Let's be honest, who truly rides ATGATT?

[revnort]

My aerostitch does not have a back protector and I doubt I will be able to fit much of one given the sizing. My jacket however does have a back protector. Which one is safer: Jacket with back protector and no riding pants, or aerostitch with no back protector?

With the stich on but no back protector am I still ATGATT?

 

[DataDan]

Which begs the question, why go to dinner and shopping for clothes on a bike? Meaning, if there's risk involved, why not minimize risk?

Indeed. Put on gear or walk.

Why would you ride a motorcycle anywhere?

Unless flying an ultralight is one of your transpo options, riding a motorcycle is the most risky mode you have to choose from.

It's never a single-variable decision. Riding a motorcycle is fun--even just around town. It's convenient for traffic and easy to park. But it's dangerous. Protective gear reduces the likelihood of certain injuries. But it can be inconvenient and uncomfortable.

Each of us decides by weighing risk, reward, safety, convenience, etc., etc. Because perception of those factors differs among us--and no one enjoys omniscience in those perceptions--we choose differently.

 

[revnort]

Why would you ride a motorcycle anywhere?

Unless flying an ultralight is one of your transpo options, riding a motorcycle is the most risky mode you have to choose from.

It's never a single-variable decision. Riding a motorcycle is fun--even just around town. It's convenient for traffic and easy to park. But it's dangerous. Protective gear reduces the likelihood of certain injuries. But it can be inconvenient and uncomfortable.

Each of us decides by weighing risk, reward, safety, convenience, etc., etc. Because perception of those factors differs among us--and no one enjoys omniscience in those perceptions--we choose differently.

Sigh, I have tried making point repeatedly in the thread. In response I got if you can't wear all the gear then walk.

 

[louemc]

Why would you ride a motorcycle anywhere?

Unless flying an ultralight is one of your transpo options, riding a motorcycle is the most risky mode you have to choose from.

It's never a single-variable decision. Riding a motorcycle is fun--even just around town. It's convenient for traffic and easy to park. But it's dangerous. Protective gear reduces the likelihood of certain injuries. But it can be inconvenient and uncomfortable.

Each of us decides by weighing risk, reward, safety, convenience, etc., etc. Because perception of those factors differs among us--and no one enjoys omniscience in those perceptions--we choose differently.

I'm safer on my bike than any other choice, on the public highway.

That's me.

 

[Stormdragon]

How do people go ATGATT in 100F+ weather, especially out here in Sacramento?

8AM start time + Underarmor Heat Gear or equivalent + cooling vest or neckband = A pleasant ride with minimal traffic, and an at-home arrival time early enough to beat the worst of the heat + enough time for a and a

 

[Marcoose]

if you can't wear all the gear then walk.

That's not exactly accurate. It's a matter of appreciating the risks. Walking has risks too, as you know. If one knows it isn't convenient to wear less than the already-owned protective gear for frivolous errands such eating and cloth shopping, and the same person has other means of transportation, ie, car, Muni, walk, then perhaps that same person ought to apply sound judgment to choose the least risky means of getting hurt. (Personally, I don't ride in the rain, unless for a dumbass move of not checking the weather for later in the day.)

That's what you got.

Ride your own ride.

 

[Cyclesuzy]

8AM start time + Underarmor Heat Gear or equivalent + cooling vest or neckband = A pleasant ride with minimal traffic, and an at-home arrival time early enough to beat the worst of the heat + enough time for a and a

+1 and +1 to the mesh gear. if possible I hit the road around 6 am or earlier. No ones around and you beat the heat.

 

[davidji]

Can we all at least agree that ATGATT means all the time, and if you are not doing it all the time calling ATGATT is just silly.

If you are only wearing all the gear some of the time, you cannot say I am ATGATT at certain times only.

If you are just talking about all the gear in certain instances, just say ATG

+1

If you couldn't replace ATGATT with all the gear all the time in your sentence, why use it?

 

[3B43]

35,000 miles in the last 26 months (Im semi-retired) and wear full race leathers/boots/back protector AAT's! Ive recently added a Leatt neck brace.

 

[FreeRyde]

Which one is safer: Jacket with back protector and no riding pants, or aerostitch with no back protector?

Stich hands down. Even without a back protector.

Can't imagine my last two crashes without it. I would have been meat chunks.

 

[ilikefood]

8AM start time + Underarmor Heat Gear or equivalent + cooling vest or neckband = A pleasant ride with minimal traffic, and an at-home arrival time early enough to beat the worst of the heat + enough time for a and a

That assumes that you ride only for fun on sunny Sundays, and not for everyday transportation.

 

[ilikefood]

That's not exactly accurate. It's a matter of appreciating the risks. Walking has risks too, as you know. If one knows it isn't convenient to wear less than the already-owned protective gear for frivolous errands such eating and cloth shopping, and the same person has other means of transportation, ie, car, Muni, walk, then perhaps that same person ought to apply sound judgment to choose the least risky means of getting hurt. (Personally, I don't ride in the rain, unless for a dumbass move of not checking the weather for later in the day.)

