riding wear

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ryanbates
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riding wear

Post by ryanbates »

Generally, Do you wear jeans when riding your scooter? What about in the summer? I ride in a city of 120K people. Not super busy, but not really relaxed either. Safety first is what I would think? But when it's hot, what do you do?
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w6euh
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Post by w6euh »

Hi Ryan, that depends. Safety recommendations usually say that you should always wear protective clothing, and I'm sure that there are riding pants especially designed for summer temperatures.
BTW, regular jeans aren't even in the list of recommended clothes, but that's a different matter ;)
I live in Michigan and have seen many people wearing shorts (even motorcycle riders). Not me. I just wear jeans all year round, and especially when riding my scooter.
If, for any reason, the temp is too high and I decide to wear shorts, I do for a while... unless I'm going to ride, in which case I change back to jeans.

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Post by GregsBuddy »

You'll sometimes find me riding my 170i through Vacaville in the heat of the summer in a t-shirt, shorts and a full face helmet with gloves (SOTGATT Some Of The Gear All of The Time).
I know it's tempting fate. I ride carefully and take my chances...
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exmayor
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Post by exmayor »

Knox jeans with hip and knee pads until it gets too warm then I use the Firstgear mesh pants which have hip and knee armor. At 73 really want to minimize risk.
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Post by JettaKnight »

From experience, standard denim jeans shred pretty easily.

But, it's better that flannel wool, scrubs, shorts, and sweatpants.

For the money, Duluth firehose pants are a good alternative.
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Post by PhillyKick »

I recently invested in a pair of kevlar lined riding jeans with (removable) knee protectors and a leather moto jacket with mesh pouches to add in back, elbow, and shoulder protection plates. And a zip-out liner for when it heats up. I'll be honest, I'm usually wearing less gear than is recommended. I still need to get some decent riding boots and gloves, and take the PAMSP (motorcycle safety foundation state sponsored course) riding course.

Oh, and always a modular helmet (with the shield down).
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Christophers
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Post by Christophers »

Although it seems counter intuitive I have repeatedly found my Corazzo Leather 5.0 perforated jacket to be cooler on hot southern California days than any of the mesh summer riding jackets that I have even though the 5.0 is thick black leather.

I think it is precisely the thickness of the material that makes it cooler. The lighter weight summer jackets transmit the heat of the sun whereas the leather jacket is more like standing in the shade, and with any speed the airflow through the jacket imparts evaporative cooling.

If it's a hot sunny day my choice jacket is always my perforated leather one.
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Post by ucandoit »

Dickies Duck jeans (tough fabric) and a leather jacket and helmet. Even in summer.
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Post by skully93 »

for longer trips I have armored jeans. Day to day I wear jeans, tough boots, jacket, helmet, gloves.

During some rally events you might catch me sans jacket and in tennies (which is admittedly stupid). This is super rare. Always wear my helmet and gloves.
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Post by bgwss »

JettaKnight wrote: For the money, Duluth firehose pants are a good alternative.
I love Duluth firehouse pants!!! Where them at work and on my scooter. Many extra pockets for my cell phone, at work my gloves, knife and pen. :D
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Nintari
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Post by Nintari »

I've never ridden wearing anything extra except for a helmet (full face). I know it may not be so safe but, there's nothing like wearing a tank top and shorts in July and feeling that wind rushing over your skin. It's just a part of the enjoyment for me.
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Post by Mike1nw »

I always wear: Gloves, jeans, helmet, at least a jeans jacket (for the sun mostly)

On long trips: XElement crash jacket with armor, boots, full face helmet.

But ALWAYS gloves.

Granted that jeans provide no more crash protection than wearing a leotard. But better than short pants.
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Post by k1dude »

Protective wear is purely an individual decision. How risk averse are you? Only you can decide.

ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) is the ideal. Full face helmet, heavy leather gloves with armor, heavy leather jacket with all the armor inserts, heavy leather pants with all the armor inserts, and heavy leather riding boots are the ideal protective gear. But very few people other than racers wear that gear. Everything else is taking steps down in protection. What is your risk profile? What are you willing to sacrifice for comfort and fashion?

I'll add that wearing full and proper ATGATT on a scooter most often looks goofy. It looks fine on a big bike, but just looks plain weird on a tiny scooter. Are you willing to sacrifice safety for fashion?

