I think "muppets" is a reasonable description. But then I have ridden a bicycle at 52mph wearing just lycra.
because it is against the law to ride an m/c without a helmet,,,,,,,, i remember years ago when i used to go to the Bol Dor ( and others ) when after the race the circuit would be invaded by all insundry and the birds would be on the back of all the big Goodier replicas , hondas etc with only a small bikini,, and sitting backawrds !!, funny the only time i ever saw anyone coming off was a fully leatherd up and helmeted english dick on his goldwing !!,, pretty beaten up but back at camp that night,, his bike wasnt tho :Arghh:
Its strange , see some guy riding a harley or similar in jeans and t-shirt no one bats an eye....substutute the harley for a sports bike and the pitch forks and burning crosses come out. I personally don't care what people wear, just enjoy the ride
In 1980 when I started biking at 16 pretty much everyone wore trainers and holey jeans and shitty leather jackets with no armour. Until recently I would have a short run out in jeans and heavy duty Cat trainers with a leather. Now have some draggin jeans to feel a little safer. Always wear gloves though. I cannot stand full leathers in sweltering heat so no issues wearing light and taking care on shorter runs. Also have a motocross under vest that I can throw a sweat shirt over :smile:
It was really hot the other week at Dirt Quake and I rode in (normal) jeans, a t-shirt and trainers... oh my god the relief! Still had my lid and gloves on, and definitely amped up the "must not get off whilst moving" thoughts but it was lovely and breezy. Was bricking it but it felt ace... only a couple of miles up the road and back but I was acutely aware that if I fell off there'd be tears. As a yoot I distinctly remember riding in knitted woolly gloves when I couldn't find my C&A ski gloves... Freedom of choice, I cringe too when I see it (I know, I'm a hypocrite after my King's Lynn shenanigans) but without freedom of choice we'll all be a lot worse off.
I would never expect other riders to wear full kit on my behalf, my dad always wore jeans and an open face helmet. We all have a choice to make on what we want to wear, and I choose to wear full kit although it's very hot today so I might end up changing my mind
A mate of mine who has an S1000RR bought a textile BMW jacket for hot weather. Its armoured on elbows and shoulders but lightweight and at least as abrasion resistant as the best Kevlar jeans. He says the air comes through it like a tea bag. Not waterproof obviously and not that cheap either at £250 but absolutely ideal for short blasts in the heat. Strangely, BMW don't seem to make a pair of matching trousers. Too slippery maybe. I don't find my kevlar much cooler than my Dainese leather jeans. The stretch panels on the leathers let more air through than the kevlars and the legs of the jeans flap about too much and get snagged on things and they're too slidy on the seat. I'd like a set of airflow textiles like my mate's BM jacket. I guess you can get a Ducati set for a squillion quid...
I have one of these for hot weather Dainese Air Frame Tex Jacket 606 Not that expensive and offers a level of protection that I'm comfortable with.
I have an Alpinestars armoured airflow jacket for hot days, it's really comfortable and cool while you are moving, plus it was less than £100 from J&S . Coupled with a pair of berik Kevlar jeans it's ideal for hot days. I used to get really wound up about people on bikes in the 'wrong gear' but I've changed my mind recently. It doesn't affect me what they do so why should I care? Personally I like protective gear, I'm happy to spend my hard earned on it so the idea of then not using it is alien to me.
Doesn't wind me up either though I've witnessed a degloved hand and it still makes me gip when I think of it.
No one seems to make air flow/mesh trousers. You can remove your jacket off the bike for walking about but not your trousers.
In the UK, how many days per year is the weather so hot that it gets uncomfortable while riding a bike? On average 5 or maybe 10 days. Honestly, this is not a serious problem! Getting cold and/or wet is much, much more likely. Even in summer.
