Concern over poor protective clothing

**kiwistorm** · 28th August 2003, 12:58

On my way to work this morning, every bike I saw on and off the motorway was wearing nothing that I would consider as protective clothing. Two bikes in particular, splitting lanes on the motorway in the wet with dress pants, dress shoes and a wind breaker on. One of the helmets was a 1980's Bell while the bike was almost new!

Short of posting disturbing pictures of what happens to people wearing a rain coat, sneakers and an old helmet. I would just like to urge any KB rider, perhaps the newer riders more so, to not take the lazy or cheap route when it comes to what you wear on a bike.

Personal experience alone makes me cringe when I see it.
I am far from suggesting that everyone go out and buy armoured leather race suits with back protectors but investing a little will go a long way to saving you a lot of pain and or even death.
Perversely the main offenders appear to be people who commute on motorcycles and they are the ones that would need it most.

**Antallica** · 28th August 2003, 13:06

Yeah I usually wear:
FFM helmet (with tints

)
Jacket/Jersey/Top
Gloves from Farmers ($15

)
Jeans
Kevlar Snow Boots ($20 from Shoe bar

look sweet & grip hard)

I'm not safe in any way, but I simply cannot afford anything that's $200 a piece if you know what I'm sayin.

**Antallica** · 28th August 2003, 13:12

Originally posted by kiwistorm
I hear ya, I spent my time when I was younger (actually it was in Whangarei as well!) but interesting that you have a 2001 model bike but no money to spend on protecting yourself?

Not getting on your case but food for thought.

I don't own my bike actually (loan from grandfather) but it was only $2,300

. It's a damn cheap bike, hard to sell too.

**MikeL** · 28th August 2003, 13:33

It's still a valid point. To me the logic is inescapable: Any biker who's had an accident while wearing unsuitable gear will (if he survives and keeps riding) certainly protect himself better in future, because he knows from personal experience what the cost is in pain and suffering. So, since accidents will happen despite our best intentions and superior skills, why wait for bitter experience to teach us a lesson?
I know how tempting it is to skimp on the protective gear. I commute on my bike every day, and in the time it takes me to put on leather pants, plastic overpants, scarf, jacket, boots, earplugs and helmet I could be half way to work. Not to mention the time it takes to change at the office. But without all that I'd feel naked now. And if I came off, I might just as well be.

**duckman** · 28th August 2003, 13:37

I agree with kiwistorm, and would like to add this thought... If you don't have much in the way of cash a cheap ($60) saftely item is a backprotector. If you slide off your bike and scrape yourself up a bit, in time you'll heal and get back on the bike. If you f*ck yer back up, you'll never ride again!!

I have a good friend who was recently paralysed (not bike related), from the chest down. I wish this on no one.

Keep riding - Keep safe (here endith the lesson)

**Antallica** · 28th August 2003, 14:13

Oh yeah I've come off enough times to know that if I was going about 30km faster, I'd be pretty wasted right now

Once the new job settles in I'll invest

**MrMelon** · 28th August 2003, 14:57

I got a reasonably major case of road rash 6 or 7 months ago after lowsiding my mountain bike while racing it down a hill at fairly high speed (for a mountain bike). I was just wearing a t-shirt and shorts, so I ended up with no skin down one side of my arm and leg, and the road burned through my motocross gloves and pants that I was wearing.

So the weekend before I bought my bike I went out and spent about $1400 on a full set of fairly decent gear, because if you stack it, that's all that's going to be saving your ass.

**Big Dog** · 28th August 2003, 15:23

Well purely to amuse the others reading this....

I rode for Months with just a duck hunting jacket ($45) while I lay buyed a $285 jacket (the dealer then gave me a $80 rebate when he found out I didn't just want to wear it for style reasons).

Then came some boots took me another 6 months, in the mean time I wore John bull combat boots (still do at the moment as my Boots wore out and are yet to be replaced) $45

Then came pants. Took me over a year to find some I liked and fit.
and then 6 months to buy them.

So it was that I set out for Auckland from New Plymouth for a 5 day visit. First time ever in three years of riding i had pants, Jacket boots and a high quality helmet.

Crapped it at 35kmph on gravel.