During 100+ degree heat you'll find me in a full face helmet, shorts, t-shirt, running shoes, and mesh gloves. Is that smart? No. Is it comfortable? Yes. At least as comfortable as one can be in 100+ degree heat. I'm willing to accept the risk to be comfortable. I would probably have heat stroke if I was properly and fully protected in those conditions - which also isn't safe or smart.

Only you can decide what you're willing to risk.
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Post by charlie55 »

Helmet, armored mesh jacket, heavy boots, mesh gloves, jeans. What do I do when it's hot? Sweat like I was Christina Hendricks' escort for the Emmy Awards.
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Post by BuddyRaton »

It is an individuals choice as to how to gear up. In my state no helmet is required and I would say that less than half have any lid.

For me it is ATGATT. Modular helmet, several different armored jackets, pants, gloves and foot wear.

Yeah it get very hot down here...one reason for modular. White helmet helps and is cooler. I have white mesh armored set,,,shorts and a T-shirt under that. I also have a couple pairs of kevlar lined jeans...no armor

The best helmet I have found is the modular Shoei Neotec. You can actually feel air flowing over your head. The Neotec 2 has just been released and mine is 5 years old now. Time to shop!

Footwear is where I sometimes slack a little. I usually wear boots but I have two sets one BMW which offer decent protection and one Alpine Star that are more like sneakers, slide protection but not impact.

I do enjoy riding with the local BMW club. Everyone is fully geared and know how to ride in a group at speed.

Do your research, make your own decision and ride safe.

As far as fashion? I'm already on a scooter! I'll ride the snot out of one in an Olympia armored one piece mesh suit. You only look stupid until you smoke them off the line1
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Post by Nintari »

BuddyRaton wrote:Footwear is where I sometimes slack a little. I usually wear boots but I have two sets one BMW which offer decent protection and one Alpine Star that are more like sneakers, slide protection but not impact.
My riding buddy prefers to wear open toed sandals with socks (even in cold weather) and neither myself nor his wife can get him to stop doing it. I told him sooner or later, he's going to destroy his feet or worse but he just will not listen lol.
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Post by BuddyRaton »

Nintari wrote:
BuddyRaton wrote:Footwear is where I sometimes slack a little. I usually wear boots but I have two sets one BMW which offer decent protection and one Alpine Star that are more like sneakers, slide protection but not impact.
My riding buddy prefers to wear open toed sandals with socks (even in cold weather) and neither myself nor his wife can get him to stop doing it. I told him sooner or later, he's going to destroy his feet or worse but he just will not listen lol.
I rarely discuss what gear I feel others should wear. I'm not going to be the safety gear policeman. That doesn't change anybody's mind and annoys all parties.

Now I don't mind talking about gear I like, what I wear, what I don't like etc.

My favorite incident happened at a rally on a hot day. We rode to a park for lunch and games. I brought a pair of flip flops to wear and changed footwear from boots on arrival. I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt under my other gear.

One self appointed safety professional started giving me a bunch of crap about wearing shorts, shirt and flip flops...not knowing I had changed. I mean this dude just kept laying into me. I told him I needed to get something from my scooter (67 GT) and to keep talking as we walked over.

We got there and I pulled my one piece armored mesh suit off the floorboard. Under it were my boots and socks. I just looked at him and said. "Sorry...but what the F&%k were you talking about?" It kinda ended the conversation. Good times!

So my advice to all is to do your homework. There are tons of threads on this forum...not to mention many other forums, to learn about gear. Educate yourself then make a decision as to what level of protection you are comfortable with.

I went down on the infamous 08 Amerivespa Lookout Mountain ride. Low speed, wearing modular, jacket, gloves, kevlar jeans with no armor and boots. Smacked my head on the asphalt pretty good and as I was sliding thought "wow...that didn't hurt at all". I wound up with a pretty good bruise on my hip, tore a hole in my jacket at the elbow armor and had to buy a new helmet. Could have been much worse.
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Post by scootergrind »

It's counter-intuitive, but I find that wearing a full or 3/4 length base layer under jeans is more comfortable than jeans alone when it's high 80s or hotter.

