Do you gear up when riding?

[zyrofillica]

depends on ur budget i guess. domo quite budget.

[piercingpain]

you could check out the chinguard ratings over here

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/search/details/?id=118

 

the nolan flipup model in the above link, remained fully locked in 100% of the impact testing. some other models like shark got 90++ % and so on

 

 

helmet ratings could check it out on the same webby as well

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

personally i find it a great webby to use it as a reference when purchasing new helmets

 

the ratings and testing of helmet are by the "snell" or some sort of similar group i think

 

Thanks for your info man!! Good stuff!

[scubasimon]

It is interesting that in this poll that 75% of folks are wearing protection. I guess its a question of how much protection. Out of curiosity, I did a (rather unscientific) survey of riders in Singapore over the last 4 weeks. Basically, I look out for riders who are wearing protection everyday when I drive. And here's what I found.

 

1 person last weekend wearing FF helmet, jacket, pants, gloves and boots. This is an ang moh fella I saw at the junction of Grange and Paterson roads riding a Ducati Monster.

 

1 lady this evening around 7 plus riding a scooter along Thomson Road wearing FF helmet, jacket and gloves.

 

1 lady this evening around 7 plus riding a scooter along Orchard Road (Paragon) wearing FF helmet.

 

1 fella 2 weeks ago riding a scrambler along AMK Ave 8 with FF off-road helmet.

 

And THAT is it!!! Almost 1 month of surveying EVERYDAY that I drive and I only found these few people wearing protection. Damn scary man.

[swiftee]

i know i don't need to choose right now but i'm wondering if wearing a scrambler full face helmet + goggles offers the same protection as wearing a supermoto helmet like shoei hornet DS. or normal full face is still the best?

 

scrambler helmets are **** for road riding. when you go too fast sometimes your head feels like it's going to get blown away. when it rains you get wet and cold. and imo goggles do restrict sideways vision sometimes

 

It is interesting that in this poll that 75% of folks are wearing protection. I guess its a question of how much protection. Out of curiosity, I did a (rather unscientific) survey of riders in Singapore over the last 4 weeks. Basically, I look out for riders who are wearing protection everyday when I drive. And here's what I found.

 

1 person last weekend wearing FF helmet, jacket, pants, gloves and boots. This is an ang moh fella I saw at the junction of Grange and Paterson roads riding a Ducati Monster.

 

1 lady this evening around 7 plus riding a scooter along Thomson Road wearing FF helmet, jacket and gloves.

 

1 lady this evening around 7 plus riding a scooter along Orchard Road (Paragon) wearing FF helmet.

 

1 fella 2 weeks ago riding a scrambler along AMK Ave 8 with FF off-road helmet.

 

And THAT is it!!! Almost 1 month of surveying EVERYDAY that I drive and I only found these few people wearing protection. Damn scary man.

 

it's the heat lah. i've had to ditch my protective jacket cause of the heat... even though it's mesh, its only cool on the move but still heats up considerably at traffic lights. so now it's only fullface for me... the jacket will be making a return when the weather is cooler.

[hanwen]

it's the heat lah. i've had to ditch my protective jacket cause of the heat... even though it's mesh, its only cool on the move but still heats up considerably at traffic lights. so now it's only fullface for me... the jacket will be making a return when the weather is cooler.

 

yeah.. i also taboleh tahan the heat.. now only wear glove n flip-up.

will be back to FF, mesh jacket, riding jeans and glove when the weather gets cooler..

 

now even at home also need to on aircon... frigging weather...

[hanwen]

It is interesting that in this poll that 75% of folks are wearing protection. I guess its a question of how much protection. Out of curiosity, I did a (rather unscientific) survey of riders in Singapore over the last 4 weeks. Basically, I look out for riders who are wearing protection everyday when I drive. And here's what I found.

 

1 person last weekend wearing FF helmet, jacket, pants, gloves and boots. This is an ang moh fella I saw at the junction of Grange and Paterson roads riding a Ducati Monster.

 

1 lady this evening around 7 plus riding a scooter along Thomson Road wearing FF helmet, jacket and gloves.

