101 degrees in Dallas today.This is the time of the year when people skimp on wearing their gear. I admit it's tempting to leave that jacket at home when it's already 99 degrees at 8:00am but I still wear it. At work I park next to 8 other bikes and only one other guy wears full gear in the summer.
It always amazes me how many people ride in shorts and sandals.
Had a shorts/helmet guy ask me how I could stand to wear all that when it's this hot. I asked him if he'd ever been down. He said no he's very careful and thought the jacket and gloves were overkill if you were a good rider and paid attention.(He rides a R6) I told him I'd rather sweat than bleed, shook my head and walked away. A little road rash goes a long way towards changing ones attitude bout gear. Maybe he'll wise up before that happens...
if you wear a mesh jacket, I've found that it provides TONS of airflow and shades your arms from the sun so it is actually cooler (while moving) than no jacket. As for pants, when I go for a quick spin around the block when tinkering, I'll sometimes just wear my shorts. It doesn't take long to feel all the heat off the engine. When I wear my riding pants, I don't feel all that radiating heat.
Sweat is cheap and easy to clean. Road rash sucks and skin grafts are expensive.
See it all the time around here...Shorts, T-shirts, Tank tops, Flip flops...Sure is gonna hurt when they go down one day cause it will happen eventually
I went on a trip from Omaha to Lincoln last night to go for a cruise with some friends.
Heat index of around 107, the humidity here sucks!!!
Wore full gear - Sidi B2 boots, Shift HAVOC pants, Fieldshear mesh jacket, gloves & helmet.
Got poured on with rain leaving Omaha, nearly dry by arrival in Lincoln.
Well worth a bit of sweat.
There was a guy on our ride sporting a t-shirt, jean shorts & tennis shoes & helmet on a 1198.
I was a little disappointed in his choice of gear, but didn't think was my place to say anything.
Who knows, maybe after purchasing the bike he didn't have any money left over for gear
if you wear a mesh jacket, I've found that it provides TONS of airflow and shades your arms from the sun so it is actually cooler (while moving) than no jacket.
I thought I was effin crazy! It is a lot cooler with a mesh jacket on! A buddy of mine gave it up and gave me his full faced helmet, and mesh jacket. In the heat i find it alot cooler when i wear it, my other ridin buds ride cruisers and would ever wear one, i never did either, now i don't like leavin the house with out it!
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2007 CB900f- sold
2009 K1300s- rockin out
I get that all the time also, "isn't that helmet/jacket hot?". It's been near 100 here this week and I am not seeing nearly as many riders.
What really chaps me is seeing adults giving small children wearing shorts and t-shirts rides.
I feel that if it is to hot to wear gear then it is to hot to ride.
I do agree that it is cooler to wear something to block the sun and allow the wind to cool, if you want to stay cooler wet your tee shirt under the mesh jecket it acts like a AC.
Just something to think about has anyone seen anyone living in a desert wearing a tee shirt and shorts, no they bock themselves from the sun.
101 degrees in Dallas today.This is the time of the year when people skimp on wearing their gear. I admit it's tempting to leave that jacket at home when it's already 99 degrees at 8:00am but I still wear it. At work I park next to 8 other bikes and only one other guy wears full gear in the summer.
It always amazes me how many people ride in shorts and sandals.
Had a shorts/helmet guy ask me how I could stand to wear all that when it's this hot. I asked him if he'd ever been down. He said no he's very careful and thought the jacket and gloves were overkill if you were a good rider and paid attention.(He rides a R6) I told him I'd rather sweat than bleed, shook my head and walked away. A little road rash goes a long way towards changing ones attitude bout gear. Maybe he'll wise up before that happens...
Rant off, Be safe, Gear up! (even in the heat)
I don't wear "full" gear (jacket, gloves, helmet but Docs and jeans or slacks) but I do always wear that little bit of my "atgatt". Last summer I got into a habit of going to lunch without my jacket ("i'm only going a mile or so, it'll be fine). Last July I was reminded that "only a mile" still is a mile on a bike. Coming back from lunch and I was pulling out of the parking lot from the local Chipotle. As I pull out, a cage pulls out across from me going the same way and turns in front of me. I grab the brakes (probably a bit too much) and down I went. No jacket, no gloves, just my helmet. That's how I ended up with the 919, so I guess it's not ALL bad, but I don't go out with my version of atgatt anymore. Just about sweat my nipples off on the way home this afternoon.
