Gear Optional Meeting Room

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:33 am

I have thought about starting this thread for a while but didn’t want anyone to pile on about ATGATT
But hey... it’s only the internet what’s the worst that can happen?

I will start by saying that I do NOT intend this to be a pro or anti gear thread
This is NOT the place to argue about gear.
If it becomes that, I am sure the moderators will need to remove it (& I would agree with that decision & I apologize in advance if that happens)
If you feel strongly about wearing gear, great – post that up someplace else this is a gear optional thread.
I think everyone can agree that wearing gear will protect you if & when you put it down.
I am NOT suggesting that anyone not wear gear.
Edit: I really do think new scooter riders should gear up their first few weeks (or until the get a good feel for their new ride - I did)

If you understand the risk you are taking, it is your choice and I would like to hear from the people who take the risk (however great or small)

I am going to say it - I don’t wear gear all the time!
There, I feel better now.

I often wear shorts
I only wear my helmet & gloves when I am riding someplace where I will be going over 30mph (but still in shorts)
It's fun riding in shorts & sunglasses when it is hot out
I understand the risks & I am ok with it.

Anyone else out there want to “confess their non or part time gear wearing sins”?

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:17 am

You're too late!

topic7055.html

Threads like this always start off with a post that sounds like someone making a wish with a genie, trying to make sure the genie doesn't find a way to turn the wish against him.

"I want to be rich… but wait! I want to be rich for the rest of my life, my NORMAL life, so I'll live to normal old age and not, like die tomorrow or anything, and I want to be rich with actual legal U.S. tender, or the legal tender of whatever country I'm in, and i don't want my money to be turned against me or to make me unhappy, and, um, what else, um, I mean "Rich" in the sense of having a lot of money, not in the sense of being named "Richard" or some other trick. No tricks, OK?"

Just like genies, threads always find a way to turn against you, however much disclaimering you do at the beginning. heh.

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:20 am

Oh, now I see you started this in response to that thread, not in spite of it.

Well, right on! go nuts NOGNOTs. As moderator, I declare this a permanent no-ATGATT zone, and I promise to never read it again, lest I try to lecture everyone.

Bb.

Buddy_wannabe · Post by **Buddy_wannabe** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:24 am

Ill be 1st to respond

I always wear gloves .... if it is cold
I always wear a jacket .... if it is cold
I never wear short pants. Just regular jeans
Dont own a helmet .... but I have been meaning to get one(a half helmet)

enzomatic · Post by **enzomatic** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:43 am

my bicycle has 10 gears, i have the option of which one I want to ride in. OK OK really really bad joke.
I always wear a helmet, can say it's because I want to be safe yada yada, but it is the law so can't really say if I would otherwise. I don't even own shorts, I wear jeans but I run through so many of those I don't really think it's that much better. I often wear gloves because I've been hit by gravel w/o too many times. I admit it's possible maybe that I wear my padded jacket mainly because the pads make me look buff but it's comfortable in the moderate climate I live in and the back pads actually keep me from getting as sore on my long rides. I ride FF all the time also because I knew I would need to ride FF some of the time and I didn't want to buy 2 helmets (found out about modulars after this......... I've only worn boots once on the scoot. Saw a girl wearing nothing but flip-flops and a feather boa on a buddy in SF [seriously nothing but (this was at pride)], she needs to be on this forum.

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:45 am

illnoise wrote:Oh, now I see you started this in response to that thread, not in spite of it.
Well, right on! go nuts NOGNOTs. As moderator, I declare this a permanent no-ATGATT zone, and I promise to never read it again, lest I try to lecture everyone.
Bb.

Right... I felt like I was hijacking Scootress's thread & didnt want to do that

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:02 am

illnoise wrote:Well, right on! go nuts NOGNOTs. As moderator, I declare this a permanent no-ATGATT zone, and I promise to never read it again, lest I try to lecture everyone.

you made me think of something else... you are in chicago & I dont feel safe driving a car getting to Wrigley (yeah, I know typical suburbanite)
I would guess that most of the people in "real" cities gear up & its us guys out in the sticks that skip all or some of the gear some or all of the time.
Anyone think that is right?
Buddy_wannabe are you in an urban or rural area?

