Why AGATT...this is why!

blu3r0ri0n

This is exactly the reason I am a firm beleiver in AGATT! Saying that...each to their own and I wont preach to anyone who doesn't, it's their own choice.

I personally couldnt afford the time off and the medical expenses that AGATT would have prevented from a low speed fall such as the guy on the article below had.

Warning: photos contain picture of butt.

Why wearing jeans on a motorcycle is a really bad idea | Hell for Leather

Do you do AGATT and if you dont; will reading the above article and seeing the damage change your mind?

EDIT:AGATT=All Gear All The Time...in consideration of any newbies might be reading this.

nerrad1983

My god that looks very very sore!!!!

Could have been prevented if he had proper gear on though :rolleyes:

I always wear mine tbh, you never no when it will be needed

eurofoxy

its a tough one but the guy it perfectly in the piece, if he wants to look good its jeans.....for me its agatt all the time regardless.i dont exactly care what people think of me on the bike, i buy the bike for me and the gear to protect me its not a fashion show..
I drove 8500KM across the states this summer and i have to say its a bit shocking how they ride and with nothing but t-shirts etc, but maybe this comes from the weather, if we had the same heat i am sure i would be tempted to wear different gear...Saying that i do take the scooter into town now and then for a short trip wearing t-shirt but that is restricted to 50 and i do not ride it anywhere near the way i ride the CBR..
I wont say this article will change my mind at all as when i decided to get into biking i read a lot of these types of stories etc and most end in the same slow low side off resulting in some nice marks but not fatal but will usually leave a nice permanent mark.

Wonda-Boy

Aye, seen that b4 alright and its pure manky.....can you imagine the pain of the flesh getting tore off the bone like that. This topic has been visited so many times on here so I aint gonna comment again but you know my views blu3 with the amount of gear I have on.

minidazzler

I wear AGATT simply because I wouldn't be too bothered by a broken arm, but road rash, the thought of that puts the fear in me. It's gonna hurt for months being an open wound. A broken bone will feel OK after a few weeks.

Faith+1

Ouch!

Wonda-Boy

It was my little ones bday in August and she had a big slide (you know the really high ones you climb up the left and down the right) I came down the slide with a T shirt on and got an elbow burn, elbow touched the mat for about a second and rip the skin off....it was mental sore and it left a fookin scar!!

Can only imagine a serious road rash.....SWEET BABY JESUS AND THE ORPHANS!!!

daenerysstormborn3

blu3r0ri0n wrote: »

Do you do AGATT and if you dont; will reading the above article and seeing the damage change your mind?

No and no.

rat_race

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

It was my little ones bday in August and she had a big slide (you know the really high ones you climb up the left and down the right) I came down the slide with a T shirt on and got an elbow burn, elbow touched the mat for about a second and rip the skin off....it was mental sore and it left a fookin scar!!

Can only imagine a serious road rash.....SWEET BABY JESUS AND THE ORPHANS!!!

Yep. I've fallen off my push bikes several times, at low speed...pain & scars. Taught me the easy way that I do not want to come off any moving object going faster than 15kmh...ever!

blu3r0ri0n

eurofoxy wrote: »

its a tough one but the guy it perfectly in the piece, if he wants to look good its jeans.....for me its agatt all the time regardless.i dont exactly care what people think of me on the bike, i buy the bike for me and the gear to protect me its not a fashion show..
I drove 8500KM across the states this summer and i have to say its a bit shocking how they ride and with nothing but t-shirts etc, but maybe this comes from the weather, if we had the same heat i am sure i would be tempted to wear different gear...Saying that i do take the scooter into town now and then for a short trip wearing t-shirt but that is restricted to 50 and i do not ride it anywhere near the way i ride the CBR..
I wont say this article will change my mind at all as when i decided to get into biking i read a lot of these types of stories etc and most end in the same slow low side off resulting in some nice marks but not fatal but will usually leave a nice permanent mark.