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2003 Honda 919 - flapper mod, Clear Alternatives Smoke Tailight w/ integral turn signals, Stebel Nautilus air horn, DIY fender eliminator, LED license plate bolts, LED front turn signals, no resistor or new flasher so I blink like crazy.
Saw a guy on a wing this afternoon doing 70+ on 51 north just going into Wausau. Crocks, shorts, vacation party shirt and a pair of shades.
My wife looked over at me and said "dont say it"....
A Vanson perfed,gloves, boots and at least a decent set of jeans. I will never wear a mesh jacket, I've seen burned nylon into skin and its noty pretty
if you wear a mesh jacket, I've found that it provides TONS of airflow and shades your arms from the sun so it is actually cooler (while moving) than no jacket.
+1.... My mesh jacket is the same, and if I hit a brief rain shower, I freeze on the hottest of days.
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I come from the land Down Under, Where the women blow and the men thunder!!
If you ride long enough you will eventually go down. My two spills both happened within a few miles of home. Same basic scenario both times... lowside at bout 35 mph, slid 10-15 feet.The first time all I had on was a helmet, ended up with a lot of RR and bruising/broken ankle/ sore as hell. The second time I was wearing full gear/no RR/no bruising/no ambulance/no hospital/no recovery/no huge bills. My.02 cents
Wearing all my gear is just part of the ride for me. My wife though is used to me ranting and raving about every moron that is sans gear...I bit@h about it ALL the time, so much so that my kids even say look at that moron without gear when they're riding in the van with Mom and Dad's not there HA!
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went down at 90 mph hit a back of a pickup,,6 stitches on elbo .. no protective gear wearing pants long sleeve sweater... slid atleat 150 feet on my back...no road rash ..nothing burnt through...all i could hear was my full face bouncing around..my buddy goes down at 30 mph the other day...hes a total mess...i was working the next day...its all in the cards...nothing like a tee shirt on a hot summer night
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dont need a bike to ride the fast lane
to me gear is part of the experience. I just like putting on the gear. Its like playing football. Is a tackle game of football in your backyard with shorts and stuff fun? Sure, but to me it's more fun with helmets and pads.
There are only two kinds of riders, those who have gone down, and those who are going to go down.
I lost my cherry a long time ago, and then again, and then again.
I won't ride without my jacket and at least jeans...which means I don't ride a lot in the summer :P
110 today
Probably 109 in Las Vegas today. I rode from 2:30 to 4:30 on desert trails, working hard the entire time except for two short breaks for water. T-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, and mesh armored jacket over that, full MX boots and MX pants, full helmet, gloves. Had a cooling pad and neck bandana. It didn't really feel very hot to me.
Then again, I do triathlons, and have raced at 100 degrees back east, where there is humidity in addition to the heat. One 1/2 Ironman I did (White Lake, NC) several years ago, over 200 people were treated in the medical tent (out of 600) for heat-related problems. Of those 200, 67 were hospitalized for at least a short while. If you are in decent cardiovascular condition, and take appropriate precautions, even triple-digits aren't so bad. Wear the gear, stay home, or take your chances.
I just wish my insurance premiums weren't affected by people that have high medical bills just because they didn't wear the gear.
Just saw this post Barton. We only made it as far as Apalachicola, but we were staying in Panama City.
Quote:
Originally Posted by secondchance
went down at 90 mph hit a back of a pickup,,6 stitches on elbo .. no protective gear wearing pants long sleeve sweater... slid atleat 150 feet on my back...no road rash ..nothing burnt through...all i could hear was my full face bouncing around..my buddy goes down at 30 mph the other day...hes a total mess...i was working the next day...its all in the cards...nothing like a tee shirt on a hot summer night
Then again, I do triathlons, and have raced at 100 degrees back east, where there is humidity in addition to the heat. One 1/2 Ironman I did (White Lake, NC) several years ago, over 200 people were treated in the medical tent (out of 600) for heat-related problems. Of those 200, 67 were hospitalized for at least a short while. If you are in decent cardiovascular condition, and take appropriate precautions, even triple-digits aren't so bad. Wear the gear, stay home, or take your chances.
