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PT1989 |
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PT1989 Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 17 Apr 2014 Karma :
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Posted: 03:36 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: What are your thoughts on gear? |
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So I'm on a quiet night shift, and bored, and just curious, what do you guys think about wearing your gear?
Main things I'm wondering are;
Do you agree helmets should be mandatory?
Would you wear one if they weren't?
Should any other gear be mandatory?
Do you always wear full gear on every ride?
My views are, I don't think any gear should be mandatory, you're an adult, if you want to take the risk that should be your choice, personally I would always wear helmet & gloves. Any journey less than about 5 miles and I often don't bother with any other kit though, within reason, I'm still not jumping on the bike in tshirt and flip flops, and if it's pissing it down/freezing cold then I'll still put the textiles on, for comfort more than protection though. Anything further than 5 miles and I've got full kit, minus boots at the minute, as I forgot to chuck them in the top box when parked, and somebody obviously had sticky fingers (feet?) and haven't got round to replacing them yet. |
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CaNsA |
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CaNsA Super Spammer
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Posted: 03:52 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: |
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PT1989 |
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PT1989 Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 17 Apr 2014 Karma :
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Posted: 03:57 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: |
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At least I didn't ask if I should warm my bike up? |
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Chuffin Nora |
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Chuffin Nora World Chat Champion
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Ste |
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Ste Not Work Safe
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deadwolf |
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deadwolf Could Be A Chat Bot
Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 06:24 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: |
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For me helmets are part and parcel of riding a motorcycle. Even if they weren't mandatory I'd wear one. Frankly, they look far cooler than most people's faces (especially at high speeds/wind). Without a helmet you just look like a plonker on a bike
Helmets are possibly the only thing that lets me tolerate riding in the rain. The rest of me can get soaked to f00k as long as my most sensitive part gets to roll along nice and dry. Same reason why I find bicycling in the rain to be total misery. ____________________ Motorsapien Art |
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P. |
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P. Red Rocket
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Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 07:18 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: Re: What are your thoughts on gear? |
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PT1989 wrote: | Do you agree helmets should be mandatory? | No. - I'm a qualified rider. My riding has been assessed and I am deemed sufficiently competent to assess risks and make decisions, like... whether to pull out in front of a truck, or whether to slow down on a wet the road... But, Dufuk? I am too stupid to decide for myself whether it might be a good idea to stick a hat on my head?!?!? Or wear a seat-belt, Or where or when?
I have a similar opinion of restricted road speed limits. National speed limit is 60mph on an unrestricted road.. I was taught many many moons ago, its a speed limit, not a target; and I should always drive/ride at a speed, in which I may stop, in the distance I can see to be clear; just 'cos the 'blanket' speed limit is 60 doesn't mean THAT is a 'safe's speed for the road.
Now, drivers are taught to drive at or as close as practically possible to the 'posted' speed limit... and fuck using common sense... we'll just dum down to the lowest common denominator, and set a speed limit slow enough to be 'safe' for even the most idiotic numpty!
Shifting onus of intelligence away from common sense and personal responsibility, into rigid inflexible regulations, 'one size fits all'.
But how the FUCK is the 'Law' supposed to know what is safe for me, on my bike or in my car, on a certain road, in certain traffic, in certain weather, at any instant of time: Can the legislators SEE what I am seeing from the driving seat? NO!
So if they don't think people can make 'reasonable' decisions FOR THEMSELVES, don't give them a Fucking DRIVING LICENCE!
PT1989 wrote: | Would you wear one if they weren't? |
No, and Yes. As argument above, I think I know better than arbitrary legislation where wearing a hat is more or less appropriate.
I live in a 20mph traffic calmed residential area. Would I put on a crash hat to walk to the shop or pop to the petrol station? Would I put on a crash-helmet to ride a push-bike to the corner shop or petrol station? I am actually more likely to be knocked down as a pedestrian, or involved in a collision on a push-bike in this environment, than I am to crash my motorbike... AND if I do fall off a motorbike, in a sub 20mph collision?
YES, I could be hurt coming off a bike... I could be hurt falling off a ladder, or crossing the road, or plugging in the washing machine! Risk is all around us, we need to learn to recognise it for ourselves and take what measures WE are comfy with to protect ourselves..
NOT have a fucking law, telling us what we HAVE to do, so we don't have to take responsibility!