I know you said you go AGATT so my comment is purely for the guy that wants to look good on a bike in jeans; Why not invest in a pair of dragging jeans they look as good as normal jeans and don't cost a fortune.

pixiebean22 wrote: »

No and no.

Since you were the only one so far that has answered the question as a person who does not go AGATT... Out of curisity why not go AGATT? I appriciate that its a personal choice.

Wossack

sometimes the inconvienience of full gear, outweighs the risk - personal choice really

kinda feel the atgatt argument is almost synonymous with the argument against bikes in general - which is primarily why I dont subscribe to it these days

rat_race

Wossack wrote: »

sometimes the inconvienience of full gear, outweighs the risk - personal choice really

kinda feel the atgatt argument is almost synonymous with the argument against bikes in general - which is primarily why I dont subscribe to it these days

Yup.

I prefer my acronym: ATGMOTTWSEFPWDWEVARSCRS (All The Gear Most Of The Time With Some Exceptions For Particularly Warm Days With Excellent Visibility And At Realitvely Slow City Riding Speeds)

Think it'll catch on?

blu3r0ri0n

Wossack wrote: »

sometimes the inconvienience of full gear, outweighs the risk - personal choice really

As you said it is a personal choice, some will take the risk and some wont!Have you considered dragging jeans?

Wossack wrote: »

kinda feel the atgatt argument is almost synonymous with the argument against bikes in general - which is primarily why I dont subscribe to it these days

Fair enough.

daenerysstormborn3

blu3r0ri0n wrote: »

I know you said you go AGATT so my comment is purely for the guy that wants to look good on a bike in jeans; Why not invest in a pair of dragging jeans they look as good as normal jeans and don't cost a fortune.



Since you were the only one so far that has answered the question as a person who does not go AGATT... Out of curisity why not go AGATT? I appriciate that its a personal choice.

Sometimes I just can't be bothered gearing up, if I'm just going to the shop I can't be bothered with the extra time putting everything on. If it's one of the 5 days of Summer then gear is minimal. It's nothing got to do with thinking nothing will happen "just down the road", I just sometimes can't be bothered. It's also nothing got to do with thinking I'm invincible, I had a fairly serious off 6 months ago and it just so happened I was all geared up at the time, I still got wrecked.

Pictures and videos won't change most people's minds. Show a picture of a pair of lungs after 40 years of smoking to a smoker and they won't give up. It's just personal choice. Absolutely nothing to do with an "image" - that argument can be flipped against Harley riders who wear everything HD down to their socks and sportsbike riders who wear the full matching one piece, for example, a repsol rider, i.e. they're only wearing the matching gear for their "image".

I know you're not wagging the finger but to those who do, we're all born with one mammy, nobody needs a second.

Wossack

wouldnt mind a pair of draggin's alright

in reality, Ive only not worn full gear, maybe 4 times in the last 3 years - and that would have been full gear, and just normal jeans, just to pop to the shops <5km to get milk, or have a few pints (kidding!)


reckon the ATGATT is primarily an americanism - and probably rightfully.. flipflops and shorts type malarky, which even I (with the aforementioned zen like state of personal choice :P) have some umbrage with hah

Wossack

Wossack wrote: »

wouldnt mind a pair of draggin's alright
just to pop to the shops <5km to get milk, or have a few pints (kidding!)

And I feel guilty going 800m to the petrol station from my birds gaff!

only done it once or twice.Once to get a donner kebab!:)
Doesnt feel right at all

bradknowell

pixiebean22 wrote: »

No and no.

Same here. Fair play to people if they wanna ATGATT but I just dont.

blu3r0ri0n

I hope you dont mind, going to break down your original post to make it easier to follow!

pixiebean22 wrote: »

Sometimes I just can't be bothered gearing up, if I'm just going to the shop I can't be bothered with the extra time putting everything on. If it's one of the 5 days of Summer then gear is minimal. It's nothing got to do with thinking nothing will happen "just down the road", I just sometimes can't be bothered. It's also nothing got to do with thinking I'm invincible, I had a fairly serious off 6 months ago and it just so happened I was all geared up at the time, I still got wrecked.

