Whats the ATG of ATGATT?

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by windmill

You can't low side on a sidecar, but you can flip one, if you do chances are you will be launched or it is going land on you. I'm not saying gear isn't nessary for a sidecar, just that it has different priorities.

I was hoping to get opinions on what is ATG, rather than the usual arguments, oh well.

I get it, though I am not sure I agree that less gear is the way to go, as lee seems to imply.

I know, mention ATGATT in any way and, like ABS, there will be people pontificating.

Jim

[gravityisnotmyfriend]

Originally Posted by RoadRdr

Here is a one page read. This story went a long way to convince me ATGATT. If asked for information on gear I hand out copies of this.
I've had the plastic scrub brush used on me in the ER to scrape gravel out of minor road rash. Twice. <- slow learner.

This is among the best arguments I've read anywhere.

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/features/Medical%200705.pdf

Not disagreeing with the article. I'm just amazed that the proof reader missed that the biggest word on that page is mis-spelled!

[gravityisnotmyfriend]

For me, ATG at a minimum is boots, pants and a helmet. And that only applies for short trips in town. I realize that even at 30 MPH, I could lose some skin - but it's a risk I'm willing to take for the convenience and comfort. As long as my brain stays un-mushed, the rest will heal.

I'm amazed at the number of riders here in the MidWest with zero protective gear. I get weird looks putting a helmet on in the parking lot after work.

[windmill]

I'm just curious what other folks consider the minimum to be ATG.

For me it is ff or modular helmet, riding jacket, gloves, and boots. Considering that I rarely wear riding pants, and use work gloves in warm weather I'm not ATGATT but rather MTGATT.

[el queso]

For me it means all the body parts are covered; helmet, jacket, gloves, pants and real riding boots. I prefer using "real" riding pants, but if I'm just buzzing around town a pair of heavy denim pants keeps me happy.

Sometimes I cringe thinking how fast I used to ride bicycles wearing only Lycra and a beer cooler helmet...

[jamz]

Easy question, anyone who wears more than I do is an uptight safety dork, and anyone who wears less is an irresponsible idiot.

[ShardPhoenix]

Me:

Modular helmet, gloves, textile padded/armored jacket, boots and... um... most of the time jeans.

I do have some moto-pants w/armor in the knees but I don't wear 'em during the week. Not going to wear those while welding, or come fall, being elbows deep in diesel engines and commercial truck chassis.

On weekend joy rides when I'm going to go buzz around on back roads, I up the gear level to include the moto pants.

[orangebear]

for me its ever a ff helmet or a flip front helmet and a proper textile bike jacket and pants and bike boots and gloves.

it does not matter if you ride in leathers or textile as they both should save your skin

[Offcamber]

Originally Posted by jamz

Easy question, anyone who wears more than I do is an uptight safety dork, and anyone who wears less is an irresponsible idiot.

+1

this also applies to speed.....anyone going slower is an idiot anyone going faster is a maniac!

RIP
George Carlin

[Celtic Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by jamz

Easy question, anyone who wears more than I do is an uptight safety dork, and anyone who wears less is an irresponsible idiot.

^
This exactly - reminds me of an old George Carlin route on driving "Anyone driving slower than me is a moron, anyone driving faster than me is a maniac!"
(Offcamber beat me to the post with that one.)

I see a lot of posts on here deriding Kevlar jeans. "The seams will bust!" or "...just a false sense of security!" , but have yet to see any documented cases of Kevlar jeans "failing" in an accident.

Another fun one is "Steel toed boots will cut your toes off!" Nevermind that Mythbusters blew that one up, and let's face it, an impact forceful enough to crush the steel cap into your digits would almost certainly rip your toes clean off, irrespective of your footgear.

[blk-betty]

Originally Posted by el queso

Sometimes I cringe thinking how fast I used to ride bicycles wearing only Lycra and a beer cooler helmet...

Are any of you guys road bicyclists or mountain bicyclists?

If so do you cover every body part and if not, why not?

[atgatt]

Originally Posted by el queso

For me it means all the body parts are covered; helmet, jacket, gloves, pants and real riding boots. I prefer using "real" riding pants, but if I'm just buzzing around town a pair of heavy denim pants keeps me happy.

Sometimes I cringe thinking how fast I used to ride bicycles wearing only Lycra and a beer cooler helmet...

True dat. My daughter fell off her bike last summer and got some really bad road rash on her left hand and wrist. A trip to the emergency room to have it scrubbed. You can still see the scar. Gloves would have prevented it... but hell, I never even wore a helmet when I was a kid... never mind gloves. I still refuse to wear a bicycle helmet... which my kids get on me for... and which sort of contradicts my stance about ATGATT.... so what the heck do I know?


Unrelated to that quote....

Generally, the idea of "hey, it's just a short trip so I won't wear any gear" is a trap in my opinion. If it's just a short trip, I take the cage. A friend of mine changed his oil and went for a quick test run around the block... of course he low sided. Good rash... mostly on the elbow and forearm.

The idea that you need to bring your "brain" with you always comes up in these discussions. As I have repeatedly said... wear whatever you friggin gear you want... but at no time have I ever even implied that somehow because I wear gear I can somehow not "bring my brain". This conversation is about gear. We can have another conversation about advanced riding courses, Proficient Motorcycling, Maximum Control, advanced turns, braking, whatever. BTW... non of the gear I wear would really protect me from blunt force trauma (my brain and I have always understood that)... that's not the point... never was. Sure some armor is better than nothing (esp on the elbows and knees)... but the gear is mainly for abrasions. Wearing the gear could make an off a non-event as compared to a few nights in the burn ward. Heck my Arai helmet is so freaking strong I can stand on it... the force that it can withstand is far and away more force than my neck can withstand... so, as they say, at least I'll leave a good looking corpse.

Best advice I ever got about riding a motorcycle was this: respect the machine... so respect the machine and wear whatever you friggin want!

[crofrog]

Originally Posted by blk-betty

Are any of you guys road bicyclists or mountain bicyclists?

If so do you cover every body part and if not, why not?

I feel exposed on both of those... nothing like 50mph on a road bike coming off a mountain or on the mtb dodging tree's at 25mph

I don't wear more gear on bicycles because I'd die of heat exhaustion way before I needed them in a crash but trust me it's in my mind from time to time.

[Mr. B]

Originally Posted by jamz

Easy question, anyone who wears more than I do is an uptight safety dork, and anyone who wears less is an irresponsible idiot.

IMHO, that pretty much sums up the whole debate. It's all relative isn't it?

[KX50002]

ATTGATT= Loud pipes!! DUH!!!