Oh yeah, I'm a total marshmallow. Not a chubby, just not an exerciser. I could see how being in fit shape would make it easier on me. I'm riding today, been missing it too much!
....As for pants, when I go for a quick spin around the block when tinkering, I'll sometimes just wear my shorts...
Once I was working on my car, and needed a part. The parts shop was only two blocks away, it was a hot day, so I jumped on my bike, without a jacket, or gloves (was wearing jeans). Halfway there I go around a nice 90 degree bend, that I loved hooking around, and guess what? Right in the middle of the bend the rear tyre just completely goes "BANG", instant deflation, and the flat tyre of course trys to roll off the rim. I must be either pretty good, or damn lucky, as I counter steer full lock speedway style, so I could get around the corner without hitting the gutter and in someones front yard. I don't know how I did it, but I stayed on, and upright.
I looked up at the sky, shook my fist at the clouds, and said "Nice try"!
__________________ Growing old is compulsory. Growing up is optional.
My philosophy for wearing gear: A person is born with 2 buckets, one bucket full of luck, and an empty bucket of wisdom. The trick is to fill the 2nd bucket up before the first bucket is empty.
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Well, I'm a new guy to this forum but this thread is right up my ATGATT ranting alley. My wife was recently in an accident riding the 919 and had her jacket, gloves and helmet on. The bike still ate her lunch and she was down with a broken ankle, hyper extended thumb and hairline fracture collarbone. Her helmet was toast. She was only going about three miles per hour when this happened but her inexperience caused the bike to slide out and on top of her when she hit gravel. I'd be feeding her and looking at long term care if not for the gear she had on.
Glad she's ok man, thankfully she wasn't going faster. Gear has saved me some serious RR before. It's uncomfortable and all that, especially in Texas where it regularly breaks 105 in the summer but RR is more uncomfortable. I learned that the hard way. Tell her to hang in there and get better soon!
Steve
Quote:
Originally Posted by jduff8505
Well, I'm a new guy to this forum but this thread is right up my ATGATT ranting alley. My wife was recently in an accident riding the 919 and had her jacket, gloves and helmet on. The bike still ate her lunch and she was down with a broken ankle, hyper extended thumb and hairline fracture collarbone. Her helmet was toast. She was only going about three miles per hour when this happened but her inexperience caused the bike to slide out and on top of her when she hit gravel. I'd be feeding her and looking at long term care if not for the gear she had on.
Glad she's ok man, thankfully she wasn't going faster. Gear has saved me some serious RR before. It's uncomfortable and all that, especially in Texas where it regularly breaks 105 in the summer but RR is more uncomfortable. I learned that the hard way. Tell her to hang in there and get better soon!
+1, glad she's ok Jeff!
It was pushing 90 today, rode the FJR to work and had to run to the eye doctor on the far side of town to get my glasses fixed. Had on my mesh jacket but still was dripping with sweat in stop and go city traffic, plus FJR's are heat monsters anyway. All it took was reading through this thread again to remind myself why sweat is always better than skin grafts though, no comparison!
Scott, I have to force myself to put on my gear in the summer. As I'm pouring sweat, I keep reminding myself sweat wipes off..... I took a nice slide on the slab bout 12 years ago with nothing but a helmet. I don't reccomend it. A few broken bones and a little RR was all it took for me. After that spill I bought so much gear I looked like the freakin michelin man riding around. Now I just try to find a balance between protection and comfort. (which is very elusive). My biggest issue is pants. I end up riding in jeans a lot in the summes cause most pants with armour are just too hot and bulky. I have several different kinds and hate them all. I recently bought the bohn armour pants but they are the same story, bulky as hell/uncomfortable. They seem like they would provide good protection if you could stand to wear them.
