How much safety gear do you wear?

[Bren]

Many of you have told about the hot weather you've been having lately and about riding with less gear. I know it's awful to sweat in full gear, but jeans won't save your *ss.

I'd like everyone to read through these pages. And if you've already visited the site, do it again!

 

[Admin]

Many of you have told about the hot weather you've been having lately and about riding with less gear. I know it's awful to sweat in full gear, but jeans won't save your *ss.

I'd like everyone to read through these pages. And if you've already visited the site, do it again!

Awesome post Bren...

Dennis

 

[hobbit]

i wear either my armoured Leather or textile always, Draggin Jeans as amoured trousers were about as usefull as a choclate teapot when i came off although i do still own armoured water proofs, and i always wear my full coverage Knox back protector after seeing the damage done to the previous one which could have been my spine and a full face Lid or my 3/4 jet helmet

 

[DrBart2]

I always ride with a full face helmet, gloves, and boots. I usually wear a jacket, but will admit that when the temperature gets above 95 degrees I won't wear one. Where I live (Dallas/Fort Worth area) the summer heat can be hell, but our winters can be heaven! You can usually ride all winter long. On a side note, for the people who live up north, they usually say that their temperature gets just as high as it does down here (100+) and that is true. The difference is that it only gets above 100 up there for maybe a week or two at the most. I have seen summers here where the high temperatures stayed 100 or above for 45 days straight. And it isn't a dry heat! The lows will be in the lower 80's at the wee hours of the morning! My wife and I went on a bike trip where we planned to be at our stopping destination by mid-day each day of the trip. So much for plans, one of the days we had some delays getting away and ended up riding about 200 miles with the shade temperature of 115. I found that the full face helmet actually insulated my head from the heat. It also helped that they were white helmets.

I know that riding without all the gear is not wise, so I will just have to only ride when it is not so hot. As the rider who lives in Arizona can attest to, it is not a matter of just sweating in protective gear, the heat can endanger you life! Heat exhaustion and Heat stroke should be taken seriously!

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I always ride with a full face helmet, gloves, and boots. I usually wear a jacket, but will admit that when the temperature gets above 95 degrees I won't wear one. Where I live (Dallas/Fort Worth area) the summer heat can be hell, but our winters can be heaven! You can usually ride all winter long. On a side note, for the people who live up north, they usually say that their temperature gets just as high as it does down here (100+) and that is true. The difference is that it only gets above 100 up there for maybe a week or two at the most. I have seen summers here where the high temperatures stayed 100 or above for 45 days straight. And it isn't a dry heat! The lows will be in the lower 80's at the wee hours of the morning! My wife and I went on a bike trip where we planned to be at our stopping destination by mid-day each day of the trip. So much for plans, one of the days we had some delays getting away and ended up riding about 200 miles with the shade temperature of 115. I found that the full face helmet actually insulated my head from the heat. It also helped that they were white helmets.

I know that riding without all the gear is not wise, so I will just have to only ride when it is not so hot. As the rider who lives in Arizona can attest to, it is not a matter of just sweating in protective gear, the heat can endanger you life! Heat exhaustion and Heat stroke should be taken seriously!

Have you thought of getting an evaporative cooling vest for $35. It actually works. The vest is somehwere in the temperture thread. I wore my mesh jacket along with my vest when it got up to 117 this summer here in Vegas. It kept me very cool. In that kind of heat, the sun was very brutal. It was scorching my face, I was wearing sunglasses with a clear visor. Plus, every red light, my jeans would get brutally hot as well. I will have to get a dark visor in the future for those extreme temps. I've spent plenty of time in the south during the summer in 100 plus temp, and the humidity is a real killer.

 

[DrBart2]

Have you thought of getting an evaporative cooling vest for $35. It actually works. The vest is somehwere in the temperture thread. I wore my mesh jacket along with my vest when it got up to 117 this summer here in Vegas. It kept me very cool. In that kind of heat, the sun was very brutal. It was scorching my face, I was wearing sunglasses with a clear visor. Plus, every red light, my jeans would get brutally hot as well. I will have to get a dark visor in the future for those extreme temps. I've spent plenty of time in the south during the summer in 100 plus temp, and the humidity is a real killer.

