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Is the rider jacket really necessary?


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You could use a motorcycle jacket (with built-in armour) which would be good for the colder months, or a jacket with sewn-in armour with a motocross T-shirt over the top for warmer months. I will be using both options. Don't forget wrist guards!

This is very similar to the armour I have - and it's much easier to slip on than separate elbow/shoulder/back/chest pads. I used mine for MTB in France in summer (with an MX jersey - has lots of tiny holes in it) and although still hot, it was the coolest way I could ride but still have protection.

https://www.dirtbikexpress.co.uk/body_protection/motocross_body_protection/ufo_motocross_body_protection/ufo_scorpion_body_armour

 

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+1 for the jacket.

I have a motorcycle jacket out of abrasion resistant tissue. You don't look like robocop when wearing it, and it contains all the protection you need. Easy to take on and off, much easier than installing all protection individually on your upper body.

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3 hours ago, ir_fuel said:

+1 for the jacket.

I have a motorcycle jacket out of abrasion resistant tissue. You don't look like robocop when wearing it, and it contains all the protection you need. Easy to take on and off, much easier than installing all protection individually on your upper body.

Link to jacket? 

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I noticed you're in SoCal like me. I use an Icon Mesh AF Jacket for most of the year. It's basically 3D0 armor held by a super light mesh jacket. I just wear what I normally wear and throw the jacket on top and I'm good to go.

For these colder days I use a more stylish jacket from Roland Sands Design. 

These two items basically cover me throughout the year. All of them have armor slots!

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1 hour ago, tihoa said:

I noticed you're in SoCal like me. I use an Icon Mesh AF Jacket for most of the year. It's basically 3D0 armor held by a super light mesh jacket. I just wear what I normally wear and throw the jacket on top and I'm good to go.

For these colder days I use a more stylish jacket from Roland Sands Design. 

These two items basically cover me throughout the year. All of them have armor slots!

I was looking at that jacket earlier (the black one, but maybe white too). So you've worn that in the hot weather any it's comfortable? Also, does the padding seem sufficient, and does it stay in place? I'm particularly concerned about having good shoulder protection.

Thanks.

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25 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I was looking at that jacket earlier (the black one, but maybe white too). So you've worn that in the hot weather any it's comfortable? Also, does the padding seem sufficient, and does it stay in place? I'm particularly concerned about having good shoulder protection.

Thanks.

The Icon Mesh AF jacket feels like a hi-viz safety vest a crossing guard wears. It feels plasticy against the skin (I wore a t-shirt under the jacket only when it was super hot) but I wouldn't call it uncomfortable. It's super breathable with zero heat retention, the thing is all mesh, people can clearly see what you're wearing underneath it. I wear a size larger so it goes over all my normal clothes, there's adjustment tabs that allows it to still hug you so the armor stays in place. It's not for cold weather though because it won't fit over a leather jacket or 3 layers of thick long sleeves, the arms just weren't built for that.

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2 hours ago, tihoa said:

The Icon Mesh AF jacket feels like a hi-viz safety vest a crossing guard wears. It feels plasticy against the skin (I wore a t-shirt under the jacket only when it was super hot) but I wouldn't call it uncomfortable. It's super breathable with zero heat retention, the thing is all mesh, people can clearly see what you're wearing underneath it. I wear a size larger so it goes over all my normal clothes, there's adjustment tabs that allows it to still hug you so the armor stays in place. It's not for cold weather though because it won't fit over a leather jacket or 3 layers of thick long sleeves, the arms just weren't built for that.

Can you talk a little about the armor, since that's what's most important to me? Is it quality armor of a substantial nature? Thanks.

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17 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Can you talk a little about the armor, since that's what's most important to me? Is it quality armor of a substantial nature? Thanks.

