Riding the bike

[RAFIKI]

I will not ride my bike unless I have all the protective gear on and for this reason I find that I very seldom ride my bike .For example ,Last Saturday just before the rugby started I realised that I had no biltong .I thought this is a good reason to jump on the bike and go.This does not happen because First it is the pants, I am wearing shorts .So you need to put on jeans ,get your jacket ,put on shoes,gloves , helmet,take the cover off the bike ,make sure you have the gate keys etc.By that time I am in the car and almost back from the shops.

So most of the time my bike sits in the garage .

I have an expensive toy sitting and only used for RAT runs and for the shop on a Saturday.

Am I missing something? :sad:

 

[DaveM]

Nope you have it down I am in the same situation here. First I need to get the bike out of the shed, move the cars out the way so I can get past and then do all the kit stuff. So for those quick short runs I also never get to use it. This is why I wish I could use it to work but as I need the car for business it is not possible. Hey but when you do get it out and ride it is a real treat :y18:

 

[CarlS]

I, too, am an ATGATT (all the gear all the time) rider. I just take the time to put the gear on and uncover the bike. It takes less than ten minutes . Since I had much rather ride than cage, I just accept the little bit of extra time. My bike is outside and I can readily get to it. I don't have to move any other bike/vehicle.

 

[DaveM]

Oh for the folks across the pond :y114:

biltong - Yum

 

[Rocky]

Yum????
OK, If you say so. I'll take your word for it.
Looks must be decieving :ya2:

 

[DaveM]

BUT look how delicious it looks all cut up. Nothing better than eating raw meat that has been hanging around for a month or two  :y114:

Biltong is a kind of cured meat that originated in South Africa. Many different types of meat can be used to make it, ranging from beef through game meats to fillets of ostrich from commercial farms. It is typically made from raw fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is similar to beef jerky in that they are both spiced, dried meats, but differ in their typical ingredients, taste and production process. The word biltong is from the Dutch bil ("rump&quot and tong ("strip" or "tongue&quot.[1]

Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltong

 

[Rocky]

I thought it must be a "beef jerky" type of thing.
I think I'll stick to fresh and well done :ya2:

 

[FarsideMichael]

[quote author=Rafiki link=topic=2735.msg18587#msg18587 date=1227880295]
I will not ride my bike unless I have all the protective gear on and for this reason I find that I very seldom ride my bike .For example ,Last Saturday just before the rugby started I realised that I had no biltong .I thought this is a good reason to jump on the bike and go.This does not happen because First it is the pants, I am wearing shorts .So you need to put on jeans ,get your jacket ,put on shoes,gloves , helmet,take the cover off the bike ,make sure you have the gate keys etc.By that time I am in the car and almost back from the shops.

So most of the time my bike sits in the garage .

I have an expensive toy sitting and only used for RAT runs and for the shop on a Saturday.

Am I missing something? :sad:
[/quote]

No you're just missing out on some riding :ya2:

PS I thought I'd respond on this issue as it seems your thread has been hijacked - we are in Africa I suppose. :ya2:
But having said that (flipantly) I do eactly the same and the result is just the same I never really liked commuting on my bike and after having the accident this year (while working) I'm even less inclined to go to work on my bike.

We have a scooter at home which I do use to run to the local shop etc and in this instance the "all the gear...." rule doesn't apply. One could argue that it doesn't make sense and I do wonder about this while I'm "thundering" down the road 50kms per hour in my shorts (with helmet of course). If I had an accident I'd be toast

 

[CarlS]

I would like to try it. I like beef, buffalo (bison), and venison jerky. We always have jerky on hand.

 

[shyguy344]

I am kind of like Carl. I try to wear my protective gear all the time. The only compromise I make, and not saying that it is the correct compromise, is not wearing overpants all the time. I will frequently wear just jeans, but I go nowhere without jacket, helmet, boots and gloves. I have just made it part of my morning routine. I have rearranged how I park the car and truck so I have one side of the driveway to roll the bikes out of the garage backwards down the driveway and then get it set sideways at the bottom of the driveway. When I am ready to head off to work (35 miles each way) I just suit up, hop on the bike and I am gone. The big process is on Saturday or Sunday when I don't go to work, but rotate my three bikes so that they all get a chance for the run to work and back for the week. Last week was Tiger week, next week will be Thunderbird week and then RoadStar week. I never get bored with such a variety of different riding styles. I love my life. :ya2:

 

[grandpaul]

Let's not talk about moving bikes to get to other bikes, before any riding can happen.

What I need is a 25-bay, 50 door, 2-deep garage, one bike per door. I can store a couple of the unused ones somewhere else.

I wear a helmet & gloves 98% of the time, shorts about 1% of the time, only when in our private compound. Jacket about 20% of the time, more often in cooler weather. Outer pants about 5% of the time. full leathers only on the track.

 

[Lioness]

Only once in my life have I ridden in shorts, plakkies and T-shirt. I felt so vulnerable that it affected my riding ability and I have never done it since. I always ride with helmet, jacket, gloves and boots. If it is a hot day and short ride I will ride in jeans instead of riding pants but thats as unsafe as I will go.

 

[pappasmurf]

Having ridden for many years, and had my fair share of accidents, (had one on an offroad bike doing about 60 K's wearing only a pair of shorts! no shirt, no shoes.....). I did not always wear all the gear all the time.

I used to always wear a helmet and gloves, but if it was a good day, and I was not going far, I would go without a jacket.

I always kept my keys in my gloves, and my gloves in my helmet, so If I was going to the shop quickly, it was quite easy to grab the helmet, put it on while walking, then put on the gloves. By the time I got to the bike, I am dressed. Adding a jacket is 15 seconds......

Its all down to acceptable risk....

 

[DaveM]

I think once you have come off and you see what your gear looks like after it and then imagine how you would have looked without it the you whole outlook changes :y18:

 

[Rocky]

You said it Dave :y115:
When I stopped sliding after my crash in Peru I was face down and thankful for my full face helmet.
The outer shell of the right sleeve and much of the chest of my Technic jacket was ripped away but all the armor was still in place. The right leg of my Technic overpants was also torn up badly.
In addition, the sole on the right Joe Rocket boot was torn loose and my right glove shredded.
I left everything in Peru and will buy new next year.
I went prepared for the worst and, unfortunately, it happened. A few hundred dollars for an entire outfit is a small price to pay for saving me from a worse fate.
This was the first crash I ever had and I learned many lessons from it.
Dress for war and pray for peace.

 

[CarlS]

Dress for war and pray for peace.

AMEN!