What is ATGATT?

[Jackhartjr]

I keep seeing ATGATT!
Am I supposed to automatically know what it means?

[ChevronBaz]

All The Gear, All The Time..... :-)

[trikermutha]

ATGATT is an acronym for “All The Gear All The Time”.

I just did a web search..

[UtahPete]

It's an acronym that starts intense and heated debates among Spyder lovers.

It's also a soon to be extinct protocol with the rapid change of climate...

[MONK]

ATTGATT stands for "What I Wear Always, Even If It's Hot"

[Wmoater]

Layman explanation........ protective gear aka tear proof jacket, maybe pads integrated like football pads but flexible and thinner, tear proof pants, possibly glasses, gloves, boots and HELMET!

[RayBJ]

Put another way, it means dress for the crash, not for the look. Armored knees, hips, elbows, shoulders, and back plus helmet & above-ankle boots. Abrasion-resistant gloves & outer shell for the slide.
One get-off and the gear pays for itself 100 times over plus insurance buys you new gear! You're also more likely to live to tell your tale.
I'm 74 and have had my gear replaced by insurance 3 times with no more than a bruised hip and ego.

[Lew L]

.

If you've ever had an " incident" on a motorcycle , bicycle, or and had a case of Road Rash or a good knock on the head ---------- yall will understand

Lew L

[ARtraveler]

As Jackie Gleason used to say: "Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnd Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwa y Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Go!

Have at it folks. But............................................... .................Be Nice.

[cruisinTX]

It's a personal choice based on your own tolerance for risk. On a Spyder you have a slightly lesser chance of sliding on the pavement than on a motorcycle--very slight. Me; I've been an ATGATT guy since a buddy of mine went off the road on his motorcycle several years ago. No one is sure why it happened as he is a highly experienced rider and no other vehicles were involved. The end result was he got a helicopter ride to the hospital still unconscious. His gear; modular helmet, Cordura jacket and pants, leather gloves, and heavy boots. His injuries; a mild concussion and a few bruises. No road rash at all even though it looked as though someone had take a grinder to one side of of his helmet, jacket and pants. He was released from the hospital in less than two hours. FWIW, new denim protects for only 0.3 seconds sliding on pavement at 70mph (102.67ft/sec) My take on it: "I'd rather sweat than bleed."

[Haze]

All the Gear All The Time...I've been down twice on 2 wheels and my gear saved me from significant injury both time.
Look out for texting drivers.

[UtahPete]

All the Gear All The Time...I've been down twice on 2 wheels and my gear saved me from significant injury both time. Look out for texting drivers.

The Spyder doesn't 'go down' like 2-wheelers do all the time.

[Jackhartjr]

Thanks folks! I knew it had to do with protective gear, now I know!
Much appreciated!

[Peter Aawen]

The Spyder doesn't 'go down' like 2-wheelers do all the time.

Sure, but because you're not enclosed &/or strapped into said enclosure like you are in a cage, if for any reason you ever part company with your machine (which btw, is a statistically significant likelihood! ) you REALLY want to be wearing something that'll act as a friction reducing layer between you & the scenery/road surface - preferably something that's not going to shred in 0.3 seconds or less when you start sliding down the road too!! The 'armour' bits of ATGATT motorcycle gear are just added protection to reduce the incidence of bone breaking impacts when you hit the deck - impacts that tend to become increasingly more risky as most of us age!

However, it's the protective coverage that's most critical, cos your skin is one of the largest and most important 'organs' of your body - lose or damage too much of it, and you die! Shred or grind road surface into too much of it, and if you don't die from leaking too much of the all important 'claret' out, it's almost impossible to avoid ending up with massive & life threatening infections which can mean you die! Hit any surface hard enough after parting company with your machine and without even considering the likelihood of breaking bones &/or tearing unprotected limbs completely off, the 'bag keeping all the important bits inside' which is your skin, will almost certainly rupture somewhere, letting those important 'meant to stay inside' bits out, if not actually splattering them all over the road way, and you..... well, you should get the picture by now!