I personally could not have that attitude and would have thought that off would make you change your mind, everyone is different I suppose, I have two kids, one of them is only an infant, and a wife to think about as I am the only one working at the moment and if I can minimise the damage both personal and financial (how much does a skin graft cost these days?) in order to be able to get back to supporting my family as soon as possible. If I was single and young I could have a diferent opinion, not a reflection on anyone who doesnt go AGATT.

Don't you think the outcome of that would have been a lot worse if you didn’t have the gear on? The gear is there to minimise the damage rather than completely prevent it, an accident is an incident in an uncontrolled environment whit many variables and there is very little the manufacturers can do to truly account for every eventuality.

Also one key thing that everyone seems to forget is that the gear is also there to protect you from the elements, ok some might sight toughen up etc. however, consider this: do you have the same level of concentration you would if you are riding without adequate protection against the elements. We are all vulnerable enough as it is with full concentration and not being protected against the ice cold wind, the occasional rock/bee/bird that hits you square on in the chest or the 4$$hole that throws crushed can of drink out the window that hit you on the shin while you are doing 100Kph.

pixiebean22 wrote: »

Pictures and videos won't change most people's minds.

Maybe not everyone but majority of them wil, if it changes one person’s mind and they benefit from it then that’s good enough as far as I am concerned.

pixiebean22 wrote: »

Show a picture of a pair of lungs after 40 years of smoking to a smoker and they won't give up.

I don’t think that’s a fair comparison to make, smoking is an addiction. Biking is too in a way but it’s out of context in this thread.

pixiebean22 wrote: »

It's just personal choice. Absolutely nothing to do with an "image" - that argument can be flipped against Harley riders who wear everything HD down to their socks and sportsbike riders who wear the full matching one piece, for example, a repsol rider, i.e. they're only wearing the matching gear for their "image".

I agree with you it is a personal choice, however, that doesn’t always necessarily mean the right choice, not everyone looks good in a repsol suite! :P

pixiebean22 wrote: »

I know you're not wagging the finger but to those who do, we're all born with one mammy, nobody needs a second.

+1 I just wanted a fair and interesting thread …also I was curious of what opinions/reasons people had.

daenerysstormborn3

blu3r0ri0n wrote: »

I hope you dont mind, going to break down your original post to make it easier to follow!



I personally could not have that attitude and would have thought that off would make you change your mind, everyone is different I suppose, I have two kids, one of them is only an infant, and a wife to think about as I am the only one working at the moment and if I can minimise the damage both personal and financial (how much does a skin graft cost these days?) in order to be able to get back to supporting my family as soon as possible. If I was single and young I could have a diferent opinion, not a reflection on anyone who doesnt go AGATT.

Don't you think the outcome of that would have been a lot worse if you didn’t have the gear on? The gear is there to minimise the damage rather than completely prevent it, an accident is an incident in an uncontrolled environment whit many variables and there is very little the manufacturers can do to truly account for every eventuality.

Also one key thing that everyone seems to forget is that the gear is also there to protect you from the elements, ok some might sight toughen up etc. however, consider this: do you have the same level of concentration you would if you are riding without adequate protection against the elements. We are all vulnerable enough as it is with full concentration and not being protected against the ice cold wind, the occasional rock/bee/bird that hits you square on in the chest or the 4$$hole that throws crushed can of drink out the window that hit you on the shin while you are doing 100Kph.


Maybe not everyone but majority of them wil, if it changes one person’s mind and they benefit from it then that’s good enough as far as I am concerned.



I don’t think that’s a fair comparison to make, smoking is an addiction. Biking is too in a way but it’s out of context in this thread.

I agree with you it is a personal choice, however, that doesn’t always necessarily mean the right choice, not everyone looks good in a repsol suite! :P


+1 I just wanted a fair and interesting thread …also I was curious of what opinions/reasons people had.

