Poll: How strict are you when it comes to gearing up on hot days??

[Pakhan]

I didn't vote, don't know which option best describes.

My gear is more based on the type of riding I'll be doing and falls into 2 categories.  Aggressive and casual.

Aggressive: Full leathers, protective boots, gloves, additional back protector, full face.

Casual: Leather jacket, gloves, full face.

Regardless of weather this is how I ride. unless it's raining, then rain gear too 

[Benjamin5150]

I don't really use my bike for errands, commuting to work, etc.   I only ride when I'm planning on just riding so that I can focus 100% on the ride.   I'm weird that way.   That being said, I wear the gear 100% of the time.   

[DEVO!]

I wear all my gear all the time no matter what. The only difference in the summer I have a mesh jacket but I still wear everything.
I had a spill when I was younger and there was no helmet law here in CA and EVERYONE rode around with no helmets or even jackets, scratched my face up and both of my hands and forearms were beaten up pretty bad I can recall going way over 100 miles an hour with no helmet or jacket on a CB900F (yea thats old.
I even wear a friggin bright orange safety vest now just so the cars see me better and have a headlight modulator.
When you go down it f@ccin sucks be prepared no matter how hot it is.

(i am gonna make sure my wife reads this I should get big points )

[c_rex]

just watch a squid do some asphalt ballet.  you'll know which box to check from there on out.
My dad taught me from the age of 8 to always ride in full gear and I've been glad he did on several occassions.

[ryandalling]

My wife biffed it in the driveway on her ninja 250... gloves and jacket got scuffed... cracked the helmet.... she was very happy to have been wearing the helmet. She was just going back and forth down the driveway to get used to shifting.  I can't see risking it for any reason.

[Alex]

Temperature isnt the issue for me (maybe it's a minor factor), distance is. I don't bother changing my shoes for riding boots just to go 10 blocks, and I don't bother changing into my racing leathers if I'm not going on an actual "ride," (defined as a time I ride for the fun of riding alone, usually faster than normal street riding). There is a whole spectrum of gear-wearing I use, ranging from just a helmet, regular shoes, leather jacket, and jeans ("just a few blocks, max 25mph"), to every inch of my body covered with italian and german safety equipment ("let's go practice wheelies!").

Motorcycling is supposed to be fun, and spending 20 minutes dressing up for a 2 minute trip isn't fun. I should just leave the bike at home for short trips you say? Well, I didn't buy a motorcycle to only use it twice a month, so I'll just go ahead and risk it.

Last time I fell was on one of those short trips with minimal gear. I remember bruising my knee (just jeans) and thinking I would have bruised my shoulder too if not for my riding jacket, which took the brunt of it. Would it have been the end of the world if I had bruised my shoulder too? Do I wish I had put on my leather pants to save my knee from bruising? Meh... Not really. Falling off a motorcycle at 20 is about like falling off a bicycle at 20. Worse case scenario for me is braking my ankle or something, and that's very unlikely. For me, that risk is a pretty small price to pay to make riding around town realistically feasable by not michelin-man-ing up.

[PizzaMonster]

So I have to be honest, huh?  

I've been known to ride around town in jeans, boots, and a t-shirt.  (And a helmet of course).  I've also got an open face helmet that I've dusted off a few times on a really hot day for a ride around town.  I know its not right but riding a road bicycle full out in spandex isn't safe either and you don't see them in full armour.  

It's the humidity that's a killer here.  Town riding in full gear is uncomfortable enough to make me park the bike and take the car.   If you are above 40 mph and you have your vents open, everything is good though.

Having confessed my occasional squidly tendencies my usual gear for a ride on a warm day consists of Kevlar Draggin' Jeans with knee armor, a vented textile jacket (Joe Rocket Phoenix, Tourmaster Flex, plus a few others in the closet), Alpinestar Ridge boots, full face helmet and gloves.  I'm still looking for a decent pair of vented overpants and want to try the new Coretech GX Air jacket as well.  Haven't found any armored pants that fit properly yet.  (I have the upper body of a 6 foot person and the legs of a circus sideshow midget  )

I also have a bright yellow Draggin' Jeans kevlar t-shirt.    It's got double layer kevlar in the sleeves but zero impact protection.   I suppose it's better than nothing but probably not by much.   It flows a lot of air so sometimes I wear it under my textile jacket for an extra layer of protection.

[Juan]

If it is a long ride, full leathers, but if it is short rides, blue jeans, boots, kneepads, jacket, gloves and helmet.

[James.M]

I marked for full gear, but sometimes, just sometimes I'll skip out on just the jacket... its just so big!

[ducati_steve]

I have to say that I'm usually in the same boat as Alex.  The temperature is not that big of a deal for me, but if I'm riding a few blocks to do a quick test of a new mod, or to hop to the corner store it's usually gloves and a helmet.  But to actually *go* anywhere from my place I have to hit up I-75, and it's full gear all the time.

[Alex]

One more thing I want to add because I think it's important: The key to wearing more gear isn't being gung-ho for safety all the time or guilting yourself by looking at gory pictures or horror stories of people who crashed, it's owning gear you don't mind using. The pain-in-the-ass factor is all-important. Most of my riding gear was chosen because it looks good off the bike too, so I don't mind bringing it along. The one exception is my leather racing pants (skin-tight black leather with knee pucks sticking off...), which I consequently pretty much never wear. People should think realistically about how often they would want to wear things in the real world when they are buying them, because all the ideals for "safety first" can go out the window fast when a cute girl asks you to take her for a ride.

[Wonked]

Good thread. I got rid of most my non-suit gear so that the choice would either be no gear, or full gear (Olympia Stealth - commuting, Alpinestars leathers - spirited riding). Consequently I go full gear pretty much all the time.

I'm in Atlanta, and soon it will be too hot to do the short little jaunts anyway.

[JoDuc]

yes, i've been down before and it's not fun...

BUT - I ride with sidi boots, jeans, t-shirt and gloves. No helmet anymore. Here in Florida it's pretty common. I actually ride slower cause of the wind factor in my face, i hear better and have much better vision. Yeah, i know it's stupid and dangerous, but f#ck it. It's a much better open air feeling. If i die, I die...      

[MaxPower]

Full gear all the time, except when going for lunch at work... helmet, jeans, Polo shirt, casual shoes.

[taun]

They say that most accidents occur within a 5mi radius of your home.  With that said, i've been tempted on many occasion to just get out there to run some errands, but my conscious always tells me to gear up "just in case".  I don't get fully suited or anything, but i'm at least sporting a jacket, jeans, gloves, helmet, and boots.  Even when it's hot outside.  Now when I'm riding the twisties, then it's time for perforated leathers.