Those with any imagination will realise that wearing appropriate gear to minimise the risk of these ^^ sorts of occurrences is probably a reasonable thing to consider, given that you ARE more likely to end up 'becoming one' with the scenery &/or road surface when riding on the OUTSIDE a Spyder or Ryker than you are when travelling INSIDE a cage. Sure, these particular 3 wheeled machines are a little less likely to unceremoniously dump you or toss you onto the road surface than a 2 wheeler may be, and the Nanny is really pretty good at keeping the machine itself shiny side up, but you are still travelling on the OUTSIDE of the machine, and there is a reasonably high chance that at some stage of your ryding life, you will end up parting company with said machine and so risking these injuries &/or the consequences. If you choose to do that with little actually between you and the surface you will likely end up sliding along, ie, with little actually protecting you besides your skin, then that is your choice, but don't bag others for being a little more concerned about keeping their own skin intact & taking steps to minimise the chances of losing too much of it, no matter how small or comprehensive those steps may be!

There's an old saying about brains - $5 brain, $5 bucket - a saying that implies if anyone thinks their brain is only worth $5, then they don't need anything more expensive than a $5 bucket to keep it in, safe & contained where it belongs. . The same can be said to apply to our skin, but we are all adults here (aren't we??) so we get to make an informed choice and are allowed to decide which risks we feel are worthwhile taking. Me, I wear a helmet that cost more than $5 and I almost always cover as much of my skin as possible while ryding; and I generally chose garments made of a material that won't shred into nothingness in 0.3 seconds if I end up sliding down the road at 20mph.... or worse, that might grind/burn into my skin in the statistically significantly likely event that I ever end up sliding along the road surface! But then, I've survived playing tag on a 2-way rifle range and a bunch of other really high-risk activities largely thru training, practice, and having/using the right gear, with a fair seasoning of good luck thrown in; so I don't ever ignore the benefits of choosing my gear wisely & not leaving it off or behind if I'm likely to need it... but maybe I'm just risk averse?!?

[UtahPete]

Peter Aawen, when God says it's time to go, ATGATT won't be of much use....

(P.S. for those who don't know me - I'm being facetious)

[Peter Aawen]

Peter Aawen, when God says it's time to go, ATGATT won't be of much use....

That's true, but you don't hafta hasten it along by not using the protective gear that's so readily available today do you?!? After all, there's a saying - God helps those who help themselves. I've got relatively minor scars from things that killed tens of thousands back in 1940-45, but because we had better gear in the 1980's/90's & I was wearing it when it counted most, I'm still here today & still annoying the crap outta everybody!

Same with my riding gear - I've survived things relatively unscathed that not only would've but DID kill riders back before the 1960's (when all this protective gear really started being developed) because I was wearing the protective gear that they just didn't have back then!

$5 brain, $5 bucket - $5 skin, $5 cover. But still, it's your risk, & your choice. I just told everybody mine.

[UtahPete]

That's true, but you don't hafta hasten it along by not using the protective gear that's so readily available today do you?!? I've got relatively minor scars from things that killed tens of thousands back in 1940-45, but because we had better gear in the 1980's/90's & I was wearing it when it counted most, I'm still here today & still annoying the crap outta everybody!

God must like you. Otherwise, you'd be pushing up daisies.

I survived Vietnam without a scratch and my godly father was sure I was spared because God had big plans for me. Those haven't yet materialized so I've still got time left on the clock, I figure.

[Peter Aawen]

God must like you. Otherwise, you'd be pushing up daisies.

I survived Vietnam without a scratch and my godly father was sure I was spared because God had big plans for me. Those haven't yet materialized so I've still got time left on the clock, I figure.