Tysonviolin · Post by **Tysonviolin** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:11 am

This is cool... I have felt a little censored from expressing my joy on how wonderful it has been riding to the beach (very carefully) this summer. I where my trunks and t shirt and the warm air feels awesome. Angela and I always encourage eachother to be safe riders but there are some things I must enjoy in my life while I have one

Also, I wanna skydive... Looks fun.

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:16 am

Hokay, while I don't quite understand the purpose of this thread, that's okay—I don't have to. I'll just say that while I strongly recommend wearing gear if you'd like to avoid, you know, injury and death (:P), the policy of MB is that we understand that riders assume different levels of risk and that we don't judge anyone for the decisions they make—even if they're different than ours or different than what seems popular in the forum.

I'm going to pretty much ignore this thread to keep myself from saying any more than that. So if anyone has a problem with anything in here, just report the thread using the exclamation point button next to each post and a moderator or I will review it.

naptime · Post by **naptime** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:18 am

well, i jsut got my buddy on wednesday... but this much i know..

i wear my gloves everytime i get on.

they are comfy, they make me feel like i'm not gonna lose all my skin if i go down (i'm really happy with the levels of protection these gloves offer) they have mesh so they breath nice and my hands dont get hot. i've also discovered they make it easier to grip the throttle and my hand/wrist dont get as tired.

so, given that, i think i will always wear the gloves.

i wear a helmet everytime i get on.

3/4 with full shield. i wear it, in all honesty, because the law says i have to for the first year.

i only have my temps right now, so, i'm TRYING to follow the laws close (even though i have been riding every NIGHT, and i have had my daughter as a passenger, both of which are no-nos) but at least i can say i wore my helmet.

i will always make my daughter wear hers.

as for the rest of the gear...

i wear shorts, tennis shoes and a tshirt for most of my riding thus far.

whatever i'm wearing at the moment that i decide to get on the scoot.

i dont plan to get any special riding pants or jackets or shoes.

i have a leather jacket, that i will wear as the weather cools down. but its not what you would call a "riding" jacket. its just a normal soft leather jacket.

as the weather cools i'll probably wear sweatpants or dress pants when i drive to work. i dont do jeans, and dont really an to get riding pants.

i would consider chaps. but only if i wore them with a matching black leather thong...... and somehow i think thats something the rest of the world does NOT want to see

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:19 am

Tysonviolin wrote:Also, I wanna skydive... Looks fun.

Are you planning on wearing a parachute?

SORRY! Couldn't help myself. I'll leave now.

Buddy_wannabe · Post by **Buddy_wannabe** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:23 am

ScootLemont wrote:........I would guess that most of the people in "real" cities gear up & its us guys out in the sticks that skip all or some of the gear some or all of the time.
Anyone think that is right?
Buddy_wannabe are you in an urban or rural area?

I would guess that this is a fairly good observation ........

I am in a rural area .... approx 10000 population . Most every thing is within a couple of miles of my house.

The scooter does scare the horse and buggies somtimes

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:31 am

ericalm wrote:Hokay, while I don't quite understand the purpose of this thread, that's okay—I don't have to. I'll just say that while I strongly recommend wearing gear if you'd like to avoid, you know, injury and death (:P), the policy of MB is that we understand that riders assume different levels of risk and that we don't judge anyone for the decisions they make—even if they're different than ours or different than what seems popular in the forum.

