Riding gear is one area where there are many opinions with some people preaching ATGATT on one extreme and others riding in shorts and flip flops on the other. I don't want to start another ATGATT debate. First of all, if you don't wear full racing leathers every time you ride, you're not really ATGATT. Almost everyone makes some concessions to comfort, practicality, style, and cost when deciding what to wear when riding.
My personal philosophy is: The Appropriate gear for the occasion (AGFTO???). I don't dress the same for a trip to the store as I would for a sport ride, or a ride on a dirt bike. I dress differently in hot weather than in cold weather. I tend to dress differently on the scooter than I do on one of my motorcycles because typically I ride my scooter in a different environment and for different reasons.
Like I'm sure many of you do, I often ride my scooter on short trips where I will be getting off my scooter at my destination and doing something else like going into a store, going to work or going for a hike. For this I need gear that is practical off of the scooter or is easy to take off and on and can fold small enough to be practically stored. And of course, I'm cheap and don't like to spend more than I have to on my gear.
The purpose of this thread is to discuss what gear works for you, not to discuss how much gear everyone else should wear. We all have to make our own decisions as to how much risk we are willing to take by not wearing ATGATT. I suspect that if cost, practicality, comfort, and style were not a problem, most riders would wear more safety gear.
I'll start with some of my gear.
Helmet:
When I got my Scooter I decided to get a new helmet since my full face helmet was about 10 years old and I wanted to try a modular helmet. The dealer sold my a Fulmer I-shade for $100. Retail is $150 so it is fairly inexpensive.
It's modular, has flip down tinted visor, and is probably the most comfortable helmet I have owned. It is also the most noisy. I normally wear ear plugs but sometimes go without earplugs on short rides. With this helmet, it's earplugs all the time.
I picked a some new gloves recently at Cycle Gear.
The glove on the left are Frank Thomas Storm Gloves. Waterproof, fairly warm and very comfortable. They were on sale for $35 and I later saw them for $25. The gloves on the right are Motoboss and were $15. You don't have to spend a lot to get some pretty decent gear.
Next, an old pair of Joe Rocket jeans.
No longer in production, I love these overpants. With full length side zippers I can put these on or take them off in about 15 seconds and don't have to remove my boots. The material is waterproof but the zippers are not. They fold up smaller than a regular pair of jeans. They are perfect for extra protection and warmth when I want to be able to remove them easily at my destination and store them under my seat.
More to come later. Lets see what works for you.
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