For sure! It uses D3O armor, it's that orange stuff that gets stiff and absorbs force with hard impacts but is totally soft and flexible during normal use. This stuff is also featured on your Flexmeter Wrist Guards as well as a bunch of mountain biking gear. I only have experience with 2 types of armor so far: D3O (orange) and Knox Microlock (yellow) both of them have CE Level 1 ratings. The Microlock feels softer and its worn in the armor pockets of my moto-jacket, it blends in well with the shape of my body. The D3O is on my mesh jacket and it has a more traditional "over-the-body armor" feel which is perfectly fine since I'm wearing that one over my normal clothes. They've both held up the same so far but I have less than a year of riding under my belt. Right now the moto-jacket with Knox Microlock is getting a lot more use during these colder months. People online tend to sway toward the Knox Microlock being superior to D3O since it's a newer technology and they've labeled it as an improvement. I personally feel like they perform the same task, with a slightly different feel on each. And I don't have any long term evidence to prove otherwise.

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6 hours ago, tihoa said:

For sure! It uses D3O armor, it's that orange stuff that gets stiff and absorbs force with hard impacts but is totally soft and flexible during normal use. This stuff is also featured on your Flexmeter Wrist Guards as well as a bunch of mountain biking gear. I only have experience with 2 types of armor so far: D3O (orange) and Knox Microlock (yellow) both of them have CE Level 1 ratings. The Microlock feels softer and its worn in the armor pockets of my moto-jacket, it blends in well with the shape of my body. The D3O is on my mesh jacket and it has a more traditional "over-the-body armor" feel which is perfectly fine since I'm wearing that one over my normal clothes. They've both held up the same so far but I have less than a year of riding under my belt. Right now the moto-jacket with Knox Microlock is getting a lot more use during these colder months. People online tend to sway toward the Knox Microlock being superior to D3O since it's a newer technology and they've labeled it as an improvement. I personally feel like they perform the same task, with a slightly different feel on each. And I don't have any long term evidence to prove otherwise.

Thank you!

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5 minutes ago, IRK said:

I just ordered this jacket which is similar. 

 

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-eclipse-jacket

Yeah, I was just looking at that too - it's in my Revzilla Wishlist :)

Let me know what you think of it when you get it, in particular the quality and fit of the protective padding.

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3 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Yeah, I was just looking at that too - it's in my Revzilla Wishlist :)

Let me know what you think of it when you get it, in particular the quality and fit of the protective padding.

Will do!

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On 2/20/2019 at 1:44 PM, Darrell Wesh said:

They are very convenient. You just slip them on and plus you get abrasion resistance on your whole body , something individual guards don’t give you. 

Abrasion is the key word here.

You don't "need" a jacket for riding, but at higher speeds it really makes sense to wear one. Above 30kph abrasion is really bad and a jacket is a really good idea. Everyone thinks about broken bones and torn muscles, but abrasion is the silent killer.

I had a simple, nothing-special crash at around 30kph and the pavement rubbed through 3 layers of clothes and still got my arm (a bit). Thank God it was in winter. Might have ended really horribly in summer.

You probably don't need one with a C+, but as said, they are easy to wear, so why not!

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57 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Abrasion is the key word here.

You don't "need" a jacket for riding, but at higher speeds it really makes sense to wear one. Above 30kph abrasion is really bad and a jacket is a really good idea. Everyone thinks about broken bones and torn muscles, but abrasion is the silent killer.

I had a simple, nothing-special crash at around 30kph and the pavement rubbed through 3 layers of clothes and still got my arm (a bit). Thank God it was in winter. Might have ended really horribly in summer.

You probably don't need one with a C+, but as said, they are easy to wear, so why not!

Even slower than that and there’s abrasion that can scar for years. 10mph on my Segway mini and I collided with a curb that was too high and threw me off and I got abrasion on my shoulder I had skidded on. Left an ugly scar that hasn’t healed in over a year. 

So Yeah, I’m at a loss as to why people only wear impact protection and ride around in thin t-shirts but full face helmets and skate pads. It’s not a good look when you have to wear long sleeves everyday to hide arm abrasion or when your back gets abraded so you can no longer sleep on your backside at night. 

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I'm a big fan of the very heavy leather Joe Rocket jackets, which come in a variety of protection ranging from no protection (I have that jacket) to hard and soft armor nearly everywhere.

