always be prepared for the worst without being morbid and obsessed by it.

Dress for the slide, not the ride :)

[avgas]

While riding into uni, i had a small incident (i was doing 30ks) where a car hit me.
I was wearing a cheap $150 jacket with armour, My Shoei, my favourite jeans, some nike's.
My shin was the weakest point in the whole thing (everything got hit atleast once), and due to that i got my tibia (shinbone) blasted.
32 fractures/4 complete breaks in the area smaller than most palms.
at the end of the day it was my fault for not wearing at least boots/better pants.
While it would have stopped the break it would have minimised it.
Either ride perfectly or wear the right gear. Smart people do both

[sunhuntin]

ive only had one major off. i was wearing:

open faced lid [the brand escapes me] sunglasses. singlet top, jeans, cowboy boots.

i hit the front bumper of the car that pulled out, sailed in the air and rolled a few times, hit ground and rolled some more. got up and walked to the side of the road.
i dont think i hit my head, as i had no headache or recollection of such. my upper body received two small knicks in my thumb. my lower body was worse. my jeans were shredded over the lower left leg. that area is now numb. my right knee is stuffed. both knees cause pain when crunched up for too long [ie, kneeling]

i still have the jeans [mum sewed up the rips] and have replaced the helmet. still got the boots. have lost the glasses [which were fine. pop the lens back in and good as new!]

considering the damage to the bike, i got lucky. the tank had a dent in it the shape of my knee. bars were bent, indicators broken, mirrors broken, front fender was jammed into the tyre. like the frame was shot as well.

even after that, when the weathers nice, i still ride like that... only its often in sneakers. i enjoy the feeling. when i get the money, ill be getting one of those half helmets recently introduced here.

[Grub]

A pair of surgical gloves under normal gloves keeps your hands warm and dry.

Interesting idea ... must try that

[quallman1234]

Especially your raggedy-arse ones.

Keyword - Arse
Eh Jim ;).

[Chisanga]

And a pair of surgical gloves under normal gloves keeps your hands warm and dry.

And leaves you prepared for the occasional "Roadside Inspection" :rofl:

[alexthekidd]

Now realised how vitally important it is that i get some boots as soon as i can

[dman]

Was already planning to get all the stuff, boots etc... but always good to get the point re-enforced! I would like to be able to keep on running....

[Indiana_Jones]

I got my pants for $190 and my boots for $200

Not too expensive, and they paid for themselves after I got knocked over by that drunk driver.

-Indy

[The Pastor]

Gear is a waste of money, I bought dragon jeans that ripped straight away at 30km/r not the claimed 200km/hr.

Next.

[Roj]

Gear is a waste of money, I bought dragon jeans that ripped straight away at 30km/r not the claimed 200km/hr.

Next.


Have to disagree that gear is a waste of money, my lady got knocked of her bike by an unlicensed driver in an unregisterd car(thats another story)

She had good gear on and did not get any gravel rash, still had a lot of injuries but it wasn't until they were cutting her gear off that they discovered just how bad they were, the gear was holding together some very badly broken bones, the scrapes on the helmet were very deep, but not even her glasses were broken...

It is thanks to having good gear on that she is still with me.:scooter:

[howdamnhard]

Check out Big Dog's link at http://www.ride2die.com if you need any convincing as to why you should wear descent gear.:dodge:

[FkNAmerican]

Excluding the MSF course I took before getting my license (where I had on a bunch of borrowed gear) I've never been out without my:

full face helmet, alpinestars gloves, kevlar lined jacket with removable plates for the elbows, shoulders, and back, kevlar lined jeans (kevlar in the knees), boots with ankle protection, etc...........

I have low sided in all this kit and been damn glad I had it on. I low sided at about 35-40 miles per hour after coming around a bend too fast and almost running into an unexpected road hazard (pile of wood/logs that had fallen out the back of a truck or something and pretty much covered the entire lane with debris). In a panic I grabbed too much front break too early and just low sided.

Injuries = NONE. Zero road rash. No broken bones. I didnt even really get bruised up. I was right up on my feet in one motion (ounce I stopped) ready to get out of the way of following traffic and rescue my bike. I attribute most of that to my ninja like ability to fall properly however :)
Damage to my bike was mostly cosmetic. Luckily it didnt tumble and just slid down the road. The rest I fixed myself on the side of the road.

Lesson: NEVER go riding without your gear. In Christchurch the weather was almost always perfect in the summer (to my tastes anyway). I cant see how anybody in that area of NZ would ride without their gear. It never really gets hot enough there in the summer to warrant not wearing gear.. Where I live temps can top 100 degrees fairly often in the summer so it can be a real struggle to wear all that gear.

Im contantly amazed when I see people riding around during the summer in running shoes, a T-shirt, and shorts....no gloves....only a full face helmet. I can understand that it just gets so damn hot but the second they fall......ugh I cant even imagine the road rash....or worse. You just gotta ask yourself : Am I willing to risk permanent scarring and/or injury so I can be nice and cool all the time??

The biggest idiots are the cruiser types on thier Triumphs and Harley's........I cant think of a single one I've ever seen with a full face helmet on over here in the US. Dont know what its like in NZ but the Harley guys over here wouldnt ever dream of wearing a full face helmet. Those are for us crotch rocket guys apparently. Harley guys being style conscious!!! Ha, who'd have ever figured that!! To me, a non full face helmet is just a bucket for your brains to get mopped up into after the accident.

Simply put, suck it up and wear your gear. I've bascially accepted being hot all the time in the summer and arriving everywhere just a little bit sweaty in places. Hey, thats what air con in every building is for right!!!!

[FkNAmerican]

In fact, after reading my own post and doing a little thinking.....I prolly should upgrade from kevlar lined jeans to something with a bit more protection.......and I HATE leather pants. Now Im gonna have to eat my own words hehe.

[90s]

Always (except on scooter in Rarotonga, just shorts and sandals - hey everyone was doing it ... ) wear min. of gloves, jacket and big boots (currently fox pro formas). Boots take care of ankles and shins, but knees still weak point for commuting. Should wear armour for knees really.
Boots must though - my uncle on his BMW remembers falling off his bike at the hospital entrance. An artic wheel had removed his foot in trainers, although he had no recollection of it. Good boots would have saved his foot.
As a teen I once came home from a sports practice in my shorts. A golf GTi wrote me off and I still have some nice marks up my leg to remind me almost 20 yrs on - very nice. (my AGV split in 2 that time, and although I had concussion can you imagine if I hadn't had a decent lid on?)

[TygerTung]

You're an idiot if you don't wear gear:scooter:

I wouldn't recomend wearing jeans and a jacket, if I could only have one I'd do proper pants and no jacket, because most of your injuries will happen to your legs.

I've had 5 crashes and 4 out of those 5 crashes it was me always sliding down the road on my arse/legs The other time was a highside so I landed on my sholder which, because I could only afford an old style leather jacket which had no armor got a bit hurt, sprained the rotator cuff. Funny thing was it hurt too much to drive a car, but I could still ride a bike sweet as!

Always wear gear, it's just not worth it. Some people think they might look cool or glamorous wearing a singlet or an openface or whatever, but to me and most other bikers, people etc they look like idiots.