All The Gear All The Time. I know it’s the safety wallah’s mantra, but realistically, how many of us pay attention and follow that rule consistently – or ever?
I sure don’t. There hasn’t been much chance this year with temperatures hovering at slightly above hypothermia levels all summer, but in the past I have been known to ride in jeans and a tee-shirt on a hot day (but always with gloves, for some reason). Of course helmets are the law here, and I wear one anyway because I just feel way too vulnerable without my trusty brain bucket.
And it’s not like I don’t know better. I have been down that road before, and road rash is not a pleasant experience - picking the pebbles out of a skinned part of the anatomy is no fun. But I have never experienced anything like this lady – and hope I never will.
Brittany Morrow was literally blown off the back of her boyfriend’s sports bike at some unspecified but obviously very high speed. Wearing only a sweatshirt and jeans for protection, she skidded some 522 feet down the highway. This is her story, a chilling reminder of the abrasive power of asphalt on unprotected skin.
h/t to Cyril Huze Blog for the link.
So, what's the hangup with wearing real gear? Convenience? Cost? Vanity?
ReplyDeleteStacy - I think that's an individual thing. Cost? Hard to accept that someone who puts thousands into their bike can't afford a couple of hundred for a good jacket. Vanity? Certainly for some, along with the bad-ass look. But for me it's usually comfort. On a hot day, even textile jackets can be pretty uncomfortable.
ReplyDeletePersonally I advocate ATGATT. I wear full textiles from head to toe. Even on the hottest days of riding in +40 celcius, I still manage to stay comfortable with only a sense of being "warm" yet never "hot"...unless I get stuck in traffic.
ReplyDeleteOn a recent ride, I talked with a fellow rider wearing shorts and a T-Shirt and when I commented on it, he claimed that he's "good rider and not worried. At which point I commented "It has little to do with your skills when the lack of others skills may cause you issues. If you aren't worried at all, then why bother wearing that back shield?". It struck me as bit odd.
I'll stick to my full gear thanks and my full face helmet but people are free to choose for themselves obviously. It's all about mitigating risk.