Universal : Riding Gear Thread

[payeng]

After hitting the ground couple of times, from experience I can say that according to me, the Most CRITICAL Protection one needs is on his (in terms of importance))

[1] Head (HELMET)- No head no life

[2] Foot (RIDING SHOES) - You don't want a mangled foot

[3] Knees (RIDING PANTS with Knee Armor) - A tap on the knee hurts like hell

[4] Hips (protection on the sides of the Hips) - Yeah it hurts bad too

[5] Palms (GOOD QUALITY GLOVES) - One usually falls on ones hands


Riding Jackets (although protective) are more to satisfy the emotional need of the biker. Something that makes him LOOK LIKE A BIKER. Nevertheless a good quality jacket with a good outer shell protects from abrasion in case of a slide over tarmac.

@Payeng - really? Do you think you could take them out and compare them for us with some pics?

Comparing the Width and Thickness of Riding Jacket Armor while the Knees and Foot remains dangerously unprotected is useless.

Instead I'd get some decent protection for the Feet (a pair of PROPER RIDING SHOES) and Invest in a protective RIDING PANT (not gung ho about external knee guards).

[B7ACKTHORN]

After hitting the ground couple of times, from experience I can say that according to me, the Most CRITICAL Protection one needs is on his (in terms of importance))

[1] Head (HELMET)- No head no life

[2] Foot (RIDING SHOES) - You don't want a mangled foot

[3] Knees (RIDING PANTS with Knee Armor) - A tap on the knee hurts like hell

[4] Hips (protection on the sides of the Hips) - Yeah it hurts bad too

[5] Palms (GOOD QUALITY GLOVES) - One usually falls on ones hands

I guess, you've ticked all the boxes a human could arguably have in one's body for protection. But until one takes a spill and realizes his flesh is worth the moolah chucked on riding gears, no one is gonna realize it.

Riding Jackets (although protective) are more to satisfy the emotional need of the biker. Something that makes him LOOK LIKE A BIKER.

+1 to that part, even more pluses. I myself have come across many "odd ball" situations wearing my gear. Quite a few times, it's made me think, should I really wear them, just so that I don't look like one. But until I had a fall, and luckily my gears were there to save my arse for the good, I realized the importance of ATGATT, long back though.

I would say most people out there, if not quite a few, purchase a safety gear not out of sheer safety, but just to make sure they're accepted to the cult, and I very much completely agree to your point. A prime example would be my family with which they were a little hesitant on me spending extravagantly on riding gears, but not they're used to it now, even if I forget it, asking, hey where is your jacket, where is your helmet, so on and so forth.

But you have a very valid point there.

Cheers!
VJ

[Sunnyside_up!]

After hitting the ground couple of times, from experience I can say that according to me, the Most CRITICAL Protection one needs is on his (in terms of importance))

[1] Head (HELMET)- No head no life

[2] Foot (RIDING SHOES) - You don't want a mangled foot

[3] Knees (RIDING PANTS with Knee Armor) - A tap on the knee hurts like hell

[4] Hips (protection on the sides of the Hips) - Yeah it hurts bad too

[5] Palms (GOOD QUALITY GLOVES) - One usually falls on ones hands


Riding Jackets (although protective) are more to satisfy the emotional need of the biker. Something that makes him LOOK LIKE A BIKER. Nevertheless a good quality jacket with a good outer shell protects from abrasion in case of a slide over tarmac.




Comparing the Width and Thickness of Riding Jacket Armor while the Knees and Foot remains dangerously unprotected is useless.

Instead I'd get some decent protection for the Feet (a pair of PROPER RIDING SHOES) and Invest in a protective RIDING PANT (not gung ho about external knee guards).

While I share your sentiment, I dare say I have hit the ground a fair bit more than you. If you take an average of even just once a year of riding, that would be about at least 28 times! LOL!

Ok, but seriously, the order of impact ( and therefore protection required )statistically is as follows;

1. Knees
2. Hands
3. Lower Torso - waist down
4. Upper torso - waist up


I did not include helmets because it is assumed that the biker will be so stupid as to ride without one. As you rightly said, no head means you're dead. Period.

1. Knees come first because our lower torso being longer than the upper torso, we physiologically bend our knees in a reflex action to "reduce" the impact area by "shrinking" in size instinctively. Unfortunately, this fold at the knees causes it to be prone to impact and is often the first to hit the ground a split second before the hands do. Hands come next because physiologically the human tendency is to put our hands out in order to stabilise or break a fall.Watch a child learning to walk or even analyse an adult tripping. The knees and hands are the extremities that come into contact first.

The upper torso normally hits next because when the hands fail to break the fall, the upper torso is what hits the ground next, normally elbows followed by shoulders, followed by the lower torso. However, by virtue of its larger area, the lower torso, including feet normally take more injuries. Also, after the knees take an impact, the body will normally fall or roll to one side, damaging the hips. The feet are the last, because most regular shoes (not sneakers) would protect your feet except in a severe impact, where the most common injuries are broken ankles and toes.