I do wonder about that! There's been so many times in my life where things could've easily ended up a whole lot different that we've stopped counting, but somehow, despite numerous occasions when the Dr's have just shaken their heads & said something like 'Most like this don't even make it to the hospital, let alone walk out!' & yet I'm still here & still walking.... sometimes, & usually with a stick or two anyway!

There again, I've got this cupboard full of 'trophies' that the Child Bride really doesn't like looking at - torn, bent, & broken ex-protective gear that they've cut &/or pried off me after various incidents, only to say 'well, that certainly saved your life, didn't it!?!' I'm just not prepared to make dying any easier than it needs to be, so if it's not too onerous, I do try to wear/use the protective gear that's available; and at least for me, it seems to pay off - or maybe it's just that only the good die young??

[UtahPete]

It's a personal choice based on your own tolerance for risk.

and also one's personal risk assessment.

My experience tells me I'm very prone to heat exhaustion from ATGATT. What a conundrum; if I wear ATGATT I'm more likely to pass out, fall off the bike and need all that protection. If I don't go full out ATGATT I have a better chance of staying cooler and thus not as likely to pass out from heat prostration.

What to do? What to do?

[cruisinTX]

What to do? What to do?

mesh gear and a cooling vest -- works well for me.

[bikerdawg]

I went down on my Goldwing last year. I did end up with a broken leg and a couple other fractures. If I wasn't wearing gear I would have lost a lot of skin and the side of my face if not my life.Helmet.jpg

[Garf]

Having been one who has hit a deer @70+ MPH on a 2 wheel BMW and walking away,
I'll stick with ATGATT !

[crossbowme]

I too have been down and the full face helmet unquestionably saved my life. However, what happens when you hit the road depends on the material of the road. Some southern and western states use fine materials for the finish on the road. Here in Maine the DOT, and others, use granite chips for ice and snow conditions in the winter (try to imagine a chain saw). When I crashed, I had heavy leather driving gloves on which were stripped off and my hands rashed. I had leather combat boots and chino pants on with out a scratch with either. However, I had a short sleeve shirt on and I got road rash so bad I can still see it on my arms over forty years later.

My point is you need to develop a riding gear plan that works for you, your location and season. If it's 110 degrees out can you wear a touring jacket with armor inserts without having heat injuries? It may be you need lighter clothes to limit heat injuries yet still ride. Riding gear tends to be a series of trade offs, with one exception - always, always wear a DOT approved helmet!

[UtahPete]

I too have been down and the full face helmet unquestionably saved my life. However, what happens when you hit the road depends on the material of the road. Some southern and western states use fine materials for the finish on the road. Here in Maine the DOT, and others, use granite chips for ice and snow conditions in the winter (try to imagine a chain saw). When I crashed, I had heavy leather driving gloves on which were stripped off and my hands rashed. I had leather combat boots and chino pants on with out a scratch with either. However, I had a short sleeve shirt on and I got road rash so bad I can still see it on my arms over forty years later.

My point is you need to develop a riding gear plan that works for you, your location and season. If it's 110 degrees out can you wear a touring jacket with armor inserts without having heat injuries? It may be you need lighter clothes to limit heat injuries yet still ride. Riding gear tends to be a series of trade offs, with one exception - always, always wear a DOT approved helmet!

Why do ATGATT adherents always bring up incidents with 'going down' on 2 wheelers? Along with the environmental considerations, you also need to factor in that a Spyder isn't going to fall over! ISN'T THAT WHY YOU BOUGHT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

[Piratezz]

For me, it all depends on what route I take, I have a beautiful route, along the river, 2 lane, not to much trafic, that i drive in shorts/ t- shirt but with helmet always, but when i go into uncharted teritory, I go full atgatt.
so my 2 cents, drive with caution, be aware, anticipate the road, I am 53 yrs old, and never had an accident, but could have got quite a few.....
I dive, have a 300hp jetski, waterski, and drive motorcycles, and even my spyder.