2Wheeltips

I finished watching the video sent to my by a friend (see "Safety, Safety, Safety (part 1)" and I must say the conclusion was very interesting. The man in the video had a few very powerful comments that I want to point out here:

Your attitude towards safety is what matters
It doesn't matter the occupation or activity. The same people riding around ill-dressed are probably the same people who do not wear seat belts, do not use safety glasses around power tools and probably are the ones who use a gas grill indoors.

Others are affected too...
What happens to those who are close to you if you get seriously injured in an accident?  Children, spouse, parents. Who will take care of them?

Recovering from an accident is painful...
It will take months to heal and some injuries are permanent, such as seizures, scars, missing and disfigured fingers and limbs. Also, who will pay for all of your medical bills and your regular bills if you are unable to return to work.

The video helped me see motorcycle gear in a different light. Let's be honest, on a hot day it gets uncomfortable inside a helmet. And a pair of shorts and sandals would feel feel much better than hot boots and jeans. What would feel more uncomfortable would be getting skin grafts or learning to operate a wheelchair with my chin. Looking at it that way, I think I'd rather be hot or not ride at all than to risk going through what the guy in the video when through.

Wondering what to wear when riding?  Do you want to look cool on your bike?  Sexy?  Great!  But “cool” and “sexy” won’t save your life if you have an accident!  The rule of thumb is this:  protection should be your primary concern.  There is plenty of great motorcycle gear available that looks good and has built-in protection.  This is what you should wear every time you go out on your bike:

A DOT/SNELL certified helmet
Anything less than this is not going to provide  protection if you have an accident.  It is your head and your brain that you are protecting!

A riding jacket
Good quality riding jackets have built in armor to absorb impact shock in the event of an accident.  There are some very good-looking riding jackets available and you don’t have to spend a fortune to get one that offers protection and good looks. They come in leather, denim or synthetic materials and come in many styles and colors.

Heavy duty jeans and/or riding pants
Heavy duty jeans are the least protection you should have from your waist to your ankles.  Better than heavy duty jeans are special riding pants that, like a riding jacket, offer built-in armor to absorb impact shock in the event of an accident.

Full finger gloves
Good riding gloves will cover your hands completely and some have padding for comfort during long rides. Gloves protect your hands from road debris and from injury in the case of an accident.

Riding boots
A good, sturdy pair of riding boots should have a low heel, slip resistant sole and cover your ankle. They also need to be comfortable enough to walk in, too.   Don’t forget a good pair of comfortable socks. Good socks can make a good boot feel even more comfortable!

Here are things to avoid when riding your bike:

• Clothing that bares any part of your body. Sure you might look sexy with your bare arms or midriff showing as you fly down the road.  But, if you ever have an accident while wearing next to nothing you will pay for it dearly.  Road burn is painful and you may ultimately need skin grafts  to surgically repair parts of your body that came in direct contact with the road (or other) surface.

• Sandals, sneakers or regular shoes. Sandals, sneakers and regular shoes provide limited protection from road debris and almost none if you are in an accident.

It can be quite warm under all of that protective gear, but once you are riding at highway speed, it is amazing how comfortable you can feel with all that gear on, even on a hot summer day. Our rule of thumb is this:  if it is too hot for you to ride with your protective gear on, then it is too hot to ride.