How do you dress for a ride?

[Schreckftw]

I guess I am confused. Lot of folks here saying that you can't go down on 3 wheels. My Spyder did not come with the anti being hit or hitting anything shield therefore I wear ATGATT. I will give you that going down due to rider error is greatly reduced but that is it. You can still get thrown from the Spyder very easily getting hit or hitting something else. I swear more people cut me off or pull out in front of me on my Spyder then my bikes.

[ARtraveler]

Spyders can and will turn over. There have been a few deaths over the years. Not many though. Most deaths happen from ejection type accidents. With those, it usually does not matter what your wearing. The outcomes are usually not good.

The OP's subject line is "how do YOU dress for a ride?"

[Mikey]

I wear tee-shirt and shorts typically for shorter rides or when cooler. But I do wear pants when hot out and for longer rides because the heat will burn my lower right leg otherwise. It happened with out trip to Colorado from Kansas. It was 100 out and I had shorts on. Ended up changing to pants because the heat was burning my leg\ankle.

But still typically just a tee shirt.

I would be afraid of a bee going up my skirt!!!! And stinging some thing, near and dear to my heart!!!

[Yabbadabbadoo]

I'm pretty much an ATTGATT rider although I don't have armored pants yet. I usually wear thicker lined jeans. I have a light mesh armored jacket for the hotter days but if it gets above 90 I'm into a t-shirt or won't ride.

[Plarimer]

Maybe I didn’t make myself clear on the original post. That couldn’t happen could it? I totally agree that one should be safety up if they are going to ride on the highway. I wouldn’t leave home without it so to speak. But here in Lincoln for example today it is 96°. So in town, I don’t think I’ll hit a deer and will be going at a speed where I can avoid dogs, cats and other vermin. Now I know that if I get T-bones at an intersection, neither jeans or high boots are going to save my leg. But I still wear a good helmet of course, gloves, boots and jeans. But at 100° plus in the summer I am losing a lot of quality riding time. So my original question would be and still is, can I wear shorts while still have a good hand and head protection? But actually after thinking about it most of this afternoon this is probably a decision left to the rider himself. Have a great weekend.

[Plarimer]

Been there, done that and I got stung nine times by a wasp before I beat the damn thing to death. Sad thing is I didn’t get a T-shirt.

[Briorick]

here in Lincoln for example today it is 96°.........can I wear shorts while still have a good hand and head protection? But actually after thinking about it most of this afternoon this is probably a decision left to the rider himself. Have a great weekend.

It's 85 here in my neck of the woods today. I went out for a ride earlier. I pretty much ride 80% of the time just as you described. Shorts, long or short sleeve pullover shirt, and definitely Gloves, and Helmet. But that's my style when it's hot out. I ride for comfort when riding. On the highway, that's a totally different attire.

Weekends looking to be a good one here. ENJOY! We'll be out cruising as well.

[UtahPete]

Maybe I didn’t make myself clear on the original post. That couldn’t happen could it? I totally agree that one should be safety up if they are going to ride on the highway. I wouldn’t leave home without it so to speak. But here in Lincoln for example today it is 96°. So in town, I don’t think I’ll hit a deer and will be going at a speed where I can avoid dogs, cats and other vermin. Now I know that if I get T-bones at an intersection, neither jeans or high boots are going to save my leg. But I still wear a good helmet of course, gloves, boots and jeans. But at 100° plus in the summer I am losing a lot of quality riding time. So my original question would be and still is, can I wear shorts while still have a good hand and head protection? But actually after thinking about it most of this afternoon this is probably a decision left to the rider himself. Have a great weekend.

I don't distinguish between short and long rides; it's all the same exposure to risk and sunburn.

Long sleeves, ankle high shoes, long pants (not jeans) gloves and helmet.

[UtahPete]

Yea Pete, I believe I would rethink that one. Did you read the post where a couple went over on their spyder while turning and in reverse going too fast? Oops! If you're a young person and dump your ride people just laugh at you. If you're an old f**t and dump your ride people run to help you.

I don't ever go fast or turn at speed while in reverse. So, I don't think that weird incident has a bearing on my thinking at all.

[UtahPete]

I guess then when a rider hits a deer at speed and the forcible ejection from the Spyder sends the him/her wearing no protective gear on an asphalt ride that can and has ended with serious or possibly fatal injuries we should just blame the deer and move on.

Name one instance where someone got thrown from their Spyder from hitting a deer.

I think the only fatality that has been reported on SL was an instance where a Ryder swerved hard, let go and fell off. She died because she wasn't wearing a helmet from what I recall.

[UtahPete]

I have been down. Just sayin.

On a Spyder? Or 2-wheeler?

[redrazor]

[redrazor]

I guess I'm not considered a serious Ryder. Other than a helmet I dress for the weather conditions, not the extremely remote possibility of sliding down the asphalt.

[Peter Aawen]

Name one instance where someone got thrown from their Spyder from hitting a deer.

I think the only fatality that has been reported on SL was an instance where a Ryder swerved hard, let go and fell off. She died because she wasn't wearing a helmet from what I recall.