And it's ATGATT or my wife hides the keys!
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Post by babblefish »

I usually wear whatever is clean and laying around and hasn't been turned inside out already.
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Post by Nintari »

BuddyRaton wrote:
Nintari wrote:
BuddyRaton wrote:Footwear is where I sometimes slack a little. I usually wear boots but I have two sets one BMW which offer decent protection and one Alpine Star that are more like sneakers, slide protection but not impact.
My riding buddy prefers to wear open toed sandals with socks (even in cold weather) and neither myself nor his wife can get him to stop doing it. I told him sooner or later, he's going to destroy his feet or worse but he just will not listen lol.
I rarely discuss what gear I feel others should wear. I'm not going to be the safety gear policeman. That doesn't change anybody's mind and annoys all parties.

Now I don't mind talking about gear I like, what I wear, what I don't like etc.

My favorite incident happened at a rally on a hot day. We rode to a park for lunch and games. I brought a pair of flip flops to wear and changed footwear from boots on arrival. I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt under my other gear.

One self appointed safety professional started giving me a bunch of crap about wearing shorts, shirt and flip flops...not knowing I had changed. I mean this dude just kept laying into me. I told him I needed to get something from my scooter (67 GT) and to keep talking as we walked over.

We got there and I pulled my one piece armored mesh suit off the floorboard. Under it were my boots and socks. I just looked at him and said. "Sorry...but what the F&%k were you talking about?" It kinda ended the conversation. Good times!

So my advice to all is to do your homework. There are tons of threads on this forum...not to mention many other forums, to learn about gear. Educate yourself then make a decision as to what level of protection you are comfortable with.

I went down on the infamous 08 Amerivespa Lookout Mountain ride. Low speed, wearing modular, jacket, gloves, kevlar jeans with no armor and boots. Smacked my head on the asphalt pretty good and as I was sliding thought "wow...that didn't hurt at all". I wound up with a pretty good bruise on my hip, tore a hole in my jacket at the elbow armor and had to buy a new helmet. Could have been much worse.
Well, he's been a friend for more than twenty years so that's why I rib him about it. And ribbing is all it is. If he wants to ride around in the nude, I don't care. Just so long as he warns me first so I can NOT ride around with him while he's doing it. lol

As for people on the internet, or people for whom I have just meet, I don't say a word about their choice of wear etc. I mean, for starters, the only thing I wear when it gets warn is a full faced helmet. Usually it's a tank top and shorts, no gloves and tennis shoes. So you see, it would be more than hypocritical for me to say anything to anybody about their choice of safety gear or lack thereof. Second, I just don't believe in doing that to people period. Your life is yours to live. That's how I feel in general about everything. As long a you're not harming others, live it the way you want to live it and be happy.
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Post by Klapaucius5691 »

Everyday clothes. The only specific riding gear I wear is the helmet. Other than that I am mostly in chinos, a polo shirt and some street shoes. Still better than most of the Harley people I see around here.
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Post by Point37 »

Nintari wrote: As for people on the internet, or people for whom I have just meet, I don't say a word about their choice of wear etc. I mean, for starters, the only thing I wear when it gets warn is a full faced helmet. Usually it's a tank top and shorts, no gloves and tennis shoes. So you see, it would be more than hypocritical for me to say anything to anybody about their choice of safety gear or lack thereof. Second, I just don't believe in doing that to people period. Your life is yours to live. That's how I feel in general about everything. As long a you're not harming others, live it the way you want to live it and be happy.
^^^this...i used to ride my motorcycle with mostly full gear a lot (full face helmet, work boots, regular jeans, leather jacket and leather gloves)...always had that stuff on while riding on the highway...on an organized ride (i.e. slow) i would usually shed the jacket and wear a tshirt/long sleeve tshirt/sweatshirt depending on the weather...

after picking up my scooter i always wear a 3/4 helmet, glasses and maybe some dirtbike gloves and whatever i'm wearing at the moment including shorts, tshirts and flip flops depending on the weather...i have been down on a motorcycle at a speed fast enough that i would have been pretty messed up if it wasn't for full gear and i know the risks and i know going down at lower speeds can still mess you up plenty...but i bought a scooter to cruise around my suburb town not take on the highway so i want to be comfortable not feel like it's a chore to go for a ride by wasting extra time having to change clothes and sweat my a$$ off just to go for a ride...at the same time if a new rider is asking for suggestions on what to wear i would suggest full gear...the key word is suggest...they are still going to make their own decision...an experienced rider shouldn't have to ask that question...they should know the risks and should be able to make their own decision...skin doesn't hold up well skidding across pavement...that's common sense
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Post by GregsBuddy »

This is always an interesting discussion.
I sometimes wear shorts and t-shirt when riding the Buddy distances of ~2 miles. When riding further, I wear at least long jeans and full upper cover, but not always a moto jacket. For longer rides, and on the BV350, full gear.
During ALL rides I wear my full Shoei helmet and Held or Racer gloves. These two items are very easy to put on and add little to the heat felt on any length ride. FWIW, ATGATT is best.
Last edited by GregsBuddy on Mon Sep 10, 2018 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by w6euh »

Many of us, and also (even more frequently) teenagers, say "it'll be only a few minutes/miles," etc.
But it doesn't matter if it's just a very short, low-speed ride. Your risk of having an accident is always there, even in your driveway.

