Yes we have all heard many good reasons to wear all your gear all the time, but....... I just went for a 15 minute ride in the beautiful sunshine to go to the bank and asked myself the usual question (shall I suit up?) This question has seen me repeatedly answer myself with "stuff it, it's too damn hot, i'll take the car with its air con". Sad but true, I can't stand the heat. Today I went for my ride in shorts, short sleeve cotton shirt and thongs. Man it was so cool (in two ways)... I lurved riding with FA on and will sooner do it again than miss out on rides because it's too hot. What do you guys do when faced with the same problem.. or are you comfortable with the heat?
im with you....best ride i had was down 90mile beach...no helmet no jacket.....fantastic.............i think you ride differently when you know your not covered....so all good to me
It's a fair question, and one that we all face particularly at this time of year. I haven't had a motorcycle accident for twenty-five years, so I could've been enjoying the feel of the wind in my remaining hair all this time, with little benefit from my helmet apart from keeping the bugs out of my teeth . . . seriously though, I bought a vented mesh jacket last summer and found that it made a huge difference to my comfort levels. I also have a pair of vented boots which are also a real asset. To be honest, it gives me the heebee jeebees to see people riding around town wearing a helmet, tee-shirts, shorts and jandals. Seems to be trendy to do this particularly on scooters. Perhaps unrelated, I have often been inclined to drive around Pukekohe township in the car without my seatbelt on, since the speeds are usually low and I reasoned that the risk was low. About eight months ago, I was leaving town one evening to come home after work. I was in a 70kph speed zone on a wet road when some dopey clown drove though a compulsory stop sign in front of me. The roads were wet and my non-ABS car slid straight into his R/F corner at 70. The length of my car was a metre shorter than normal. The assessor who saw it a few days later commented that he'd seen people die in cars that looked better than mine, but because I'd been wearing my seatbelt, I didn't have a scratch. So, getting away without consequences no longer justifies cutting corners any more for me. Plus, I'm probably just a little more aware of my mortallity these days . . . .
I hear you Nick, I too have vented jacket and boots but I think I will start to ride naked more often (particularly those little 5 or 10 minute trips) as I can't rationalise spending 15 minutes to dig out jeans and socks then put all the gear on for a 10 minute trip...... Particularly when it's stinking hot and you spend more time standing around cooking with ATG than time spent riding. Just did it again (this time on Baz to the bakery) and it was ggggreat. I hadn't realised how much of the sense of freedom I was losing with the ATGATT ritual. True story. ATGATT removes a large chunk of the motorcycle riding experience. Yes it is a risk and no I don't want skin grafts etc, but from now on I will only use ATG when the ride is longer than the time it takes to put all my gear on (long pants, socks, knee pads and boots being the problem)
Besides the skin grafts, wasps and bees just love bare skin. They get rather nasty when you swot them at town speeds too. I love riding naked too, but it's just not on if your going to the bakers. Seriously though, I ride in nothing less than jeans, light weight jacket and light boots in summer. Sure it's hotter than shorts and thongs, but for me it's not worth the risk. For shorter trips, I simply take the air conditioned cage.
Dieseldick - Today 13:01 I love riding naked too, but it's just not on if your going to the bakers. Yes there are disadvantages. I was reminded what it feels like when pressing bare flesh against a hot exhaust. Next time I will wear undies to keep the loose bits above the seat. I was allways wary of chain drive bikes for similar reasons. I've seen what happens to the end of them when they get caught in a zipper. Hate to have it caught in a bike chain. Mind you, the up side is that I will have even more fun rubbing the burn cream on.
do you have one of those under seat exhausts croc??
Damn fine idea there cmoore. I feel another project coming on. Oh! Nah.............. It's just the burn cream
Seriously though, I ride in nothing less than jeans, light weight jacket and light boots in summer. Sure it's hotter than shorts and thongs, but for me it's not worth the risk. Dittto - after seeing someones feet after coming off wearing jandals still makes me feel squimish! And isnt a thong a term for underwear or auzzie for the famous kiwi jandel?
'Jandels' sounds gay and they were invented by a frenchman named Phillipe Phillope
Never without the full gear, not even down the road to the dairy. Hot? Yes, but my portable sauna suit keeps me slim as well as safe.
your down the road to the dairy is a 25k round trip.....
While I am not a ATGATT zealot, I wont ride without at least jeans, gloves, boots and leather jacket. After my little man vs wild episode in the 'Bay a while back I was surprised at the state of my gear. The gloves and helmet were knackered and the jacket wasnt much better. On the plus side it is not hot for very long here........
I pretty much wear gear all the time. once when I was young and stupid rode mates bike back to his place to get cage, on the way kid ran out on to road chasing ball , short story dumped bike on road NO GLOVES took skin off both hands back to just below elbows, three months to come right.. one good part nurse at AE thought I was a hero!!!!
Recent tests have shown that a brand new pair of jeans last .4 of a second when in contact with the road, less the more times they have been washed. Mate had a crash in jeans and he was picking bits of material out of his scabs for weeks, he reconed you may as well wear shorts. As for relaxing the gear for short local rides.. that statistic about high % of accidents happening within 5km of the home probably has some relevance