Thats pretty much the purpose of this thread - I just would like to hear from riders who assume a little greater level of risk.
There are so many post in so may threads the say take the MSF before you sit on your scooter for the first time & wear your titanium & kevlar jump suit if you are even looking at your scooter (sarcastic exaggeration) that I thought it might be refreshing to hear from some people that dont gear up for the quick casual run around the neighborhood, to run to the store, or run to the beach (that sounds great Tysonviolin - being stuck in the midwest myself)
thats all... no big deal

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:36 am

naptime wrote:well, i jsut got my buddy on wednesday... but this much i know..
i wear my gloves everytime i get on.
they are comfy, they make me feel like i'm not gonna lose all my skin if i go down
i wear a helmet everytime i get on.
i will always make my daughter wear hers.
i would consider chaps. but only if i wore them with a matching black leather thong...... and somehow i think thats something the rest of the world does NOT want to see

I wear the gloves when I am going far/fast - actually I didnt even think about gloves until I read a post on MB - glad I read it & glad I have them (to wear some of the time)
My daughter rides with me sometimes - she does not get on with out jeans & her helmet
as for the chaps?

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:41 am

Buddy_wannabe wrote: I would guess that this is a fairly good observation ........
I am in a rural area .... approx 10000 population . Most every thing is within a couple of miles of my house.
The scooter does scare the horse and buggies somtimes

My town isnt rual - about 25 miles from Chicago, but it's like yours - 10,000 people & pretty much everything is within 3 miles - and all of our residential streets are 20mph speed lmits (with the exception of the 3 main roads through town which are 35mph in town)

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:46 am

naptime wrote:well, i jsut got my buddy on wednesday...

If this is your first scooter (mine is) I think it is a good idea to stay geared up until you are confident you have a handle on things.
I wore the FF & jeans (even around town at 20mph) for the first few weeks.

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:12 am

ScootLemont wrote:you made me think of something else... you are in chicago & I dont feel safe driving a car getting to Wrigley (yeah, I know typical suburbanite)
I would guess that most of the people in "real" cities gear up & its us guys out in the sticks that skip all or some of the gear some or all of the time.
Anyone think that is right?

First off, I couldn't care less about baseball, but riding around the south side with a Cubs flag on your scooter is hella more dangerous than riding/driving in the city.

The scariest thing by far in Wrigleyville is drunk Cubs fans, unless you're afraid of homosexuals and yuppies.

But to answer your question, no one in the city wears gear, either. It's flip-flop central.

sherides · Post by **sherides** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:54 am

I wear my helmet every time I ride. I wouldn't even get on until I had one.

However, I most often ride in shorts or capris and running shoes. I'm sure I look like a bobblehead.

As someone said on the other thread, at road bike speeds, I wear essentially what I would wear on my bike. Especially when it's 95-110 degrees.

When it gets colder, and as I accumulate more gear, I'm sure I'll be riding with MOTGMOTT.

Orange Guy · Post by **Orange Guy** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:05 am

When I first got my Buddy, I wore a half helmet and whatever hiking shoes I happened to be wearing at the time.

I quickly got gloves because I really need my hands to do my job. That was also the logic behind upgrading to FF. I kind of need my head, too.

I've just recently started wearing my old black leather steel toe boots while riding.

And I just ordered a jacket ... and another pair of gloves. I could see myself becoming a glove junkie.

BUT, I always wear shorts. I live in shorts almost year round.

So helmet and gloves all the time for me. Boots or shoes, depends on the mood. Shorts are a given.

I do think the main reason that my gear is increasing over time is that I am getting more confident with the scooter. Sounds in direct contradiction with some of the other advice, I know. I think the more I ride, the faster I take some turns, the more I lean into turns, the faster I shoot down the highway, etc. I guess you could say I'm taking more calculated risks and my newbie sense of caution is steadily decreasing.

BTW, thanks for the thread. I often feel that if I get on the scoot in anything shy of Tony Stark's red and yellow, that I'm a bad scooterist.

tunseeker1 · Post by **tunseeker1** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:19 am

ericalm wrote:
Tysonviolin wrote:Also, I wanna skydive... Looks fun.
Are you planning on wearing a parachute?

SORRY! Couldn't help myself. I'll leave now.

parachute is to Skydiving as Buddy is to Scootering.

If you leave an aircraft with a parachute its called skydiving, if you leave without one its called falling!

If you go down the street on a buddy its called scootering, if you go without one its called WALKING!

