body armor
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CE approved means that it has been tested and accepted, and is manufactured in accordance with European standards. This is just one factor to consider. When looking at gear, there are alot of other factors to be considered ...
Are you looking for good weather (lightweight) or all-weather (waterproof) gear?
Are you riding on the street or on a track?
Do you want to look cool, or do you want to be safe?
How much can you afford to spend?
I would be very careful about buying my first protective gear over the Internet - the fit is very important (if it's too loose, the protectors won't be positioned correctly where and when you need them, and if it's too tight, you won't wear it). Go to a trusted dealer or motorcycle shop and see what they have - a good shop should give you alot of information and plenty of stuff to try on. It's worth the extra few bucks to get everything that fits properly and is suitable for your individual riding style and needs.
A few tips...
* Your helmet should be CE and DOT approved, and a full-face helmet offers the best protection.
* Your jacket should have elbow and shoulder protectors, and if you can afford it, a spine protector too.
* You should have a kidney belt to keep your kidneys warm and prevent too much shaking around.
* Your pants should have knee/shin protectors, and may have hip protectors or padding too.
* Your boots should protect your ankles and should NOT have laces.
* Your gloves should keep your hands warm and be reinforced around the palms and/or knuckles.
Cordura is a nylon-like material, it sort of looks like canvas in black. Alot of Cordura gear also offers Gore-Tex water protection and removable liners, so you can wear it all year. High-quality leather offers even more protection from road-rash, but is not waterproof and often much more expensive, and must be worn much tighter than Corduba. Most racers wear leathers.
I have spent almost $2,000 on gear (summer and winter jackets, Cordura and leather pants, summer and winter gloves, a new helmet every 2 years, etc.) but I'm probably a bad example (a bit too safety concious sometimes).
Hope this helps.
Are you looking for good weather (lightweight) or all-weather (waterproof) gear?
Are you riding on the street or on a track?
Do you want to look cool, or do you want to be safe?
How much can you afford to spend?
I would be very careful about buying my first protective gear over the Internet - the fit is very important (if it's too loose, the protectors won't be positioned correctly where and when you need them, and if it's too tight, you won't wear it). Go to a trusted dealer or motorcycle shop and see what they have - a good shop should give you alot of information and plenty of stuff to try on. It's worth the extra few bucks to get everything that fits properly and is suitable for your individual riding style and needs.
A few tips...
* Your helmet should be CE and DOT approved, and a full-face helmet offers the best protection.
* Your jacket should have elbow and shoulder protectors, and if you can afford it, a spine protector too.
* You should have a kidney belt to keep your kidneys warm and prevent too much shaking around.
* Your pants should have knee/shin protectors, and may have hip protectors or padding too.
* Your boots should protect your ankles and should NOT have laces.
* Your gloves should keep your hands warm and be reinforced around the palms and/or knuckles.
Cordura is a nylon-like material, it sort of looks like canvas in black. Alot of Cordura gear also offers Gore-Tex water protection and removable liners, so you can wear it all year. High-quality leather offers even more protection from road-rash, but is not waterproof and often much more expensive, and must be worn much tighter than Corduba. Most racers wear leathers.
I have spent almost $2,000 on gear (summer and winter jackets, Cordura and leather pants, summer and winter gloves, a new helmet every 2 years, etc.) but I'm probably a bad example (a bit too safety concious sometimes).
Hope this helps.
well, ive seen a lot of people especially this girl who goes to my college, was wearing a tanktop, whith a sweatshirt, and a pair of jeans and vans shoes. is this like ok at all?!?!?!!? she lives like 15 min away form campus, so i guess she thought she doesnt need that many gear for a 15min ride.
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Always wear the right gear! Things can happen anytime anywhere. I did this 3 miles from home.LAX said:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gixxerdale2/detail?.dir=b05f&.dnm=60b6.jpg&.src=ph :roll:
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3,027 Posts
July 30, 2003KAOS said:
35 mph slide = 70 feet
Shorts and a shirt
No Helmet
Training ride on my road bike before work. Hit and run by a car.
Now take your average riding speed in say jeans and maybe your favorite street jacket. Both of which will wear through in the first 5 or 10 feet of the slide. Flesh and bone offer very little friction or resistence to slow you during a slide.
Sure wish I was on the Gixxer that day. I always wear full gear on it. Would have just walked away, rather than spending 6 months recovering from broken bones, severe road rash, and not to mention the problems it caused us all financially and emotionally.
So next time you want to make that fast run to the local store or whatever, take 5 minutes to gear up! You never know when or where, your number will be up. :roll:
Yeah, 90% of all accidents occur within 10 miles of your home. (I made that up, but the real statistic is pretty close to that.)
Think about it. Don’t you spend about 90% of your time in a 10 mile radius around your home? That’s why not gearing up just for a five-minute dash to the Kwickie Mart is just not a good idea.
Think about it. Don’t you spend about 90% of your time in a 10 mile radius around your home? That’s why not gearing up just for a five-minute dash to the Kwickie Mart is just not a good idea.
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