ATGATT...or comfort?

[Xoulrath]

This is a gear-related thread, however I placed it in General so as to have more people involved in the discussion. If this is unacceptable, I apologize in advance Alex.

So I am reading the Consumer Reports blog that adouglas posted and it reminded me of an editorial in the July Cycle World on the subject of gear. More specifically, the USE of gear by various people and what is acceptable. So it got me thinking about what my acceptable level of gear was, well rethinking, because I already knew what my level of comfort was regarding gear.

I am pretty much an ATGATT person. I say pretty much because at the moment I am lacking a pair of riding jeans and if I am riding somewhere (i.e. to the movies to meet friends or to my wife's parents for dinner or to work) then I wear blue jeans with my knee/shin guards and shoes. So I do need to get those pants and more street oriented boots to be fully ATGATT. That should be taken care of within a month.

On the other hand, whenever I am riding to ride, which is quite often, I am full ATGATT: full-face helmet, textile jacket, full-gauntlet gloves, leather/textile riding pants, and full length boots. I will be buying a spine protector soon to further boost the protection for these riding days.

It should be noted that I always wear a full-face helmet, jacket, gloves and knee/shin guards. (And as soon as I get those riding jeans and street boots I will be wearing those all the time as well, or ATGATT.)

That brings me to the following questions:

1) What do you consider acceptable gear when using your bike for transportation?

2) What do you consider acceptable gear for spirited riding?

3) What is the least amount of gear you would ever consider wearing and in what conditions?

I answered the first two questions already, but in regards to the third, I feel given a perfect weather day in Florida cruising at 30 miles per hour I may be tempted to wear shorts and a t-shirt. I will always wear a helmet.

[Cab305]

I live in Miami, it will be in the 90's here soon.

Solution: I only ride when the sun goes down, all my gear is mesh or perforated, and all my helmet vents opened.

[ScraitT]

I'm in South Florida as well. I wear my helmet, mesh jacket, and gloves 99% of the time. Sometimes at the beach I'll take my helmet off because I want to take in the air and enjoy it all, but it's all low speeds.
If I have a girl ask for a ride, she gets the helmet and jacket, no exceptions.

I'm sure one day somewhere down the line it might bite me in the ass, but I enjoy life. I wear my stuff 99% of the time, and it's good enough for me.

[Alex]

No need to apologize.

/moved to gear forum.

[noche_caliente]

ATGATT means just that - it isn't an either/or thing wtih me as far as comfort is concerned - if I'm not ATGATT, I don't feel comfortable riding. That's what stopped me riding with my pregnancy... once I couldn't fit in my gear, I stopped... if I could fit in it right now, I'd be off for a short ride as the beautiful weather is killing me.... but I can't, so I'm not riding

[Soujyu]

About the only piece of gear I don't wear are my riding pants. I wear everything else.

The reason is that my pants don't do well in close to 100 degree weather AND you have jeans underneath them. I could do the "change when you get to work" trick, but everyone has a key to everyone else's office.... and I don't think I want the IT ladies or our technical writer to barge into my office when I'm without pants on....

[Momaru]

I have various levels of ATGATT for the weather (textile vs leather vs mesh), but I don't leave my parking spot without full-face helmet, some form of riding jacket & pants, gloves, knee/shin guards, riding boots. Had too many people I know, myself included, take low-speed crashes to believe it won't happen or be painful just because I'm only going around the corner. I feel positively naked without a full set of gear and it's just not worth an extra 5% ventilation/comfort to increase the chance of transmogrifying a portion of myself into hamburger in the event of a crash.

That said, haven't figured out the passenger bit yet, but in 2 years I haven't had to (or really wanted to) give a ride to someone that didn't already have a helmet/other gear they owned or could borrow in a pinch.

[Cab305]

I must clarify, my ATGATT:
Full face helmet, 3/4 boots(hard), Icon shin/knee guard, hard back plate vest, mesh jacket with shoulder/elbow plastic, and I had a pair of carbon fiber gloves (lost one yesterday, @#!:*& arrrgh). T-shirt, regular jeans, and clean underwear just in case.

PS. Congratulations Kim.