Now I have gone Skydiving without a flight suit. Just went up in shorts, T-Shirt and flip-flops

thecarver61 · Post by **thecarver61** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:22 am

Isn't this talk about gear just a way for some to feel superior to others? I understand the questions about gear, what's good or bad etc. Anyone buy the Thermoscud? Just did.
It's about the ride! Who cares what you wear? If you feel safe totally decked out and bubble wrapped, then go for it. If you want to break out that old speedo and ride, then have at it (just don't be surprised if you end up on YouTube).
I ride 140 miles roundtrip to work. I will ride into the winter if I can. I've ridden motorcycles all my life. I cut my teeth on an old Honda 90.
Can we please just ride and support whatever decisions are made? Now, where did I leave that speedo??

vaderscoot · Post by **vaderscoot** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:06 pm

when i ride in the spring summer or fall i wear sunglasses,shorts or jeans t shirt sneakers
in the winter i gear up because its warmer leather gloves and coat and warm wool socks

sotied · Post by **sotied** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:30 pm

The only time I'm not ATGATT (which I guess contradicts my ATGATT mentality) is when I'm putting the scoot away.

I'll go for a ride all geared up - FF, armor jacket, jeans, boots, gloves - and then when I get back I park out front.

Recently, Mother Nature hasn't cooperated AT ALL and it seems that within 42 minutes of the end of a ride, the skies open up.

So I'll rush around the house wondering what I did with my pants and then just say, "screw it" and pull on some shorts and my sneakers.

I leave the helmet in the house too with the gloves. Then I'll zip around to the basement door and pull in.

The other day - IN A MOVE THAT ALMOST TAUGHT ME A LESSON - I had pulled over the threshold and gave Scootle a little gas to hop into the garage.

THE REAR TIRE SPUN AND SLID SIDEWAYS ON THE METAL THRESHOLD and nearly crushed my right - SNEAKER CLAD - foot. I was quick enough to realize the bike was sliding sideways and got out of the way, but that made me think that even the most innocuous circumstance might call for more gear.

**Oh, when I was in Key West in April I was not yet a scooter owner. I brought my helmet with me (yes, I bought a helmet before I bought a scooter). But when I rented a scoot I proceeded to ride with no gloves, no helmet (they don't even offer them to you at the rental places), sneakers or Tevas, and with my GF on the back. No incidents, but gave me a perspective on how nice it is to scoot somewhere and not have to gear down or carry a whole different wardrobe (scoot to the beach in long pants anyone?).

naptime · Post by **naptime** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:42 pm

i think thats what gave me al ittle more confidance about not wearing ALL the gear.

when i was on vacation in the domincan, that i was my first experience with a scoot, or with any motorized 2 wheeled vehicle at all.

i had a quick 5 minute lesson on how to start it and where throttle and brakes were. then off we went.

swim shorts, sandals, and sunglasses.

no shirt, no helmet, no gloves, no jacket, heck not even a shirt!!

and down there EVERYONE rides scooters and minibikes, just like overseas.

when i came home and got mine, i opted to always wear the helmet and the gloves and at least tennis shoes, because here intoledo, most drivers are not EXPECTING a scooter like they would down in the dominican. so i'm aware of the inherrant danger posed by riding here at home.

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:15 pm

sherides wrote:However, I most often ride in shorts or capris and running shoes. I'm sure I look like a bobblehead.

Bobblehead

Thats perfect - When I ride past store fronts with windows I sometimes catch a reflection of myself & now that you said it... I look like a bobblehead when I am wearing the full face with shorts & a t-shirt

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:18 pm

Orange Guy wrote: I often feel that if I get on the scoot in anything shy of Tony Stark's red and yellow, that I'm a bad scooterist.

Exactly.
One of the reasons I started the thread - but thats a better way to say it.
Lots of people post up about this helmet, this jacket & even some about these armored pants....
I am just glad some people are coming forward & admitting to not being ATGATT
Again, I am not against ATGATT, I just think there are plenty of us who are some of the gear some of the time.

djelliott · Post by **djelliott** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:48 pm

I wear a helmet 1/2 because I fell safer and 1/2 because I just got my endorsement and those are the rules for the first year. I will definitely continue to wear the helmet due to the amount of times my face shield saved me from rocks, giant bugs, and various road debris. I also wear gloves because I like to. They're nothing special, just the same ones I wear while biking. Other then that I have been known to ride in shorts but prefer to ride in pants. If it's very sunny I'll wear a light long sleeve jacket to prevent silly arm tan. I wear what ever shoes I happen to have on. I do want to get some sort of mesh jacket just because I kind of like them. That's my set up.

