Making a fashion statement should not be the top priority for those who spend time on motorcycles. After all, you love the feel of the wind in your face and being able to get into tight places where automobiles fear to tread. So, why would you worry about whether or not you’re going to look like a fashion model when you’re showing off your talents in a much more impressive way? Why would you skip on protective gear when it can save your life? The good thing is that you can get great looking gear that protects you at the same time.
Protective clothing for motorcycle riding is more about making sure you’ll maintain control over your bike, your bones, your skin, and your life. I’m in the sports medicine field and I get to see plenty of motorcycle wreck related injuries. From head trauma to people requiring knee surgery because they didn’t wear protect gear. Yes, knee surgery is high up on my issue list for motorcycle riders
The first item to be concerned about when you’re ready to invest in protective gear is protecting your head. Head injuries during motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of death, so make sure you have a good quality motorcycle helmet that can withstand an impact with the pavement or other unyielding hard surface. The motorcycle helmet should also protect your vision so you’ll be able to make snap decisions if necessary, or more importantly see where you are going and what is around you so you can avert a mishap.
You can’t forget about the importance of a great pair of boots either because your feet are going to take a licking if you do. A good portion of injuries occurring during motorcycle accidents are to the legs and feet, so you want to be prepared just in case. Walking around in a cast may not be pleasant, but neither is losing a foot just because you thought it was cool to ride in your sneakers. Riding boots should be flexible enough to be comfortable, but not so flexible that they will not protect your ankles and feet during rough impact.
Jeans are not the best choice for riding, unless you intend to wear leather chaps over them to protect your skin and bones in the event that you do wind up meeting the pavement at a high velocity. Soccer shin guards are a great idea as well, and if you are worrying about that he-man image, don’t. You will be demonstrating your courage just by getting out into traffic on your bike.
You just can’t go wrong when you shrug on a leather jacket and gloves just before getting on your bike because you’ll want to protect your entire body from all the elements that are just waiting to do your harm. Do us all a favor; wear protective gear and keep your head intact and keep yourself from knee surgery.
