Gear Recommendations - Commuting | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Gear Recommendations - Commuting

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Trials said:
or wear a stylish over jacket that doesn't make you look like a power ranger.
Carrying a helmet covered in bug juice and stinky gloves will always be a give-away.
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Just curious, what do you wear for abrasion and impact resistance, if anything?
 
Evoex said:
He dresses for comfort, saving skin and bones isn't on his agenda.
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Do you really need to wear a full one-piece track setup every time you commute to work? You can definitely find a balance between protection and comfort/practicality. I ride the city streets into work so I'm rarely going above 60km/h. A waxed cotton jacket, heavyweight denim jeans, and redwing boots (+gaunlet gloves + full-face) is enough slide protection for me. I don't have to get changed at work and it lets me pop out to sites/meet clients with ease. I mean lets be real your average cyclist is taking more of a risk commuting than you are on a motorcycle.
 
r3r3r3 said:
Do you really need to wear a full one-piece track setup every time you commute to work? You can definitely find a balance between protection and comfort/practicality. I ride the city streets into work so I'm rarely going above 60km/h. A waxed cotton jacket, heavyweight denim jeans, and redwing boots (+gaunlet gloves + full-face) is enough slide protection for me. I don't have to get changed at work and it lets me pop out to sites/meet clients with ease. I mean lets be real your average cyclist is taking more of a risk commuting than you are on a motorcycle.
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Um...

I always wear a proper jacket with armor inserts, gloves and riding shoes/boots. After my accident last year which stripped away layers of skin i also added kevlar jeans to the mix. If walking away from something is your goal then comfort should come second to safety.

Let's be real, maybe it's true because a large majority choose to ignore half the road signs and blow through traffic like they own the place.
 
r3r3r3 said:
Do you really need to wear a full one-piece track setup every time you commute to work? You can definitely find a balance between protection and comfort/practicality. I ride the city streets into work so I'm rarely going above 60km/h. A waxed cotton jacket, heavyweight denim jeans, and redwing boots (+gaunlet gloves + full-face) is enough slide protection for me. I don't have to get changed at work and it lets me pop out to sites/meet clients with ease. I mean lets be real your average cyclist is taking more of a risk commuting than you are on a motorcycle.
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Both waxed cotton and jeans will disintegrate at almost any speed. My jeans (and skin) ripped right through at about 40 kph. Heck, I've ripped jeans just from tripping and falling at walking speed.

I hit 90 without even getting on the highway. 140 if I do. I need leather or good textile. Then again, even those don't really protect that much if you hit a stationary object. To each their own.
 
Please don't ride in traffic with a modular helmet flipped up. e.g. Schuberth C3 pro.

Get the kind that's been tested, and meant to be ridden while flipped for that.
 
Baggsy said:
Please don't ride in traffic with a modular helmet flipped up. e.g. Schuberth C3 pro.

Get the kind that's been tested, and meant to be ridden while flipped for that.
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The Shark I posted is certified in the jet configuration as far as I'm aware. I still avoid it because there are lots of chin impacts in an off and that wouldn't be covered regardless of certification.
 
That Shark helmet has been tested. The local cops use them here. I have two, they are good but a little heavy.
 
unL33T said:
Just curious, what do you wear for abrasion and impact resistance, if anything?
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Not a lot, even on my trials bike and I crash that regularly, I always wear gloves, helmet, and decent boots, my spandex one piece suits have a little bit of cotton padding on the knees, that's kind of nice. I got pretty good at not crashing on flat pavement long time ago, wet moss covered logs about 2 feet off the ground and leaning to one side going down a steep slippery hill is my current nemesis, that's good for a trip over the handlebars almost every time because I rely too much on my bash plate.
 
I ride to work in business casual attire. Always wear a textile jacket, gloves and boots. Never wear riding pants (rarely wear them when touring).