Dustin

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:22 pm

Although I'm generally a proponent of being fairly well geared up when riding, you don't have to look very hard here to find threads where I talk about riding to a neighbors in no gear at all.

And although I agree that all it will take is one post to send a thread like this spiraling, I've seen us keep dangerous threads above board before here on MB.

I'm glad you started this thread, ScootLemont. It's not entirely unlike my "I rode to work, I rode home, nothing happened" thread. It's sort of needed to balance out some of the other heavier threads. In the case of the "rode to work" thread it was to balance out some of the "who's crashed" threads and give especially new members some comfort in the fact that while the who's crashed thread is at this moment about to reach 9 pages, the majority of us ride every day either without incident, either because none came up or because we avoided them through smart riding.

In the same way, it's important to realize that, yes, you can make a choice to not gear up based on a higher risk tolerance and be ok. I'm still glad that we tend to point out the not-so-obvious risks involved with riding a scooter, again, especially to new members because I know that I didn't even CONSIDER whether I needed/wanted gear when I first started looking at scooters, and I'm sure I'm not in the minority there. So it's a good thing to help people make informed decisions. It's a little like Chinese scooters and the inevitable bad rap they get here. It's great to help people make an informed decision, even if they decide ultimately to buy one.

The fact is, for every picture like those of Renae's toes, there are many more people who have never worn riding boots and never had their toes ground down to hamburger. And it's good to point that out. Just as it's good to point out that the ground hamburger risk exists.

So... all that long-windedness to say, post away! I'm glad we talk about all different choices of gear here!

charltons · Post by **charltons** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:30 pm

I was in Gainesville (home of the University of Florida Gators) and there were a LOT of college kids on scooters, but very little gear. I have to admit, I was not a little jealous of their freedom. If I were in a scooter friendly city like that I probably wouldn't wear as much gear either. I do ride around in my immediate neighborhood w/o gear, and it is great. I understand why some don't wear it.

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:38 pm

jmazza wrote:The fact is, for every picture like those of Renae's toes, there are many more people who have never worn riding boots and never had their toes ground down to hamburger. And it's good to point that out. Just as it's good to point out that the ground hamburger risk exists.

Yep... thats what I was hoping for... a little ballance to the overall gear discussion.
And yeah... not that you mention it, it's a lot like your "rode to work & nothing happened" thread.
And I will say it again - while everyone can wear what they want - I STRONGLY suggest people new to scooters gear up for at least a couple three weeks or however long it takes until they have a good idea how their new ride will act & what they might enounter on the road.

anndelise · Post by **anndelise** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:57 pm

One of the books I've gone through (not sure which one) suggested that the rider figure out what their absolute minimum on gear will be, that way they won't have to think about 'should I wear [insert gear type] for this ride or not'. For myself, regardless of circumstances, 3/4 helmet w/ face shield, gloves, and some kind of high visibility item, covered legs and covered arms, covered feet, would be my absolute minimum.

For example, I don't do this because of my location, but if I lived in an area where it was just a mile or so to the nearest store (maybe up to 3 miles), on rather mundane roads (20-35mph), I'd probably just put on a weather appropriate jacket + hivis vest, whatever pants I'm wearing (I don't wear shorts), and some t-shoes.

If I was traveling further, say 5-7 miles, then I might wear my gear jacket (it's a hivis yellow), maybe change into jeans, possibly my boots too.

If going further than 7 miles, I'd most likely gear up, but, depending on what awaits me at the end of the trip, gear pants or jeans might be optional. (ie, if I'm going to be doing a lot of walking, I won't want to wear my gear pants, so I'd wear jeans instead)

Most definitely anything over 15 miles would require (for me) to wear full gear.

