Safety Clothing

**dpex** · 5th February 2010, 19:50

I was tooling down a long, steep hill last week, doing the obligatory 80Ks, and there was a dude on a ten-speed, right behind me, keeping up.

I stopped into a gas station today, to fill up. There's a 50-something, riding a basic Harley. She's leathered to the nines. I stood behind her, in the queue to check-out and notice sweat pissing down her neck from her head.

Couldn't help myself. Me dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and sand-shoes, with sweat pissing down my neck.

'You're a tougher bod than me. How can you wear leathers on a day like this?'

She replied, 'I want to feel safe.'

That blew me away. She's clearly suffering from hypER thermia, and that makes her feel safe?

And you're all thinking, "get a grip, leathers or similar are essential!'

Are they?

So here's a Q. In the last twelve months how many mad ten-speeders have been killed on the road, compared to motorbycalists. And these ten-speeds wear lycra and a foam hat. And they're often doing speeds near the limit. And they have road grip and braking systems which would put the average motorbike off the road forever.

Then there's this Q, presaged by this comment.

In the stats for the last little while, those bikers ending up dead hit something, extremely hard. Fence. wall, house, on-coming car/truck/bus/mini-van...but.... And here's the big but.... They all died, more or less instantly.

I invite any of you clever-arses to do the math then tell me how an average 79Kg human, hitting a stationary object at better than 50KPH will be saved by their leathers.

Okay, so the more imaginative of you see a front/back-end wash-out. Poom! Down goes the leathered, skidding on his cow-hide.

First scenario. Inside left corner. Coming the other way at the wrong time is a bus. The leathers save the initial ground contact. The bus goes thumpety thump.

Second scenario. Outside right-hander. Back washes out, rider sails over the bank and hits a tree. Tree gets pissed at the assault. Rider is turned to mush inside his leathers.

Third scenario. Biker washes out, skids on various parts of his leathers, hits nothing, isn't run over by a bus, and spends the rest of his/her life preaching about the value of 'protective' clothing.

I say, 'Bullshit!'

Protective clothing, on the road, is the biggest con unhung. It protects ONLY AGAINST the most nominal accident, yet it costs a fortune and spoils your day when it's hot.

Me, when on the road, as opposed to on the track? I've decided to dress for the climate knowing that my ride is way more pleasant and that no amount of leather or flash boots will save me from getting squished under a big yellow bus.

**Mom** · 5th February 2010, 19:57

Originally Posted by dpex

...no amount of leather or flash boots will save me from getting squished under a big yellow bus.

It will however presereve some of your skin which is actually your biggest organ and with out which your chances of survival are nill. Still like you say you will ride cooler. Fingers crossed you dont meet the tarmac and cost us more in ACC levies because you need shit loads of expensive skin grafts and are unable to work for months and months and months.

**duckonin** · 5th February 2010, 20:00

We all belive what we want to belive, stay with your thoughts, leave others with theirs....

**thehovel** · 5th February 2010, 20:07

No amount of body armor will save you from death ( body slamming a tree) but small offs become BIG offs if you loose yards of skin . Also in leathers the body is kept all together so the Police don't have to collect you from all over the road (much cleaner thank you) Regards Richard

**Latte** · 5th February 2010, 20:09

dpex is just stating what level his "compromise" between safety and comfort while road riding is currenty at. With an explanation as to how he's come to that opinion, obviously everyone's risk vs reward ratio is different.

I don't agree with his view, but I won't begrudge him of it. And oh how I hate the river of sweat down my back (and further

)

**JMemonic** · 5th February 2010, 20:12

I guess you could always ride in shorts no shirt and bare feet if you feel that way, but why should I be expected to pay for your skin grafts from your sliding down the road, oh it happens to the lycra louts too, seen it up close and real personal.

**Grumpy** · 5th February 2010, 20:20

Each to their own I 'spose but in today's political climate with all the shit ACC have thrown at us I think this is a topic that deserves some careful thought. Dpex seems to have done that but I would have to disagree with the conclusion. My personlal opinion is if it's too hot for the gear then I don't ride. I've been unfortunate to go down the road and my gear came up trumps. My guess is a few bruises hurts alot less than a heap of road rash.

Cow skin is a lot tougher than my skin!

**p.dath** · 5th February 2010, 20:20

Here's the latest report on motorcycle crashes form the Ministry of Transport:
http://www.transport.govt.nz/researc...%20crashes.pdf

From table 34 (fatalities), for open roads, largest majority of fatalities was while cornering, 32.7% (16 riders). Second biggest category, head ons, 18.4% (9 riders). For urban roads largest number of fatal accidents was while cornering, 6.1% (3 riders). After that it is split evenly between lots of different crash types.

From table 33 (not fatal accidents), for open roads, largest majority was while cornering, 14% (186 riders). For urban roads largest category is right turn against traffic, 11.4% (151 riders), followed by cornering, 8.7% (116 riders).

ps. This means if your going to have an accident, it is probably going to happen on a corner.

**p.dath** · 5th February 2010, 20:26

Also, consider the accident scale (from the Hurt report?) that was established. Basically they found you could survive a serious trauma to a single limb or body part (such as your head), but two serious traumas had a high probability of being fatal.

So when considering injury prevention, you of course want to avoid a serious trauma - but you especially want to avoid two serious traumas.

So if your only wearing a single piece of safety gear, such as a helmet ...

But, in my humble opinion, if is up to the individual rider to determine what they consider to be the risks and the level of mitigation they choose.

I might like sky diving naked, the next guy might consider that an extreme risk.
I might like taking a walk in the park, but the next guy with Agoraphobia might consider that risk extreme.
The moral being, we all have different thresholds, and need to show some respect and consideration of what others feel and think.

**xgnr** · 5th February 2010, 21:51

Have you ever fallen off wearing minimal kit?

**xgnr** · 5th February 2010, 22:03

oh yeah... after being nailed in a rear end prang last April I have only just healed. low speed 20km or so . The gear did not save me from my neck injury but 'cos I had decent gear on I bandaged the bike up and carried on. Only got a blackened toe. If I was in minimal kit I would have been in hospital getting gravel removed from my legs and arm.

**slofox** · 6th February 2010, 07:50

After seeing the results of a dude without gear falling off in a 50km zone just around the corner from me, I'll stay with the leathers thanks...

**Quasievil** · 6th February 2010, 07:55

the best method to decide what you should wear in any condition is to ask yourself this
As im binning and flying through the air ready to land what would I prefer to be wearing?

Ask this question before you ride, as its hard to get your gear on in time whilst mid air.

**ckai** · 6th February 2010, 08:18

You gotta remember that lyra wearers shave so the hairs don't rip skin as well. I've had first hand experience with hairs vs no hairs fall.

Originally Posted by Quasievil

the best method to decide what you should wear in any condition is to ask yourself this
As im binning and flying through the air ready to land what would I prefer to be wearing?

Ask this question before you ride, as its hard to get your gear on in time whilst mid air.

I think this sums it up quite nicely.