 

1 lady this evening around 7 plus riding a scooter along Orchard Road (Paragon) wearing FF helmet.

 

1 fella 2 weeks ago riding a scrambler along AMK Ave 8 with FF off-road helmet.

 

And THAT is it!!! Almost 1 month of surveying EVERYDAY that I drive and I only found these few people wearing protection. Damn scary man.

 

u run all over the place to see...

 

super bueh zhun one lor.. u sit at one particular junction then count for 24hrs more accurate.. lol..

:P

[scubasimon]

hahaha...i guess the heat is our biggest hurdle here in equatorial asia.

 

i will be the first to admit that my "survey" is rather unscientific and inaccurate. still i did expect a little more than the number i got. rather disappointing to see that even for FF helmet is so rare. maybe its time for a big national movement or something...a thought here.

 

i saw a poster asked a question about how much protection a hornet ds is going to offer versus something like an x11. anyone has a thought on this? i am considering those 2 helmets now...

[zyrofillica]

yeah.. i also taboleh tahan the heat.. now only wear glove n flip-up.

will be back to FF, mesh jacket, riding jeans and glove when the weather gets cooler..

 

now even at home also need to on aircon... frigging weather...

 

heat wave sucks! now only bother with flipup and gloves. Dun even bother with jacket or jeans now. Its berms and tshirts!

[contrarian]

heat wave sucks! now only bother with flipup and gloves. Dun even bother with jacket or jeans now. Its berms and tshirts!

 

Exposing your skin to the sun with berms and T-shirts for hours will also be hot and worse, leave you with sunburn.

[zyrofillica]

i spend only a few minutes riding, wont get sunburn. but walking around outside with anything other than tees and berms is WTF sure die heat stroke.

[piercingpain]

heat wave sucks! now only bother with flipup and gloves. Dun even bother with jacket or jeans now. Its berms and tshirts!

 

wah... berms??? bleah.. i'm still wearing jeans.. will be getting kevlar lined ones soon!

[antartica]

wah... berms??? bleah.. i'm still wearing jeans.. will be getting kevlar lined ones soon!

 

u bringing them in?

 

can post or pm me your blog? cannot seem to find

[arthur_chan]

It is interesting that in this poll that 75% of folks are wearing protection. I guess its a question of how much protection. Out of curiosity, I did a (rather unscientific) survey of riders in Singapore over the last 4 weeks. Basically, I look out for riders who are wearing protection everyday when I drive. And here's what I found.

 

1 person last weekend wearing FF helmet, jacket, pants, gloves and boots. This is an ang moh fella I saw at the junction of Grange and Paterson roads riding a Ducati Monster.

 

1 lady this evening around 7 plus riding a scooter along Thomson Road wearing FF helmet, jacket and gloves.

 

1 lady this evening around 7 plus riding a scooter along Orchard Road (Paragon) wearing FF helmet.

 

1 fella 2 weeks ago riding a scrambler along AMK Ave 8 with FF off-road helmet.

 

And THAT is it!!! Almost 1 month of surveying EVERYDAY that I drive and I only found these few people wearing protection. Damn scary man.

 

the 75% is only the ppl who came into this forum, out of the 100% who polled, i bet it's less then 10% of bike population.

[ORen]

Super useful thread, especially for a newbie like me!

 

A few comments:

Ang mohs are more careful about their bodies and well being it seems. Sometimes to the point of outward kiasi-ness.

 

While us Asians are more apt to tough it out.

 

I think it's just a question of "riding education".

I took my bike license here in SG but I'm from overseas.

I was amazed to see that at the school, we used open face helmets. And T-shirts/short sleeves are allowed. Oh and no jacket. And you can go on the road without all that with your instructors.

In France, it is mandatory to have a full face helmet during your learning lessons. And an armored jacket. You're automatically failed at the PT if you don't wear those and they dont fit you perfectly. Mind you, temperatures in some cities can go above 35C.

If I remember correctly, in Chicago, FF helmet, denims, long sleeves and boots over the ankle are mandatory, otherwise you can go back home and come back geared up.