The gear obviously will not reduce the risk of an accident, but it will help reduce the risk of injuries, or will help reduce their severity.

I would like to wear ATGATT, but my only riding jacket is a very heavy leather one, and it is ridiculous to wear it in hot summer days, especially in town (traffic light stops can be a torture).
So, I wear a t-shirt and carry the jacket in my rear top case, so I can put it on when I leave the town. But I am aware of the risks and I know I'm playing with them.
I never wear flip-flops, but light, well vented high-top riding shoes instead.
Light leather gloves almost always.

The two accidents I can recall and closely relate to happened at a very low speed and different levels of [insufficient] protective gear:
- Myself. Several years ago, in a small motorcycle, downtown, 5-10 mph, just passing an intersection, a cyclist passed me and cut me off. I fell and ended under a parked vehicle. Was wearing helmet, jeans, sneakers and a parka or winter jacket. Needed help to get out of there (my head was trapped under the car because of the helmet, but it also prevented head injuries). My left arm got heavy road rash (the winter jacket didn't help at all).
- My wife, riding a small motorcycle. Very low speed, downtown, a car cut her off, she fell and broke her left ankle. Almost lost her left foot. She was wearing sandals.

So no, it really does not matter how slow we are going and how skilled we [think we] are. The risks are there and we better wear all the gear, all the time, or are willing to deal with the consequences.
Peace and ride safe!

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Post by Syd »

I've been considering mesh pants that I can wear under my shorts. Who's mesh one piece were you wearing at the rally, BuddyRaton? I feel like a paparazzi. :oops:
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Post by Point37 »

w6euh wrote:So no, it really does not matter how slow we are going and how skilled we [think we] are. The risks are there and we better wear all the gear, all the time, or are willing to deal with the consequences.
exactly...it's a decision for the rider to make...anyone who says i should wear AGATT when riding or says that they wear AGATT even when going out for a quick ride my first question to them is..."do you ride a bicycle in the roadway ever?"...when they say yes...i say "do you wear a full leather suit, boots, helmet and gloves while riding?...cause a reasonably fit rider can reach speeds of 25mph which is enough to need skin grafts plus you can still get hit by a car"...they shut up quick after that :twisted:
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Post by PhillyKick »

Point37 wrote:
w6euh wrote:So no, it really does not matter how slow we are going and how skilled we [think we] are. The risks are there and we better wear all the gear, all the time, or are willing to deal with the consequences.
exactly...it's a decision for the rider to make...anyone who says i should wear AGATT when riding or says that they wear AGATT even when going out for a quick ride my first question to them is..."do you ride a bicycle in the roadway ever?"...when they say yes...i say "do you wear a full leather suit, boots, helmet and gloves while riding?...cause a reasonably fit rider can reach speeds of 25mph which is enough to need skin grafts plus you can still get hit by a car"...they shut up quick after that :twisted:
I'm not an ATGATT guy, because there is weather, I am lazy, I'm young enough to still feel invincible, etc. but I hate how I can't really find holes in that logic (except most motorcycle accidents are single vehicle accidents.)

Heck, I've been hit by a car twice on a mountain bike and once walking home (still have ankle problems because of it! Always will! Hit and run! All three incidents the car ran a stop sign! Good times.) and nothing in the ATGATT roster would've helped, except a helmet (which I was wearing, except obviously while walking).

I do gear up much more heavily when I go on faster roads.
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Post by New2Scoots »

On the Buddy I wear jeans. On my Honda Metro shorts or jeans. It tops out at (GPS) 31 mph & I've fallen off bicycles that speed, no major road rash. Half helmet on the Metro, full face on the Buddy because it's so loud with the half helmet. Light summer gloves on both scooters. On the motorcycle full ATGATT. Mesh jacket in summer, textile jacket jacket when it's cooler. Pants with armor, SIDI boots & leather gloves.
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Post by JettaKnight »

I don't know about other places, but here in Fort Wayne there's definitely a pervasive myth that scooters are slow, DUI-mobiles.

