For you guys that bike to school/work/uni

**Dargor** · 12th February 2008, 20:45

While on my L i would always where my jacket but now i calculate the risk. Always with gloves(cant type well without fingers), full face helmet, pants, boots though.

Originally Posted by Steam

Now, all you need to do is REALLY take full responsibility, and pay your hospital bills in full without resorting to ACC

If it were a perfect world where cars didn't pull out in front of bikes i would agree.
But if a man pays his taxes and hes not at fault then why should he take full responsibility. Should hit pedestrians take full responsibility if they aren't leathers.

**MGST** · 13th February 2008, 11:47

I ride 8km to work ( which happens to be the University ) every day rain, hail, or shine. I wear cordura jacket and pants, proper sport/racing boots, gloves, and obviously a helmet. I wear all the gear everytime I ride no matter how far it is. Wearing all the gear saves on suncream in the summer too....

**slydesigns** · 13th February 2008, 22:59

Helmet (a given)
Shift palm slider gloves
Shift textile jacket with CE armour
Back Brace
Padded under suit pants
Shift Freestyle pants (tested in an accident on the tarmac already and they worked great AND as they are baggies... you can run a set of normal pants underneath and ditch the baggies on arrival at your location with no hassles if need be)
Shift knee/shin guards
O'Neal boots

All my incidents and my only major accident so far have been due to other road users and all in 50km zones! And I do stunt riding!! Its ludicris to ride without gear in urban areas, less room to move, more traffic, more blind idiots in a rush. My KR1 was written off on a 1km ride from home to the manfeild mobil, filled up, pulled out and got T-boned by a 78yr old grannie 400m later! I saw it coming, but as it was wet, I choose to slide into her sideways, jumped off and over her car and landed mostly intact with a some scrathes on a palm slider and pant leg as well as 2 cracks in my pelvis from the tank I stoved in on the way over (didnt know about them for 4 weeks).
We don't go MXing in shorts, jandels and a t-shirt, why do it on the road, which is harder???

Gear works. Period.

**Choco** · 14th February 2008, 17:34

ATGATT.
Saying that I will admit that sometimes I skimp on the HI-vis/ back protector (it gets VERY hot in traffic) when is just around town, but anything long (5-10km+) distance I have ALL the kit on. The smallest amount of kit I have EVER used on my bike was; Armored jacket, armored pants, leather gloves, helmet, blue running shoes. Anything less than that is STUPID.

**HornetBoy** · 14th February 2008, 19:02

Round town to work -and i mean through the main avenue and side streets i wear casual Jeans ,whatever shoes i need when i get to my destination, dri-rider mesh jacket ,Teknic Gloves,and of course helmet .
On my daily commute to uni(wanganui to palmy and back 140km each way) i wear my full kit codura all over, boots ,helmet ,gloves

funds going well hope to be wearin some leathers

**fireliv** · 14th February 2008, 19:18

To work (10 mon ride 50km-60km zones) Jeans, Armoured Jacket gloves full face helmet and sturdy shoes.
On rides where I will be in 100km zones, out comes the armoured pants and leather boots. Even if I am going to work in a different area that means going through 100km zones I will wear full gear. Maybe I should to work also but I'm comfortable with my choice

**crash harry** · 17th February 2008, 12:31

20-30 mins to work from south-central Auckland to south auckland. I commute every day - I don't have a car

I wear:
Lid (KBC)
Leather jacket (Aromour-Tech)
Draggins
Sidi boots (either touring boots or budget race boots depending on my mood)
Nylon over-pants if it's raining

Then again, that's all the safety gear I've ever worn when I ride.

**rphenix** · 17th February 2008, 12:56

Originally Posted by Hornet250Boy

Round town to work -and i mean through the main avenue and side streets i wear casual Jeans ,whatever shoes i need when i get to my destination, dri-rider mesh jacket ,Teknic Gloves,and of course helmet .
On my daily commute to uni(wanganui to palmy and back 140km each way) i wear my full kit codura all over, boots ,helmet ,gloves

funds going well hope to be wearin some leathers

Yep I've been wearing the Dri-rider mesh jacket to work as well. I've often wondered how it would fair in a crash though I dont wear any of the under-layers just my workshirt then that ontop. Once its cooler its back to the Quasi leathers.

**HornetBoy** · 17th February 2008, 15:45

Originally Posted by rphenix

Yep I've been wearing the Dri-rider mesh jacket to work as well. I've often wondered how it would fair in a crash though I dont wear any of the under-layers just my workshirt then that ontop. Once its cooler its back to the Quasi leathers.

have crash tested it if you would like some pictures give me a pm ,didn't do too well aye,as you could probably imaging fabric doesn't hold the gravel for too long lol.

but it is a good jacket if you don't crash in it

**EJK** · 17th February 2008, 19:04

Draggin Jeans ftw!

**HornetBoy** · 18th February 2008, 07:29

Originally Posted by EJKDDORAI

Draggin Jeans ftw!

oonly problem ive found with them is if you get a sudden heavy shower then you get the eqivelent of 20kg weight on your legs ,feels bloody awkward i can tell ya

**90s** · 26th February 2008, 11:25

I ride on two wheels everyday from down off Scenic drive to Queen st to work at Uni.
On the bike - most days now - full gear inc Clover back protector, except work trousers. I do wear to protect my legs though full Fox Forma Pros along with Fox Racing Pro shin and knee guards under the trousers.
In the '80s I was trashed by a car on a scooter, coming back from playing hockey still in shorts ... and you don't want that my friends ...

Other days I cycle, and wear generally Fox/No Fear/ Cannondale cycling stuff, Met Parabellum, Fox gloves, diadora SPD shoes.
Here's a good question some people ask - how comes you ride in such full armour on the bike but cycle essentially in thin nothing? Bearing in mind out of blockhouse bay down the hill I peg 70ks on the push bike.

The answer is, apart from the practicality, that in a bin on the cycle I am not going to be dragged along underneath it. And this is where a lot of bike injuries might come from if you are not protected.
Dragged along under a car though, and I'll wish I was wearing full armour on the cycle too.

**jcupit69** · 26th February 2008, 13:20

Every day to work and or uni:
Helmet (agv)
Gloves (Spool)
Kevlar jacket (Ixon)
Leather pants (shoei)
Boots (SiDi)

and iv got a Knox spine protector if im just goin out for a straight thrash, and i really want to get some kevlar jeans so i can lose the leathers for everyday riding.

Had 2 accidents and never damaged myself to bad (broken bones), but i put that down to always wearing my gear, i'd have shattered my sholder in my last accident had it not been for my jacket.

Good gear saves lives, but if people dont wana wear it they've just gota accept the risks.

But i really do hate some things you see people wearing riding scooters, there still gona hit the road like the rest of us and you still lose skin at low speed when ur only wearing shorts and jandels

**NOMIS** · 26th February 2008, 13:28

Full gear all the time, lost 1 glove so fark me got to fork out more money, my helmets getting loose, time for a shoie.
My jacket " water proof" = bull shit so gunna get a Ixon Leather= textile one when i can afford.
and yeh boots, pants, glove, helmet, and jacket all the time sometimes even 400m to the dairy from home.