Protective clothing?

[Breed777]

How often do you wear your protective gear? everytime you ride? sometimes in jeans and a non-protective jacket etc?

[tommygun]

Draggins for short trips and Padded textile for the longer ones, on the legs. Almost always got the Jacket on.

[yod]

Draggins for short trips and Padded textile for the longer ones, on the legs. Almost always got the Jacket on.

+1

Draggins for work
Cordura pants for longer rides
Jacket always

[Breed777]

I just got some cordura pants, Im on 5'5" so have short legs, so the knee pads are more where my shins are. is this a major problem? should I return them?

[Riding LockedDown]

I would mate, your knees are going to be very vulnerable in a crash... A life without knees... hmmmmmmmmm difficult. :cool:

[sil3nt]

Well yes because they aren't going to protect you are they? This is why you need to go in to stores rather than buy online.

I always wear a jacket although only ride in jeans at the moment.

[MyGSXF]

I just got some cordura pants, Im on 5'5" so have short legs, so the knee pads are more where my shins are. is this a major problem? should I return them?

If the rest of the pants are a comfortable fit.. just take them to a clothing repair place & get them to sew the knee pads 'pocket' higher up in the lining, so they sit on your knees. :niceone:

[Breed777]

Just got an email back from them....

'The knee armour is meant to sit just below your knees so it sounds like it is sitting in the right place.'

You guys say it should cover the knee?

[sil3nt]

Where does it sit when you are sitting on the bike? And how far below the knee are you talking?

[Breed777]

when I walk around in them, definately below the knee. When I sit on the bike, they cover my knees well. Im more worried about where will they be when I hit the ground?

[sil3nt]

Im guessing if they cover the knees when you are on the bike they will cover them when you come off as there will be no time for them to move around.

[Breed777]

unless i have some sort of slow motion Matrix type crash :)

How much protection are jeans.... I have ridden a few times with jeans on, they are comfortable round town (50km) only, do they provide any protection at all, or am i asking for trouble?

I use a Jacket everytime, but Jeans are really comfortable....your thoughts?

[sil3nt]

Jeans offer no protection they will last less than a second against the road. Although that has never really worried me i know whats going to happen and i take the risk.

[Slyer]

That is right, the armor protects your shins as much as your knees. The armor usually doesn't fit that well when standing.

[steelestring]

Always use protection when I ride even if its just a quick one... before you know it you have pink eye an itchy crouch and you are pissing razor blades... Not that I would know this of course:whistle:

[steelestring]

I ride in jeans around town.... but I see some draggin's for this purpose coming up soon. If I am heading out on a ride its everything or I dont go. I wear a back protector aswell.... because you just never know!

[Maha]

I removed the elbow armour from my jacket ages ago, it was a pain in the........well elbows, irritating?
The shoulder bits need pushing up into place from time to time, I like the David Byrne look!...:cool:
The knee bits? yeah they get puhed back up every now and then also, mainly the right knee...odd!
But to answer the question...yes all the time.

[TOTO]

Here is your poll :


"How alive do you wanna be for the rest of your life ?"

a) Alive all the time

b) Sometimes I prefer a quick death

c) I would really like to crush or grind my knees off so I can never walk again.


d) Life is for pussies. I wanna die like a real man.

[Brett]

when I walk around in them, definately below the knee. When I sit on the bike, they cover my knees well. Im more worried about where will they be when I hit the ground?

Think about the physics of a crash vs your knees...If your leg is straight, your knee is not going to take the brunt of the energy when you hit the deck. It is when your leg is BENT that your knee is going to make contact, which is most of the time...SOOOO when your knee is bent, your pad is sitting in the right spot which means that if you hit the deck with your knee the pad will do its job.

[Breed777]

good point mate, thanks

[Dean]

Great poll Breed777, i wear all the gear i can when i ride, AGATT - this means all gear all the time. As TOTO's poll explains, wearing casual or no gear both have bad outcomes in a crash.
Ride safe.

[Duke girl]

I dont feel safe nor comfortable on my bike unless I am fully protected in the appropiate gear whatever the distance travelled.
Some accidents can happen close to home so it always pays to wear the right gear that will give you the best chance of not losing skin and doing yourself alot of damage when coming off your bike.
Its the same with driving a car and wearing a seat belt, just doesn't feel right sitting in a car without your seat belt on.