[Hadyn]

1) What do you consider acceptable gear when using your bike for transportation?
Helmet, Gloves, Boots, Jacket, and Leg Armor (under jeans). Not wearing all my gear has crossed my mind a couple times when I was running late, but there's nothing worth risking it. If I'm late, I'm late.
2) What do you consider acceptable gear for spirited riding?
All of the above, plus some kind of abrasion-resistant pants.
3) What is the least amount of gear you would ever consider wearing and in what conditions?
The only time I've been in motion on the bike without gear was moving it 300 yards down an empty residential street at 10mph to a new parking spot, and even that felt pretty sketch.

[longhorn]

It was 108 here today, pretty typical for the next few weeks, and some days even higher. Though I strongly believe in proper protection, it is simply impossible to safely wear it in heavy stop and go traffic in town in such conditions without risking dehydration and hyperthermia. I wear a long sleeved denim shirt, jeans, high boots, and summer padded gloves and 3/4 helmet and ride really defensively for the summer months.

[alex.s]

hmm... interesting topic... i ride "ATGATT"... but the quality of gear changes... if i'm going on a trip just to ride, i wear my highest quality protective gear. if i'm going to work or to the store to pickup something small (under a few miles total travel), i'll usually skip the fancy jacket and fancy pants and go with a more comfortable (but still protective enough) riding jacket and riding jeans with strap-on knee protection and plainer boots that don't look like plastic dog chew-toys... seems to me i get less awkward glares when i don't look like a space-man buying a set of bolts...

[JeffM]

ATGATT - Lid, jacket, gloves, armored motorcycle specific pants, motorcycle specific boots. For me that also includes earplugs. The whole sha-bang. When the temps get above 90 I throw on an evaporative vest under my jacket.

[adouglas]

The only time I don't go ATGATT is when I take the one-mile 30 mph ride to my lunch spot in the middle of the workday. For that I wear helmet, boots, jacket and gloves. I simply leave my overpants at the office.

Also, the jacket I wear at lunch is a spare I keep at the office. It's a standard mesh jacket with back pad and CE armor at the shoulders and elbows.

For my commute I wear pants with hip pads and knee armor, full torso armor including back protector (Velocity Juggernaut CE Level 2 armor), mesh or textile jacket over the armor, helmet and gloves.

Getting the armor done up for the lunch hop is just awkward enough that I choose to compromise and not wear it.

Wearing a mesh jacket over the armor means this is quite comfortable even in warm weather as long as I'm moving. It hasn't gotten super-hot here yet. I've ridden in humid 80s and been okay.

I will never wear shorts and a shirt. Ever.

I've had road rash from lowsiding a bicycle at about 25 mph and I don't want my wife to make fun of me like that ever again.

[Xoulrath]

Originally Posted by ScraitT

I'm in South Florida as well. Sometimes at the beach I'll take my helmet off because I want to take in the air and enjoy it all, but it's all low speeds.

LOL, I'm not actually in Florida. I should have said that. I'm 20 miles northwest of Atlanta. The reason I mentioned Florida is because I, after complaining about how many riders I passed daily in shorts and a shirt instead of the proper protective gear, decided if there were anywhere I may do that, it would be cruising slowly in front of the beach on a nice straight road with plenty of sight distance. There are far too many hills and blind corners pretty much everywhere around here for me to even think about enjoying a cool breeze on my arms and legs even at 10 mph on any public road.

As far as the helmet, I suffered a very mild concussion when I was about 10. A kid pushed me off of a friend's bike and my head hit the large gravel in the driveway I was on. My mother was instructed to wake me every two hours and ask me my name, her name, my brother's name and the year. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention the part where I can't remember the time between the push, or even the push itself, to the time I got to the emergency room. I was told by my father who was the one who brought me to the hospital that it was something like 30 minutes. There was blood all over the floor from where I walked in the backdoor. I got to see this after the hospital trip. It wasn't a fun experience and as concussions go, it was basically nothing. This thread wasn't started to judge others on their gear habits, but if there were one thing I would ask everyone to do, regardless of their gear level, is WEAR A HELMET ALL THE TIME. The human body is incredibly resilient but a head injury at low speed can kill you. You can't heal from that.

