The gear debate POLL

[Doc]

OK so I was wondering where everyone stands.

The biggest argument for not wearing gear is that it is too hot. I think this is BS and you should just get some vented gear but I digress.

Please vote and discuss here.

[Swipe]

I wear full gear 99.9% of the time even if it is a really hot day. The only time I don't is if I ever pick my bike up from the bike shop. The ride home is about 2 miles in heavy 20mph traffic. Even then, I still wear a jacket gloves and helmet.

The hot weather is not such a big deal over here in the UK as we rarely get really hot days and we can filter / lane split which cools us down anyway. If I'm off somewhere and it is really hot I usually throw a pair of jeans in my tank bag and then change my leather pants over in a pub / public toilets. I wear work boots rather than biker boots so they don't look so out of place with my jeans on. As a general rule, wearing full gear seems to be much more common place over here on the bigger bikes than in the US.

[Kilter]

All the gear, all the time....
I do however consider armored jeans and mesh jackets to count... there's cooler stuff out there you just have to spend a little.

[dagus]

Mesh jacket, gloves, helmet and my Sidis with a pair of jeans is the minimum gear I'll wear - and I feel just a bit naked then, with my knees exposed... I have mesh pants too and wear them 95+% of the time.

Magda used to tell me I look like this:

[thepathlesstaken]

I pretty much ride with my Z custom one piece suit, AGV boots (soon to be replaced with Gaerne GR-S boots), full length gloves and a full faced shoei helmet 98% of the time.

The other 2% I wear my Thurlow Deerskin jacket and jeans instead of the Z leathers.

It is hot and sweaty wearing the gear in southern California but at least I am fully protected if Murphy's Law rears it's head.

[SaffaChris]

Armoured Cordura jacket and trousers, gloves, boots, and Shoei lid 99% of the time. On the odd occasion I'll substitute the trousers with jeans if armoured trousers will be inconvenient at my destination.

It's not worth the risk to not kit up, even if you're only going to be in slow moving traffic. Dress to your minimum, find some open tarmac, take running "home base" type slide... will you be happy in what you're wearing? Even 20mph traffic is faster than that!

Chris

[DefTrap]

Dunno, is it ever that hot? Me, I'd wear the flip-flops and shorts and ride appropriately if I wanted.

[jaysun0ne]

Dunno, is it ever that hot? Me, I'd wear the flip-flops and shorts and ride appropriately if I wanted.

i ride with varing amounts and the less i have on the shorter the ride and i ride with alot more coution.

[Doc]

I'm the one person that said if it is too hot I jut don't ride.

[ParcNHawk]

...Magda used to tell me I look like this:

.
lol... I get that eveyday!!

[69Falcon]

In hot weather, I typically ride in draggin' jeans or regular jeans, mesh jacket, full face Shoei (hate eatin' bugs!) and gloves.

[Stevenjhow]

When on the hawk I always wear all what I have, leather jacket (no matter how hot it was) gloves, and helmet (I don't have pants yet for riding the hawk) Mainly because when I ride the hawk, I am "riding" it the way it wants to be riden, so I want to be fully protected. When I ride the cruiser, I usually have everything on unless it is really hot, then I will just wear helmet, chaps, and gloves. (chaps actually help in the heat, it shields from the exhaust.) When I ride the cruiser, I'm not screwing around or riding fast so I'm not too concerned about the gear.

[butterflymethane]

If I absolutely have to be out on the bike when it's hot, it's always leather jacket, gloves, boots and my helmet and then jeans, never shorts.

Otherwise I just stay home and enjoy the air conditioning

[Stevenjhow]

oh yeah, and boots, gotta have boots

[LeftRightLeftThrottle]

I've been kicking myself because I've been commuting in regular jeans and a mesh jacket. My aerostich is still good for distance travelling as you can load the pockets with ice for a/c but for the commute and traffic stops its way too hot. I definately need to get some armored jeans or mesh pants.