Please wear your gear

[zxme]

Hope you heal fast and well, i also dumped years ago on a cobblestone road wearing shorts and a t-shirt, think about that image...oh and it was my fav t-shirt

[xbootlickx]

Please don't underestimate "only roadrash"! People have died from "only road rash".
If the body receives enough road rash, it can be overcome by infectious attack. The immune system is overwhelmed. The "ATGATT" gang aren't all anal little dweebs. Some of us have paid some dues.
Even in hot weather, a little sweat is easier to deal with than a little road rash. Fortunately, modern warm weather gear makes a little sweat, even less, compared with older more conventional apparel. Unfortunately, it is hard to get these points across to those who put "looking cool" above all else.
I hope you heal up soon, and can get back in the saddle.

Well said!

[SP GSX-R]

Unfortunately, it is hard to get these points across to those who put "looking cool" above all else.
I hope you heal up soon, and can get back in the saddle.

everyone has to learn their own way

heal up and get back on

[gus310]

I'm going to quarrel a bit with the whole ATGATT thing.

First, can we all agree that more gear is safer than less? I hope so.

But the ATGATT thing bugs me. Look at the acronym, ALL the gear, ALL the time.

First ALL the gear... What does that mean?

ALL implies that there can be no more. By that standard, anything less than full, race quality leathers, high quality motorcycle specific boots,good gloves with a long cuff, a full face helmet, knee, hip, elbow, shoulder, and back armor really wouldn't qualify, and I'm probably forgetting some gear our racers always wear on the track.

Next, ALL the time... I just changed my oil and want to warm up the chain a bit to lube it, so I'll ride 3 miles around the neighborhood. If I don't put ALL of the above gear on, I'm not wearing ALL the gear ALL the time.

In the end, the ATGATT thing gets used too often to look down upon any rider who wears less gear than you do, and that pisses people off and can make them more stubborn about their choices.

I hate this acronym, not because I feel bad about not being ATGATT, but because it has become so polarizing within our community and because I'm pretty sure 95% of the ATGATT riders out there are being at least a little hypocritical because they do not meet the literal standard implied in the acronym.

I'd much prefer to simply help all of us make informed decisions about the gear we individually choose to wear under different weather and riding conditions. There are better and worse choices to be made, but evangelizing everyone to the mythical altar of ATGATT may not be the most effective way to get a rider to take his/her gear choices seriously and make an effort to simply wear more gear, more often.

ill argue that, i think its ATGATT makes perfect sense. people will find a reason to look down on you if that is their mindset. ATGATT to me is basically covering your exposed skin with something durable.

ATG-i wear a full face helmet, textile motorcycle jacket, leather gloves with a longer cuff, textile motorcycle pants over jeans, and my heavy leather work boots. simple fact is, yes, i could be dressed better, in more durable clothes, but if anything happens with this gear, ill be in a lot less pain than if i were wearing only shorts and sneakers.

ATT-we've all heard it said that most accident happen within a few miles of home, and we've all heard it said that sweating is better than bleeding. maybe you are just going out to warm up your chain, maybe you wont be gone long. but you dont know if the guy up the street is just running to the liquor store to grab a few more beers with his last one in the cupholder.

basically, you never know what might happen and where youll be when it does. if youve got yourself protected, youll be in better shape if anything happens.

[tonup]

You forgot about a chest protector.

Heal up. Wear what you want.

Are you being serious or just jerking? It is a piece to consider. I wear one on "out of town" trips only because by my numbers, the people I know that have wrecked ON STREET come through with significant rib injuries that they whine about for many months. They don't know how/how hard they hit or why they're so fucked up, but their ribs get a good thrashing. Spoke with a woman today at the wolfeboro 7-11 that did a face plant on her bicycle on the rails2trails ride. Her husband wants her to get her own bike and looking at me with full gear while her face, elbow and leg was bleeding made her light bulb go on. And I quote "I never knew why people wear that stuff until now". She was pedaling then splat! I felt bad but she had a good attitude about it.

p.s. Monkey butt powder rules

[Nix]

Heal up quick bro. Good thread. Hope it doesn't get turned into poop.

[slaps76]

Heal up man.

Just today at a stoplight a guy on another bike next to me goes "hey why you wearing a jacket???" I get that crap a lot. Whatever. I didn't retort by asking why his girl on the back was so fat.

[Danz19899]

i've been riding for 4 months now and have had 3 riders in my company have gone down 2 walked away without a scratch, one early today had no scratches but a broken knee which could have been a lot worse. You and Jrhino both need to heal up

[kb1]

I have never been on my Z off my driveway without a full face helmet, riding gloves, textile or leather jacket. I have racing boots that I use occassionally and for the trackdays, and I have shift street shoes that I wear pretty regularly.

I might wear a pair or sneakers here and there if I'm not going far, but I know I'm taking a chance when I do it. I wear jeans a lot and I know I'm taking a chance with that as well. I'm a cyclist and I have crashed wearing nothing by Lycra at over 20mph, so I know what the rash feels like and I have the scars to prove it. I have textile and leather pants plus my track day stuff. If I know I'm going on an aggressive ride or doing a lot of highway, I'll wear the pants as well.

[SteveM]

I have never been on my Z off my driveway without a full face helmet, riding gloves, textile or leather jacket. I have racing boots that I use occassionally and for the trackdays, and I have shift street shoes that I wear pretty regularly.

I might wear a pair or sneakers here and there if I'm not going far, but I know I'm taking a chance when I do it. I wear jeans a lot and I know I'm taking a chance with that as well. I'm a cyclist and I have crashed wearing nothing by Lycra at over 20mph, so I know what the rash feels like and I have the scars to prove it. I have textile and leather pants plus my track day stuff. If I know I'm going on an aggressive ride or doing a lot of highway, I'll wear the pants as well.

This is exactly what I was driving at. I may choose to wear more or the same amount of gear, but there's thought here and recognition of the risk trade-off.

My gear ranges from a Vanson leather jacket & pants with Astar boots, Vanson long gauntlet gloves and an Arai to an open face HJC, shorty Cortech gloves, a Joe Rocket ventilate leasther jacket, jeans and sidi strada boots. At least once or twice a summer it's helmet, gloves, jeans, sneakers and t-shirt locally. So I can't and won't claim ATGATT, but I do consider the risks everytime I throw a leg over the bike.

I'm not arguing my way is right, but that I have the right to do it my way. Heck, I've hit Newbury street in a full one-piece Aerostich!