Full Riding Gear

ATGATT – ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME

“DRESS FOR THE SLIDE NOT FOR THE RIDE!”

FULL RIDING GEAR CONSISTS OF:

Helmet – minimum DOT approved.
A helmet can be either DOT, SNELL or ECE approved. It must be in good condition, with the foam, liner and strap in good, useable condition. Full face or modular style helmets provide the best protection. ¾ or open face style are acceptable, as are shorty/beanie style helmets, but keep in mind that shorty/beanie style helmets provide the least amount of protection for one’s head/face. In reality, most shorty/beanie helmets are only good to keep the sun and bird poop off the top of your head.

Eye Protection – EVEN WITH a full-faced helmet with a visor, you will ALSO require additional eye protection in the event you wish to open the visor in hot/humid weather in order to still have your eyes protected. During the course, you will consistently hear: “EYES, EYES, EYES!” You need to be able to look where you want to go. Keep ‘em protected!

Sturdy jacket and pants – motorcycle specific is always best! However, thicker materials are acceptable, such as jeans for pants and a jacket material similar to Carhartt will work. (Jeans must be hole free upon commencement, of course. If they have holes when you leave, you’ll have a story(s) to tell.)

Full Fingered Gloves – again, motorcycle specific gloves made for road use are best; however, leather work gloves will suffice. Gardening gloves, for example, are NO GOOD! (Think about wearing materials that will hold up the best, and keep your skin protected, in the case of brushing against the asphalt).

Boots – wear over the ankle boots that actually provide protection for feet and ankles and that will remain on your feet in the event of a fall (think of a good sole, thicker/strong material, stable on the ground, a short heel…).

The general idea is that we would appreciate you keeping your skin attached to your body as opposed to our tarmac in the event of a spill.

The whole idea behind wearing equipment is to provide you with protection from not only road rash but the elements as well. Our advice is to buy the best gear that you can afford to buy, as you never know when you’re going to need the gear to save your hide. While wearing the appropriate gear may not eliminate all injury, it can certainly assist in mitigating the results of a mishap on a motorcycle. If you’ve ever seen a road race where a rider comes off a bike at speed, only to get back on their feet hoping to get back on the bike, then you have seen how being well-equipped for a ride can save you. Gear works! Get gear that fits you properly and that you like, so that you’re more inclined to wear it. The internet is full
of motorcycle crash videos, and yes, in some cases they are fatal but in the vast majority, the riders wearing full gear suffered far less injury than those not appropriately dressed for the slide. As far as the elements go, there is a lot of great gear out there that will protect you from the wind/sun/rain/cold. Get gear that works for you.

Certainly, we’d appreciate you buying gear from our sponsoring dealers, but there are many sources for gear. Talk to family, friends, neighbours, and/or co-workers that ride or may have ridden, perhaps they have some decent gear available to you for the time-being; mysteriously, gear often “shrinks” in closets. Check out all the buy and sell options on the web, as well as yard sales, flea markets, etc. Buying gear via the internet isn’t ideal because you want to be able to try it on to ensure that the fit is correct, particularly, when dealing with helmets.

What’s your head/body worth?!
*Remember – ATGATT and Dress for the Slide not for the Ride!