[allycatz]

Only on scooter at the moment ...bike jacket, helmet , gloves and harley boots. Always long pants tho not bike ones. Me mates think im over the top but who cares

[Thani-B]

I rode for almost a year without proper pants, only wore jeans. Just after New Years I went and bought myself some proper armoured pants (ixon angelics) and now feel a lot safer when I ride. Its a good investment, Im glad I have some protection now for if/when I come off

[Thani-B]

Oh and I always wear jacket, helmet, gloves, boots as well as my new pants.

[Weaver]

I just got some cordura pants, Im on 5'5" so have short legs, so the knee pads are more where my shins are. is this a major problem? should I return them?

Get leathers. They are tighter fitting and hold the armour in the correct place.
I always wear leathers and a back protector.

[TOTO]

Think about the physics of a crash vs your knees...If your leg is straight, your knee is not going to take the brunt of the energy when you hit the deck. It is when your leg is BENT that your knee is going to make contact, which is most of the time...SOOOO when your knee is bent, your pad is sitting in the right spot which means that if you hit the deck with your knee the pad will do its job.

exactly what you have described has happened to me with my armoured kevlar jeans and armour did its job perfectly.

good explanation.

[Whynot]

Here is your poll :


"How alive do you wanna be for the rest of your life ?"

a) Alive all the time

b) Sometimes I prefer a quick death

c) Sometimes I just prefer to be paralised for life

d) Life is for pussies. I wanna die like a real man.


Could you please explain to me how wearing armoured textile and/or leather pants is going to protect your spine in an accident?

[TOTO]

Could you please explain to me how wearing armoured textile and/or leather pants is going to protect your spine in an accident?

Oh my bad. I will change option c) to: I wiould really like to crush or grind my knees off so I can never walk again.

[Whynot]

Oh my bad. I will change option c) to: I wiould really like to crush or grind my knees off so I can never walk again.


you might want to change the rest as well ....
people die wearing all the gear and i would also not class a jacket as a "life saving" piece of gear.

[TOTO]

you might want to change the rest as well ....
people die wearing all the gear and i would also not class a jacket as a "life saving" piece of gear.



By that logic why dont we start all riding naked then ?

Edit: Why the hell bother wearing helmet too ? people die even wearing one. Whats the point ay ?

[Whynot]

By that logic why dont we start all riding naked then ?

Edit: Why the hell bother wearing helmet too ? people die even wearing one. Whats the point ay ?

The gear is to save your skin, not your life.

If you want to live, don't crash.

[SMOKEU]

Bikes are like sluts; always wear protection.

[Whynot]

Why the hell bother wearing helmet too ? people die even wearing one. Whats the point ay ?

keep the bugs out of your teeth :cool:

[Big Zappa]

Always wear my jacket, gloves, boots and helmet. On hot days/around town/days out/nights out I wear my kevlar jeans. On long trips, and especially anything on the motorway I wear my leather or cordura pants.

[naphazoline]

I read in a thread a while back,that people who wear full race leathers on the road look like dicks.
Well if there were any better protection,racers would be wearing it.

Some people tend to forget,that it's not about how cool you look,but how protective your clothing is.I know what i'd rather be wearing in an off.


I wear my Teknic Chicane 2 piece all the time.

[Brett]

I read in a thread a while back,that people who wear full race leathers on the road look like dicks.
Well if there were any better protection,racers would be wearing it.

Some people tend to forget,that it's not about how cool you look,but how protective your clothing is.I know what i'd rather be wearing in an off.


I wear my Teknic Chicane 2 piece all the time.

Not to mention that race style leathers whether one or two piece offer less wind resitance...like a lot less. PLus, I dont htink they make you look like a dick at all...I mean you aren't going to wear them to a tea party are you?

It IS worth backing up the point that you can wear every piece of top of the line safety gear around and if you land in a bad way or have a particlularly rough crash, then you will just as easily die. It is one of the risks we take.
That said, good gear can also save you from bad injury or death in a crash. Crashes are like russian roulette, you can die from crashes you should have walked away from and you can walkaway from crashes that should have killed you. The main differing factor is the 'luck' involved. The only way to guarantee your survival is to NOT CRASH.