So, circumstance dependent, there are many where I would, were it not mandated by law, choose NOT to wear a helmet; And where I would elect to wear one, it would be as much for 'comfort' riding the bike, as for 'safety' falling off it; and slightly ironically, like as not to be in circumstances I know, I am actually at less risk of having an accident, though potentially more likely to suffer more severe injury should I have one. Ie out of town, on faster, unrestricted roads.
PT1989 wrote: | Should any other gear be mandatory? |
No. Again, If I cant work out for myself what's the most appropriate riding wear, I shouldn't be on a fucking bike!
And it's a fools paradise; 'Safety Wear' don't make you safe. NOT CRASHING is wot makes you 'safe'.
If I were so scared of crashing, I felt the need to suit up like a medieval man-at-arms, in leather and padding, and hard-hat... WHY am I riding a motorbike to begin with?
All the gear, isn't going to save me crashing; might, at a pinch save a little hurt if I do... but that's pretty much in the lap of the gods; more and better gear, isn't likely to save me so much hurt as to be the difference between life and death; which is significantly down to circumstance and shear 'luck'.
ATGATT attitude, though, is a convenience; an abdication of responsibility; stick your head in a plastic bucket and make believe you got safety covered and DON'T have to think about it any further.
And a whole industry survives, over selling 'protective apparel' for motorcyclists, feeding fears of the potential harm that might be caused by an M/C accident, with a vested interest in perpetuating fears and ideas that the gear is 'essential', and defending the notion that having it 'makes you safe', when in fact you are just as likely to crash with it, as without it, and in the false belief you are 'safe' probably more at risk of having an accident that demands it, in it, than out of it.
Meanwhile, whole argument of mandatory safety wear, is an utter perversion of common sense! It shifts personal responsibility from the individual to 'Big-Brother', and places culpability for accidents, on the bludy victims!
Eg; Biker is too dumm to decide what to wear, or how fast to go.. we have to have a law to tell them... rather than expecting people think for themselves... and rather then preventing accidents in the first place... using these 'laws' to apportion blame and culpability after they've happened... because NO-ONE wants to take responsibility for themselves, or pay for their own errors in judgement! And easier to punish the unfortunate few, than educate the lucky majority.
PT1989 wrote: | Do you always wear full gear on every ride? |
Think I have answered this one.. but No.
In fact, these days I rarely wear 'much' more than a crash hat, as far as 'dedicated' motorcycle wear goes. And again, what I choose to wear is selected as much for comfort when riding, as 'safety' if crashing.
Usual every-day 'outdoor' footwear is Sears 'Shit-Kickers', cowboy-boots basically, but more leather work-wear, 'ranch' riding boot than ornately stitched line-dancing shit! Usual every-day leg-wear is Levi's.
Don't see much point 'changing' to get on the bike. I mean, no sane person runs to the bed-room to stick on Nomex underwear & OMP 'Race Overalls' to get in the fucking car, do they? So why the fuck do so many bikers feel the need to clamber into a one piece 'race suit', just 'cos they are getting onto a bike?!? (It's as much living out life-style fantasies as it is 'safety'; but even so; STILL don't see sports-car drivers feeling the need to dress like 'The Stig', to pop to the pub!)
So 'Basic' riding outfit, is basic, Black-Leather-Jacket and a Crash-Hat, and I'll leave the jacket behind, if its warm and I'm just popping to the petrol station or shop or even riding to town, across that 20mph traffic calmed residential area I live in!
Find it rains in this country rather a lot, and I tend to get wet more often than I crash; so most 'useful' protective wear I own is water-proofs! Live with pair of gloves in the panniers, for if and when needed. I don't even wear gloves 'as course'.
PT1989 wrote: | My views are, I don't think any gear should be mandatory, you're an adult, if you want to take the risk that should be your choice |
Topic hinges on expectation of people thinking for themselves; and trouble is, and reason we have so much mandated regulation is simply that too many people don't LIKE thinking for themselves, they prefer to be told what to do... until it's something they don't want to do...
So while I don't agree with mandatory helmet laws, or seat-belt laws, or the over restriction of roads and speed enforcement.. I do see why, practically, it exists, and is the preferred political solution.
There's 60million people in the UK, and 40million or so of them have driving licences, 30million daily motor-vehicle road users....