 

As much as I understand the hot/humid weather issue in SG, I'm surprised schools don't reinforce full gear. Like someone said here on SBF, thank God they don't allow shorts and flipflops cause students would come in those too. After all this is the first step, where a new rider learns everything. I have been told during my lessons for the 2B, countless times, about the blindspot and safety checks. The instructors never missed to stress the importance of these habits. Yet not once, was I explained or taught the importance of wearing a FF.

 

It's on the net that I found out that 15-20% of the head injuries hit the chin and that's usually the 1st or 2nd impact point for the head when falling. Had I known that, had I seen instructors and other riders at the school wear FF, I wouldn't have bothered buying an open face at all.

 

At least there should be a mandatory class lesson to explain, demonstrate the usefulness of the gear, show students examples of gear, different pros/cons (open face vs full face, why a knee guard, what's the back armor for in the jacket etc.). Maybe then people wouldn't look at geared up riders like astronauts on bikes but like responsible, safe riders.

 

To be honest, while still taking my lessons at the school, I was looking forward to only one thing: riding in a tank top. Like everyone else, I kinda figured out the head had to be protected, and I had this image that riding in flip-flops wouldn't be comfortable. But that's it. It was so hot with a t-shirt on and those damn elbow pads, and the tag number which turned my back into a human Niagara Fall, that I was daydreaming while waiting for my turn at the E-Brake, about riding my future bike in a tank top.

 

Now, I realize I should have thought about a more serious budget for the gear. I budgeted for a FF (planned to buy it a few months after the bike) and gloves, light gloves, because I didn't want those Durian look gloves with all the stuff on top of the knuckles.

 

Now, I decided to not buy my bike yet, until I can afford a FF, proper gloves with super knuckles carbon ugly-thingy, a jacket wih full protection, knee/shin guards and boots. And I shall not pillion anybody without at least that level of protection.

 

And I have to say that what changed my mind and opened my eyes on the crucial importance of wearing full gear, is what I read right here, on SBF. Those who share their accidents, their experience riding, those who talk about what they see on the road, post links and photos and videos to other resources, and take the time to explain, and write about it in such manner that you have to consciously want to hurt yourself if you ride any kind of bike without head/arms/knee/hands/feet gear.

 

I learned a lot by reading threads here, and I still do, so thank you

 

It's a good thing, them gearing up. But seriously, it won't work here. For them, perhaps biking is a lifestyle or weekend activity. In SG, we use it to commute.

 

Can you imagine ATGATT to the nearest fccuking shopping mall? WTF?

 

I actually can.

 

I don't care if I have to attach a pacsafe bag to the bike, or get a box the size of a treasure chest, or if I have to walk around in ugly boots (c'mon now, admit it, riding boots are ugly for ladies !). And if all this is too "lecheh", then I'll hit the MRT station, period.

 

The way I see it it's not ATGATT, it's ATGATTOTTB (Or Take The Bus).

[yohji]

Hi O'Ren,

 

Very good points made. It's a waste if you do not write in to Straits Times forums.

 

BTW fellows, I remember asking one of the instructors at BBDC whether I can wear a FF helmet for lessons. He told me it was not allowed. That was about 2-3 yrs ago. Don't know about now.

 

FF helmet not allowed?? I wonder why ... is it because I would look more stylo than them? Or what? It's like a doctor telling you that you shouldn't be eating vegetables if you want a healthy diet.

[zyrofillica]

ewwwww, tank top on a guy? I saw one guy in US wearing a pink tight tank top, i bet it was part of a dare. he flashed his chest at me. ewwww. but i think you are a lady, so its fine.

[ORen]

BTW fellows, I remember asking one of the instructors at BBDC whether I can wear a FF helmet for lessons. He told me it was not allowed. That was about 2-3 yrs ago. Don't know about now.

 

It is allowed at SSDC. Saw 1 upper license class student wearing a FF once. Probably class 2.

 

ewwwww, tank top on a guy? I saw one guy in US wearing a pink tight tank top, i bet it was part of a dare. he flashed his chest at me. ewwww. but i think you are a lady, so its fine.

 

Maybe he wanted to impress you

But aside from this question of taste, now I get chills imagining myself with just a tank top riding a bike. I have flashes of pink skin in my head already so no thank you!