Of course, this is only based on statistics and you could be one of the unlucky few who falls or gets tossed off the bike in a different way, hitting the ground in a different sequence. The truth though is I have never fallen without hurting my hands.

Upper torso injuries are always examined first because it houses the body's major organs, while the lower torso does not. For this reason, sports protection technology is always geared to address upper body protection first, even though it is the lower body that takes more hits. Same reason that you will see bullet proof jackets more than bullet proof pants. Lower body injuries will hurt like hell but can rarely kill you.

In this light, to dismiss jacket armour as superfluous is being naive just as the tendency to focus only on the riding jacket completely ignoring the lower body especially the knees is plain stupid. I see many guys who wear helmets, jackets and gloves but nothing by way of protection below the waist, trusting to cotton denim and sneakers because riding pants and boots are bulky and not so easy to wear around. DUMB!

Somebody else posted about the relevance and practicality of ATGATT - I say look for the older and seasoned veterans who still ride with all appendages intact - chances are that you will not see them without all their gear.

[payeng]

Of course, this is only based on statistics and you could be one of the unlucky few who falls or gets tossed off the bike in a different way, hitting the ground in a different sequence. The truth though is I have never fallen without hurting my hands.

Who said anything about "sequence" of hitting the ground?

Upper torso injuries are always examined first because it houses the body's major organs, while the lower torso does not. For this reason, sports protection technology is always geared to address upper body protection first, even though it is the lower body that takes more hits. Same reason that you will see bullet proof jackets more than bullet proof pants. Lower body injuries will hurt like hell but can rarely kill you.

I love my lower part just as I love my upper part

In this light, to dismiss jacket armour as superfluous is being naive just as the tendency to focus only on the riding jacket completely ignoring the lower body especially the knees is plain stupid...

..somebody else posted about the relevance and practicality of ATGATT - I say look for the older and seasoned veterans who still ride with all appendages intact - chances are that you will not see them without all their gear

I have yet to meet a biker who follows the ATGATT rule religiously (Myself included), EVERY SINGLE TIME.

It is practically IMPOSSIBLE to follow the rule if one uses his bike for commuting. Maybe one day, I'll follow the ATGATT rule and NEVER use my bike for commuting.

['nYsus']

AGV and Cortech gloves are pretty much on the same breed if you ask me. Comparing Cortech, I'd say both more or less weight the same when it comes to quality and usage.



Crisp pics. Do post a ride review without fail.

Cheers!
VJ

thanks VJ. still asking, which one would you get for yourself??

[B7ACKTHORN]

thanks VJ. still asking, which one would you get for yourself??

I'd go for Cortech, though very slightly pricey than the AGV, I'd go for Cortech. If I couldn't get something in Cortech and find the same in AGV, then AGV for sure.

Cheers!
VJ

[princesirohi]

ok, one question from my side which is keeping my mind occupied ever since i planned to purchase a riding pant-->

do you wear riding pant over a normal trouser or denim or without a trouser ... jockey + riding pants... don't laugh the question is stupid but i think you can wear it both ways...so asking to know your opinions.

one more thing, can i wear my knee guards and riding shorts inside the riding pant. i now wear these-->>

[B7ACKTHORN]

ok, one question from my side which is keeping my mind occupied ever since i planned to purchase a riding pant-->

do you wear riding pant over a normal trouser or denim or without a trouser ... jockey + riding pants... don't laugh the question is stupid but i think you can wear it both ways...so asking to know your opinions.

one more thing, can i wear my knee guards and riding shorts inside the riding pant. i now wear these-->>

I think Sunny should have lightened the tone on "BELOW WAIST" protection, well Prince, you got your assets secured real good.

Now I usually wear my riding pant over my jeans most of the times, or if it's a very long trip, then I use my SHORTS (underwear goes under) so that the pant breathes and air flows in more as much possible.

Now with just shorts or denims is just purely a matter of one's own discretion and purely a matter of personal choice.

Cheers!
VJ

[Sunnyside_up!]

Who said anything about "sequence" of hitting the ground?




I love my lower part just as I love my upper part




I have yet to meet a biker who follows the ATGATT rule religiously (Myself included), EVERY SINGLE TIME.

It is practically IMPOSSIBLE to follow the rule if one uses his bike for commuting. Maybe one day, I'll follow the ATGATT rule and NEVER use my bike for commuting.

I'm not exactly certain what we're debating because it seems to me that we both agree on the importance of safety gear except that I firmly advocate ATGATT. You're right it is difficult, but I know MANY senior and experienced riders who are ATGATT every single day to work. Even several from this forum.

ok, one question from my side which is keeping my mind occupied ever since i planned to purchase a riding pant-->

do you wear riding pant over a normal trouser or denim or without a trouser ... jockey + riding pants... don't laugh the question is stupid but i think you can wear it both ways...so asking to know your opinions.

one more thing, can i wear my knee guards and riding shorts inside the riding pant. i now wear these-->>

@prince - this is my personal observation and it may be relevant. First let me congratulate you for taking safety seriously!