I missed 6 months of work because of my off and I was wearing all the gear at the time and I'm still wrecked. I had to return to work because I was told I'd have to wait another 18 months before my injuries even begin to settle down. I don't know if the outcome would've been worse or better, if we're going to go down the road of what-ifs, if I had only been wearing jeans on the day of the crash, I would've left work earlier and therefore would've passed the point of the hit before the van reached it so then there would've been no crash to speak of.

I know the gear is there to minimise the damage, I still couldn't be bothered sometimes. I don't think people realise that just because you don't wear ATGATT that doesn't mean you don't understand it's benefits, yeah, it's great and it partly did it's job when I had my off but I still just couldn't be bothered sometimes.

I don't think anyone that rides a bike is unaware of the protection afforded to them by wearing textiles but at the end of the day, if someone wants to wear jeans in lashing rain and freezing cold then good for them and leave them off.

I don't think anybody has the right to judge anybody else on whether they are making the "right choice" on something that is not a legal requirement. It shouldn't even be debated about as much as it seems to be.

To be honest, I don't see why anybody should have to give a reason, it is personal choice. That is what these threads always boil down to, personal choice. It is the personal choice of some to gear up and it is the personal choice of the rest not to.

The ATGATT brigade seem to believe that if you don't wear ATGATT then you are unaware of its benefits or you've never had a serious off or you think you're invincible and that a lesson needs to be given in the benefits of its wearing. Incorrect. I am on bikes years, I don't need a lesson in what's good for me and what's not, it's bad enough that the gardai think they can lecture you and threaten you over not wearing ATGATT without fellow bikers feeling they also possess this power (again, this is not directed specifically at you).

bradknowell

pixiebean22 wrote: »

I missed 6 months of work because of my off and I was wearing all the gear at the time and I'm still wrecked. I had to return to work because I was told I'd have to wait another 18 months before my injuries even begin to settle down. I don't know if the outcome would've been worse or better, if we're going to go down the road of what-ifs, if I had only been wearing jeans on the day of the crash, I would've left work earlier and therefore would've passed the point of the hit before the van reached it so then there would've been no crash to speak of.

I know the gear is there to minimise the damage, I still couldn't be bothered sometimes. I don't think people realise that just because you don't wear ATGATT that doesn't mean you don't understand it's benefits, yeah, it's great and it partly did it's job when I had my off but I still just couldn't be bothered sometimes.

I don't think anyone that rides a bike is unaware of the protection afforded to them by wearing textiles but at the end of the day, if someone wants to wear jeans in lashing rain and freezing cold then good for them and leave them off.

I don't think anybody has the right to judge anybody else on whether they are making the "right choice" on something that is not a legal requirement. It shouldn't even be debated about as much as it seems to be.

To be honest, I don't see why anybody should have to give a reason, it is personal choice. That is what these threads always boil down to, personal choice. It is the personal choice of some to gear up and it is the personal choice of the rest not to.

The ATGATT brigade seem to believe that if you don't wear ATGATT then you are unaware of its benefits or you've never had a serious off or you think you're invincible and that a lesson needs to be given in the benefits of its wearing. Incorrect. I am on bikes years, I don't need a lesson in what's good for me and what's not, it's bad enough that the gardai think they can lecture you and threaten you over not wearing ATGATT without fellow bikers feeling they also possess this power (again, this is not directed specifically at you).

here Here pixie.
every forum seems to throw this debate up a lot. both sides end up agreeing its down to personal choice then the ATGATT people just slyly mention , oh btw how much is a skin graft these days?.

I wear a jacket all the time, put on the leather pants if its pissing out, or I want to show my lovely tush off to the ladies. Apart from that , the lid is always on. I know bla bla bla my hands are freezing never wearing gloves and my skin will rip off bla bla bla but luckily for whoever has a problem with that, it will be my skin and not your's.

Please Kill Me

I wear ATGATT, I have done from day one and I probably always will do. The exception being if it's a warm summer day (remember them?) and I need to nip down to the shop for smokes or something. I'll stick on a lid and go. I'd just have combats and a vest top and a lid, and it might be stupid but it's not far. If, however, I'm going to work or for a spin with a few heads, I'll gear up every time.

