the first time i saw these pix i was in the middle of dinner...let's just say i didn't finish that meal. as hard as it is to see sh*t like this, think about how much harder it would be to see it in person or have it happen to you. sometimes ya gotta see sh*t like this to remind you why you put that leather jacket on when it's 100 degrees outside. after my accident i made sure to wear pants all the time for a while, but when i got comfortable again i would slip when it was real hot out and wear shorts or capris, guess i was just young and immature. then i had to see sh*t like this happen in person to someone else, friends no less, and i have NEVER failed to wear full gear since then.

 

Im glad you posted this up..it will teach everyone the truth about ridng and how safe a person needs to be...yeah its fun to ride...but be safe and always watch yourself..and others.....sometimes we feel like we are unstopable.....in fact we are! a little pot hole can own us!.....Be safe everyone.....and take care...

ps: thank you again..and peace be with those in the pics.....but you made me a better rider.....

 

yeah i was out riding the other day with 2 of my friends and we were going to from one interstate to another and there was a long very sharp onramp, well i was riding third and i see the first guy going fast and he leaned and made it, but the second guy was going just as fast but only he didn't lean, then i see him hugging the white line and panic. he started applying the brake and shaking and sure enough he went off the side of the hill. he low sided and wiped out. luckily he didn't hit any trees and landed on soft grass (it rained a lot earlier). he was on a Kaw z1000, nice bike but it in bad shape now. he was wearing boots, skid jacket, gloves and helmet and was able to walk away from it. no broken bones or cuts just lots of bruising, he was very stiff and sore but that's it. thank god for the gear.

 

you know, we can preach all we want about wearing gear and what not, but the fact is that it has to do with risks and is a personal choice.

same people can preach to us all they want about the dangers of riding motorcycles...just like we preach all we want about wearing gear.

i'm all for gear...but i'm also all for personal choice too. i just don't like it when people 'try' to be smart and say...oh it's Darwinism at its best, etc...I mean...have they even read "the origin of species" or taken any evolution classes? it has nothing to do with natural selection, etc...so i'm glad no one here went that route.

 

i'm not sure what you're saying. at first it sounded like you were saying we shouldn't encourage people to wear gear, but now i'm not sure. but i'm not trying to force anyone to do anything they don't wanna do, just giving people suggestions. trying to tell them why they should wear gear and let them make a descision from there. i hear people say it's to hot and i show them the gear i wear in real hot weather as a suggestion and if they take it great, if they don't, whatever. just trying to help educate my fellow riders and just hope to help save a life or two along the way.

 

I agree with what Tahoe said. I think these photos a great reminders and really good info for everyone to have but at the same time think there's got to be room for personal choice. When I got hit by that cursed El camino, I was wearing a helmet, jacket, gloves, shorts and tennis shoes. It was a very conscious decision I made to not wear pants and a decision I think about a lot.

The route I took that day was from home, to work, and back. About a 5 mile round trip. It was really warm that day and the speed limits between here and there are all 25 mph with a short bit of 35. My mentality is this: I regularly ride my mountain bike at speeds far greater than 35 mph wearing a bicycle helmet, bicycle gloves, baggy shorts, and a sleeveless shirt. Generally I am off road, surrounded by trees, just inches off the trail, rocks all around, and occasionally I am on the road, going up to 50 mph wearing those same shorts and sleeveless shirt. I have often thought about what might happen if I went down on my bicycle at 50 on pavement. Yet few people think it odd to see a cyclist wearing so little going so fast.

After sailing over his hood and tumbling though the intersection my upper body was fine. I had 2, quarter-sized superficial bits of rash on my right knee (from the tumble) and cuts and deep contusions on my left leg from the hood of the El camino and from my own passenger peg. Also a couple of lacerations on my leg from the shattering tail section. If I had been wearing pants, I really feel that little would be different. I may have avoided the rash on my knee and the lacerations, though I think they still would have happened. Pants would have done very little to stop the crushing of my leg between the El camino and my F4i. I also know that if I had been on my mountain bike at the same place and the same time, odds are really good that I would have been hit just the same, wearing much less gear.

I have ridden with shorts since, but never if I know I'm going to be going over 40 or so. I never did before either. This is my choice and one I'm probably sticking with. I always ride with gloves because the thought of a palm on pavement at anything over .5 mph is gruesome to me. If it's a really hot day and I'm just running errands around town, there's a good chance I'll be the guy with the helmet, jacket, gloves, and shorts.

Get me upwards of 40mph and it's full gear.