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MEANINGFULL PROTECTION
- Thread starter Adamc
- Start date
Each time I’ve hit the pavement, it has been my hips and knees that get the worst contusions. My head has contacted the pavement only once.
I don't ride naked, but I do like to ride with helmet, full face, and tight leather jackets, boots of various types depending on the temperature. Armored clothing............my idea is that crash situations are unpredictable anyways.
I think that is a very good video Adam, thanks for posting that, it pretty well aligns with my point of view. I wrote about a replacement back protector that I bought to replace the thin foam pad in my jacket. Here,
https://www.xs650.com/threads/what-riding-gear-do-you-wear.57872/page-2#post-656770
If you think about your body flying off your bike. You are still going in the direction you were riding, but the pavement is fixed
( says Captain Obvious
) so if you have armor that can absorb that initial impact and flex, it absorbs a lot of energy that would otherwise be directly transferred to your body. They sell these replacement pads for all positions of your gear.
I’m surprised by the reaction this thread generated. Overall some really good points have been made both for and against protective gear. To be honest in the past when I rode track days I went ‘full on’ protective available at that time. Speeds were much higher than road riding, and so were the risks. Track road furniture is minimal, plenty of run off, gravel traps etc; so in some sense clothing protection is to reduce the risk of road rash above all else.
Road riding these days, especially for me, is much slower. I am an advanced licensed rider, police trained, and tend to ride in my own ‘safety bubble’. It’s the road furniture that scares me most on my travels; that and the half asleep myopic drivers in their fully air-bagged, laser cruise controlled tin boxes (whilst under the influence of stuff?).
I always wear appropriate gear depending on the ride I decide to take. Long motorways or tours is full protect leather kit and full face helmet etc. Short country rides is more casual; leather jacket, open face helmet, Oxford protect jeans, boots and gloves.
Bottom line is we all take a risk whatever the ride. We all choose our ‘protection’ for our own reasons. Whatever, we all enjoy our bikes and the freedom they give us. Keep safe and ride on.
Road riding these days, especially for me, is much slower. I am an advanced licensed rider, police trained, and tend to ride in my own ‘safety bubble’. It’s the road furniture that scares me most on my travels; that and the half asleep myopic drivers in their fully air-bagged, laser cruise controlled tin boxes (whilst under the influence of stuff?).
I always wear appropriate gear depending on the ride I decide to take. Long motorways or tours is full protect leather kit and full face helmet etc. Short country rides is more casual; leather jacket, open face helmet, Oxford protect jeans, boots and gloves.
Bottom line is we all take a risk whatever the ride. We all choose our ‘protection’ for our own reasons. Whatever, we all enjoy our bikes and the freedom they give us. Keep safe and ride on.
The plastic Jesus and a pair of pants... so to say. Brother Adamc puts it beautifully. As for skidding down the asphalt, well, a big fat belt (brass and lead )buckle and steel toes, leather jacket can be an asset durring slides. if you have no gut and can arch your back... Curbs can be a problem though...hitting a gasoline spill in a hairpin turn can be fun...just a mild boom... looks very cool too! Which brings us back to the icon... cultivate luck. Fella I knew, born about 1900, "Speed Mullins", wheel man for West Coast Shows during the 20's and 30's, and graduated to the motor drome - ah seen the scrap-books of Speedy up on the wall sitting on the handlebars of a 30-50 Indian, facing to the rear, smoking a cigar...while his partner did the same going the other way... Snoopy helmet. Speed was 76 when I knew him ,and recently married to a pretty gal from a show family, she was 23...and preggers! The point being that one can cultivate luck...
I went to get my bike MOT today and decided to wear my old open face helmet for the first time in years. It was really strange wearing it and seemed a part of me was missing. On the return ride my brain had already re-adjusted and the helmet felt great with all that open space...
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