This made me think though....

pixiebean22 wrote: »

...if I had only been wearing jeans on the day of the crash, I would've left work earlier and therefore would've passed the point of the hit before the van reached it so then there would've been no crash to speak of....

Similarly I had an off recently. For all the gear I had on, I still broke my collarbone in 4 places and have a dodgy shoulderblade. If I didn't take ten minutes to gear up, I would have passed the point of where I had the accident ten minutes before the car was where it shouldn't have been.

But it comes down to personal choice and I don't see why anybody should give someone else a hard time because they do or don't wear their gear. Each to their own.

Just ride safe!

blu3r0ri0n

pixiebean22 wrote: »

I missed 6 months of work because of my off and I was wearing all the gear at the time and I'm still wrecked. I had to return to work because I was told I'd have to wait another 18 months before my injuries even begin to settle down. ).

Ouch, sorry to hear that!!

pixiebean22 wrote: »

I don't know if the outcome would've been worse or better, if we're going to go down the road of what-ifs, if I had only been wearing jeans on the day of the crash, I would've left work earlier and therefore would've passed the point of the hit before the van reached it so then there would've been no crash to speak of.

I wasn’t playing the what if game, just trying to establish if it would have made a difference in the event of an accident

pixiebean22 wrote: »

I know the gear is there to minimise the damage, I still couldn't be bothered sometimes. I don't think people realise that just because you don't wear ATGATT that doesn't mean you don't understand it's benefits, yeah, it's great and it partly did it's job when I had my off but I still just couldn't be bothered sometimes.
Don’t think anyone that rides a bike is unaware of the protection afforded to them by wearing textiles but at the end of the day, if someone wants to wear jeans in lashing rain and freezing cold then good for them and leave them off.

That’s not entirely the point I was trying to make, since I started riding I met a lot of new riders who have not considered the benefits of adequate protection against the elements which minimised the effect it has on your concentration– when I started off I hadn’t considered that aspect of the gear I always thought about it as a layer of protection during an off – It just came up in conversation I’m not the type that would preach to others and I respect peoples personal choices.

pixiebean22 wrote: »

I don't think anybody has the right to judge anybody else on whether they are making the "right choice" on something that is not a legal requirement. It shouldn't even be debated about as much as it seems to be.

I am not passing judgement on anyone here, however, I am doing this for the benefit of new riders so that they consider all the facts before making a decision, I certainly wish someone had talked to me about it when I bought first bike and rode around with bear minimum gear.

pixiebean22 wrote: »

To be honest, I don't see why anybody should have to give a reason, it is personal choice. That is what these threads always boil down to, personal choice. It is the personal choice of some to gear up and it is the personal choice of the rest not to.

I appreciate that you did give a reason and I did reiterate the point that I understand it’s a personal choice, however, every choice has a reason behind people just don’t randomly go around making choices without considering the consequences and I wanted to understand the logic behind it.

pixiebean22 wrote: »

The ATGATT brigade seem to believe that if you don't wear ATGATT then you are unaware of its benefits or you've never had a serious off or you think you're invincible and that a lesson needs to be given in the benefits of its wearing. Incorrect. I am on bikes years, I don't need a lesson in what's good for me and what's not, it's bad enough that the gardai think they can lecture you and threaten you over not wearing ATGATT without fellow bikers feeling they also possess this power (again, this is not directed specifically at you).

That does go on yes, however, I am not one of them.

bradknowell wrote: »

here Here pixie.
every forum seems to throw this debate up a lot. both sides end up agreeing its down to personal choice then the ATGATT people just slyly mention , oh btw how much is a skin graft these days?.

I wear a jacket all the time, put on the leather pants if its pissing out, or I want to show my lovely tush off to the ladies. Apart from that , the lid is always on. I know bla bla bla my hands are freezing never wearing gloves and my skin will rip off bla bla bla but luckily for whoever has a problem with that, it will be my skin and not your's.

Nothing wrong with a healthy deabte , its only good when constructive comments are made though.