In order tho show that I'm not to be lumped in with that crowd, I dress in a manner that says, "I'm a serious motorcyclist."


It also helps that I tend to ride faster than most all cagers. :twisted:
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Post by k1dude »

Point37 wrote:exactly...it's a decision for the rider to make...anyone who says i should wear AGATT when riding or says that they wear AGATT even when going out for a quick ride my first question to them is..."do you ride a bicycle in the roadway ever?"...when they say yes...i say "do you wear a full leather suit, boots, helmet and gloves while riding?...cause a reasonably fit rider can reach speeds of 25mph which is enough to need skin grafts plus you can still get hit by a car"...they shut up quick after that :twisted:
I regularly hit 50 mph on my bicycle with nothing more than a biking helmet, riding shorts, biking shoes, thin gloves, and a jersey.
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Post by w6euh »

I regularly hit 50 mph on my bicycle with nothing more than a biking helmet, riding shorts, biking shoes, thin gloves, and a jersey.
Me too.

As many have said, gear is a personal choice. Even when some items may be required by law, it is still your choice to comply with the law or face the consequences, if there are any (and that's luck, too).

Just let's keep in mind that a motor scooter, even at its lowest speed, is still a motor vehicle and not a bicycle.

In any case, this is about sharing ideas, not about advocating common sense, is it?
Peace and ride safe!

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Post by Point37 »

w6euh wrote:
I regularly hit 50 mph on my bicycle with nothing more than a biking helmet, riding shorts, biking shoes, thin gloves, and a jersey.
Me too.

As many have said, gear is a personal choice. Even when some items may be required by law, it is still your choice to comply with the law or face the consequences, if there are any (and that's luck, too).

Just let's keep in mind that a motor scooter, even at its lowest speed, is still a motor vehicle and not a bicycle.

In any case, this is about sharing ideas, not about advocating common sense, is it?
in the eyes of the law a bicycle is considered a vehicle...just saying :D

the OP was asking about alternatives to jeans in the summer for safety...you want to be safe wear leather pants...you want to be safe but cooler in hot weather wear textile pants...if you are ok with some risk wear less than these options...pretty much common sense...unless i'm missing some type of 12V plug in liquid circulated cooling pants then there really aren't that many options out there
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Re: riding wear

Post by anamoto »

ryanbates wrote:Generally, Do you wear jeans when riding your scooter? What about in the summer? I ride in a city of 120K people. Not super busy, but not really relaxed either. Safety first is what I would think? But when it's hot, what do you do?
Cheers- Ryan
Yes, I agree summer rides cannot be relaxed until you have a good summer riding gear and offer course the protection also not compromised. So I prefer to use my Spyke Hudson WP pant, a good option with waterproof and breathable membrane.
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Re: riding wear

Post by anamoto »

ryanbates wrote:Generally, Do you wear jeans when riding your scooter? What about in the summer? I ride in a city of 120K people. Not super busy, but not really relaxed either. Safety first is what I would think? But when it's hot, what do you do?
Cheers- Ryan
Yes, I agree summer rides cannot be relaxed until you have a good summer riding gear and offer course the protection also not compromised. So I prefer to use my Spyke Hudson WP pant, a good option with waterproof and breathable membrane.
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Post by Stanza »

Dress for the crash, not for the ride.
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Post by crcfailed »

Pants-wise, well... normally a skirt and nylons because I'm going to work. That's probably bad, I guess. I'll figure something out though.

Personally, I pretty much am going to sweat in the heat no matter what, so I don't think piling on a lot of gear during the summer would phase me much. :shock: On the other hand heat stroke is always a danger too, so you have to balance the risks I suppose.
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Post by Christophers »

crcfailed wrote:Pants-wise, well... normally a skirt and nylons because I'm going to work. That's probably bad, I guess. I'll figure something out though.
:shock:

I know we're not supposed to be riding-gear-police here,
but I'm glad to hear that you are thinking about figuring out an alternative that offers you more protection. :)
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Post by babblefish »

crcfailed wrote:Pants-wise, well... normally a skirt and nylons because I'm going to work. That's probably bad, I guess. I'll figure something out though.