Originally Posted by Haydn

Not wearing all my gear has crossed my mind a couple times when I was running late, but there's nothing worth risking it. If I'm late, I'm late.

I agree. With the already noted exception for me, I wear everything I have for even a short ride or even running late for work.

Originally Posted by JeffM

For me that includes earplugs.

I agree with this as well, I can't ride WITHOUT earplugs. It's just too loud. My friends make fun of me but I'll have the last laugh; of course they won't know it because they won't be able to hear me laughing.

Originally Posted by adouglas

I will never wear shorts and a shirt. Ever.

I've had road rash from lowsiding a bicycle at about 25 mph and I don't want my wife to make fun of me like that ever again.

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie to people who have never experienced it. It hurts. I've never low-sided a bicycle, but I have high-sided them several times and the asphalt hurts. I've also had my legs try to fly out from under me and over my back on a skateboard (among other injuries), and um yeah that doesn't work so well. I suffered a very bad gash to my left elbow and arm on that one. Like to the bone. For me though, because that's a known pain level, I am willing to take the risk for that Florida vacation ride down the beach, or through my friend's neighborhood after working on the bike.

Thanks everyone for your responses. They are all pretty typical of what I expected based on the maturity level I have witnessed while being a member of this site. Gear all around. Be safe out there and have fun!

[heatherintegra]

I wear...at all times...helmet, gloves, jacket (textile or leather depending on weather) tennis shoes, jeans. (the riding jeans are soon to come.)
I got a leather jacket due to the fact that I feel better and safer riding.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by heatherintegra

I wear...at all times...helmet, gloves, jacket (textile or leather depending on weather) tennis shoes, jeans. (the riding jeans are soon to come.)
I got a leather jacket due to the fact that I feel better and safer riding.

consider investing in some motorcycle specific shoes/boots for more protection.

[Perf_White_Gt]

sandals/shorts and my oakleys are all the protection you ever really need...

btw... i am not an organ donor... im taking that shizzz with me to the grave






Just Kidding!!!

[Perf_White_Gt]

But I agree... not matter what you have on... at the very least have a jacket and helmet...

[izmail1215]

I am not allowed to get on my bike unless i have gear this is because i am under age and my parents make me i am 16 lol

[Scott1620]

This past weekend I was riding in 90 degree weather. I wore mesh riding pants that have hip pads, Astar smx-2 3/4 boots, icon knee/shin armor, Astar mesh jacket with elbow, chest, and shoulder pads, summer gloves with CF knuckles, and Bell Apex helmet...

When moving it wasn't bad at all, under my gear was a t shirt and mesh shorts. Id rather sweat while stopped than bleed if something unfortunate happens...

[adouglas]

I am not allowed to get on my bike unless i have gear this is because i am under age and my parents make me i am 16 lol

Sooo..... if they didn't make you, you wouldn't?

Think.

Whenever anyone asks me why I wear all this stuff, I tell them to imagine running across a parking lot as fast as they can, and diving face-first as if they were sliding into second base.

That's a reasonable simulation of what happens if you go down at less than 20 mph. It only gets worse as you go faster.

I would do that little exercise without hesitation wearing my gear. I won't, because I don't want to shred my jacket and pants... but I have absolutely no doubt that I'd walk away completely unharmed.

[Flashmonkey]

I almost never wear riding pants. The best I can manage at the moment is to wear whatever pants I'm using (for work, jeans, etc) and wear leg armor underneath.

98% of my riding right now consists of commuting to and from work...so my primary concern is impact. I'm usually stuck in traffic so I doubt I'll be sliding very far

Until I get the funds together for a custom 2-piece, I'm pretty much avoiding any hardcore "let's see what happens when I take this turn at this speed" kinda riding.

