All the Gear...all the time....

[Firehawk068]

I always try to obey "Rule #1" 

[FJmonkey]

I have been obedient for over 10 years, hoping for many more years.... Crashing sucks  .

[Capn Ron]

Excellent write up by your buddy Klavdy!

I always thought not falling off your bike was a good idea...just NOW I'm being told it's a RULE???  If only I knew that ten days ago!   

Cap'n Ron. . .

[FJmonkey]

Excellent write up by your buddy Klavdy!

I always thought not falling off your bike was a good idea...just NOW I'm being told it's a RULE???  If only I knew that ten days ago!   

Cap'n Ron. . .

I may not have been exactly on time for this but I did tell you that day (shortly after  ) that you broke the first rule... I am just happy that I did not break the first rule by hitting the same sand, you or your bike (one laying down, the other surprisingly vertical) when I came around the blind corner. That might have broken even more rules, damn, I was quite lucky... Corey as well... How is your knee doing?

[X-Ray]

Mmmmm, your excellent analysis of the whole thing Dr Klav scares the crap outta me. Will be getting some Kevlar jeans soon, as I know normal jeans don't cut it when sharp little rocks in the road are tearing at it. I haven't been down the road yet on a road bike, I did all my sliding along in my dirt bike/enduro days.

Accidents will happen of course, just have to be prepared.

[ken65]

im selling my bikes

[FJmonkey]

Mmmmm, your excellent analysis of the whole thing Dr Klav scares the crap outta me. Will be getting some Kevlar jeans soon, as I know normal jeans don't cut it when sharp little rocks in the road are tearing at it. I haven't been down the road yet on a road bike, I did all my sliding along in my dirt bike/enduro days.

Accidents will happen of course, just have to be prepared.

A convert, Yea  , Ron's jeans did nothing to protect his knee, his textile jacket and leather gloves saved all but the top layer of skin (on his forearm that will heal way faster). His helmet was useless as he failed to make contact with the pavement with it. Even better...

Incidentally, he really liked them jeans.... RIP....

[movenon]

Due to my age I guess I should stencil Rule # 1 on my windscreen !!! Nice "safety briefing" Klav.....
George

[Capn Ron]

I am just happy that I did not break the first rule by hitting the same sand, you or your bike (one laying down, the other surprisingly vertical) when I came around the blind corner. That might have broken even more rules, damn, I was quite lucky... Corey as well... How is your knee doing?

I think we all came out of it in great shape...myself included!  

The knee is doing surprisingly well...thanks for asking.  I spent about 7 days wrapping it up with a coat of Neosporin and gauze each night.  These last few days, I've just left it open to the air 24/7.  Scabs are painful because if you flex them, they crack and hurt like hell.  Today is the first day I've been able to bend at the knee a full 90 degrees.  This is a huge plus because I can now climb a flight of stairs normally rather than peg-legging it one step at a time!  I hobbled across the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday and I looked like a Monty Python character..."Walk THIS way..."

The arm is healing as well, but has definitely been the worse of the injuries.  It was a friction-burn on the inside of my jacket and beyond loosing a rather big patch of skin, all those nerves are exposed.  Shifting the car, gripping a pen, cutting a piece of steak all flex that part of the forearm and it hurts like hell!  Based on the healing progress thus far, I imagine I'll be pain-free in a few more days and then scab-free in about two-weeks.

I'm looking into wearing a skin-tight chafe-guard type long sleeve shirt under my riding gear to avoid this in the future.  Sort of like surfers wear under a wet suit.  I have a whole new appreciation for those who have gone down and a keen eye for other riders who don't wear any gear at all!

Cap'n Ron. . .

[Bminder]

Dress for the Slide, not the Ride.
(Not that I do that...)

[movenon]

"I'm looking into wearing a skin-tight chafe-guard type long sleeve shirt under my riding gear to avoid this in the future"

Same here.... Jean burn is more painful than most would think....
George

[aviationfred]

Nobody has mentioned that most jackets and pants, whether they are leather, mesh, or textile do have armour in the Back, shoulder, arms, hips and knees. I broke rule #1 back in 1990. Wearing full leathers but at that time most leathers available to the general public did not come with armour. There were multiple broken bones due to Sudden Stoppage syndrome. Over all the leather did it's job and no road rash.

I agree with FJmonkey, ..... Crashing sucks   

Fred

[ribbert]

I'm slack about wearing gear around town but ALWAYS wear it on the open road, except once!

I clipped a concrete white post at 180 kph (hit the bars but missed my leg) and went down the road wearing jeans, sneakers and a cotton shirt. From what I have seen, our bitumen roads here at the time used a much coarser aggregate for a surface finish than in the States and they gouge as well as abrade, especially when it's just been laid, as this had, and the stones are still pointy.

It was an elevated section of road through a swamp and I was found 6 hours later when a truck driver saw me. He stopped and had a look from the roadside but didn't bother to make his way over to me. He informed the Police at the next town (no mobiles) adding there was no rush, it was no doubt only a body retrieval. It was dark by now and it took a another few hours to find me. They had not even called an ambulance at this point.

Obviously I was alive, but unconscious, and the cop told me later I was lying face down in about 6" of water with what was left of the chin of my full face caught on a tuft of swamp grass with the water just below my lips.
A twitch of my head would have seen me slide into the water.

ALL my clothing had come off except my underpants.

The attending doctor later told me he had treated some horrific road injuries in his time but had never seen anyone lose so much skin.

Full face helmets were new at the time (40 years ago) and I had just recently converted to one and people were still arguing over the merits of them.
To see the front of that full face could leave no doubt what a lifesaver these new fangled helmets were.

The reason I had no gear on? I was at the local bike shop, where I was well known, ordering parts for my bike. It was a beautiful day. One of those first Spring days after a long dreary Winter and I was cursing my bike being in bits. The owner offered me a used bike off the showroom floor to go for a quick spin down the coast and I jumped at it. No time to go back home and change. Not long after.......

If Klavdy chips in with "Show us the scars or it didn't happen" a viewing can be arranged at the FJ rally in March.

Noel

[FJmonkey]

My Textile jacket had this thin CE approved armor that reminded me of the shit they sell to line tool box drawers. WTF is that??? So I upgraded the back protection when I found a real pad on sale at Cycle Gear... Marsh slapped me on the back at the WCR and commented that it was really hard and was surprised, I was vaguely aware of the impact. Guess it will provide some protection. I am looking forward to having a leather jacket with armor soon. The Red Power Ranger is always looking for upgrades to battle the powers of stupid... The battle will never end, I know..... Wish me luck...

[Flynt]

The Red Power Ranger is always looking for upgrades to battle the powers of stupid...

One word...  Motoport.  Check it out, full Kevlar mesh with testimonials out the arse from many Rule #1 violators.  Not cheap, but Wayne will make it exactly right for you and it is damned comfortable stuff.  Also lifetime guaranteed repairable or they will replace it. 

Klav copped a feel of my chest armor at the WCR and I didn't feel a thing...   

http://www.motoport.com

Frank