SHorts, T-shirts, and sneakers are usually what they wear around here.... SInce I live on the border of two states, one with a helmet law....one without, the helmet use is kind of variable.
Since I've returned to riding.....(6 years ago...) I've had 3 minor spills on bikes.
One, not my fault, on pavement.......lady ran a stop sign, I essentially tipped over in an intersection avoiding her....didn't notice the scratches on my helmet until later. No real injuries, but I did hit my head. This was riding to work, about 10 miles from home.
The second....on pavement, was my fault....somehow.....I dumped the bike on an on ramp at 20-25 mph, 10 miles from home. I ended up with $1000 bike damage, a considerable road rash on my arms, and a little on my legs, MORE scratches on the back of a new helmet I didn't notice until later....(Gee, I hit my empty haid, again!) and a hand I thought was broken, but wasn't. I was wearing jeans....some sort of light hiking type boots, summer type riding gloves....fleece jacket, and a Helmet.
The last, and most recent 'wreck' occured last month on a gravel road, and was my fault. I was riding my DR650, a little tired, and sore....and dumped it on a steep, gravel road in Colorado. I was wearing combat type boots, jeans, fleece jacket, summer gloves, and a helmet.
It WAS hot, in the upper 90's....I was tempted to take the jacket off just a few minutes earlier at a rest stop. I didn't......
I ended up with a little road rash on wrist and knees, an ankle that was almost sprained, and again....scrapes on my helmet.
What I'm leading up to....every little wreck I've had on a bike, I've been GLAD I was wearing what I was, and would have been less damaged if I were wearing 'more'.
Proper riding pants would have avoided the road rash on my legs.....
and the extensive road rash on my arms in the one accident would have been prevented by an armored riding jacket.
In the last little wreck, I felt around the back of the helmet for scrapes, but didn't feel any. Later Kent pointed out the scrapes on the side of the helmet....
These have been fairly minor wrecks. In each, I'm convinced the damage to my helmets would have ended up on my head....which I can't afford.
Even though I wasn't wearing 'riding' gear at the time of the wrecks, what I was wearing limited the injuries.
If you've got to ride when it's hot, take more breaks, alter your riding times....heck, drink a lot of fluids.....but wear your stuff!
Look at it this way, do you want a short trip to the store on the bike, to keep you off of it for months?
It's expensive, and possibly embarassing to take a little 'dump', but most of us will at some time. It's a lot less painful if you can stand up, brush yourself off.....survey the damaged bike...and ride off!
So endeth the sermon.......
95% of the bikes I see locally in the summer are piloted by riders in shorts, sneakers, tshirt.....and usually no helmet.
They may be luckier than I, stupider, more skilled.....dunno.
I'm covering my butt! (I have enought brain damage as it is...)
Oh yeah, when i was a teenager, I did ride in shorts...tshirt.....and even sandals!
I was stupider, quicker to heal......and traffic was 'different' 35 years ago.
Topic: Hot weather riding.. jacket or no (Read 9260 times)