That is a hell of a lot of people to expect to raise thier game, and start thinking more, for themselves, and more, about the right stuff for road safety; and one hell of a fuck off job to try and re-educate to do the right thing for themselves. And one fuck-off big political hot-potato to even try tackling, trying to take driving licences off even the worst of them! ____________________ My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?' |
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daemonoid |
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daemonoid World Chat Champion
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dydey90 |
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dydey90 World Chat Champion
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PT1989 |
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PT1989 Borekit Bruiser
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pinkyfloyd |
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Dave70 |
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Dave70 World Chat Champion
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bugeye_bob World Chat Champion
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sabian92 |
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sabian92 World Chat Champion
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Posted: 09:13 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: |
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Always wear full gear.
Unless I'm going round my brother's house in which case it's a hoodie and shorts and a helmet He lives literally round the corner so fuck spending an hour getting dressed. Other than that though, I wear it all the time.
I'd wear a helmet anyway, I think. It's nice to have the wind in your hair but I'd rather have my head not smeared down the road.
When I wash my bike I hoon up and down the road to dry it off though, and the last time I did that I had an old t-shirt on, pyjama shorts and no shoes on Many kittens were slaughtered |
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wr6133 |
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wr6133 World Chat Champion
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Dave70 |
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Dave70 World Chat Champion
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hazza |
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hazza World Chat Champion
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Posted: 09:20 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: |
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Think this topic has been done to death, but I'm not sure where I stand on it oddly enough...
It's all very much dependant upon where you are going and what you are doing. I wear leather trousers, leather jacket, helmet, gloves and proper boots every day, what ever the weather to go work in. I'm in a rush to get there, I filter, It's through town and you HAVE to be fairly aggressive so as not to get shit on by car drivers. It's not just a safety thing, but also a comfort thing. If it piddles down on the way to/way back from work I know I'm going to be in a reasonable state when I get to my destination. It's also nice to take the outer layer of clothes off and look presentable and not covered in dead bugs/bird shit as I work in an office.
I have a 70's Pedal start Puch and don't feel the need to wear my full leathers with that. 1. I would look like a tard and 2. I use it for a bit of fun and i'm not in any rush to get to where i'm going. It has a top speed of about 30mph, which is plenty fast enough for some nasty gravel rash but I regularly exceed 30 mph on my bicycle wearing a few mm of lycra as protection. I normally wear gloves on the Puch, but not always.
I can't understand why anyone would not want to wear a helmet though, it's just not worth the risk. Your head is pretty vulnerable, and for the effort it takes to put one on I don't know why you wouldn't bother. It's like not wearing a seatbelt, just why? It's an automatic response to getting into a car, takes less than a second and is quite useful if you do happen to crash.
Not wearing a helmet is all very well in America where they pay for their own healthcare, but our poor NHS is already on it's arse without inconsiderate folk expecting their heads to be screwed back together and years of rehab for free, just because they couldn't be arsed to put a lid on.
Being a riding God doesn't justify not wearing any gear unless you remove the 30 million other motorists from the road. ____________________ 3 Honda NC50's(Sold)-->'72 Puch Maxi S (Sold, want it back!)--> '90 Yamaha RXS 100 (Stolen)--> '87 Honda Cub 90(Sold) --> '95 Kawasaki Eliminator (Sold) --> '98 Bandit 600 (Sold) -->'07 SV650S (Current) |
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Rogerborg |
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Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 09:25 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: |
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No, yes, no, yes.
I assume Tef did ladders and risk compensation again. I do accept that there's an argument for open face helmets as they offer better visibility and provide a more tangible awareness of speed.
Everything else though, pffft, I've never caught myself thinking "I'm wearing armour and hi-vis, so I'll assume Mavis Micra there isn't going to pull out." Yes, I do analyse my riding. ____________________ Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike
Last edited by Rogerborg on 09:27 - 08 Jul 2014; edited 1 time in total |
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sabian92 |
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sabian92 World Chat Champion
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Dave70 |
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Dave70 World Chat Champion
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Posted: 09:30 - 08 Jul 2014 Post subject: |
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I agree. I've scrubbed and picked many a stone out of cyclists too. |
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Conzar |
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Conzar World Chat Champion
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Musketeer |
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Musketeer World Chat Champion
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Atomic Punk |
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Atomic Punk Scooby Slapper
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 9 years, 288 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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