Personally, I pretty much am going to sweat in the heat no matter what, so I don't think piling on a lot of gear during the summer would phase me much. :shock: On the other hand heat stroke is always a danger too, so you have to balance the risks I suppose.
This is neither here nor there but when I was living/working in Taiwan, out of the thousands of scooters on the road, many of the women rode wearing what you wear and none of them had scarred up legs from crashes. Actually, in all the time I spent over there, I saw only one scooter accident and the rider walked away from that one. YMMV. I'm not saying there is no risk but if you think about it, we all do things on a daily basis that are potentially dangerous.
Last edited by babblefish on Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Point37 »

babblefish wrote:I'm not saying there is no risk but if you think about it, we all do things on a daily basis that are potentially dangerous.
^^^this...best things you can do is assume no one can see you...have a heightened awareness of your surroundings...use your lights/signals/hand signals...use your mirrors...always have an escape plan

for example...when at a stop light i always pull to the side of the vehicle in front of me and watch my mirror...if someone comes in hot behind me i can pull to the side of the car in front of me and let the car take the hit...when i rode motorcycles i always left my bike in gear for this reason instead of neutral...even if i don't see them at least i won't end up in their trunk if they do hit me...it's the little safety things that if you do them consistently could end up helping you out in the long run
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Post by GregsBuddy »

Babblefish;
That was my experience in Taiwan and Vietnam. I think much of the lack of crashes is the low speeds and city riding. The riders are paying attention to what they're doing and they ride every day.
We ride in open areas quite a bit. Our speeds can be much higher and many of us are not really trained and/or don't have much experience. The skill level involved to ride safely is pretty high and regular riding is a must to maintain a safe level. IMHO, of course.
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Post by Dooglas »

Nintari wrote:I've never ridden wearing anything extra except for a helmet (full face).
When you go down, your hands usually hit the pavement before your head. Something to think about.
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Post by Rayc11949 »

Lots of interesting comments I myself am a pretty new rider and have found that the more I ride (which hasn't been long) the less safety gear I put on. Although, I would never ride without my helmet.
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Post by Point37 »

Dooglas wrote: When you go down, your hands usually hit the pavement before your head. Something to think about.
true...aside from the crash safety of gloves they also provide...warmth from the wind...protection from road debris that gets kicked up from other vehicles...protection from rain cause rain hitting your hands at higher speeds doesn't feel good...consistent feel of the controls cause sweaty hands are slippery...and it's not hard to keep a set of gloves in your helmet or front compartment or under the seat...i have a cheap set of dirt bike gloves for warmer days (which provide no real protection) and a pair of alpinestars octane s-moto gloves which are armored/padded leather
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Post by sunshinen »

Point37 wrote:
w6euh wrote: exactly...it's a decision for the rider to make...anyone who says i should wear AGATT when riding or says that they wear AGATT even when going out for a quick ride my first question to them is..."do you ride a bicycle in the roadway ever?"...when they say yes...i say "do you wear a full leather suit, boots, helmet and gloves while riding?...cause a reasonably fit rider can reach speeds of 25mph which is enough to need skin grafts plus you can still get hit by a car"...they shut up quick after that :twisted:
Lol... Perhaps they are silenced by the surprising lack of a basic cost-benefit analysis in your argument? (Teasing)

But, let's be real. I've worn more armored gear for downhilling in a mountain bike park than I do on my scooter. It's not just "risk" that we're talking about in this comparison. Obviously, downhill aside, there's a lot of "costs" to wearing more restrictive and heavier gear on a bicycle, where you are usually powering your momentum with your body and generating a lot more body heat, than on a scooter, where your momentum is typically powered by gasoline and there's usually a nice cooling breeze as you expend the energy of turning the throttle. (Unless you have one of those Flintstone-era scooters. Mad props on the vintage cool of that, especially if you're hitting 50 mph with it.)

Bottom line, just because someone makes an assessment of the costs, benefits, and risks and chooses the attire that meets their needs and comfort level for a particular ride... doesn't mean they logically would or should make the same choice of attire for another type of ride... and certainly doesn't mean they should be all judgy and snarky on others for their choices.

In this forum, we ride everything from 50cc up to 800cc scooters on a wide variety of roads in a wide variety of conditions and with a wide variety of riding abilities. Speed and asphalt and cagers and weather all come into the equation for most of us, and the equation is unlikely to be the same for any of us.