I think I will try some fieldsheer mesh pants next. Maybe Veloce will come out with something practical someday....... hint, hint......
Steve
Quote:
Originally Posted by sbeau1960
+1, glad she's ok Jeff!
It was pushing 90 today, rode the FJR to work and had to run to the eye doctor on the far side of town to get my glasses fixed. Had on my mesh jacket but still was dripping with sweat in stop and go city traffic, plus FJR's are heat monsters anyway. All it took was reading through this thread again to remind myself why sweat is always better than skin grafts though, no comparison!
Scott, I have to force myself to put on my gear in the summer. As I'm pouring sweat, I keep reminding myself sweat wipes off..... I took a nice slide on the slab bout 12 years ago with nothing but a helmet. I don't reccomend it. A few broken bones and a little RR was all it took for me. After that spill I bought so much gear I looked like the freakin michelin man riding around. Now I just try to find a balance between protection and comfort. (which is very elusive). My biggest issue is pants. I end up riding in jeans a lot in the summes cause most pants with armour are just too hot and bulky. I have several different kinds and hate them all. I recently bought the bohn armour pants but they are the same story, bulky as hell/uncomfortable. They seem like they would provide good protection if you could stand to wear them.
I think I will try some fieldsheer mesh pants next. Maybe Veloce will come out with something practical someday....... hint, hint......
Steve
I've tried the Bohn Armor under pants, found them extremely bulky and uncomfortable, plus the armor didn't feel like it would stay in place during a wreck. I've tried Draggin' Jeans, nicely made pants but very thick and hot, the kevlar lined heavy denim does not breath at all. I have a pair of First Gear mesh overpants which can be work with jeans, or just shorts underneath, they're quite comfortable and feel like they would offer at least a bit of protection, although not as much as full armor. Unfortunately it's not always practical to wear the mesh overpants so I frequently just ride in jeans as well, still looking for that perfect solution.
Scott, I have to force myself to put on my gear in the summer. As I'm pouring sweat, I keep reminding myself sweat wipes off..... I took a nice slide on the slab bout 12 years ago with nothing but a helmet. I don't reccomend it. A few broken bones and a little RR was all it took for me. After that spill I bought so much gear I looked like the freakin michelin man riding around. Now I just try to find a balance between protection and comfort. (which is very elusive). My biggest issue is pants. I end up riding in jeans a lot in the summes cause most pants with armour are just too hot and bulky. I have several different kinds and hate them all. I recently bought the bohn armour pants but they are the same story, bulky as hell/uncomfortable. They seem like they would provide good protection if you could stand to wear them.
I think I will try some fieldsheer mesh pants next. Maybe Veloce will come out with something practical someday....... hint, hint......
Steve
Velo who ?!?!
There aren't that many options out there yet unfortunately. Each manufacturer tries it's best to create airflow to desipitate the heat. However, standing still you still sweat like a pig when it gets really hot. I like the idea of wetting your t-shirt, or get a one piece inner suit and dump it in ice water before you ride. The process of it drying actually evaporates heat / steam off your body. Just be sure to wear something perforated if you do that.
Another thing to consider is your choice of colours. I have been asked why we use Silver on the back of our suits. It is to help reflect heat, as opposed to absorbing it with darker colours like Black. I know Black is neutral and can match just about any bike or apparel combo out there... but realize that it absorbs heat. In summer, get flashy and wear lighter colours.
For helmet choices, you might consider a motocross helmet with goggles. It will allow more airflow around your head. Arai actually has a few cross over type helmets that fit the bill. Your assessment of the Bohn armour is unfortunately right. They do feel bulky. We are trying out some new padded shorts which I will post up soon. They are similar to the padded pants I recently offered.
There is a company by name of D3o from the UK which makes a special shock absorbing material. Much as I don't like to refer to competitors, they have released their own line of protective armour to retail customers. We explored a partnership with them, but this is pending for now. My caveat is that I am still not 100% sure there is enough material to fully absord major impacts - smart materials are great, however the laws of mass, weight and velocity still apply and there has to be sufficient decelleration for protection to be effective.
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