Darwin

I was going to post something similar, and then thought you'd probably
already done so, and - hey! - here you are.

It's telling that those who are sanctimonious about "wearing the right
gear" are usually newbs who's only held a bike licence for 2-3 years.

 

and equally those who ride round in shorts have probably never hit a
pallet on the motorway at over a ton. Its a rule of thumb that the
amount of bike gear you wear is proportional to the amount of scar
tissue and associated metalwork you have. I never ride anywhere these
days without being armoured up like a kipper but I have to say that the
shorts and t shirt brigade merely cause amusement at their possible
fate rather than moral outrage.

 

I tend to wear mostly a full set of armoured gear all the time as I just
think it hurts too much when you fall off. The last time I fell of a bike I
was doing about 35 ~ 40 mph in the wet. Took too much front brake and was
flipped off wearing a T-Shirt under a fleece, thin casual trousers (Slacks,
I believe they would have once been called) and a pair of trainers.

Fleece jackets seem to be tough buggers. Not a scratch on it but quite a
few on me 'cause they grip the tarmac quite well and prevent you sliding.
This was not the first time I have fallen off in lightweight trousers either
and they never even had a tear. My legs did though. A few cuts. I find
trousers the most annoyiing bit of bike gear, they always seem so bloody
cumbersome. keep my legs nice and warm now that the morning's are getting
cooler though.

 

I've crashed a few times now, never whilst wearing full leathers
etc[1]. Never really did me any harm.

I don't think so.

Well, you should feel happy that full leather and armour makes you
invulnerable.

[1] though never whilst going particularly fast.

 

Thats the point, once you hurt yourself badly then you start to think
about it a bit more.[2]

It makes me feel that I would hurt myself less than if I was wearing
shorts.

[2] Cue post from one legged UKRM'er who still rides round in shorts,
empty leg flapping defiantly in the breeze.

 

Yeah, I got away with it for years when I was a kid too. And even
recently I've ridden in Jeans & jacket on occasions, without
consciously slowing down.

Now the only accident that has left me with scars has happened when I
_was_ wearing all the gear, so one could conclude that it's actually
less likely that you'll get hurt if you don't wear full leathers.

Well, he didn't say 'inversely' proportional, so it would actually
support with my conclusion above. I've acquired scars on each side of
the chest, one on my back where they took the bone graft from my
pelvis and a fuckoff (30cm) one right down my spine where they put the
two titanium rods in.

Clearly, then, wearing protective gear is bad for you.

Quite.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

I've broken both arms, both legs, assorted ribs yada yada yada and on a
good day I'll ride in a tshirt.

I don't really wear shorts because of the scars on my legs...

I think it's all to do with risk-perception; I don't consider I'm at
great risk.

 

Usually though, it's only the "bottom half" that I don't bother with.
I nearly always ride with at least an armoured paddock jacket on +
leather gloves. In fact, I think even when it's really warm and I just
have a t-shirt on, I'd still wear the gloves. I very rarely bother
with proper bike boots for just pottering around, but I would put them
on if I new I were going for a decent blat. The only time I ever wear
"all the gear" is on the track (and in fact, leather gear at all).

heh.

 

While biking you mean?

Careless **** ain't ya

 

Ooh I've got them but I went for the 15cm ones... would have preferred them
in red annodised alloy but these will have to do.

Everyones getting them nowadays, at this rate they'll be in the Hein Gericke
spring collection.

David

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, BGN belched forth and ejected the following:

Only if you want to see where you're going.

 

Surely you don't include say, a 15 minute round trip to the shops or a
nearby mate's house in that? Maybe I'm just too lazy for my own good,
but the fact that it'd take longer to get all the gear on and off than
it would to do the journey puts me right off.

On a hot sunny day this year, I was tempted not to bother wearing a
crash helmet when I nipped out for some milk (the local co-op is
literally two streets away). It felt great, but the pointy,
superior-looking onlookers took the edge off it. Shame it attracts so
much attention really, as it put me right off doing it again.

 

Careless/Reckless, yes. Mind you I've not had a prang in a few years
and most of it was done in my twenties/early thirties.

 

Apparently most "small" accidents happen on the short journeys near
home, although I can't find any references to research which backs this
assertion.

This makes me double wary about jumping on the bike without the mental
preparation which getting kitted up gives you. Five minutes getting
kitted up for a two minute ride must surely give you time to mentally
prepare yourself.


Although just a few weeks ago I did, for the first time, wear sandals,
shorts and t-shirt to nip up the road. Whilst it was exhilarating
wandering down the road with the warm wind rustling through the t-shirt,
I did feel strangely vulnerable and compensated my riding style.
Acceleration and top speed was almost push bike like, which is really
difficult to do on a supersports.

 

Sheeeeeeeeesh, state the fucking obvious!

Apparently most journeys are short and near home.

 

What the **** is this 'mental preparation' of which you speak? I
always find pushing the starter button is all the preparation I need.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

And, crucially, most journeys involve the bit near home at some point.

 

flash says...

I last crashed 4 weeks ago when I was highsided off at 50mph in the
cheapest Akito 2 piece leather suit you can buy. There wasn't a mark
anywhere on my body, but the leathers had light scuffs in places. The
only injury I sustained was from where the inside face of my ankle
impacted the tarmac when I landed. Damage is limited to bruising and a
tendon half torn from the bone, I don't think any boots would have saved
me from that.

 

I think there's certainly some mileage in what you're saying when going
out for a long hoon, especially with other riders as things invariably
tend towards the "competitive", but I honestly don't feel like I need to
mentally prepare myself to ride up the road to the shops.

 

Sean Hamerton? He'z just ziz guy, you know?

DSTIUTA?