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riding jersey/pants for looks only?
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Posted by: Dede---------------------

I was reading in a dirtbike magazine review about one of the brands of riding jersey/pant clothing and it said that they really are all just about name brand and looks only. Is this true. It got me thinking, do they provide any sort of protection or are they just for racing purposes? I think they do look cool though but I just ride trail and can't picture spending $100.00 or more if they are just going to rip if a tree branch or something hits it. I prefer wearing jeans anyway. So are riding pants needed or not?

Posted by: WaltCMoto---------------------

My jeans dont have hip padding, venting to keep me cooler or a liner that wisks away sweat. And I havent ripped any yet in or out of the trees. If ya shop the clearance racks, you can also find top gear for cheap (last years models). I can move around a little more freely with riding pants than with jeans, which get a little on the klingy side when wet. but if your happy, thats all that really matters.

Posted by: NGE---------------------

they aren't needed.... but they do add protection... I have ripped riding pants, but it saved my a**, literally...

Most riding pants are cordura nylon or a similar substance, and they are very difficult to rip, which saves your skin sometimes...

Jeans get hot, get wet and stay that way, and don't move with your body like riding pants do.... riding pants have some padding and resist abrasion, they also allow for knee pads beneath...

That being said, I rode for 10 years without them.... (if your budget is limited, get the other safety gear first.... helmet, gloves, boots, roost guard, knee pads, elbow pads... in that order IMO)

Posted by: Michelle---------------------

A guy we used to ride with when we started out was wearing jeans. He went over a whoop wrong & landed on his collarbone (broke) and a stick punctured his leg. Had he been wearing riding pants, I doubt the injury would've been that bad - it went about 1" (maybe more) into his leg. It was nasty.

I also remember I'd keep one pair of jeans for riding in as that way I wouldn't have to buy a new pair each week. I don't wear the hip pads. I also remember a ride I went on, where I basically did the splits wearing my new riding pants & thought I heard them rip. If they did, I still don't know where as there was no sign of anything wrong.

We're trailriders (well, I am) and wear as much safety gear as possible (these days I'm hardly wearing knee guards or kidney belt - my knee guards give me a severe rash which distracts me & kidney belt just seems to be forgotten). I've almost thought about just wearing jeans occasionally but do end up changing properly. The shirts you could get away with a long sleeve one (I don't own any other than my riding shirts) as I don't feel they offer any protection. I just find them comfortable.

I went riding the other week & couldn't figure out why I felt uncomfortable until I realised later in the day i'd been riding without my roost protector. I'd just been hitting boring gravel road & been rushing to get to where I had to be by a certain time & just plain forgot. However, I'd ensured I'd been wearing my riding pants even though I knew I'd have to ride all this dull gravel. I just don't feel comfortable on the bike without them. Gavin really taught me about the fact that it wasn't just looks, it's more protection.

Elbow guards I've only worn over there but I'm more likely to land on my knees than elbows. Boots I wouldn't even contemplate riding without, they're lumped in with helmet, just not replaced as often.

The other "safety" gear to get is a camelbak. I went riding without mine on Saturday & quickly regretted it. It's invaluable after dropping the bike (plenty of practice here) or waiting for friends to get out of a sticky situation (should that read waiting to get yourself into a sticky situation after friends have got themselves out of it?)

The only reason I stopped wearing the pants I first got isn't fashion, it's ummm, they don't fit too good these days (yeah, I got fat but I'm losing it again I think). As for ripping if a tree branch attacks them, it depends on the brand/model & tree branch. None of mine have got holes in them from branches & I do crash often. I also do a lot of bush crashing.
Hope that helps some chica

Michelle

Posted by: gwcrim---------------------

I was a jeans wearer when I was young and mom did all my laundry. But wifey complains a lot more about dirty clothes than ol' ma did. So I shopped the online stores and found a pair of 'last years' pants for $26 delivered to my doorstep. A while later I got a whole 'ensemble' of pants, gloves, and a jersey for about $50.

