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is it ok to wear shorts driving a can am spyder?

OK, I've read every response here and agree with most everything except:

road rash being the least of your worries in a get off. keep in mind your skin is the largest organ of the body and when it is damaged, bodily resources can be taxed severely when trying to repair too many things at once. Open skin also sets one up for infections which further hinder healing of other injuries. Easiest solution is to wear protective gear.

someone mentioned long johns and jeans not being much protection in a slide on the road. interesting fact--at 70mph denim jeans will wear through to your skin in 0.3 seconds. after that it's your skin on the pavement. at 70mph you are going 102.6 feet per second; I'll let you do the rest of that math.

also mentioned were nomads of desert climates keeping themselves covered in 100+° heat. They don't do that out of being acclimated to it; they do it because keeping the skin protected from the sun is paramount to survival as their covering helps retain water lost to sweating. You may feel cooler when sweating with bare skin but the damage being done is more or less a slow boil which will eventually lead to heat stress, heat exhaustion and eventually heat stroke.

lastly, ask yourself if you would rather sweat or bleed.
 
There are 'jeans' manufactured by Bull It, UK I think. I have a pair of the 6 second pants. The lining is kevlar. Really comfortable actually. They go with me on long rides. And speaking of long rides, today I rode to Rockwall, TX as it has the nearest In N Out burger to me. Riding on I-30 near Rockwall, I was running about 75 and was passed by a guy on a Harley. Jeans, short sleeve shirt and gym shoes. No helmet. But cool I'd guess. There is a useful French saying, Chacun a' son gout. Or each to his own boys.
 
someone mentioned long johns and jeans not being much protection in a slide on the road. interesting fact--at 70mph denim jeans will wear through to your skin in 0.3 seconds. after that it's your skin on the pavement. at 70mph you are going 102.6 feet per second; I'll let you do the rest of that math.

also mentioned were nomads of desert climates keeping themselves covered in 100+° heat. They don't do that out of being acclimated to it; they do it because keeping the skin protected from the sun is paramount to survival as their covering helps retain water lost to sweating. You may feel cooler when sweating with bare skin but the damage being done is more or less a slow boil which will eventually lead to heat stress, heat exhaustion and eventually heat stroke.

You hit the pavement at 70mph. From that moment you are slowing, so you don't travel the 102.6 in a second. Good jeans can make it through to the stop. Been there, done that.

I didn't say they "do that out of being acclimated to it." My insinuation was that they can tolerate doing it because they are acclimated to it. They have to retain water because it is such short supply. Been a welder in the dessert. I make sure water is not in short supply no matter what I am wearing or not wearing. Sweating is good for dissipating heat buildup!

Regards,

Don
 
Hey, I have an idea! Just do what you want to do (free country) and lets just be happy and nice to each other okayyy........
 
Even if you dont hit anything or fall off the bike all the wind that hit your knees will have some health implications in the long run and if you have arthritis you will feel immediate effects.
 
Real world, I'd have no objection to shorts on a quick jaunt a mile or two down the road to grab lunch or pick up something at the market. To really RIDE. Never.
 
Living in southern Arizona, we get our share of heat. In summer I wear a silver/gray mesh suit with armor. If moving at all, it's definitely cooler than jeans and a tee-shirt (in the daytime at least).
I have caught bugs, bees, gravel, etc. on my person when riding. The start that will give you could cause problems in itself.
Wouldn't ride without a helmet and face shield any more (I did about 100 years ago when I had no sense).
 
This is kind of like asking: Is it OK to fry chicken while wearing only a swim suit ??

Amazing what questions will elicit 3 pages of replies. :roflblack:
 
Wear whatever you feel like. I sometimes wear shorts, and a little half helmet, if I am just going around the block in the neighborhood and not going to be in any high traffic areas. If I am hitting any kind of highway or going faster....full face helmet, mesh jacket and heavy jeans. I had a crash on 2 wheels some time ago and broke my shoulder. No amount of gear saved me from that. We make decisions and we just need to accept the consequences. Just have fun and enjoy the wind.
 
I'm with the no camp on this one.

My philosophy is this and I don't expect anyone to share it.

I have yet to nominate a day where:
1. I leave home for the supermarket down the road,
2. I'll put my full protective gear on,
3. Head down the road to a predetermined location, preferably 500 metres / yards down the road,
4. Have a prearranged stranger clip the left front wheel,
5. Thereby sending the RT/F3/RS... airborne on the left hand side and flipping me onto the patch of freshly laid, highly abrasive course blue metal tarred road,
6. All the while being comfortable with the fact my 7 seconds of slide time down to 1/10th of a second will cover my <insert 1st point of contact here>

This topic came up at an informal gathering of Spyder riders last weekend when one guy stated he rides in Shorts and thongs (translation - flip flops). I passed a polite comment but I was the only one that did, the rest were pretty brutal. So much was the response that the group who sometimes comes together for long distance rides decided he won't be invited to the group rides, even if only around the corner to the pub (translation - Bar/bulk Alcoholic beverage dispensary)

We also have a monthly bike night where between 100 and 300 Two & Three wheel riders gather for an evening of checking out one another's wheels (Bikers and Bikies). We see people ride past dressed without appropriate gear and it gets a response.
 
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