The most important bit of gear? Your head, or rather the gooey gray matter in cased in your skull. You could have all the protective gear going and still render it useless if you are not using your head and are riding like an idiot or not paying attention to your environment aka situational awareness. Your best protective gear is your head, ride only when sober, clear headed, calm, rational and sanely....do that and when the unexpected happens, all the other gear will have a better chance at doing their job, namely saving your butt and skin......ATGATT begins with thinking.
Yop a Bee - I hit the east end of a westbound bee with my bare neck one time. Not only a ballistic hit but a sting resulted.
Took a June bug on the helmet once at 55 mph - thought it was a rock!
Took a bee hit on the lower eye lid. Was riding around 50 KHP (30 MPH) during the summer with my visor up. Bee struck my sunglasses, its tail swung around and stung me on the lower eye lid....did one of the fastest emergency stop and helmet removals in my life.....
And for those that are allergic to wasp stings....
a friend was riding behind me...I lost sight of him on a slow winding road....after a few minutes I turned around and went back to see if there was a problem. He had been stung by a wasp...and was sitting on his bike at the side of the road....turned out he was allergic...Good thing I knew where the hospital was. He had about ten more minutes before his throat started to close.
ceemes wrote:The most important bit of gear? Your head, or rather the gooey gray matter in cased in your skull. You could have all the protective gear going and still render it useless if you are not using your head and are riding like an idiot or not paying attention to your environment aka situational awareness. Your best protective gear is your head, ride only when sober, clear headed, calm, rational and sanely....do that and when the unexpected happens, all the other gear will have a better chance at doing their job, namely saving your butt and skin......ATGATT begins with thinking.
Well obviously I am going to wear a helmet The law states I have to for at least 1 full year after getting my license, not only that I never ride w/o one. I was basically wondering what other gear is just as important.