They are between $200 and $400. 

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/joe-rocket-old-school-leather-jacket

(I have the one in red)

There's a lot of overlap between armor for impact and armor for abrasion, because all armor designed for impacts give you some abrasion resistance, and all armor for abrasion (read leather) gives you some impact resistance.

In my opinion any smooth leather jacket, unbuttoned and unzipped, is just fine for the majority of EUC crashes. The energy needed to dissipate is easily shedded by any leather jacket, although those same energy levels will easily shred your skin.

I think all three textile jackets for the road are also just fine for EUC crashes, and are probably far better for EUCs since they have armor and cooling.

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18 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Even slower than that and there’s abrasion that can scar for years. 10mph on my Segway mini and I collided with a curb that was too high and threw me off and I got abrasion on my shoulder I had skidded on. Left an ugly scar that hasn’t healed in over a year. 

So Yeah, I’m at a loss as to why people only wear impact protection and ride around in thin t-shirts but full face helmets and skate pads. It’s not a good look when you have to wear long sleeves everyday to hide arm abrasion or when your back gets abraded so you can no longer sleep on your backside at night. 

wow, i thanks for the info, i think i'll buy a jacket then!

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I am getting ready to buy my first wheel, and I'm trying to learn about the best way to be safe as a new rider. I live a small town with 25mph roads, mostly, so with a good head on my shoulders I shouldn't run afoul of too many cars. I've been riding motorcycles and bikes for years, so I'm used to being a vulnerable road user and staying alert, pretending I am invisible, etc. 

Where that leaves me is protective equipment. I have my motorcycle helmet, jacket, and gloves that I'll use for sure when learning to ride. I plan to get some kneepads too. The streets around here are chip-seal pavement, and I would really NOT relish going down on it at speed- so keeping things protected will be key. My question is whether y'all think I can drop back the protective equipment level once I get more experienced and confident on the wheel. I plan to wear a helmet always, but I can't imagine donning my motorcycle jacket, knee pads, and wrist pads every time I want to zip a few blocks away. What are people's opinions on this?

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1 hour ago, ElectricNed said:

My question is whether y'all think I can drop back the protective equipment level once I get more experienced and confident on the wheel. I plan to wear a helmet always, but I can't imagine donning my motorcycle jacket, knee pads, and wrist pads every time I want to zip a few blocks away. What are people's opinions on this?

I’m probably not the best guy to answer your question objectively. Most of the forum members that have sustained injuries have been riding for a number of years. It’s when you become experienced and confident that the unfortunate happens.

I’m pleased that you consider the helmet a priority. Wrist guards should be on that priority list as well.  If you impact your elbow during a fall the forces empirically travel upwards to the shoulder. Knees are also vulnerable joints. Best wishes. 

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10 hours ago, ElectricNed said:

Where that leaves me is protective equipment. I have my motorcycle helmet, jacket, and gloves that I'll use for sure when learning to ride. I plan to get some kneepads too. The streets around here are chip-seal pavement, and I would really NOT relish going down on it at speed- so keeping things protected will be key. My question is whether y'all think I can drop back the protective equipment level once I get more experienced and confident on the wheel. I plan to wear a helmet always, but I can't imagine donning my motorcycle jacket, knee pads, and wrist pads every time I want to zip a few blocks away. What are people's opinions on this?

For learning to ride, you need the least equipment and can easily get away with no equipment (or at most wrist guards). You're too slow (like 20kph max) for really serious injuries, unless you have a super unlucky fall and break your wrists or so (but even that wouldn't be serious serious, just unpleasant serious). All you might have to worry about at this stage is your shins.

The faster, the more gear is appropriate. Simple as that. So you shouldn't drop equipment with time, rather the opposite. People tend to gear up with experience (not just because of higher speeds, but because they ride more and think more "what if x happened now...?" and don't like the result of the thought experiment).

Wrist guards are by far the #1 priority with EUCs. Don't bother with soft gloves, hard plastic slide plates of some kind are important here. Wrist guards whenever you ride, if only for a single meter.