At this point, after 12 years of riding, I wear leather boots (usually fashion/casual, not motorcycle boots), jeans, leather gloves, a riding jacket and a full face helmet almost all the time (Nearly ATGATT?). I usually wear a light leather jacket with vents in the summer. There's no humidity here and I didn't feel mesh offered enough added help with temps to overcome my distaste for the styling of it. I wear an armored jacket with 800-denier fabric when it's possibly rainy or colder.

Where I'm coming from? ... I own 6 bicycles and a 125cc Buddy, which I hit WOT every time I'm on it. (I'm no Tour de France level rider, so I almost never hit 70mph on a bike.) I feel pretty in control of what could take me down on a bicycle, but I don't commute on one. I tend to think I'm not in control of most of the things that could take me down on a scooter, particularly cagers and random weather on my commute. I've had a hail storm hit me on a day with a sunny forecast and 0% chance of precipitation. I've been knocked out of my lane by surprise wind gusts. I've been hit with with clouds of dirt and flying pieces of gravel. I'm in my 40s and my tolerance for and healing from injuries has gone down. I know someone who almost died from sepsis, went through multiple surgeries, and is permanently affected by her scars... after a half-block scooter ride in shorts that ended in road rash on her thigh, which turned necrotic. And I know far more people who have been in the ER after bicycle crashes of all sorts.

Do I wear the same thing on my bicycles as my scooter, of course not. I weigh the cost, benefits, and risks of each. I'm not trying to fear monger, scare, or lecture. Risk is part of living. Wear what makes you comfortable, both physically and mentally ... and respect other people's choices.
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Post by BuddyRaton »

Point37 wrote: ...and it's not hard to keep a set of gloves in your helmet or front compartment or under the seat...
A short time ago I read an article with an interview with one of the tech officers of Aria. He made a firm point that storing your gloves inside your helmet is one of the worse things you can do to it.

According to this source the hydrocarbons picked up by gloves can lead to early deterioration of the helmet material. I used to shove mine in there all the time but don't any more.
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Post by Point37 »

BuddyRaton wrote:
Point37 wrote: ...and it's not hard to keep a set of gloves in your helmet or front compartment or under the seat...
A short time ago I read an article with an interview with one of the tech officers of Aria. He made a firm point that storing your gloves inside your helmet is one of the worse things you can do to it.

According to this source the hydrocarbons picked up by gloves can lead to early deterioration of the helmet material. I used to shove mine in there all the time but don't any more.
front compartment or under the seat it is then...good to know...thanks
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Post by JettaKnight »

BuddyRaton wrote:
Point37 wrote: ...and it's not hard to keep a set of gloves in your helmet or front compartment or under the seat...
A short time ago I read an article with an interview with one of the tech officers of Arai. He made a firm point that storing your gloves inside your helmet is one of the worse things you can do to it.

According to this source the hydrocarbons picked up by gloves can lead to early deterioration of the helmet material. I used to shove mine in there all the time but don't any more.
Interesting.

I figure the oil and dirt from head does more damage. And I leave my helmet on the dinning room table, so if I don't put my gloves, key and ear plugs in there, the cats are likely to knock them off and possibly carry them away.
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Post by GregsBuddy »

Received my new set of leathers today. So excited. I used them on a ride to lunch and will wear them to the Napa Valley Scooter Club meeting this afternoon.
Black leather with external hard parts on shoulders, elbows and knees. Removed liner as it's still quite warm here. The back protection is nearly 25mm thick using really nice polymer with memory. Plenty of zippered pockets and zippered sleeves and cuffs.
Orgasmic, as my wife said I acted when I opened the box!! I just feel so protected like maybe being back in the womb. TMI, I know!!
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Post by Christophers »

GregsBuddy wrote:Received my new set of leathers today. So excited. I used them on a ride to lunch and will wear them to the Napa Valley Scooter Club meeting this afternoon.
Black leather with external hard parts on shoulders, elbows and knees. Removed liner as it's still quite warm here. The back protection is nearly 25mm thick using really nice polymer with memory. Plenty of zippered pockets and zippered sleeves and cuffs.
Orgasmic, as my wife said I acted when I opened the box!! I just feel so protected like maybe being back in the womb. TMI, I know!!
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Post by GregsBuddy »

Hi Christophers.
Think all black leather and you've got it. I'm not a thing of beauty in it, but I feel great!
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