Can motorcycle gear be good for safety and casual wear?

[sanjuro]

I noticed one of my riding coworkers wears his gear all day, a nice looking Dainese jacket with no apparent armor, low cut boots, and jeans. I think about my own gear, heavy shit which I take off after I arrive at the office, and I wonder about how protective his gear must be.

Does gear have to be thick and heavy to be protective?

 

[Blankpage]

Don't spread that idea or cyclists will start walking around in spandex shorts. Which I just happened to see last weekend when a dude parking on the street ahead of me stepped out of his car wearing padded spandex bicycle shorts and disappeared down a crowded sidewalk.

 

[gixxerjeff]

Don't spread that idea or cyclists will start walking around in spandex shorts. Which I just happened to see last weekend when a dude parking on the street ahead of me stepped out of his car wearing padded spandex bicycle shorts and disappeared down a crowded sidewalk.

:laughing
End thread/

 

[Pushrod]

. . .and electric vests/jackets can be problematic while traveling, especially going through airport security and your connector plugs are hanging out.

 

[gixxerjeff]

Actually Steve, you bring up a good point which can be looked at in two ways.
Frankly, I don't know any rider that wears gear for any other reason than riding but unfortunately I know more than one Hipster that proudly wears a Ducati jacket without ever swinging a leg over a moto.
....and don't get me started about all the Harley shit that's out there.

 

[fubar929]

Does gear have to be thick and heavy to be protective?

No, for two reasons:

1) How gear is constructed matters just as much, maybe more, than the materials. You can have thick, heavy gear but if it's held together by a single exposed stitch made with cheap cotton thread it's probably more likely to tear apart than thinner gear which is properly constructed

2) Most street crashes happen at relatively low speeds, at least according to the Hurt Report. IIRC, the median speed they reported was something like 20-30mph

It's possible that your co-worker's gear is perfectly adequate for street riding. That's not to suggest that better gear wouldn't offer more protection, however.

 

[moto-rama]

Nah...not really.

 

[nickb]

People try to mix the 2 all the time, e.g. Draggin' jeans, Aerostich Khakis, etc., but I think the result is a compromise at best. Wouldn't want to wear anything but leathers for commuting and I'd hate to wear those around all day.

 

[U26A1]

Yeah . . . even if gear like that manages to provide decent protection (which it likely doesn't), this is one of those things that sounds great in theory, except:

Now you get to sit at the office all day wearing clothes covered in a fine schmutz of bug guts, road grime, and other assorted filth. Sounds great!

 

[Mr. BR]

I've got several riders in my office and none of them wear their gear around the office except for their boots... which really just look like black shoes for the most part. I have been wearing just casual hikiing boots as my daily riding shoes as I can just keep them on all day. I do have rain boots and take those off at the office as I keep another pair of regular shoes there. However, I have been wanting some better (real) boots for my daily commute, something I COULD wear around the office without them being too clunky etc.... so I'm trying a pair of Alpinestar SP-1 V2 boots... def more riding boot than shoe but less clunky/bulky than my full blown rain boots. We'll see how it goes (they'll be a bit stiff at first). Otherwise, my jacket goes on the coat rack and my helmet and pants go in my office locker/drawer as usual.
Mr. BR

 

[U26A1]

I just have an extra pair of shoes that I leave at the office . . . better than trying to compromise on gear, and seriously way easier.

 

[Whammy]

This and its just not cool to wear your gear in the office.
Too hipster and poseurish?
Look at me I ride bikes. :teeth

 

[cg_ops]

My Bull-It jeans are the most comfortable pair of pants I own. They also look good (if you're like me and like black cargo pants)

 

[Lagwagonlead]

However, I have been wanting some better (real) boots for my daily commute, something I COULD wear around the office without them being too clunky etc.... so I'm trying a pair of Alpinestar SP-1 V2 boots... def more riding boot than shoe but less clunky/bulky than my full blown rain boots.

Why not just stick with leaving your regular shoes at work? Walking around in my A* boots was a huge regret after a few months because the soft rubber sole doesn't last as long as normal shoes and I had worn through $250 boots just by walking around. Now I save my riding boots for riding and have work shoes that I leave at work.

 

[Cincinnatus]

Yeah, keep a couple of pairs of shoes at work to change into, wear proper motorcycle boots for the ride. Good ankle protection FTW. Other gear (coat, over-pants), take it off.

 

[Roadstergal]

^ This. Motorcycle gear that doubles as regular clothing is a compromise - on protection on one side, and on comfort/appearance on the other.

Overpants, jacket, and I leave my shoes at work. When I didn't have a desk of my own, I tossed my shoes in my top case.

 

[stangmx13]

IMO

for ankle protection, yes u need something thick and well-built. if the boot doesnt have some stiffness around the ankle and doesnt go well past the ankle, it isnt going to protect anything in a crash.

for everything else, I think armor is far more important that abrasion resistance for street crashes. internal damage is far worse than losing some skin. plus, ud normally put the armor in the exact spots that get abraded most. so its a win-win. unfortunately, it seems like armor is the first thing thats left out from casual wear.

 

[davidji]

When we have company offsite events, I'm usually wearing my gear all day, since I may not have a good place to leave my Roadcrafter.

My BMW Rallye 2 Pro pants have great armor, though they probably don't have the greatest abrasion protection. They're easy to live in (I hike and even climb in them when I ride to those activities). They aren't the only motorcycle pants I've used for work stuff, but it's my goto these days.

You can probably find a balance of comfort, protection and style that works for you.

If you want to be higher on the safety side, you might look at Aerostich pants or look for gear with an EN13595 or EN17092 approval. Good luck finding more than jeans approved to one of those standards in local shops, though other stuff can be ordered (mostly from overseas). Jeans may give the style you want, but not the best for cold wind and rain.

As far as boots, I'd rather switch into shoes at work, but at offsite events I'll be in my EN13634 Icon Patrol 2 boots all day. Plenty comfortable, breathable enough, and they meet an objective motorcycle boot safety standard.

 

[R3DS!X]

I have some bates for my feets, they are comfy and provide some protection. I got some Street and Steel pants that have the stretchy denim, Kevlar, and padding for my knees. I would rather not crash on the highway with them but for the city I think they are fine. I wear these to work with a jacket and once I take off the jacket it don't look like I'm wearing gear. I could probably get a more stylish jacket and pull off a whole outfit but I wear the day glow shit jacket for the commute.

 

[aminalmutha]

Don't spread that idea or cyclists will start walking around in spandex shorts. Which I just happened to see last weekend when a dude parking on the street ahead of me stepped out of his car wearing padded spandex bicycle shorts and disappeared down a crowded sidewalk.

Filed away in your spank bank?