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The Mountain · 09-17-2011, 07:27 AM

The pants might be a bit much for running down to the corner store for milk, but to be honest, you should be wearing everything else anytime you throw a leg over your bike. I always wear my jacket, gloves, and sturdy shoes in addition to my helmet. Not only is the protection pretty much necessary, the ritual of putting on all that gear can help sharpen focus on safety. You can be killed just as dead on the 1km ride to the store as you can on a tour to the next state, and are actually more likely to on that short ride. In a US study, it was found that some 70% of all accidents happen within a few km of home. I'm not sure if that study controlled for total distance ridden, so that you were more likely to be in an accident on short rides for every 1000km ridden than on long rides, but it still shows that those short rides in your neighborhood are no less dangerous.

Also, I beg to differ with the recommendation of "steel-toed" boots for riding. Steel-toe boots tend to be cumbersome, heavy, and not very flexible. This makes it difficult to operate the shift lever in an emergency, and the thick toe of the boot can actually become wedged in the control. Toes are not usually the main concern in an accident. Riders should be more focused on ankle protection.

09-17-2011, 07:27 AM	#6 (permalink)
The Mountain Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Bhubaneswar, Odisha Posts: 130	The pants might be a bit much for running down to the corner store for milk, but to be honest, you should be wearing everything else anytime you throw a leg over your bike. I always wear my jacket, gloves, and sturdy shoes in addition to my helmet. Not only is the protection pretty much necessary, the ritual of putting on all that gear can help sharpen focus on safety. You can be killed just as dead on the 1km ride to the store as you can on a tour to the next state, and are actually more likely to on that short ride. In a US study, it was found that some 70% of all accidents happen within a few km of home. I'm not sure if that study controlled for total distance ridden, so that you were more likely to be in an accident on short rides for every 1000km ridden than on long rides, but it still shows that those short rides in your neighborhood are no less dangerous. Also, I beg to differ with the recommendation of "steel-toed" boots for riding. Steel-toe boots tend to be cumbersome, heavy, and not very flexible. This makes it difficult to operate the shift lever in an emergency, and the thick toe of the boot can actually become wedged in the control. Toes are not usually the main concern in an accident. Riders should be more focused on ankle protection. __________________ ATGATT: All The Gear, All The Time! Your helmet should be on your head, not your mirror! Put the phone away and ride! Last edited by The Mountain; 09-17-2011 at 07:31 AM.