[want1sobad]

my gear never changes regardless of how short the trip, weather, whatever. helmet, armored gauntlets, armored jacket, boots, knee/shin guards, jeans.

that being said i plan to add a chest/back protector and some armored shorts when i'm riding for the sole purpose of riding.

i am in florida and yes the temp and humidity are starting to pick up. yesterday i got stuck in stop and go construction in the middle of the afternoon = effing brutal. however, i'd rather sweat to death, knowing i'll be fine once i start moving, and hydrate when i get to where i'm going than risk the alternative. besides, the increased "comfort" if i wasn't wearing gear would maybe be 1%.

i also have wrecked on on bicycle doing about 20 mph. terrible rash - took about 3 months to heal. as previously stated, it doesn't take much speed for the road to burger you - why take the chance?

last but not least, my best friend's little brother was killed 2 weeks after graduating from high school when he low sided and hit is head on the curb doing 25 mph. as someone said, low speed can kill too......

as an aside, i went for a run with my gf last night along a busy road, avg speed 35-45. saw a lot of guys on bikes as weather was beautiful in the evening - not one had gear.

i just don't get it......

[bobguy]

gloves, boots, helmet, armored jacket, usually riding jeans...but sometimes regular jeans...Im not convinced the riding jeans are that much better than regular. I do have some legit riding pants that are waterproof, but very hot for summer. I save them for weekend trips or below 40 degree weather.

[drowe531]

Always have helmet, jacket (mesh or textile right now), gauntlet gloves and boots. The only thing I occasionly skimp on is pants. I do have motorcycle jeans from Cortech but they can get really hot at work so sometimes I'll just wear regular jeans. I do have the icon shin and knee armor but I'm still undecided on that as apparently my left calf is a tad to small to keep it up and it shifts around.

[Guinss]

Always wearing boots, gloves, jacket, pants, helmet, earplugs and back-protector("turtle-shell"). Always.

[dubojr1]

I admit I commute to work daily in business pants and leather shoes. I am always in my FG textile jacket, carbon fiber protection gloves, and of course my helmet. Outside of commuting to work, I wear a pair of jeans and leather boots along with my helmet, gloves, and jacket.

It really is time to step up my game on some riding pants and motorcycle specific boots. Still not sure how to handle the business dress though...

[Xoulrath]

Originally Posted by dubojr1

I admit I commute to work daily in business pants and leather shoes. Still not sure how to handle the business dress though...

Yeah, I'm in the same boat at the moment. I wear khaki pants or blue jeans to work and not coincidentally, I ride in those same pants or jeans. I also wear synthetic suede basketball style shoes.

I'm in the field of education, school just let out here for summer and so I won't be riding to work for two and a half months. My plan once school starts again is to have some high quality over-pants that are waterproof and insulated with a removable liner so that I'm good to go all the way into that one month in Georgia where we have weather dip into the teens (I'll use the car then). Maybe this is an option for you?

I'll also be getting some waterproof street riding boots that are comfortable enough to just wear all day. Perhaps you can get a tank bag or tail bag or some form of cargo hold to put your dress shoes in and get a decent pair of all-weather riding boots and swap out at work.

[want1sobad]

Originally Posted by dubojr1

I admit I commute to work daily in business pants and leather shoes. I am always in my FG textile jacket, carbon fiber protection gloves, and of course my helmet. Outside of commuting to work, I wear a pair of jeans and leather boots along with my helmet, gloves, and jacket.

It really is time to step up my game on some riding pants and motorcycle specific boots. Still not sure how to handle the business dress though...

jason, check these out http://www.newenough.com/street/boot...ycle_shoe.html - this is what i have. was not willing to spend $150+, they are comfortable to walk around in, but offer all the necessary protection. just change shoes when you to work dude

[dubojr1]

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

Yeah, I'm in the same boat at the moment. I wear khaki pants or blue jeans to work and not coincidentally, I ride in those same pants or jeans. I also wear synthetic suede basketball style shoes.

I'm in the field of education, school just let out here for summer and so I won't be riding to work for two and a half months. My plan once school starts again is to have some high quality over-pants that are waterproof and insulated with a removable liner so that I'm good to go all the way into that one month in Georgia where we have weather dip into the teens (I'll use the car then). Maybe this is an option for you?

I'll also be getting some waterproof street riding boots that are comfortable enough to just wear all day. Perhaps you can get a tank bag or tail bag or some form of cargo hold to put your dress shoes in and get a decent pair of all-weather riding boots and swap out at work.

