Adventure Bike Rider

Glad you,re ok mate. Defo wear right gear all time folks. You can be safest most experienced rider buy sometimes it's not enough. I've been a paramedic for 17 yrs and seen some horrible injuries from not wearing gear. And plenty who've survived because of right clobber. At 30 mph bear flesh takes about 5 ft to get to bone folks. Whatever you wear it's the fit that counts

My little input in this ( very experienced in crashing - 14 so far ) dont skimp on the gloves , i have learned that they are very important , because every time i have had accident i shreded my hands to bits with cheapo gloves , the palm area always get the first hit and then you will slide on your hands for "few" meters . The second most important bit of equipment after the helmet in my opinion .

hornet wrote:


I'm with you on this one Hornet. My bike is my only transport and sometimes wearing everything is just not an option unless I want to be carrying huge amounts of stuff around with me. Walking around Sainsbury's in the hot weather dressed like I'm going to be fired out of a cannon isn't practical or comfortable. I did that sort of thing when I first started riding and it's a nightmare. Quite frankly if you were riding a push bike on the road a similar thing to that which happened to Mr Injector could happen to you, but I doubt any of us would wear leathers riding a push bike.

When I relax what I'm wearing on the bike, I relax my riding style to suit, even not bothering to filter if I'm not in any rush, and I have on a few occasions worn just normal clothes with gloves and helmet when going around town. I can't see the problem if the fastest I'm going to be going is 30mph. In those types of situations, in slow moving traffic, you're more likely to get hit by another road user than have some kind of lost-control "off" and I doubt if even the toughest kangaroo leathers would protect you much from the forces involved in impacts like that.

I am, however, shying away from textiles. They loose waterproofing to the point where keeping them waterproofed is a nightmare, are too loose fitting and, as mentioned earlier by Spud and others, I doubt very much if the armour would be in the place it needs to be once you've hit the ground. I'm favouring leathers again with a pair of proper bike waterproofs (not those stupidly flimsy outdoors shop rubbish things) and that's the way I'll be going with any future purchases. At the moment my textile jacket is very waterproof and warm but that's all it has going for it, I don't feel it would slide very well and still be up to the job of being waterproof afterwards. I've crashed in leathers a number of times before in the first few years I was riding (no road sense back then as I'm not a driver) and they have been fine to use again no problem and if you've got waterproofs on its just a small bill to replace them rather than a large one for a shiny new textile jacket.

Sprockette wrote:


I m with you on that, although depending on the type of riding I am doing I will wear accordingly I have a set of handmade leathers by Hideout www.hideout-leather.co.uk/
she is not cheap but you get a first rate service, & I know a number of Lady's that got fed up wearing mens jackets to fit there er (bust), went to Hideout saw katie the owner, &
are more than happy, the leather is if I remember 5mm which is more than some racing suites (she makes some for racers also).
I pers find I end up wearing the Trousers & cordura top, Instead of full leathers, just sort of happened & I feel really comfy like that.

I'm pro choice, your bike, your ride and your skin. I've been down the road in leathers minor scuff on them but one wrecked helmet I am confident in my own abilities both in a car and on a bike but I never trust all the other herberts on the road, it's those I dress accordingly for.

I would rather sweet my nuts off on this ride and come back tomorrow for another one than run the risk of a quickie up the road and not being able to ride for 6 weeks been there done that and ended up with a broken foot.

I have also had to pick up the results of accidents in a previous job, so that tends to colour my thoughts.

At the end of the day it's your choice cheers Spud

Redmurty wrote:


I see where you're coming from Spud and I agree with you wholeheartedly, it is a risk but sometimes the advantages outweigh the risk, otherwise I have to take a change of clothing and footwear everywhere I travel to as I don't drive. That's just not practical. Oh no, it's like I'm doing a risk assessment at work!

Every bit of protection less is more risk "if" something happened. Whilst I agree the other person is the one you can't control I'm not about to limit my options for the sake of a little risk. Not arguing with any of you as no one is "right" in matters like this, just trying to clarify my position. I always wear as much of the right equipment as is practicable for my current ride goal and I never limit my choice because of any perceived "pose value" of doing so either. Not that there's anything wrong with that, if that's what floats your brick.

Edit: Apologies for the overuse of " " there!

sprockette made a good point earlier regarding cyclists - i ride my push bike to work every day (oh okay about 3 times a week...) and probably get up to 20 mph or so down one of the hills, and all i wear is my shorts, a t-shirt and bike helmet... if i was to come off then i would scrape myself up pretty bad... and i would say from experience, you're more likely to get knocked off on a push bike by idiot car drivers as you seem invisible... so popping down to the shops on your motorbike is really not so different...

having said that i feel naked on the motorbike without gloves and a jacket at least..

Thanks to all of you for the replies and kind words, it was not my first crash or fall from a bike, you have all heard the saying that there are two kinds of bikers those that have crashed and those that are going to crash, but it is the first time on a bike that i got hit with a car and thrown like a rag doll around the road. I was in the hospital yesterday getting xrays because my body was black and blue from head to foot and i would hate to see what i would have looked like if i was not wearing gear. I am not telling people that they should wear gear, that it is their choice, but no one likes to see someone get badly hurt when a small thing like wearing gear meant that they would have walked away. it is a small thing that will save ones life at the end of the day. It is the most of ten years sense i last dropped a bike on the road and i guess i was due, thanks again.

Sprockette wrote:


Ride magazine did a comparison test of different "trousers" last year, the time (in seconds) that different materials lasted in an abrasion test was scarily short for all of them including leather. But I suppose that must be tempered by the fact that you don't usually spend much time sliding often only a few seconds.

I can't remember the times but I recall the best, leather jeans lasted about 5 seconds, whereas the worst, a pair of supermarket denim jeans just over a second. I think the order was....

1. Leather
2. Kevlar Jeans
3. Levi 501s
4. Textiles
5. Supermarket jeans

The performance of the textiles was surprising but was very close to the 501s. The test did conclude that in real life the textiles would most probably last longer due to the presence of armour (which of course Levi's don't fit )

It's not usually the slide that screws you up, it's the sudden stop. Street furniture, kerbs and other vehicles will make you wince. Seen whats left of a body after it had been wrapped around of a lamp post.
Sliding... a rider once said to me "it's ok to slide, just relax and when a bit gets warm lift it"
It's all part of lifes rich tapestry....Riding it just has to be done. If I do get taken out on a bike I at least will be doing something I love

Whilst cycling the thought has often gone through my head that I wear all this gear on a motorbike but where next to nothing on a pushbike


I am thinking of getting some kevlar jeans for short journeys and matching them with my leather jacket.

cheers Spud

Hi, Sorry about your accident. I must admit that roundabouts scare the hell out of me as when you are filtering off the r'about often cars shoot up and look like they are not going to stop, instead of approaching with caution with the intention they might stop. I hope you are ok and the car driver got done for careless driving.

Take care.

Mike ~G.