Knee guards and a (full face) helmet come second.

Isn't the jacket is the least problematic part? You put it on and if it has shoulder/elbow/whatever protection, it's quick and easy and offers comprehensive protection. If it isn't too hot, what reason not to just wear it?

Also, once you ride with gear, you might very well feel unsafe going back to less gear. I started with nothing, then wrist guards, then knee guards, finally a helmet, and I wouldn't have wanted to go back to less protection at every point, even though no crash happened (except one where the cheapo wrist guards clearly saved my hands from God knows what and I upgraded to better ones).

In short, start with less (wrist guards only - always use wrist guards, period) and add with time the more you realize what could happen without gear, or just start right away with the gear you luckily already have.

I'd say, for learning to ride, only use wrist guards. A helmet might be too hot for the sweaty initial phase and put you off. Once you can stay on the wheel and actually ride semi-relaxedly instead of going from step-off to step-off, the rest of the gear comes on and stays there:) Or start with everything if you don't mind. Go with your instincts there.

But dropping gear with time is the wrong approach, unless it's occasionally for a slow (key word) and short supermarket run or such (wrist guards only is ok then). Most falls are just plain bad luck (even if they theoretically could have been prevented by "better" riding), so the chance of a crash is not about your riding skills and experience, and the faster you are, the worse it will be without protection.

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15 hours ago, ElectricNed said:

Where that leaves me is protective equipment. I have my motorcycle helmet, jacket, and gloves that I'll use for sure when learning to ride. I plan to get some kneepads too. The streets around here are chip-seal pavement, and I would really NOT relish going down on it at speed- so keeping things protected will be key. My question is whether y'all think I can drop back the protective equipment level once I get more experienced and confident on the wheel. I plan to wear a helmet always, but I can't imagine donning my motorcycle jacket, knee pads, and wrist pads every time I want to zip a few blocks away. What are people's opinions on this?

I started with the belief that all I needed was a helmet to prevent the worst case scenario, and soon added wrist, elbow and knee guards. Now I’m on my 3rd and hopefully final round of upgrades.  I’ve gone with the full Fox Racing MTB Titan jacket, Scorpion EXO full face helmet, ESGLS Tactical Gloves, Killer 187 wrist guards, and Fox Racing Titan knee/shin guards.  I commute about 10 miles each way in urban LA so I have a bunch of lights and other gear to help with visibility, Rearvis rear view mirror, etc. 

I'm not a young man any longer, at 47, and feel better with protection. I’m somewhat aggressive with a long history of riding bikes, mountain bikes, motorcycles, skiing, and whatever else could injury me badly.  My advice, wear wrist guards when learning to ride, and once you learn buy the best safety equipment that you’ll be comfortable wearing every time.  I think a jacket makes it easier, same with click on/off knee/shin guards. 

With all of my previous generation guards, I fell around 18mph and dislocated my left thumb at the first joint.   There isn’t anything that I have found short of an iron gauntlet to stop that injury.  This is a potentially dangerous sport so gear up to prevent the big injuries that could be life altering, then relax and enjoy the ride!

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8 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Isn't the jacket is the least problematic part? You put it on and if it has shoulder/elbow/whatever protection, it's quick and easy and offers comprehensive protection. If it isn't too hot, what reason not to just wear it?

A leather jacket needs to be quite beautiful, in looks and construction, for people to wear it.

In my opinion, there's really just two leather jackets that are appropriate for wear on and off a motorcycle, and by extension the EUC / bicycle.

The double folder/vest/Marlon Brando.

The Motor Racer.

I have one of each, and I think the Racer is far more practical due its simplicity.

 

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Thanks for your feedback, everyone. I am picking up a Gotway MCM5 and I will be learning to ride as the weather improves.  I'll definitely get wristguards and wear them. I'll wear my motorcycle jacket while learning for sure, but will consider an alternative for summer as I live in the desert in Utah and it gets HOT here, wearing the jacket in summer is no fun. I'll at least borrow some knee pads for learning and see how safe I feel after I've been on the wheel for a few hours. 

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