Sounds like you got a plan. Good options for me as well. Time for some research and some deal searching.

[dubojr1]

Originally Posted by want1sobad

jason, check these out http://www.newenough.com/street/boot...ycle_shoe.html - this is what i have. was not willing to spend $150+, they are comfortable to walk around in, but offer all the necessary protection. just change shoes when you to work dude

Easy on and off.... Nice find Vince I guess I could slide my dress shoes in my backpack which is normal for me anyway cause I'm usually packing lunch too.

[Momaru]

One thing to consider regarding those (any many other) low-top riding shoes is they likely won't protect any portion of your shins/calves/achilles tendon in a crash, nor will they help vs a twisted ankle. Just my opinion but they're not much better than 'regular' shoes; if you're gonna switch to work shoes once you get to work anyway, why not get some no-kidding riding boots?

[Guinss]

Originally Posted by Momaru

One thing to consider regarding those (any many other) low-top riding shoes is they likely won't protect any portion of your shins/calves/achilles tendon in a crash, nor will they help vs a twisted ankle. Just my opinion but they're not much better than 'regular' shoes; if you're gonna switch to work shoes once you get to work anyway, why not get some no-kidding riding boots?

Absolutely, its advised to use boots which cover above the ankle, else there isnt much of a point.
I use theese:
http://www.giannifalco.com/uk/detail...od=330&linea=2

[bdavison]

Lid, Jacket, Gloves, Boots all the time, everytime.

You can wash sweat off....you cant wash off road rash and a cracked skull.

[dubojr1]

Originally Posted by Guinss

Absolutely, its advised to use boots which cover above the ankle, else there isnt much of a point.
I use theese:
http://www.giannifalco.com/uk/detail...od=330&linea=2

Did you look at them before replying...

[Guinss]

Originally Posted by dubojr1

Did you look at them before replying...

What kind of question is that?
Would you feel safe with those? Looks like regular running shoes.
They don't cover anything, your ankle would snap right off.
There is no way they can compare with proper boots, in terms of ankle support.

I hope this is not your regular approach to buying gear. It's like buying a cheap riding jacket "with including back-protector", which is really made out of cardboard/paper. It cant even be compared with buying an individual proper back-protector with links and straps.

[dubojr1]

Originally Posted by Guinss

What kind of question is that?
Would you feel safe with those? Looks like regular running shoes.
They don't cover anything, your ankle would snap right off.

I hope this is not your regular approach to buying gear. It's like buying a cheap riding jacket "with including back-support", it cant even be compared with buying an individual proper back-support with links and straps.

Wow... you took that offensively...

Just saying the description says that the product has ankle protection. No boot or any footware for that matter will keep your ankle from "twisting off." None I'm aware of. I've never seen any company advertising their protection for twisting forces...

[Guinss]

Well, you asked if i looked at the shoes. As far as i understood, you tried to tell me the shoes would do the job as good as boots. I tried to explain you the difference. No offense here.

Originally Posted by dubojr1

No boot or any footware for that matter will keep your ankle from "twisting off."

That is reason no. 1 to use boots.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by dubojr1

No boot or any footware for that matter will keep your ankle from "twisting off." None I'm aware of. I've never seen any company advertising their protection for twisting forces...

That is pretty much what Sidi (in their Vertigo & Vortice lines), Daytona, and other highend race boots focus on. There is a skeleton like form inside the boot that allows a certain amount of twist and then no more. Nothing's foolproof, and any accident can cause injury depending on the specifics, but there are boots designed to help exactly what you describe.

The sneaker-like boots we're discussing have nothing close to that level of protection, and I'd even be worried that they get ripped off if they catch on something the wrong way while sliding along.

[mrlmd]

I'm ATGATT unless I'm only going 2-3 blocks away - in the community where I live that seems to be perfectly safe, going 15 mph. Otherwise I don't leave the house without everything on. Mesh armored pants work well in the summertime.
Jeff - does your evaporative vest really work to keep you cool, even if you're in a little bit of traffic?
I wanted to ask someone before I ordered one online, and I guess you could just wet down your T shirt under the mesh jacket but it probably wouldn't last as long.