Off road I wear MX pants with knee and hip pads - my off road these days is ire roads and tame trails -- no amount of gear is gonna save someone my age from agony in an over-the-handlebars situation.
 
lol a waxed cotton jacket and jeans won't really do much. I know there are many factors that affect what type of gear one wants to wear but it all comes down to the person. I mean a short 10 min ride for me I still suit up with a good jacket but I may be wearing just regular jeans. I've actually bought a lot of jackets for different uses like a plain black one if I don't want to look like a track rider wherever I go, or if I go on spirited rides I will wear my leather jacket with a hump.
 
OP, if some of your gear is fine, but you're only changing it because it doesn't match your bike, then you should consider getting your new gear in a more neutral colour. Then you won't have to feel like you need to change it for every new bike. Grey would be a good choice, as others have suggested, but I've been fine with black. Stay away from white, though - hard to keep clean and looks ghetto when it's dirty. Of all the outfits I have, my textile jacket and pants are the most versatile. I love my Joe Rocket Alter Ego pants - there's a removable panel that exposes mesh up each leg and around the back. Never felt hot in the middle of the hottest summer rides, and insulates from the heat as well as it insulates from the cold - protects my right leg from getting cooked from my 998's undertail exhaust. Baggy enough to wear over work pants but wish the zippers were longer to make it easier to remove.
 
Thats said, I think green gear is the only colour that seriously warrants replacement when switching away from a matching bike.
 
Trials said:
Deals on gear are often size related, if you can fit kid sized clothing you can get great deals on last years inventory in retail stores, if you are a more common size then the discounts just won't be near as good.
I find gloves (which should be mandatory gear) work best with a single layer of leather on the palm, the ones with padding give me calluses real fast ymmv. Jackets don't need to be motorcycle specific jackets to be good, important features are closures that don't let the wind through, easy to manage with gloves on and constructed of material that does not billow out like a sail when riding at speed.
There are some re-gear stores that specialize in resale of lightly used motorcycle apparel. Can't say as I would recommend any particular manufacturer as being outstanding unless we are shopping for trials riding boots.

I'm not big on body armour for riding, I dress for ride comfort not to crash. Helmet is the exception, I never go too cheap on helmets.
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That way your brain still works to remind you that the rest of your body is beat to a plup.
 
Relax said:
OP, if some of your gear is fine, but you're only changing it because it doesn't match your bike, then you should consider getting your new gear in a more neutral colour. Then you won't have to feel like you need to change it for every new bike. Grey would be a good choice, as others have suggested, but I've been fine with black. Stay away from white, though - hard to keep clean and looks ghetto when it's dirty. Of all the outfits I have, my textile jacket and pants are the most versatile. I love my Joe Rocket Alter Ego pants - there's a removable panel that exposes mesh up each leg and around the back. Never felt hot in the middle of the hottest summer rides, and insulates from the heat as well as it insulates from the cold - protects my right leg from getting cooked from my 998's undertail exhaust. Baggy enough to wear over work pants but wish the zippers were longer to make it easier to remove.
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Yep...that is part of the goal here.

Currently Red and black gear....riding a gear and black bike. Next gera choices will likely be black or grey.
 
Then prove mesh jackets "fall apart"....

Here is an extensive compilation..GTA riders some of them including rocker guy ...nothing "falls apart"


Same Joe Rocket jacket I wear

Jun-jr-jacket.jpg


Rider lowsided on a decreasing radius turn in Toronto, ON, Canada, at 70kph/44mph, hitting his right shoulder and elbow. Joe Rocket mesh jacket was scuffed and shredded at the shoulder but did not melt. The rider did not receive road rash or friction burns on his upper body. The jacket remains in service today. Photo by Jun C.
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I'm far more concerned about the armor moving around ...one reason I use separate knee armor on the knee not in the pants.
I've added upgraded armor to the back but since the original armor in the JR is hardshell I'm content with that.
I am putting better hip armor in my AirGlide pants.

Gloves as well as boots require some attention.
 
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