[crash harry]

Jacket @ draggins on the road. On-piece on the track (and it's already earned it's weight in gold...)

I crash like it's going out of style and I've never lost more than about a 1 inch square of skin. Actually my biggest injuries happened when I was wearing the 1-piece (though that may have had something to do with the speed of impact...:whistle:)

[crash harry]

keep the bugs out of your teeth :cool:

Whatever. You wear more gear than I do. :Pokey:
And I fall off heaps more than you.
That is because I have minimal skills and a small brain though.

[Whynot]

Whatever. You wear more gear than I do. :Pokey:
And I fall off heaps more than you.
That is because I have minimal skills and a small brain though.

Thats because its cold over here ...
and yes you do have a small brain.

[Hiflyer]

this is a hard poll to answer i usually 90% of the time wear leather jacket leather gloves and awesome boots but jeans also, not so protective jeans wise. . . . . . wheres ur option :P haha i try to be as safe as i can!!!!

[Cheshire Cat]

Oh my bad. I will change option c) to: I wiould really like to crush or grind my knees off so I can never walk again.


gee...some one's got their angry pants on lately:bash:

[Radar]

I just got some cordura pants, Im on 5'5" so have short legs, so the knee pads are more where my shins are. is this a major problem? should I return them?

Not just knee pads. Invest in some knee/shin guards - even the cheapies at $40 will offer far more protection than knee pads in pants or worse yet - Draggin jeans only.

[Cheshire Cat]

Quasi jacket,boots, helmet and gloves all the time. i wear my leather pants out of town, when its cold:cold: and when its raining.

[merlin]

I just got some cordura pants, Im on 5'5" so have short legs, so the knee pads are more where my shins are. is this a major problem? should I return them?

When I was shopping round for my gear, the shop owners told me that it's normal for the knee amour to sit on your shins...but I didn't want to belive them, as I thought the same as you..."what happens if I come off?"

Anyway, I got myself some rev'it pants, and the knee amour sits perfectly both while standing and sitting on my bike.

I wear full gear, always. I think: "what would I want to be wearing if I came off?" Also, depending on the weather, I'll wear the gear with or without the liners etc. (Shark s800, rev'it jacket and pants, Gaerne boots, and some comfortable quality leather gloves)

[dblancer]

The Boots are sometimes just my waterproof hiking boots and Jeans are usually the go, Unless I KNOW Im going out of town then I wont hesitate to wear the dri-rider pants.

I admit jeans wise I want to buy some Draggin Jeans or some similar type ones.

I shudder when I see a guy not wearing a good Jacket or no gloves.

I looked up de-gloving ( medical term) on google and I ALWAYS wear my gloves now.

[Cloggy]

I started the same as many newbies I guess.
Went out and bought a good jacket, helmet and gloves and rode like that for a year wearing just jeans and steel capped work shoes below.
But over time and reading the sobering reports on here about what can happen in a mishap I am on a path for more protection. So I have recently purchased proper riding pants and boots.
I feel so much better protected with these two additions.
Only once did I ride in shorts during the height of summer. I will not do it again. I felt very vunerable. Similar with gloves. For a while there I used to wear fingerless leather gloves but then saw some of those de-gloving pics and have not worn them since.
Better gloves with some hard shells are next on the shopping list (currently wearing soft all leather Strada's, maybe followed by a big brand name helmet if these offer better protection (currently using a Zeuss).

[portokiwi]

I allways wear my leather jacket gloves and boots, but my pants mainly for longer trips:Oops:

[sunhuntin]

Jeans offer no protection they will last less than a second against the road. Although that has never really worried me i know whats going to happen and i take the risk.

same. i have come off wearing thin jeans, and ended up with a large patch of scar tissue on my lower leg. however, that doesnt stop me wearing them when riding, and that includes around town and out of town.
i almost always wear my good jacket, and usually only wear my waterproof pants if its cold or wet. in the summer though, i will often ride in tshirt and shorts.