Black Tie - ATGATT

[malber]

How often do you go "black-tie?"

Me? Always, even if I'm just riding to the store to get a gallon of milk and loaf of bread. I like to think I have the imagination to envision the possibility of what could happen.

[DiverRay]

I ALWAYS wear a jacket, but the over-pants and boots stay home sometimes. The full face helmet is a must, as that is the only type I buy, and they are required in CA.
A one mile trip down to the store may be with tennis shoes, and the over-pants if I have shorts on. But the gloves and jacket are ALWAYS on.

[Crazcnuk]

I wear the jacket 99% of the time. Never wear extra leggings, and only wear the boots to biker get-togethers. Makes me taller!

I have gloves now, didn't for the first 25 years or so. Don't wear them unless it's cold. They were given to me by another long time biker (as long as me) friend who got cold seeing me driving around at 5 deg with bare hands.

I only have an open face helmet. Can't stand full-face. Used to have one of those sun visors, but no shields. Don't wear bandanas on my face or anything else, but I do have a really old turtleneck sweater that I find invaluable for preventing sore throats in the late fall and early spring.

[Dsxs11]

Down to the store whatever I'm wearing. To work, zip off pants and a light windbreaker 70 miles at 75MPH gets a tad windy. Full gear packed on bike just in case It's nasty at midnight. Full leather more in the spring and fall. Lightweight armor in the summer.

[wingnut]

Full face and gloves every time! Jacket with armor 80% of the time. Boots (steel toes) on long trips, street shoes the rest of the time. No shorts, jeans at least. It gets hot here so long sleves if no jacket. I can wash the sweat off but that growing new skin if something happens takes way to long at my age

Dave

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

Jacket, Modular Helmet (I wear glasses), gloves and Boots all the time. Wanna know why? Go to youtube and search bike crash and check the road rash pictures. It doesn't hurt that I was a volunteer firefighter who responded to a few crashes either... Ever see the trail a struck deer leaves? Bikers can do that too...

[81xsproject]

I know it's my safety, but the gear is just SO ridiculously expensive I can't get it. I finally got a good helmet and gloves today. Love them, can't wait to get fully equipped.

[malber]

Shoei helmet on off-season clearance: $174
Heavy leather Raider jacket: $145
Kevlar gloves: $45
Harness Boots: $20 clearance
Tour Master Carbolex Jean pants: $59.95
Peace of mind if I ever take a tumble: Priceless

I didn't get it all at once, but I at least had the helmet, boots, gloves, and jacket for my MSF class. The helmet was the first thing I got; put it on layaway and saved up for it. I got the pants after I went on a sport-touring.net ride and felt a bit out of place in blue jeans. Then a couple weeks later I dropped the bike on the right side at an awkwardly shaped intersection. Got the pants the next day. It's probably just my personal thinking, but having the right gear gives me more confidence to push the envelope in corners than when I just wore jeans. I no longer worry about the "What ifs?"

I was a little concerned about heat, but when it was in the 90s here it wasn't a problem as long as I was moving. I went to Laconia Bike Week in June and the ATGATT wasn't much of a problem. I wore shorts under the pants so it was really simple just to slip them off and leave the jacket at the bike when I toured the midway.

It may take me an extra five minutes to get ready, but I see that as time spent getting in the right mindset for riding. (And yes, I've learned the lesson of mirror checking )

[Crazcnuk]

HJC helmet, bought on holidays 12 years ago $98
Heavy leather jacket: $189 on sale
Leather bike gloves: $Free (look cold a lot, rich freinds give em to ya)
Motorcycle Boots: $8 (Friend was throwing them away, had them resoled.
Wal-Mart relax fit Denim pants: $19.95
Ugly brown turtleneck sweater: Free in a house warming box of stuff when I was 18!

Knowing that my safety is 90% in my hands, priceless

30+ years of riding, and I have yet to NEED any of this due to an accident. Comfort is a whole other story.

[79XS11F]

I am not fully geared up but I do wear EVERYTHING that I currently have for EVERY ride no matter the distance.
Rob

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

I'm saving up for a nice pair of Kevlar pants with armor. That would round out my gear. I got a very nice Nitro Ballastic Kevlar Jacket with armor earlier this year for 135 on sale. Not that I want to go down... But best to be prepared.

[Ken Talbot]

• Full, heavy weight leather pants by Poor Boy for starting off in the morning, or when it is a bit cool.

• Poor Boy leather riding jacket for cool weather riding. No venting, jacket weighs 14 pounds!

• Joe Rocket Ballistic series riding jacket with vents and removeable liner. Good for cool to medium temperature riding

• Joe Rocket Ballistic series mesh pants and jacket for hot weather riding

• Shoei RF900 full face all the time

• Alpinestars leather riding boot all the time

• Full gauntlet leather riding gloves for cool weather riding

• Leather shorty gloves for hot weather riding

• Poor Boy leather vest for sitting around the campfire at XS rallies

Over time, I'm sure I've paid more for riding gear than I have for any particular bike in the fleet.

Guess that qualifies for ATGATT...

That being said, we did go through Salt Lake City on a Sunday afternoon after the Colorado Springs Rally in boots, jeans, t-shirt, shorty golves, and full face helmet. That was when we decided that we had to add the mesh riding gear to everything we already owned. The temperature was hovering around the 100 mark, and we just could not continue with the full leather pants and "vented" Joe Rocket jacket. We stripped down for the last leg that day, and were some freaked out by driving in that much traffic, at that speed, with absolutely no protection.

[webbcraft2150]

I probably set the worst example for going out without all the prerequisite gear. I ALWAYS wear my skid lid and at least 1/2 gloves. I am guilty of riding in shorts, tennis shoes and tee shirts. I am fully aware of the risks and the possibility of greater damage to myself because of my riding gear. Over my 40+ years of riding, I have been hit three times, everytime I was stopped, following all the rules and then whammo, I'm down. I have been fortunate in that I have never had to lay 'er down or even crashed on the street on my own. This in itself is a miracle considering how I rode in my early years. I have had my share of seat cover sucking tank slappers, washed out front wheels and full lock slides but I always managed to out wit gravity and physics. Some of it luck, some of it skill. I firmly believe my years of desert racing and motocross have helped my street skills. Maybe I am pushin my luck but it sure is fun.

[malber]

Saw a set of Vanson leathers at the Concord, NH Goodwill for $30. It had a zippered detachable jacket and pants. The only thing wrong with it was a broken zipper on a shoulder vent and it needed a good cleaning. Unfortunately I didn't have the $$$ at the time.

[Snow]

Always: Waterproof, oil resistent, steel-toed boots. Full-face helmet. Gloves. Quality jeans.

When it's *not* 100F with 90% humidity I'll wear my jacket. When the heat and humidity get to a certain point, it actually becomes safer to not wear a jacket as heat exhaustion and dehydration come into effect in my neck of the woods. Even without the jacket, I'm still soaked in sweat by the time I get home from work.