I invite all of my rider friends to continue a discussion on "All The Gear, All The Time" (ATGATT) here.
My position: If I'm riding the track, the mountains, the coast or the twisties anywhere in between, I wear full gear without fail. And I tend employ more gear than the majority of riders I see. You won't catch me in my jeans and cowboy boots!
However, if I'm riding 2 miles to the pressure washer or to pick up the mail, it's just helmet, t-shirt and shorts — or whatever I happen to be wearing.
I am well aware of the protective properties of leathers and have personally tested them on four separate "pavement surfing" occasions. However, each of those episodes occurred while on a real ride, not just picking up the mail at bicycle speeds.
In fact, "bicycle speed" is what I use as my metric. If I'll be riding faster than I do on my bicycle (with no protective gear whatsoever,) on the motorcycles, I'll gear-up.
In response to my position, I typically get: "What if you get hit by a car?" To that I say: Riding gear isn't made to protect from blunt force trauma. Other than our helmets (that I ALWAYS wear!) protective gear is mostly about anti-abrasion. Sure, most gear has armor in the primary "contact points," but your leathers aren't gonna help you much if you're hit by a truck.
As for dirt riding, I won't ride 5 minutes without gear. Crashing is a normal part of dirt riding and with the correct gear, it's completely a non-issue. No gear, you simply get hurt.
So that's where I stand, how about you?
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I'm pretty much ATGATT, but when I ride, I ride…I haven't gotten into the mentality of just riding to the store for groceries, but that's more because when I run errands, I'm out for a good while and need the space that the Jeep provides. If I'm riding, it's to get lost on some back roads and clear my head.
Like you, +Charline T 99% percent of the time I'm actually riding too. But gassing up the night before, washing the bike or testing the new carb jetting around the block, I don't gear-up. To date, it hasn't bit me — although I do understand, every time we get on the bike we're at risk.
Also, HUGE +1 to getting on the back roads and clearing our heads! I'm with ya!!!
I had a Kawasaki Mean Streak before and used to ride it locally with jeans and t-shirt, longer trips I would put a jacket but still use my Kevlar jeans. When I got the Concours and started doing longer trips I always wear a protective jacket but in the summer still used my Kevlar jeans. I did the cross country trip last year with jeans and my protective jacket.
In winter I use my protected pants. Now with the Tenere I plan on doing really long adventures and will have full protective gear all the time.
I still enjoy riding with jeans and T-shirt though but it's too dangerous out there, it's the other people and their cars that I worry about.
Like +Charline T no errand running for me. ATGATT. No riding to work or anything.
I only wear my leather jacket at night or winter time, otherwise I'll get heat stroke! A LOT of riders here wear high vis long sleeve shirts because it is so hot here and most of the time the traffic is at a crawl
I'd rather sweat than bleed.
I'm big believer in ATGATT…you just never know.
+James Martinez I do sweat…and that's with my mesh jacket. Also I think people who wear high vis colors are greatly reducing their chances of getting hit. I think there's not enough emphasis on being more visible on the road. Even the MSF instructors don't wear leather. They might wear all the extra protection, armor plus high vis, but mesh is the way to go here. I think gear is important but I think everyone should also wear high vis too.
So +James Martinez, let me get this straight. Lets say you're going to gas up the bike and it's two miles away and you'd never even hit 30MPH getting there and back. You'd gear up for that?
I wear full gear ALWAYS for REAL riding, but to gas up or wash the bike, I'm perfectly comfortable creeping to the gas station at 30MPH in the same clothes I'd use on a bicycle. (And I don't wear my leathers on a bicycle.)
I know several MSF instructors, several moto cops and numerous professional racers, and NONE of them adhere to ATGATT.
And interestingly, when I was touring a MSF training site, the instructor teaching the course was, himself, in jeans, tennis shoes, a polo shirt and a half helmet. ATGATT — NOT!
+Paul Rey that's right, I've never seen a police officer wear "full" gear. I do know they get higher pay because of the greater risk of riding a bike. None of the instructors I know wear leather.
Sometimes, when I'm feeling really invincible, I drink water from the garden hose…
+Mys Kawasaki You're just too far over the edge by my standards! Your "death wish" antics go FAR beyond just throwing caution to the wind! Drinking from the water hose??? That's just insane!
+Paul Rey Well, I just get gas while I'm on my rides. Why would I leave my house, get gas, and come back? Even if I did, yes I would gear up. I was in a coma for two weeks in a 40mph accident.
+James Martinez That's a pretty serious injury from your accident. It's cool that you still decided to take calculated risks and keep on riding. It's what we all do on different levels: taking calculated risks.
lol +Mys Kawasaki 's garden hose …. i've ridden the drz in short and sandals to fill the saddlebags with beer. two blocks, but it was enough. generally, i'm geared up for anything more than a two block ride. i have leathers, but only wear them for spirited sport bike rides. hot or not, i've seen skin grafts, and they suck.
I NEVER RIDE AFTER DARK unless it's in the woods.
ATGATT, but I'm not exactly… there have been improvements like neck braces and airbags, which I haven't bought into yet. Should, I suppose.
On the road I'm riding (swivel headed, paranoid) 10%-25% of what I'm capable of, maybe 2% of what the bike is capable of. On the dirt I'm head over heals, there isn't a percentage or scale (minus the US budget) to compare to my experience deficit.
+James Martinez I am a firm believer in gearing up — just not every single time. I lost 10 weeks of work, couldn't walk or drive because I was so dizzy, separated a shoulder, had an elbow that looked like a grapefruit — and I was COMPLETELY geared-up in the best leathers, boots, gloves and helmet, money could buy.
Although I'll go a little further than +kyle peterson without gear, it isn't something I do very often. When I prep my bike for real rides, I often do it the night before. I'll ride to the pressure washer, then gas her up and come home. Very short, so I wear a helmet and shorts, jeans or whatever. No leathers. That's just how I roll…