Grab a drink. This could get longish... Well, not Kevin longish, but longish for me.
I'm getting my Harley out of storage this coming Saturday (naturally, it's going to rain all day. Last year it was 25ºF with a 10ºF wind chill, not counting the wind from riding...) I've been looking for some new riding gear, as my recent weight loss has caused all of my old gear to literally hang off me - not exactly what one wants in the way of protection from spills.
In the search for the perfect riding suit (leather vs. ballistic nylon/kevlar, one piece vs. two piece, etc.), I noticed something. There's an opinion war between those that wear leather vs. those that wear the ballistic nylon/kevlar suits akin to Ford vs. Chevy or Glock vs. 1911 (leather, neither, 1911, for those keeping score at home). Some swear by leather, pointing to its long and storied history of protected those who wear it; others point to newer materials that do a better job while being lighter and easier to keep clean (wow, it does sound like a 1911 vs. Glock thread...)
Personally, I prefer leather. It's heavier, it's there, it's a physical reminder that I need to be careful on the motorcycle. I *want* a heavy leather jacket and chaps in case the worst happens, but also to help me avoid the worst case scenarios by leaving my threat-assessment at high.
The fundamental motorcycle gear argument, though, boils down to helmets. Should you wear one? Is a half-helmet (a.k.a. "beanie") better than nothing at all? Should you drop $400+ on a high-end helmet? (Those that answer in the affirmative are fond of quoting the old saw that "A $50 helmet is good if you have a $50 head". Yeah, well, I happen to value my squash somewhere in the million-plus range, so that argument falls flat on its face).
I wear a helmet. I live in MA, where helmet use is mandatory (didn't see that coming, did you?). I ride in NH and ME, where helmet use is not mandatory. I still wear a helmet, most of the time. If I'm going to be in traffic, or traveling at low speeds, I'll take the helmet off on rare occasions. I prefer the safety and low-cost mitigation against risk.
However, I can understand those that ride without a helmet. "If you want safe, drive a cage" (car). There's a lot of truth to that adage. Sure, you can wear the space-age-iest $600 racing helmet, full-length racing leather and kevlar-reinforced suit, etc. and be safe. You can also have some mouth-breather in a 3 ton SUV make a left turn directly in your path and make all of your safety precautions for naught. If you want safe, drive a Volvo.
Personally, I wear as much safety gear as I can comfortably. I'd rather have a little less abrasion-resistance in the summer (i.e. denim jacket only) than be riding in 90ºF heat and be uncomfortable. In my opinion, I'd rather take a little more chance on getting hurt if I go down and be more comfortable while riding. Being more comfortable while riding means that I pay more attention to the road and the other "drivers" and less attention to the nagging suspicion that my lower extremities are, indeed, being roasted to Ballpark Frank style perfection in the summer heat.
(Side note: I've explained my riding philosophy to non-riders thusly - the best way to avoid accidents is to simply assume that everyone else is actively trying to kill me. And ride accordingly.)
I prefer riding in the early spring/mid fall because I can wear enough gear to adequately protect myself (IMHO) and still be comfortable. Everything else revolves around that. The more comfortable I am - actually, the less uncomfortable I am - the more attentive I'll be. And the more attentive I am to my surroundings, the safer I'll be. If I can wear a full face helmet, heavy leather jacket and chaps, and full boots and not fry, great. If it's 95ºF and the sun's baking small birds on the wing, I'll chance it in a half-helmet, denim jacket/leather vest and jeans. And if I'm stuck in traffic, the helmet's going on the rear seat. No sense protecting a brain that's getting progressively fried...
Anyhoo, that's my take on it. Fire away, my two-wheeled brethren... (And sistren, too...) ;)
That is all.
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10 comments:
The very reason I refuse to ride a motorcycle, despite thinking it'd be fun, and liking exactly the sort of tinkering with things that owning one would provide, is other drivers.
I fear for my safety enough in my truck or my 2-ton German tank of an old Mercedes. The idea of being out there with nothing around me but air is terrifying.
(Also reminded of the old line, "leather is cheaper than skin grafts".)
It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you. And they are. Not because they are mean or have a grudge against you, just because they are stupid.
Leather/Dodge/1911, although a nice ballistic jacket might be good on a hot day, I do have a classic Chevy truck that I like, and any gun is better than no gun.
sigivald, you can rule your fear or be a slave to it. No one gets out alive, so you might as well live while you are here.