Cienciano

blu3r0ri0n wrote: »

Do you do AGATT and if you dont; will reading the above article and seeing the damage change your mind?

Same as pixiebean, no and no.
Didn't even click the link. Not interested in seeing any offs where people get injured, or just the photos of the injuries themselves. Gear or no gear.

Reason I don't do AGATT is that I can't be arsed. Always wear a jacket and gloves, but the bottoms and boots take to long to put on. If it's raining, or looks like it's about to rain, I'll do it. Or if I'm going for a long drive and it's cold.
Not putting on all the gear to do a 5 minute drive down to the shops though.

BrokenArrows

In the UK I pretty much gear up all the time. PMGUATT.

However when I was in France for a few weeks during the summer I found myself riding in shorts and a t shirt. The gear was killing me in 30 degree heat.

Cienciano

I remember renting a bike in Nevada, jacket was extra. I said I'd take one so went in the back to pick one. Put it on and it was unbearably hot. Came out and told the guy at the counter that I wouldn't take a jacket. He said he didn't even put it on the invoice, no one takes a jacket
If I lived somewhere hot I'd have a warm weather jacket.

Pipz

I think the best quote on this topic I've ever heard is "I'd rather have to have a shower than a skin graft."

That's exactly what I think to myself every time I think it's too hot to wear my full gear. I'd rather be a little uncomfortable and sweat and have a shower later, than if I did have an off, and be a LOT more uncomfortable with a skin graft. Same thing if I'm just heading down the road. Is it worth a skin graft to save 5 minutes of time getting ready? Answer for me is absolutely not.

I've been around bikes my whole life and seen so many different injuries etc, that I'd never feel safe if I wasnt wearing AGATT.

But hey, different strokes for different folks. I can see the appealing side too, it just wouldn't be appealing enough to me.

KingIsabella

Gloves, jacket and helmet obviously always! If im going to work or college its usually jeans, if the kevlars are out of the wash theyll get a wear. but if im going for a spin or a good blast then definitly gear up.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Cienciano wrote: »

Same as pixiebean, no and no.
Didn't even click the link. Not interested in seeing any offs where people get injured, or just the photos of the injuries themselves. Gear or no gear.

Reason I don't do AGATT is that I can't be arsed. Always wear a jacket and gloves, but the bottoms and boots take to long to put on. If it's raining, or looks like it's about to rain, I'll do it. Or if I'm going for a long drive and it's cold.
Not putting on all the gear to do a 5 minute drive down to the shops though.

Sum's up my biking too.. Mostly I just can't be arsed.

And tbh I've fallen off the bike wearing everything from combats to proper biking gear and there's been no significant difference.

I've never been able to afford leathers so can't comment on them for everyday wear.

Btw I didn't view the articule and honestly it wouldn't change my mind if I did.

Cuddlesworth

As long as you are aware of the possible damage to your tendons(hand and ankle primarliy) and that skin grafts still just don't work as a solution to large amounts of lost skin, then go ahead. There are a lot of things in my life that I'm not arsed doing but my gear isn't one of them.

If I want to pop five minutes into the shop then I will take the car. And I have never been too hot in this country for a full set of textiles with the vents open.

Cienciano

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

As long as you are aware of the possible damage to your tendons(hand and ankle primarliy) and that skin grafts still just don't work as a solution to large amounts of lost skin, then go ahead. There are a lot of things in my life that I'm not arsed doing but my gear isn't one of them.

If I want to pop five minutes into the shop then I will take the car. And I have never been too hot in this country for a full set of textiles with the vents open.

I dont have a car.
Ive yet to meet a agatt biker that just has a bike and uses it for everything

daenerysstormborn3

Cienciano wrote: »

I dont have a car.
Ive yet to meet a agatt biker that just has a bike and uses it for everything

+1. I also don't have a car and use my bike for everything, I live a 2.5 hour walk from the nearest town with no public transport available to me (unless I want to walk 40 minutes to the nearest bus stop and then take 2 buses to get to where I want to go). As has been said numerous times, sometimes you just can't be arsed gearing up every single time you have to nip out.