Farked my $350 pants as I slid along bike on the back of my legs on my knees.

Best $1285 I ever spent.

I had ground through 7m of leather but not the armour so although I dislocated both knee caps I can still walk today.
No other injuries for me.

Helmet did not hit the deck but I felt safe.

Jacket was grazed on both elbows, shoe polish fixed that.

Brand new never worn before pants shredded, $15 saw the leather patched and the tailor replaced the armour for nothing.

Boots grazed and sole damaged. $10 sore the sole repaired and shoe polish did the rest.

Grazes heal but some bones don't. Kneecaps, ankles, spines, hips, Skulls or the fleshy bit under it.

You may buy the gear and never crash but you won't regret the added comfort and security it provides.

You may not and never crash anyway. Good on you pass on that skill to others.

You may buy it then crash, Best money you ever spent if you bought quality. Worst money you ever spent if you bought a crap.

Sorry if this sounds like a lecture but I have had accidents at low speed with gear and low speed without and it terrifies me to think some people take that risk at high speed

If you can't afford brand new try second hand places.

**Big Dog** · 28th August 2003, 15:29

Originally posted by kiwistorm
Good on ya Antallica. Hope it wont take too long for ya. Im sure you could get another loan more eaisly to be safe?

Most bike shops will finance gear if you buy $500 or more some will for $300.

Jacket, Pants (or one piece), back protector and boots, should fit into most budgets.

**Firefight** · 28th August 2003, 19:50

Yeah I'm all for heaps of protective gear, I frequently see guys riding on the southern motorway, in mecahnics blue overalls,, and while Iám sure their great riders, I can't help but think what happens if some fu#kwit in a cage knocks them over:argh.

I know it might seem hard to justify the money, but like dog says a lot of places will let you laybye, or you can add gear to the deal if your doing finance

It's worth thinking about.

firefight

**georgedubyabush** · 28th August 2003, 22:00

any opinion on draggin jeans?

is a bit of kevlar stuck on the inside of denim safe at all?

**Big Dog** · 28th August 2003, 22:20

Originally posted by georgedubyabush
any opinion on draggin jeans?

is a bit of kevlar stuck on the inside of denim safe at all?

Only ever heard good reports about slides, practical as hell (going shopping in several shops is a pain in the arse in touring pants), but at the end of the slide - as in my case when I stopped skidding in the above accident it was because I hit a traffic island knee first- there is still no armour. I hear through their website that they now have armour upgrades sold seperatly.

Draggin Jeans

I want some for those days were full touring pants will be a pain in the butt.
Ciao, Big Dog

**NZred** · 28th August 2003, 22:33

Dunnu if Draggin Jeans work or not,.. and hope that I never find out personally. But I wear them every time I ride.. even under wet gear.

Also they keep your knees warm on the cold nights ..

**jrandom** · 29th August 2003, 08:16

Have to chime in here. I was pretty strapped for cash when I bought my bike (from a dealer) but I put $1600 worth of gear on the finance deal (synthetic touring suit with armour, boots, leather gloves, Shoei lid) because I just couldn't justify the risk of not having it.

It feels a *helluva* lot safer riding around with that lot on... I shudder to think of what would happen if I came off at high speed without the jacket and pants (quite apart from the helmet, but wearing that isn't even a choice, anyway).

Matter of fact, I lowsided the bike going round a corner in the rain at about 40kph earlier this year. Had a lovely purple bruise under my hip armour where I hit the ground, but no other damage. If I hadn't been wearing the trousers, I suspect I'd be sitting here now with scar tissue over about half of my right leg.

Don't forget gloves, either... I tripped and fell in the dark during an early morning run a couple of weeks ago. Grated chunks out of both hands on the road when I landed. Was most unpleasant for a couple of days. I can only imagine what the equivalent injury would be like sliding off a bike at any speed over walking pace

**Lou Girardin** · 29th August 2003, 08:36

When I went splat, my Spidi jacket wasn't marked, except for a ripped pocket. Probably did that on the car I bounced off, the CE armour worked really well.
The riding pants weren't too sharp though, they were scuffed up a bit. But there was no hip armour, so I got the mother of all bruises. the next pair will have proper armour in them.
Lou