$50 is about what a new pair of Levi's cost. I'd rather keep them nice for dress up occasions.

Posted by: Dede---------------------

Thanks for the advice & stories. I was just reading a post in the women's forum from fc22 about how important it is to have the boots. Now reading you Michelle say it also means I really should be wearing them. For riding pants I was asking about a pair of MSR ISDE that are 100% water proof. Although gwcrim that's a cool deal for $50. That's just another cool thing about this website, reading all the reviews & experiences w/ gear & protection. It's great for a newbie.

Posted by: splatt---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dede

I was just reading a post in the women's forum from fc22 about how important it is to have the boots. Now reading you Michelle say it also means I really should be wearing them.

My last serious crash I hit my shin on a rock pretty bad. If I hadn't been wearing MX boots I probably would've broken my leg as it was I had a huge knot on my leg. My ribs on the other hand were severely bruised from not having a chest protector.

Steve

Posted by: ScottS---------------------

The one time I didn't wear my knee cups in my pants I hit my front brake lever on a small tree and slapped into the ground at a god clip- knee first, into a good size rock. That was 10 years ago- i still feel it .

Lessons learned- use handguards ,wear knee cups (if not , then a knee brace with a patella protector )

Posted by: jirvine---------------------

I made two of the dumb mistakes listed above, just yesterday. Forgot my 661 body armor and the camelback. It was just a short ride until my daughter dumped her bike, flooded it, couldn't get the new plug threaded in smooth, finally got it running again but was hot and cussin by then. Wear it all. For some nice cheap gear go to Sierratradingpost.com, outdoor gear, knee protectors etc.

Posted by: KX02---------------------

I get used to always wearing my gear same as a seat belt. You can score pants really cheap and they are much better to move around on the bike and come with hip pads. Plus I wear Nike knee pads under mine. From the types of crashed I've done I'd say the knee pads are the most important thing after the obvious helmet and goggles. Of course I never ride without my Alpinstars, you don't even have to crash to really hurt your feet or ankles.

Posted by: LoriKTM---------------------

Boots are a must, along with the helmet and goggles. From there, you just increase your wardrobe as you need to. I think I could wear a full suit of armor and still get bruised. Shoot, I was riding on a fast ATV-wide uphill a few weeks ago. Going around a corner, and it was slick hardpack. The rear wheel shoots out before I know it, and the bike spins around and I slam my left knee into the ground (and a rock, I think). I had boots AND my knee pads on, and my knee is still sore to the touch 3 weeks later!

One of my first riding episodes was on my husband's XT350 dual sport. I had only the helmet at the time, and a pair of work boots. I got squirrely going up over a small hill, and it spit me off and I landed on my right shin. THAT didn't heal up for 6 weeks, I think.

Dede, I have some older gear (pants & jersey,worn very little) that I'd be willing to send you. Send me an email at lskennl [at] aol.com if you're interested.

Posted by: Sourstraw---------------------

I started riding wearing jeans and work boots, now I have tons of gear - including a riding outfit and a Dainese body armour suit that I wear under my riding gear. I can't believe that I ever rode only wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt - not smart! Espescially the bit about the work boots. I was riding on a really technical trail, I surfed across a log and my bike pinned my shin to the log, OUCH it KILLED!!!!! Luckily, no broken bones, but it I had been wearing boots, I would only have gotten a little bruise instead of a nasty gash/bruise/swelling. Now I look like the Michelin Man when I go riding because of all the padding I wear... ha ha...

Stacy

Posted by: Shig---------------------

Back when I was a wee-spode, I looped out a fourth-gear wheelie on asphalt while wearing jeans. When I bum-planted on the road, the seat of my jeans dissintigrated. I had a nice raspberry patch on the ol' moon for several weeks, and I havn't ridden in jeans since.

Posted by: jirvine---------------------

I get a good laugh when I hear people say they wear jeans for protection. They offer protection again small bug splatter but not much against the evil forces of asphaly (or rocks,dirt,cactus, etc.)

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riding jersey/pants for looks only?

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