All The Gear All The Time?

[sunhuntin]

i wear at the very least jeans, decent shoes and helmet. in summer, i have been known to wear a singlet. thats in town, but i have also ridden part of my 100k stomping ground in a singlet as well. certainly wouldnt go any distance dressed like that at 100k, but that road i could ride with my eyes closed. normally i ride in a tshirt with the sleeves rolled up during summer.

open road, i wear jeans, steel cap boots that come halfway up my calves, tshirt, 2 jerseys, 2 jackets, open face lid and either full or fingerless gloves depending on whether its raining or not. i have also acquired a pair of water proof pants, so ride with those constantly.

i have come off in singlet, jeans, my steel cap boots and helmet. the part of my body that was best protected is what got cut up the most.

[Lucy]

Have been to Raro 5 times now and hear you loud and clear about the freedom thing. You mention the top speed limit as mitigating, for me there is another more important factor, over there car drivers are the minority! Bikers own the roads. All car drivers really look out for bikes!

Yeah good point -bikes really are a valid road user group, and that is bound to have contributed to the feeling that I felt safer with no safety gear than I do here with all of it.

I mean - wasn't it weird to see cars notice you and give way, not just at intersections, but also when they were leaving their driveways and shop car parks etc???? So different from here.

[cowboyz]

full leathers always

have to be careful with the ALWAYS bit cause I am a bit of a hypocite really. Yes I advocate ATGATT but live about 200m from the servo and often whip over for bread or milk with whatever I happen to be wearing at the time. This may or maynot include shoes/light pants mostly no jacket. I dont delibrately ride with no gear but have found a couple of times getting down to the servo to find myself not wearing a helmet. I guess that comes from years of farming where I just jump on the bike and run down the farm/sheds. Communting I dont like bare skin so work boots/long pants and armoured jacket is the norm. Weekend riding I wouldn't consider leaving the garage without full leathers on. It is all about risk accessment. Yes there have been accidents close to home but I dont ride the same style commuting or tootling to the shops as I do on weekend riding.

[Mikkel]

i wear at the very least jeans, decent shoes and helmet. in summer, i have been known to wear a singlet. thats in town, but i have also ridden part of my 100k stomping ground in a singlet as well. certainly wouldnt go any distance dressed like that at 100k, but that road i could ride with my eyes closed. normally i ride in a tshirt with the sleeves rolled up during summer.

open road, i wear jeans, steel cap boots that come halfway up my calves, tshirt, 2 jerseys, 2 jackets, open face lid and either full or fingerless gloves depending on whether its raining or not. i have also acquired a pair of water proof pants, so ride with those constantly.

i have come off in singlet, jeans, my steel cap boots and helmet. the part of my body that was best protected is what got cut up the most.

So you're saying that it was you head and feet that got damaged the most? Gotcha!

[Forest]

I'm over in Melbourne at the moment. It is interesting to see what passes for riding gear when the temperature hits 38^C.

Saw a guy riding a RG500 on the Hume highway yesterday. He was wearing a singlet, shorts, no gloves, and sports shoes.

[deanohit]

Yep, ATGATT on the road, no exceptions. Off road, I go really slow, so just my helmet, jeans, boots, and depending on temp, jacket and gloves.

[Waylander]

If your girlfriend wants to ride pillion and you cant afford the gear, maybe she should consider her own safety and buy her own??????

Last girl I suggested that too told me I was a cheap shit and then left.

[Waylander]

So you're saying that it was you head and feet that got damaged the most? Gotcha!

Cheap ass boots, cheap ass helmet.

I've crashed 4 times and not ones has my head ever hit the ground. Not that I'm betting it will never happen, but why live in fear all the time.

Used to only wear my helmet when going across town (2.5 hours riding back in the states) or full on rides. Going to the servo or the mall I didn't worry about it.

If I crash it's my problem.

[EnzoYug]

to quote the paramedic who peeled me off the road, less than half a klick from my house: "good work with the gear mate. that turtleback of yours saved your spine."

I'll commute in lid, full jacket, boots and jeans, but won't leave second gear without my rash-proof pants. I was smart the first time and dead lucky the second... I'm not taking any chances for a third visit to the akl-central trauma ward.

To the guys I see in t-shirts and jeans: It won't be your fault when some munter crosses your path, but physics don't care - so good luck.

[007XX]

ATGATT Girl, and proudly so...

[jrandom]

I rode nude once.

I was drunk.

It was awesome.

[BarBender]

I rode nude once.

I was drunk.

It was awesome.

You are a bad man.

[saltydog]

If you've a $10 head go ahead and buy/use a $10 helmet.
That goes for gear as well.
All you need is a wee off, even at low speeds to bring you around.
It can be a drag getting all kitted up in the leathers on a nice summer day.......but hey, the gear will save u.
When I was living in Bali I always wore good boots and had an aftermarket 'western' helmet. It was a pain sometimes, espicially since every house you entered i had to take them off (as opposed to slipping off the jandals) but once again piece of mind. The Balo's would jandal it alll the way, dodgy plastic helmets, and tee-shirts. I just had to ride faster to say cool.
Great place to learn to defensive drive by the way, try the road from Kuta up the coast to Padang-bai (ferries to lombok) on a good day. I guarantee every KB'er in here would freak. The further east u go, less human ostacles and more animals to watch out for. Go to the depths of the islands, Sumba say, and the whole village will come out just to wave as to trundle by on the narrow dusty path.....
Ah.......memories.

[jim.cox]

While I wouldn't wear jandals myself

I have no problem with shorts

Even allowing for the occaisional insect flying up your leg :(

and stinging :( :(

[owner]

memories, ouch! atgatt