[ORen]

Oh, I have a question regarding the boots for those who can share: in what situation have you find them useful? I would think they mostly prevent the foot from being chewed by the hot asphalt when sliding during an accident, but from what I read I understand it plays an important part with the ankle too. Yet, there are low models, and higher-on-the-leg type of models. How do I make a choice? Another thing is, they all look super bulky.

 

When I was learning at the school, I opted for this pair of sneakers, made mainly of fabric and textil, because I had a better feeling of the clutch and I felt much more comfortable being able to "feel" the break lever and where my feet were positioned on the bike.

 

Tried once to ride with air force one sneakers from Nike and it was very uncomfortable.

 

Price issue aside, would you recommend the race type of boots for a street usage? They look slicker to me

[daleful]

I think everyone should wear full face helmets.

[yohji]

Oh, I have a question regarding the boots for those who can share: in what situation have you find them useful? I would think they mostly prevent the foot from being chewed by the hot asphalt when sliding during an accident, but from what I read I understand it plays an important part with the ankle too. Yet, there are low models, and higher-on-the-leg type of models. How do I make a choice? Another thing is, they all look super bulky.

 

When I was learning at the school, I opted for this pair of sneakers, made mainly of fabric and textil, because I had a better feeling of the clutch and I felt much more comfortable being able to "feel" the break lever and where my feet were positioned on the bike.

 

Tried once to ride with air force one sneakers from Nike and it was very uncomfortable.

 

Price issue aside, would you recommend the race type of boots for a street usage? They look slicker to me

 

I think boots (full height ones) can save our feet, ankles and shins. They can even protect your legs from hot engine parts. I wouldn't bother wearing low-ankle boots at all. Want to protect then protect all the way. Yes, full-height boots are bulky and a little stuffy but it's just a matter of getting used to them.

 

They look OK with jeans but not working pants though. I used to wear boots everyday because I could wear jeans at work. But now I got to wear pants, and wearing those boots really look funny. Frankly speaking I don't feel as safe when I don't wear boots. Feels so vulnerable.

 

I think touring boots are fine because they are mostly water-proof and not fanciful (like track boots). Invest in a good pair and they can last you many years with proper care and usage. I had mine for like 5yrs already (although it's alittle beaten up now )

 

Yes initially you might not be able to feel the foot controls that well, but that's because the boots are still hard and you are not used to them. You'll get used to them in no time.

 

The boots you mentioned don't seem to be water proof because I see ventilation holes on them. There are also sliders at the toe area. I guess these are more like track boots? Try to look for touring boots instead. If you are gonna wear them daily, get something that is easy to put on and remove (velcro/zippers). and water-proof (you wouldn't have to bother about putting on shoe covers when it rains).

 

I'm using the Oxtar Infinity BTW. They may look bulky. But once your jeans go over them, it's hard to tell that you are wearing full-height boots. I had a car's wheel going over my foot (silly "accident") while wearing these boots and my foot is still intact!

 

http://www.motocorse.com/racingnews/autoimg_2006/10132_.jpg

[scubasimon]

to me, wearing motorcycle boots is a crucial part of the entire system of protection while riding my bike. have you seen pictures of accidents with people who wear sneakers and other forms of shoes? most of the time, those shoes are off their feet!

 

for protective gear to work, they have to stay on your body. motorcycle boots are designed to stick to your feet in the event of an accident. getting a proper pair of boots will protect your feet, which are essential to riding, walking, playing footsie...but i digress!

 

boots also protect your toes from being crushed, scraped, bent etc. your ankles from being twisted or crushed. your shins (high cut ones) from being shattered. your heels from being busted. and really, you need all these parts to work properly if you want to walk comfortably.

 

so to me, boots are absolutely essential. i think low cut ones are a compromise. best are the high cut ones. i chose racing boots because i feel they offer the best protection i can afford. currently using sidi b2 boots. it was important to me to have those parts i mentioned protected sufficiently.

 

i'd recommend ladies boots because they will look better on a lady because of the shape and the cut. mens boots tend to look big and sturdy...not so elegant on a lady i feel.

