Modern Buddy

The subject line sounded a little scandalous, sorry. But in all seriousness, when I get my Buddy, whenever that day might be (hopefully in a couple weeks!), I certainly plan on scootin' my butt to work. So to work I wear heels, skirts, dresses, etc. a lot, which begs the question...is it bad news to wear heels and skirts (if the skirt weren't to fly everywhere, granted)? I know ideally I need to be as armoured as I can be, but...I want to look cute too! Thoughts? Opinions? Anecdotes?

Wellllll...
topic4950.html

That thread explains what each piece of gear does.

Ultimately it's your call... you'll read things here like "dress for the crash not for the ride" and "only protect what you want to keep," etc. Pithy sayings, but they are true.

The problem with a skirt is that it will give you absolutely no protection on your lower body in a slide. Even less than the jeans most of us wear (which don't provide much either as they rip).

The problem with heels is that not only are they likely to fly off (unless they are heeled boots) but they also don't give you a lot of good footing when stopping. Just tonight I was caught in the rain again without my boots (which have a great grip but had gotten soaked a few days earlier) and I was just wearing some Adidas. I came to a stop on a wet road and when I put my foot down, it pretty much slid right out and I could have easily gone down (yes, at a stop- it happens!).

No one here should preach to you, but if you think logically through the consequences of a crash in a skirt/heels, looking cute AFTER the crash might become more important than looking cute on the ride!!

Many of us break gear suggestions/rules all the time and it's ultimately up to you... just make sure it's well thought out! I will be the first to admit that I hadn't thought much about gear until I was committed to the scooter purchase and I was bummed out when I realized that to be comfortable with the risk, I was going to need a full face helmet (not cool), gloves (not cool), boots (cool but hot and I don't want to wear them all the time) and an armored jacket (not cool).

I really wish that I could, in good faith, advocate the wearing of skirts and heels on scooters. When I see those cute scooter girls ride by in houndstooth coats or cardigans, scarves flowing behind them, well... Ahh, I get nostalgic for something I didn't have the pleasure of experiencing the first time. Then I think, "Too bad she won't be so cute if she crashes, loses several layers of skin on her back and appendages, maybe a couple toes, and some teeth."

Check out out MB Guide "How much protective gear do I need? Why?"

If you're looking for some validation for skimping on protection for the sake of looking cute, well, I can't help you. But in the end, it's your decision how much risk you want to take, of course. And if you decide to go the less safe/more cute route, well, I applaud your sense of aethetics and commitment to fashion, if not your judgment.

It is possible to gear up and look good doing it, though. You just have to look a bit harder for the right gear. No, it won't be as fetching as Audrey on a Roman Holiday, but it's a look that will serve you better.

I have to dress business casual. Well, more casual than business. When I bought my scooter, (by the way, I'm far from experienced, I just got it home yesterday evening, and I've only put 25 miles on it so far) I took a long time to consider the gear, and calculate the risks.

All that being said, I fully understand the risks, but I have to make sacrifices for convenience. I bought a mesh jacket (Alpinestars black/blue with reflective lines- which I promptly removes the gigantic logo across the back), meshy gloves, and a 3/4 helmet. The rest I already own: Jeans or heavy cotton pants and redwing steel-toe boots from my days as a carpenter (retreaded only once so far in the past 8ish years... highly recommended!).

The reasoning for my choice in gear is simple- to me anyway. I bought the scooter as a replacement for my car, as I (as of this coming monday) am loosing my carpool partner. I don't wish to drive my Cherokee to work (non-functioning A/C, not the greatest MPG). Oh... and it looked like fun. Well it is. It's summer now, and I wanted to make double sure that I wouldn't swelter away... not very professional to show up to work with sweat stains all over. The 3/4 Helmet (AGV "Blade" in matte white) is a little flashy for my taste, I really wanted a modular helm- and I fully intend to get one later- but decided that for the Summer months, and the back-roads that I take to work have a max speed limit of 45 mph. If I were to take the highways (which I don't even do in a car, people are retarded and rude in Richmond, and the civil engineers that thought up the 2 interstate and 1 expressway in one merge... let's just say they didn't eat their Wheaties, or alternately... they didn't wear their helmets. Tangent aside, the folks I work with aren't super rigid in their shedule, I normally show up at 8:15 and work my 8. The reason isn't constant lateness, it's that everyone else is on the roads I travel in waves, and when I get there at 8:15 there's a lull in traffic from my driveway to the parking lot at work. I fully intend to take advantage of that. I highly recommend that if at all possible, check with your supervisors, chances are they'll be understanding. The gloves are just gloves, plain, black, no labels but they're vented *and* have some nice abrasion resistance (Icon is the name, not much else to go on).

I look like a giant dork in the jacket, the spaceman helm and gloves. But I like my face (or at least my beard), I hate buying new shirts, and I cannot survive without my fingers. My choice was easy.

As soon as Scoot (my dealer) gets them in stock, I'm going to order saddle bags for the buddy, that'll let me lug some extra things around, such as a pair of sneaks so I can be comfortable at work. I still refuse to change pants at work, but the traffic might make me change my mind.

All this said, it really does boil down to what you value. You can be the best rider in the world, all it takes is one bad driver to negate all of your alertness, training and preparation. I've ridden bicycles since I was a wee one, I drive my regular car like an old man (I actually do the speed limit, yield right of way, etc) and I carry that on to how I treat traffic on the scooter. Ultimately, it comes down to your preferences, all we can do is nudge you toward considering all the risks and options. Personally, I think you can get away with the cute thing if you pack a small change of cloths in some saddlebags or a top case. I wouldn't be even the slightest bit embarrassed to carry in my jacket and helm.