The number one rule of personal protection is to use the gear that is suitable for the kind of riding that you do. What works for motocross, such as roost protectors, will NOT work for street or highway or track.. Similarly what works for stunting will not work for track. Knee guards used by many of us here were designed for low speed impacts and not for a high speed slide.

My observation with hard armour is this. They work very well with leathers because the leather is thick enough to withstand the weight of the body pressing down on it via the plastic. So even when the leather gets sandwiched between the plastic and the road, it can take it. When the leather is replaced with textile, the hard unyielding plastic with the weight of the body on the inside and the rough road outside shreds the textile faster. So if I'm using textile clothing instead of leathers, I prefer to use armour which has some "give", a little softness or flexibility in the armour tends to forgive the textile better in a crash. Remember I'm not concerned with the garment itself - just that the longer the garment survives a slide will protect my skin longer.

The above only applies for a slide, or a high speed fall, so if you're stunting or off-roading, obviously the hard armour would work with the textile jacket.

Please keep in mind that this is just an observation based on too many of my own falls, and what you are wearing in the pics itself is far better than what most of us do.

Riding pants which are meant to be worn over other regular pants are called over-pants and designed a little loose to allow the rider some comfort. Leathers worn over pants are specially designed garments called chaps. Most regular riding pants if properly armoured can be simply worn over shorts or a base layer.

[mohan-san]

[QUOTE=Sunnyside_up!;916374]I'm not exactly certain what we're debating because it seems to me that we both agree on the importance of safety gear except that I firmly advocate ATGATT. You're right it is difficult, but I know MANY senior and experienced riders who are ATGATT every single day to work. Even several from this forum.............................................

................Please keep in mind that this is just an observation based on too many of my own falls, and what you are wearing in the pics itself is far better than what most of us do......................."

Sunnyside-Up

Why so many falls I wonder. Surely you are not a reckless rider I would think. Could it be because you have been
riding for many years and that you put in a lot of mileage every year ? Hope the the riding gear saved your skin every time, no?
Just curious is all.

[Sunnyside_up!]

[QUOTE=mohan-san;916385]

I'm not exactly certain what we're debating because it seems to me that we both agree on the importance of safety gear except that I firmly advocate ATGATT. You're right it is difficult, but I know MANY senior and experienced riders who are ATGATT every single day to work. Even several from this forum.............................................

................Please keep in mind that this is just an observation based on too many of my own falls, and what you are wearing in the pics itself is far better than what most of us do......................."

Sunnyside-Up

Why so many falls I wonder. Surely you are not a reckless rider I would think. Could it be because you have been
riding for many years and that you put in a lot of mileage every year ? Hope the the riding gear saved your skin every time, no?
Just curious is all.

ROTFL!! D

28 years of riding and about 30K kms a year! Trust me the odds do catch up with you! ) Riding gear has DEFINITELY saved me many times, and has failed a few times too. The saves are much more than the fails and that's why I believe in it so much!!

I'm happy to report that I fall a lot less than I used to. I guess age makes me more cautious!

[UrbanNomad]

I wear a Rjays riding pant since the last one year. But somehow not comfortable with a floating support. Planning to pick up the Knox knee guards to wear on top as an additional protection layer. Any feedback on same? Cost is around 5k.

[B7ACKTHORN]

I wear a Rjays riding pant since the last one year. But somehow not comfortable with a floating support. Planning to pick up the Knox knee guards to wear on top as an additional protection layer. Any feedback on same? Cost is around 5k.

I beg to differ. You have a pant that already has armor in place, are you planning to go for a knee guard over the riding pant, that already has an armor on it? If you plan to remove the armor in the pants, and then shifting to a knee guard would be a good idea.

You can wear them on top of a riding pant, but make sure the pads from the pants are removed, else, it would be completely different and ridiculously clumsy to walk. If you've marked on all these boxes and then if you intend to go for it, then I'd suggest you go for the KNOX armor.

There are these guys at OUTDOOR travel gear who sell KNOX armors.

@ALL, THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR KNOX ARMORS, KNEE GUARDS, SPINE PROTECTORS, THESE GUYS HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD STOCKING. THE KNEE GUARDS ARE A REAL DEAL!

http://www.outdoortravelgear.com/product/motor-biking/protective-armours/55.aspx

Cheers!
VJ

[pcgamer]

Where can I find Scoyco JK17 jacket in Bengaluru? What's the exact price?

[B7ACKTHORN]

Where can I find Scoyco JK17 jacket in Bengaluru? What's the exact price?

Raw Adventures, India

Contact these fellas for more info.

Cheers!
VJ