I put a lot of stock in this info:
Because most injuries are caused from skidding along the ground, abrasion resistance is vital. One of the best sources on abrasion is the famed "Torn in the U.S.A." drag test conducted almost 20 years ago by now-defunct Cycle magazine. For that test, clothing samples were stitched to a 75-pound sandbag and thrown out of the back of a pickup truck to see how long they'd take to disintegrate. Competition-weight leather (1.5-1.7 mm thick) lasted longest -- about four times longer than Kevlar, five times longer than 440 denier Cordura nylon and 20 times longer than denim jeans, which take about half a second to give out in a 30 mph crash.
It sounds like I'm sorta like you. I'd prefer to have good protection, but not at the cost of being miserable. If I wanted to be cocooned in a risk free environment, I wouldn't ride (heck, for that matter, I'd wrap myself in bubble wrap and never leave the house).
I ride all year round so in the winter, I'm best protected. Leather jacket with kevlar elbow, shoulder, hip and back pads, full gauntlet gloves and heavy chaps.
As it gets warmer, the protection levels go down. I do have one of those "Joe Rocket" style fishnet nylon jackets with ballistic armor that I wear when its cooler, but on the hottest days, even that can become pretty miserable. In the summer, I am often just wearing jeans and a t-shirt with fingerless gloves.
Yes, riding a bike can be dangerous because of the other idiots on the road. But I've found tat, as long as I'm paying sufficient attention and avoid blatant stupidity, I can react fast enough to avoid pretty much any potentially hazardous situation. The cool thing about bikes is that they'll fit into relatively small areas and you can dodge crashes that cars would never be able to escape.
Anyway, as far as protection...IMHO:
Leather with kevlar reinforcement is best, followed by plain leather, followed by nylon with kevlar, followed by denim with kevlar, followed by denim by itself. I don't recommend nylon by itself because nylon melts when it gets hot and can actually melt into your skin under friction; I only recommend nylon if it's held away from the skin by kevlar padding. FWIW.
And it never hurts to have several different types of protective gear to fit different situations and riding conditions.
Oh...I forgot to mention:
I live in Virginia so helmets are required. When in states that don't require them, I've been known to ride without one for short distances, but generally I don't have a choice. I think if I did have a choice, I'd probably choose to wear one anyway. Road rash is painful and leaves nasty scars, but generally doesn't cause one to become a vegetable or have reduced mental capacity.
I do wear a half-helmet and I feel that provides adequate protection, and I don't spend hundreds of dollars on helmets. They are plastic and foam; I've never seen any compelling evidence that a $250 helmet contains any higher quality plastic and foam than a $60 helmet.
It's more than just being miserable, there's a greater chance of dehydration when you're all geared up on a hot day.
Happened to me once back in El Paso. I managed to keep myself right till I could pull off and rest a bit, but there's very little more terrifying than getting tunnel vision doing 60 down Gateway Blvd in the middle of the day.
As for gear, right now it's 3/4 helmet, denim and a vest most times.
I do plan on getting a nice leather jacket with a zip-out liner before next winter, though.
Curt, I remember reading that test in Cycle. Thanks for reminding me.
Good point Rustmeister. Heat stroke/dehydration in the summer are just as dangerous as hypothermia in the winter.
Kind of hard to be alert and ride safely when you don't have your full wits about you.
"Kind of hard to be alert and ride safely when you don't have your full wits about you."
Oh, great, go and boil down my entire post into one pithy sentence that says everything I wanted to say... :)
You could post pictures of both, but I say leather is sexier.
Heads without huge dents are also sexier.
(determined to give you a hard time today.)
Hey, thanks Jay.
I don't think anything I've ever written has been described as "pithy" before.
"Verbose" or "tiresome" or "loquacious" are the descriptives I've grown accustomed to.
Two things:
(1) I have a jacket that's made of a nylon mesh, with kevlar and foam in the elbows, shoulders, back and forearms. Protects just as good as leather, and lets the wind blow through.
EDIT: Curt beat me to this, so I'll just add a "me too!"
Second, I have a similar riding philosophy -- "I'm invisible." I try to actively pretend while riding that noone can see me. So far it's protected me from the stupidity of others.
From my own, and that of my passenger, though -- well ... That's another comment...
DD
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