If my daughter were to ever ride with me, I'd insist on pants and a weather appropriate jacket + hivis vest. Minimum of t-shoes. If one of the long trips, she'd be geared up as well.

Non-mundane roads (over 35 mph) would most likely require full gear. Definitely any road 50+mph would get full gear.

Each person has their own level of risks they are willing to take, in this case regarding gear. The above is pretty much my gear risk level, heh.

I'm kinda sad that I don't get to do the above though, for my location it's
in front of the house practicing: covered legs, covered arms, helmet, gloves, shoes
riding around this small community: covered legs, gear jacket (it's the only hivis item I have right now), helmet, gloves, shoes
leaving the community: full gear
(I can't wait to move closer to town if not IN town!

)

OScoot! · Post by **OScoot!** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:42 pm

On my daily commute to the office when I scoot in it's in "my" full gear -- helmet by law, gloves, mesh jacket and boots and sometimes big heavy jeans pulled on over my office slacks. Mostly because I have a good bit of distance to travel on Rt 1...which is a 45 mph limit meaning the traffic is doing 60mph. I'm usually going 55-60 Bmph on the Pinkster when I go to work.

Now...on weekends, when I tootle up to the Wally Mart to buy dog food, I sometimes do it in shorts, tshirt and "heaven forbid".....occasionally strap on heavy sandals.... but mostly in tennis shoes. It's only 3 miles away....and I know...most accidents happen close to home. But it's been 100+ degrees here this summer. So there, I confess.

PS. I raced motorcycles (enduros) in my "young" days, so I'm pretty comfortable and confident on the scoot. But I've also got plenty of crashes under my belt to know what can happen.

sunbunny · Post by **sunbunny** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:36 pm

Being reintroduced to scootering I do wear a helmet , pants, and tennis shoes. I do this also because I ask my son (17) to do the same. He has gone out in shorts a few times. His dad tells him to wear a jacket, but with temps over 100 he is not going to, nor do I. He thinks wearing a motorcycle jacket on a scooter is "stupid since I only ride 2 miles to school". I'd like to find one that he thinks is "cool" so he would wear on as he starts to drive it more often and longer distance. I have been looking into ordering a jacket for longer rides this fall.

I must say that as a parent I am nervous with him riding with or with out gear. He will always wear a helmet, but not a jacket. I still get worried when he drives his truck. It must be a mom thing.

Since we have just bought a scooter, I think we will eventually purchase more gear, but it is hard to gear up when it is hot out. It would be the smart thing to do.

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:51 pm

sunbunny wrote:I must say that as a parent I am nervous with him riding with or with out gear. He will always wear a helmet, but not a jacket. I still get worried when he drives his truck. It must be a mom thing.

I dont let either of my boys ride the scooter (17 & 21)
They have a hard enough time keeping their cars on the road.
Maybe someday... afte a couple of consecutive years with out having smashed a car... but for now my boys are not not ready to ride on two wheels (yet)

sunbunny · Post by **sunbunny** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:09 pm

My son grew up on a dirt bike, so he is used to how a bike handles. For his age he is very careful driver. Probably because he has to pay for his insurance and keep a 3.5 gpa or better to drive. He doesn't want to take the chance of having to pay more $ for insurance. His insurance runs almost $1600 a year compared to $230 for the scooter. He is considering selling his truck and driving the Rattler!

I worry about the other idiots on the road. Come winter we get alot of snowbirds. Some of them need there own roads or actually should not be driving! Talk about scary!!

Does anyone else have kids that drives a scooter? If so what gear do you require?