That's what you got.

Ride your own ride.

Based on this logic no one would ever ride. Driving a car will always be safer than riding a motorcycle in full gear. So if you believe that riders should drive a car instead of accepting the slightly increased risk of riding with less-than-full gear, then it makes no sense to accept the VASTLY increased risk of riding a motorcycle instead of driving a car.

Choosing to accept more risk in order to ride a motorcycle rather than drive a car isn't really any different than choosing to accept more risk in order to wear more comfortable but less protective gear.

 

[flying_hun]

Emerson is credited with saying something like, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds."

To that, maybe we can add, "A rigid fundamentalism is a sedative against life's inherent uncertainties."

-Or-

OMG, IF YOU DON'T DO IT EXACTLY THE WAY I DO IT YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!1111

 

[Marcoose]

Based on this logic no one would ever ride. Driving a car will always be safer than riding a motorcycle in full gear. So if you believe that riders should drive a car instead of accepting the slightly increased risk of riding with less-than-full gear, then it makes no sense to accept the VASTLY increased risk of riding a motorcycle instead of driving a car.

Choosing to accept more risk in order to ride a motorcycle rather than drive a car isn't really any different than choosing to accept more risk in order to wear more comfortable but less protective gear.

Based on that logic, no one should be born.

 

[Onebadscot]

OMG, IF YOU DON'T DO IT EXACTLY THE WAY I DO IT YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!1111

Is there a middle ground?

Yes

leadership by example!

 

[GAJ]

Emerson is credited with saying something like, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds."

To that, maybe we can add, "A rigid fundamentalism is a sedative against life's inherent uncertainties."

-Or-

OMG, IF YOU DON'T DO IT EXACTLY THE WAY I DO IT YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!1111

Amazing to me how when I asked the holier than thou ATGATT types to respond to the question of whether they drink and ride or not, even if it's "just one," all I got was pretty much crickets.

I'm not ATGATT as I wear Draggin' Jeans without my Bohn Underarmor...but I'm IFATT, (impariment free all the time when I moto).

 

[Stormdragon]

That assumes that you ride only for fun on sunny Sundays, and not for everyday transportation.

I can survive a 45minute to 1 hour ride home from work in the heat without the unnderarmor and cooling gear better than I can survive a 6 hour ride on Sunday without it.

I also assume most of you don't spend your days out in the 100+ degree heat, bent double, trimming horses feet. So mebby I have an advantage on those sunny Sundays.

 

[PunkRockMonkey]

Almost ATGATT

I am 95% ATGATT.

I have, on occasion worn all my gear, except for my leather, armored pants. When not wearing those, I'm wearing armored knee/shin guards under Carhartt work pants.
Everything else is my regular moto gear.
(track jacket with spine armor, heavily armored track boots and gloves, full-face helmet)

I started out ATGATT, due to the insistence of all of my friends who rode and my instructors at MSF. After 15 years of riding, I feel naked riding without it–even in the Carhartts. (Which makes me feel even more reluctant to ever go on the Vampires Kilt/Naked rides.)

Now, a story:
I have always worn heavily armored (read:racetrack/moto-x gear) gear. I have full length A* Tech-8 enduro boots and Dainese Torque RS boots.

I was involved in a major side-impact while wearing the enduro boots on the street. Snapped my foot peg off and crushed the shit out of my leg, but nothing broke*. I was unable to walk for over a month. I attribute my luck heavily to the fact that I was wearing hard-armored boots.

Just over a month ago, a good friend was not so fortunate. She was wearing motorcycle boots (but only with a small, internal heel-cup for armor) when she was t-boned at an intersection by a left-turn bandit cager at about 25-35mph.

Here is the result:

Yup. That's the stump where a leg used to be.
(How it happened)

The boot pic is where a piece of car went through the soft part of the boot and smashed the heel to pieces. There was so much damage that the blood vessels couldn't deliver blood about halfway past the knee, so that's where they amputated from.

Would a heavier armored boot have made a difference? Maybe. Maybe not.
Would you rather have that extra percentage of advantage where it might save your leg? Your hands? Your face below the chin? I sure as hell would.

I rode in 95 degree weather in full-black leathers in NYC when I lived there. People looked at me like I was crazy. I don't care. As the saying goes, "I'd rather sweat than bleed". If I can't wear my gear, I'm driving. Taking a cab. The bus. Walking. It's just not worth the risk (to me).

Everyone else is entitled to wear as little or as much gear as they like. For me, I'm ATG95%OTT. I'm not going to lie and say I don't break the rules, every now and again, but man, am I distracted when doing it. Not safe by any means.

*dislocated the hell out of my knee, though.

 

[papawheelie]

if you mean wearing MX gear on the street, then yes, goggles included.

 

[CABilly]

I mostly do. Leather-clad from the neck down with no exposed skin, moto boots and good gloves, full face helmet.

I don't know if that truly counts as ATGATT because I skimp on the shin guards, back protector, airbag vest and that C-collar thing people wear.