Comments on: Riding Gear Protection Rituals

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:56:00 +0000

The Pastels: Fashion has a lot of sway in people’s decisions. Unfortunately in riding it can have disastrous results.

By: The Pastels

The Pastels — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:43:00 +0000

when i started to ride a scooter, i was a bit uncomfortable wearing full gears but then education did a lot why i switched to wearing one. some people just trade off their safety for fashion and wrong impression. so just like you, i have come to love the ritual of wearing proper gears.

great blog.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 14:17:00 +0000

combatscoot: It didn't take too many stories of wrecks to convince me. Even riding a scooter I knew that the road didn't discriminate and not choose to maim scooter riders.

I've seen a black and tan Vespa. Very nice looking. My wife wants a scooter too and I'm looking forward when we can ride together.

irondad: You're exactly right about no timeout. I absolutely have to be comfortable when I ride. Even with all my gear I can move fine, walk far. I feel uncomfortable without it now.

And in the cold I absolutely need it all to keep warm!

By: irondad

irondad — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 16:04:00 +0000

Scooters are becoming more and more common here. A popular radio personality recently took our course and she bought a Vespa. She talks on the radio about riding the scooter to work. Just not many ride in inclement weather.

One thing I tell my students is that whatever you bring to the party is what you dance with. People run shorter errands so they skip gear. Most accidents happen within 25 miles of home. Gee, that sounds like a dangerous place. Maybe I should move!

Anyway, the reason things are called accidents is because they're not planned. There's no time to call "Time out!" and go get the good gear. Whatever you have is what you have.

Don't you find that being comfortable also helps you concentrate more on riding and managing risk? That is, if you can still move.

I enjoy the ritual, also. I'm still in my frustrated fighter pilot mode. Gearing up with the final act of snapping the visor down makes me feel ready to do battle.

Thanks for the great posts, lately. Looks like you've put a lot of thought into them.

Dan

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:11:00 +0000

I’m right with you on the gear thing. When I was a kid, minimum clothing to ride the dirt bike was boots, pants, longsleeve shirt, gloves and helmet. No exceptions. Now that I’m grown, I wouldn’t dream of riding without the full compliment. After hearing about a few wrecks where folk’s faces were disfigured, I also switched to full-face helmets. Just makes sense, especially with healthcare costs being so high.
My wife wants to join the Vespa Swarms with a black LX150 w/tan seat. She prefers open-face helmets, but plans on purchasing a full-face or a flip-up when she gets her own scooter.
John