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:47 pm

thats great - I sure wasnt commenting on if your kids should be riding - just mine (just want to be clear)
My daughter (13), on the other hand, is very good with all things motorized - ATVs, Boat, Snowmobile - & I be she will be riding mine in a few years (or she will get mine when I get a new one - built in excuse for a new scoot in 3 years)

Anyway.. BOT - If she does ride, she will be geared up (do as I say, not as I do)

sargelee71 · Post by **sargelee71** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:00 pm

I always wear helmet (3/4), gloves, glasses and shoes that cover my toes--usually laced Keens and usually leather. Although, I will confess that I did get on my Olivia with shorts and a pair of sandals to take her from the front of the house into the garage, before heading out (it was going to storm). It felt SO WEIRD to ride so "naked." So, I'm in the camp of "Basic Gear," because I really just feel naked without it--just like putting on my seatbelt in my car. Have not felt the hassle of having to put on gear, yet.

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:23 pm

I was definately originally in the boat, I WANT to wear gear all the time... now I want to ride without a helmet to the corner store, or shorts t-shirt, sneaks and helmet to the beach when it is 95 degrees out. Alas, in Seattle there is the Helmet Law so I have to wear that everyhwere, which really isnt a big deal.

I kind of like the helmet law, for in my opinion, it helps cut down on theft of scooters and motorcycles. If someone is just walking by, the "opportunity" theives are out of business. If you were to steal a scooter, and ride off, without a helmet... you would get picked up in 3 blocks by the next cop you see.

Domino · Post by **Domino** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:39 am

Kansas only requires eye protection. I wear helmets as much as is practical, but in 105 degree heat wearing my helmet could cause heatstoke! I don't do jackets, gloves or anything else for that matter, unless it is cool weather.
My helmet is a full face, I am planning on getting something I can wear in hotter weather.
Also of note is that I only have a 49cc scoot at the moment, so I don't go fast enough to be _too_ scared.

BigColdMartini · Post by **BigColdMartini** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:12 am

ScootLemont wrote: I am going to say it - I don’t wear gear all the time!
There, I feel better now.

That's cool with me. I'm a Libertarian

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:17 am

BigColdMartini wrote:
ScootLemont wrote: I am going to say it - I don’t wear gear all the time!
There, I feel better now.
That's cool with me. I'm a Libertarian

cool... maybe YOU can tell me where to mount a holster for my beretta on my scooter?
- is a handgun safety gear? (depending on where you live?)

BOT (kind of) - riding back into town tonight at 45mph - wearing the FF for the first time in a few days - a bug got sucked in & got stuck (I have no idea how - my visor was down) anyway, it was some kind of beetle.
I guess I am glad I was wearing the helmet or it would have hit me -

Buddy_wannabe · Post by **Buddy_wannabe** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:40 am

ericalm wrote:
Tysonviolin wrote:Also, I wanna skydive... Looks fun.
Are you planning on wearing a parachute?

SORRY! Couldn't help myself. I'll leave now.

Do you need a parachute if you are wearing your FF helmet & gloves?

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:54 am

I have to say... I just went on a pretty big group ride...

I only wear my FF and gloves, with shorts and tennis shoes. I rode fast, turned hard, acted a fool <--- riding superman style on my seat, popping wheelies... and everything is fine

I had a great time....

Oh yeah, my license expired a week ago, so I was riding un-licensed also...

Everything is fine!

skullmechanic · Post by **skullmechanic** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:29 am

sunbunny wrote:Does anyone else have kids that drives a scooter? If so what gear do you require?

My 16 year-old daughter and I ride our scooter. She and I have agreed to always wear a helmet (3/4 without a face sheild) (I believe she has to under the law) and be covered up (long pants and long sleeves and/or a sturdy jacket). We don't own any other "real" gear. Although my next purchases will likely be a face shield / eye covering and gloves.

An interesting bit I have noticed here is the prevalence of posts that say that they are less likely to wear gear if they are traveling close to home or traveling under 35mph. Yet, I'm sure we all know that most accidents and injuries occur close to home traveling under 35mph. I was on my motorcycle test. So how do people reach the conclusion that they are more safe because they are close to home going slower? Are they really assessing risk appropriately?

farrellcollie · Post by **farrellcollie** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:41 am

I always wear a helmet - either ff or 3/4 with face shield - and gloves. I don't wear jacket unless going on roads that are marked 30mph or higher. If I am just commuting the 4 miles to work on 25mph roads - I do not gear all up. I sometimes wear knee pads with shorts or long pants and I wear either leather tennis shoes or boots - again depending upon speed/distance. I base this on my bicycling experience of going down hills at 25-30 mph with only a helmet and gloves. I also have a bright ANSI vest that I wear most of the time - it won't protect me in a crash - but it might help me be seen.