[ORen]

I think touring boots are fine because they are mostly water-proof and not fanciful (like track boots). Invest in a good pair and they can last you many years with proper care and usage. I had mine for like 5yrs already (although it's alittle beaten up now )

 

I am more attracted by track boots because they look less bulky - and I have this idea that if a person rides a sport bike on a race track they will certainly go faster than me on my 2B slow bike so the boots must be good. (newbie logic)

 

The boots you mentioned don't seem to be water proof because I see ventilation holes on them. There are also sliders at the toe area. I guess these are more like track boots?

 

Yep, you're right, they are. They exist in waterproof version too.

 

 

I'm using the Oxtar Infinity BTW. They may look bulky. But once your jeans go over them, it's hard to tell that you are wearing full-height boots. I had a car's wheel going over my foot (silly "accident") while wearing these boots and my foot is still intact!

 

omg... a car went over your feet? That's not a stupid accident, a stupid accident is me burning my fingertip while taking a pie out of the oven, that's stupid. A car on your feet, it's not stupid, it's...scary.

 

 

currently using sidi b2 boots. it was important to me to have those parts i mentioned protected sufficiently.

 

Yeah I have them on my list too. Only thing I don't like is the heel. If you have to change to other shoes (for work for example) where do you keep them? Do you have enough space on the bike? Or do you just decide not to wear them when you have your work pants on, and just ride with your regular shoes instead?

 

i'd recommend ladies boots because they will look better on a lady because of the shape and the cut. mens boots tend to look big and sturdy...not so elegant on a lady i feel.

 

Well, I'd love a ladies pair too, but they are really ugly. Unless it's the race track boots, then they usually fit the men's design. And I don't dream of finding my size here in SG for a ladies cut, I wear 42...

[ORen]

I was thinking... a FF + an armored jacket with back protection + 2 armored gloves + a pair of high boots + armored pants -> Where to put all this stuff if I wanna leave my bike and go shopping-do-whatever-that-will-take-more-than-15min ?

 

And what if there's two of us on the bike :eek: !!

 

a. Don't pillion anyone EVER. And stuff everything in a giant rear box. If someone breaks into it, well, kiss around $1k goodbye.

b. Add side boxes if the above giant one isn't enough 'cause you're a giant yourself and that's what you get for being so tall: lots of gear.

c. Buy one of those "safe" bags that you can stuff and lock to the bike. Have fun putting in and taking out everything everytime, not to mention folding the damn thing. (Riding time 15min, getting ready for the non-bike-world: 30min)

d. Only use the bike to where you can either come with all your gear (friend's & family) or where you can change and store it (the office?). Or only use it for transport (go somewhere and back).

 

Can it be anymore troublesome to just wanna be protected ?

 

By the way, yesterday (Saturday) around 9-11pm, I did a quick check on gearing while I was in Geylang area: didn't see anyone with a jacket. (Uncles with sleeves on to fight the cold don't count) Saw one rider with a full face, all with open faces. Saw 2 riders with covered shoes. Everyone else, pillions included, was wearing sandals or flip-flops. The same rider who was wearing a FF was wearing gloves.

 

That's it. Out of what, 20-30 bikes? Maybe more, actually. Various type of bikes: scooters, phantoms, S4, bigger bikes, cruisers. Super scary. I didn't think it would be so.. well so common for riders to not wear any gear. A lot were in t-shirts and shorts.

[Phang]

Yes, I spend around 10 minutes putting on all my gears and another 10 minutes to remove them. The actual riding time from home to office is around 20 minutes which equals to the time that I spent on wrapping and unwrapping myself. Most of the people will think it is ridiculous.

 

I use my bike solely to commute between office and home and leisure riding so I don’t need to worry about the problem of carrying riding gears with me.

 

I don’t limit myself to a single mode of transport when I need to go somewhere. I can ride, drive, taking taxi, bus, train and walk depending on the distance, needs and weather. For instance, I took all the mode of transport mentioned above at least once in this week

[zyrofillica]

you can also opt for those maxi scoots with lots of underseat storage. more place to put all the zomg gears and also less chance of it being broken into.