Safety Gear Question.

[Bubble Gum Jr.]

I'm having some difficulty deciding on proper pants. I am new, so I want the protection leather has to offer. But at the same time I live in California and it gets hot; mid and upper 90's are not uncommon. I want safety but I don't want to boil alive in my safety suit because I'll already have a leather jacket on.

Also is the ninja turtle spine protector reccommended? or a neck brace. I saw both of them at the store but they were both in the motocross dirtbike section so I wasn't sure if they were for street riding.

[VermilionX]

i ordered a spine protector.

im sure it's gonna be a great addtion to all the gear i have.

im using draggin jeans for regular riding. then i have a 1pc suit for special rides.

the draggin jeans doesn't get too hot and it's good for abrasion protection.

[bok]

Joe Rocket makes some nice textile pants that have a zippered and velcroed strip that goes up each leg and around the top of your butt and around. it's fully removeable so it vents nice. Or you could track down some perforated leather, or has been mentioned the Draggin Jeans seem popular.

Lots of choices out there, just need to find something that fits well and breathes a bit.

[The Grinch]

You need pants as well as a jacket. Jeans aren't really good enough for two reasons: abrasion resistence and padding. Years ago a motorcycle magazine did a drag test and found that jeans only last for 3-4 feet before wearing through. Leather lasts much longer, something like 80 feet. Textile pants are somewhere in between, but closer to leather than to jeans.

Draggin' Jeans have kevlar for added abrasion resistence, but only in the knees and butt. They have no armor or padding at all.

I recommend you get at least a pair of textile mesh pants with CE-rated armor in the knees (and preferably also the hips). I also live in California and don't find my pants (Dianese textile) to be too hot in the summer. Remember, it's always better to sweat than to bleed.

[Lion_Lady]

Go with textile. Mesh. Remember that its "one crash only." But it won't set you back as much $$ wise and you'll be protected.

As a new rider, you still don't really know what features are most important. Go with textile and wear them. Then you can save up and get some really nice leathers later.

It like a lot of new sports, as a newbie, you buy what looks cool (or that the sales guy recommends) to do this new thing, then you get to hanging out with folks who've been doing ____ for a while. They let you in on the tricks and tips, like 'stay away from X brand' or 'look for this feature when you're buying ___.'

Make sense?

Buy the best fit and the best quality you can afford.

P

[Bubble Gum Jr.]

I meant to say mesh, I do plan on wearing at least a helmet, leather jacket, leather gloves, mesh/leather pants and riding boots when I'm riding. The only things I haven't bought yet are the pants and the boots. I just had some difficulty deciding between the mesh style or full leather pants.

Yeah I get what you mean Lion_Lady. I knew a few guys from my old work who rode and they always told me to buy Alpinestars so I just bought all my stuff from them. I kind of prefer them personally because it fits me well and their style isn't very flashy like some of the brands I've seen. But in terms of fit, I haven't had any issue fit wise.

[moto_hanki]

I just recieved my pair of Draggin' jeans and I ordered them with Knox knee armor.
The Kevlar covers the bottom of my thigh to below my knee all the was around.
Where else would you need abrasian resistance besides the knee and the rear?

[dieziege]

I have JR alter ego overpants... they are probably the single best addition to my "commuter kit" so far. I tried a few commutes in normal pants, but it wasn't fun... too cold when it was cold and I didn't like the unpleasant feel of things (little bits of gravel and the like) hitting my knees constantly. That's disregarding the crash protection aspects. I've worn them in temps from low 60s to high 90s. Above 80f I unzip the buttvent (mentioned by a previous poster) and I haven't had any real overheating problems while moving. The overpants are easy to put on and take off (don't even have to remove my boots), and don't look too "joerocket"...

If I had it to do over again, I may or may not have bought the mesh jacket. I may or may not have bought the helmet I bought... but I would definitely buy overpants again. Overpants or a full oversuit.

I'm pretty sure other companies have similar design pants.

The problem with the draggin jeans and the like is that they are expensive and it is socially awkward to remove them in public... which means if you plan to ride to work you end up either wearing the same clothes every day or buying a bunch of pairs of $100 jeans to do the job of $30 jeans most of the time. That's assuming you like or can wear jeans where you work.

[Sev]

I walk into the washroom carrying a pair of black pants, and walk out a minute later carrying my Icon jeans.

[dieziege]

I walk through the front door reaching for my zipper, and have my pants around my ankles by the time I'm past the receptionist. A LOT more fun my way.