Tysonviolin · Post by **Tysonviolin** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:41 am

tunseeker1 wrote:
ericalm wrote:
Tysonviolin wrote:Also, I wanna skydive... Looks fun.
Are you planning on wearing a parachute?

SORRY! Couldn't help myself. I'll leave now.
parachute is to Skydiving as Buddy is to Scootering.

If you leave an aircraft with a parachute its called skydiving, if you leave without one its called falling!

If you go down the street on a buddy its called scootering, if you go without one its called WALKING!

Now I have gone Skydiving without a flight suit. Just went up in shorts, T-Shirt and flip-flops

OK!! HEHEM... I'm are putting together a naked skydiving/scootering event. We'll ride to the airport on our Buddys them skydive... All you can wear is gloves and a chute or helmet... Your choice

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:50 am

skullmechanic wrote:An interesting bit I have noticed here is the prevalence of posts that say that they are less likely to wear gear if they are traveling close to home or traveling under 35mph. Yet, I'm sure we all know that most accidents and injuries occur close to home traveling under 35mph. I was on my motorcycle test. So how do people reach the conclusion that they are more safe because they are close to home going slower? Are they really assessing risk appropriately?

Well... I will tell you what I think about feeling safer close to home.
I have lived within 2 miles of where I live right now, my entire life (41 years) I have been driving these roads for over 25 years - there is not a road in my town that I do not know well - every parking lot entrance, alley, blind corner, bush that blocks the view of traffic, etc.
When I am riding out of town, I do not have nearly the knowledge of the streets as I do close to home - thats why I reach the conclusion that I am safer close to home.
About speed - its pretty simple - while riding at 25mph, it is a lot easier to keep an eye on all the cross streets, driveways & other hazards. I am simply not required to process as much information as when I am riding at 45mph.
If someone pulls out in front of you, while you are riding at 45mph, you have much less time to react and avoid them, while at the same time any drastic action you take could cause you to lay down your scoot.
At 25mph, you have typically have a lot more time to figure out what to do & then to do it safely.
Finally, its pretty simple - if you need to stop to avoid something, you stop faster and in a shorter distance at 25mph than you do at 45mph.
So thats why I reach the conclusion that I am safer close to home & riding slower.

skullmechanic · Post by **skullmechanic** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:55 am

ScootLemont wrote:So thats why I reach the conclusion that I am safer close to home & riding slower.

How do you reconcile your anecdotal evidence and the actual data?

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:00 am

While it is true that most accidents happen close to home that is misleading.
most accidents happen close to home because most people ride most often when leaving or going back home.
every trip you take is probably going to start by leaving your home & end with you returning - so you ride close to home every trip.
Its like saying more people drown in the bathtub than swimming pools - it might be true, but that does not make bath tubs more dangerous - it just means more people have bath tubs & they are in them more.

BeetleGoose · Post by **BeetleGoose** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:04 am

Tysonviolin wrote:
tunseeker1 wrote:
ericalm wrote: Are you planning on wearing a parachute?

SORRY! Couldn't help myself. I'll leave now.
parachute is to Skydiving as Buddy is to Scootering.

If you leave an aircraft with a parachute its called skydiving, if you leave without one its called falling!

If you go down the street on a buddy its called scootering, if you go without one its called WALKING!

Now I have gone Skydiving without a flight suit. Just went up in shorts, T-Shirt and flip-flops
OK!! HEHEM... I'm are putting together a naked skydiving/scootering event. We'll ride to the airport on our Buddys them skydive... All you can wear is gloves and a chute or helmet... Your choice

Seriously though, a scooter event finished off with a skydive would be a blast!

Hey, skydiving is fun like heck! 120mph from 13,000 feet - it's a feeling like no other. Talk about the wind in your hair!

Modern Buddy

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