Actually Utah, if you read back thru it all, the ultimate 'cause of death' appears to have been the massive infection that set in as a result of all the lost skin directly attributable to the slide. Either way, it was a tragic result directly attrubutable to being thrown off a Spyder.... and it's not the only one, nor the only time a ryder has ended up parting company with their Spyder due to either hitting something or swerving hard to avoid hitting something! There have been a few here in Oz too, in town & at relatively low speed, with the major damage & ultimate CoD being the massive skin debridement & the reaction to all the road crap that got ground into that major & extremely important body organ!

Generally, I Dress for the Slide, not for the Ryde! but I do wear lightweight & breathable mesh type gear (with armour) in our 40+°C weather. The mesh keeps the skin where it needs to be; the armour minimises the broken bones!

[JamSpyder]

I am a newbie, never ridden a bike but middle age crisis setting in, I got a 2020 Spyder RTL, reason being, to take the wife along and enjoy. Starting out I equipped the Spyder and ourselves with every safety gear possible, from flashing head, strobe tail lights, to BRP led floorboard lights, and for us the usual gear plus a Hiviz Helite Turtle Airbags. I am so new, I almost crashed into a car taking a corner... there was two things that made us escape the accident, GOD and Spyder safety systems. The speed and angle of entering the corner was so fast, and became steep to prevent hitting the car, that I could hear my wife's scream, see the front of the car coming, and knowing within my mind that I messed up. As far as the Spyder, I concluded, it will not turn over, it just stopped in the corner, I mean stopped, ... and as you can imagine, I had to try and calm my wife down. Wearing the right gear is a must for me. This will never happen again...

[Peteoz]

Personally, I ride with a helmet, Hi Vis jackets, over ankle boots…..and a big smile.

Wow......so you don’t wear pants, Chris? You must get pulled over a lot.......please don’t post photos.

Pete

[UtahPete]

I am a newbie, never ridden a bike but middle age crisis setting in, I got a 2020 Spyder RTL, reason being, to take the wife along and enjoy. Starting out I equipped the Spyder and ourselves with every safety gear possible, from flashing head, strobe tail lights, to BRP led floorboard lights, and for us the usual gear plus a Hiviz Helite Turtle Airbags. I am so new, I almost crashed into a car taking a corner... there was two things that made us escape the accident, GOD and Spyder safety systems. The speed and angle of entering the corner was so fast, and became steep to prevent hitting the car, that I could hear my wife's scream, see the front of the car coming, and knowing within my mind that I messed up. As far as the Spyder, I concluded, it will not turn over, it just stopped in the corner, I mean stopped, ... and as you can imagine, I had to try and calm my wife down. Wearing the right gear is a must for me. This will never happen again...

On anything other than a Spyder, with its inherent stability, exceptional braking and electronics nanny the outcome would have been very different, especially as a novice motorcyclist with a passenger.

Your safety gear didn't even factor into it, as I understand what you wrote.

[Plarimer]

Thanks for all the input and I appreciate it. As for me riding around town and 90 to 100° weather it’s going to be shorts, T-shirt, tennis, gloves and a good helmet. I’ve investigated more motorcycle accidents than I would like to admit but, none of them, particularly severe injuries and deaths would’ve made a difference if they were wearing jeans, tall boots, or armor gear. What made the difference in many of them was a good helmet. So I must go on my experience in riding for a few decades and investigating accidents to make up my mind on what I’m going to wear at certain times of the year. Take care all and have a wonderful weekend.

[UtahPete]

Wow......so you don’t wear pants, Chris? You must get pulled over a lot.......please don’t post photos.

Pete

Maybe those are really tall boots...?

[JayBros]

Name one instance where someone got thrown from their Spyder from hitting a deer...

Steve Humphrey's (Roadster Renovations) late wife hit one at better than 50 wearing no protective gear, spent most of summer in hospital, family ultimately had to pull the plug.

[oldgoat]

ATGATT and selected for the temperature.

[Plarimer]

Thanks for all the input and I appreciate it. As for me riding around town and 90 to 100° weather it’s going to be shorts, T-shirt, tennis, gloves and a good helmet. I’ve investigated more motorcycle accidents than I would like to admit but, none of them, particularly severe injuries and deaths would’ve made a difference if they were wearing jeans, tall boots, or armor gear. What made the difference in many of them was a good helmet. So I must go on my experience in riding for a few decades and investigating accidents to make up my mind on what I’m going to wear at certain times of the year. Take care all and have a wonderful weekend.

[UtahPete]

Steve Humphrey's (Roadster Renovations) late wife hit one at better than 50 wearing no protective gear, spent most of summer in hospital, family ultimately had to pull the plug.

I went back and reread about that accident and from my reading of it, the deer hit her dead center, knocking Kathy off the bike (which continued on upright)

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...s-needed/page3 starting at post #70

[ARtraveler]

On a Spyder? Or 2-wheeler?

Two wheeler of course. So far, so good on the Spyders.

[Bfromla]

Ever been hit by a rock doing 60mph?

Rock¿ how bout those bugs with “MYSUL” (Make You Speak Unknown Language) stingers! otherwise proper protection while remaining comfortable