Actually, I am going to look into one of those. I have just switched to the FZ6. I get better air flow riding it than I did on my V-Star. I had a very large windshield on my V-Star that protected me from almost all the wind. It also made mesh vests very ineffective! It won't cool you if the air isn't moving through it!!:banghead: I actually have a Joe Rocket mesh jacket that I have been wearing more now that I am riding the FZ6. Also, we have had a relatively mild summer this year, so I have no excuses not to wear more protection now.

You know it's funny, but in temps like 117, I have found that your helmet actually insulates and protects your head from the heat!

 

[craig007]

I wear full gear, but it is mesh. I'm thinking of upgrading to an Olylmpia Phantom riding suit for fall :


I tried it on a couple of times and posted a pre-review comparison:

http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/showthread.php?t=367112

I was thinking of getting the neon yellow. Do you guys think that go too bright, cars will fixate on you and be more likely to run into you?

 

[angelko]

Here's my summer gear lineup:

Field Armor Knee-Shin - stays in place, comfortable, and covers a large surface.
Dainese Bap 1 (back protector) - thin, great coverage from base of neck to tail bone, simple to put on, extra abdomen support
Dainese above ankle boots similar to model from this link - comfortable, sturdy, velcro flap that covers the laces, great outter ankle guard, could use a better inner ankle guard.
Matte Black Shoei RF-1000 - many easily accessible vents, face shield easily replacable in seconds.
Frank Thomas Ventair Leather Motorcycle Jacket BLACK - good armour, great air flow / like wearing leater mesh, good quality zippers, fits tightly against body.
Alpinestars SPS Gloves - good abrasion protection, easy velcro strip for on/off, sufficient palm-side vents on fingers.
Icon Mil-Spec Vest - great visibility, solid fit.

Planning on Tourmaster set for the cold and rainy days.

 

[mikebike]

nice links and Pics of your gear Angelko. If you wear all that at once it had better not be 95 degrees out

Vest & jacket.... seems redundant.....

good post :thumbup:

 

[angelko]

Vest is mostly for improved night visibility, or solo rides. I don't use it in group rides.

 

[fast blue one]

I put the lot on Leather jacket and jeans helmet and glove and back protector.
I came off un protecteded when I was 16

IT HURT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[fz6.george]

If city ride only, I put on my full face helmet, gloves, riding jacket, jeans and riding boots. If it's an out of town ride, I put on full face helmet, gloves, leather jacket with paddings and back protector, riding pant and riding boots.:thumbup:

" S A F E T Y F I R S T "

 

[bikerider]

I wear helmet, gloves, back protector, jacket, boots and gloves. If there is more gear to keep me safe, i'd get it. Can't ever be to safe.:Sport:

 

[bluenova]

I wear helmet, gloves, back protector, jacket, boots and gloves. If there is more gear to keep me safe, i'd get it. Can't ever be to safe.:Sport:

Trousers?

I wear the full works on every ride, even just going up the road.

 

[MorganB]

I wear helmet, gloves, jacket, A* boots, A* leg protectors (under my jeans), and Icon Kevlar shorts (under my jeans) for everyday riding.

For group rides, I wear 2-piece leathers.

 

[ScottyJFZ]

I always dress for the crash not the weather....u never know when that cager is going to pull out in front you or when your going to hit gravel in the middle of a turn. Full Gear 97% of the time...

Scotty J.

 

[ScottyJFZ]

I wear helmet, gloves, back protector, jacket, boots and gloves. If there is more gear to keep me safe, i'd get it. Can't ever be to safe.:Sport:

What about pants....textile ot leather? u did not mention pants..

Scotty J.

 

[Bo67]

ATGATT. Sweat washes off much easier than blood.

 

[bike10]

In 26 years of riding fulltime, I have had 3 accidents, 2 big. Only one was sliding, the others were impact. The helmet is the only thing to protect against that. I always wear a helmet even if it wasn’t a law!!!!! My last trip was into a cement wall at 40mph to avoid running over the rookie who fell off his bike in front of me on the freeway. My helmet protected my face or I would be even uglier than I already am. But all my gear didn't save my ribs, shoulder and ankle. Not that I would advise not to wear gear, but you dress for the type of riding you'll be doing. In traffic, the danger is impact, not sliding. Besides I wore a full-face helmet even before it was a law here in So. Cal.

 

[Cloggy]

I always wear the full gear, textile in winter leathers/textile in summer (depending on the weather)..
I occassionally wear jeans and my jacket when around town but anything faster than 50Km/h I wear the full works.