Leather Pants, Not Just for the Village People Anymore!

Leather Pants - Fuzzygalore.com - Girlie Motorcycle BlogI suppose that in the realm of fashionable clothing, leather pants can be pretty tough to pull off. Just ask Ross from Friends. Within the motorcycle world though, the same rules don’t really apply. Protection, not fashion is the name of the game.  Sure, lots of folks are riding around in helmets with leather jackets, gloves and boots and the outfit finally rounded out with a pair of jeans. Hell, I’ve worn that very getup too many times to count when staying close to home or running errands. But over the last year or so I just can’t feel good about even riding around locally without having a proper pair of motorcycle pants on.  

Outside of the obvious abrasion protection that leather offers in the unfortunate event of an accident, armored or padded knees and hips are a beautiful thing! What is it about their sittin’ muscle, their kneecaps and their hips that people are so willing to sacrifice to Tarmac the Destroyer? Have you banged your knee on a coffee table lately? That smarts, doesn’t it? Now add 40mph to it. 

ATGATT: All the gear, all the time.
Life doesn’t check your availability calendar before penciling in an accident which is precisely why we should dress for the crash each time we head out. If a rider didn’t come out of the gate fully dressed in protective clothing at the start of their riding career, it usually only takes one ass-grating slide down the blacktop to get a full understanding of how appealing minimizing the risk can be. 

Top 3 annoying questions that I’ve been asked about my leather riding pants:

 

1. Aren’t you hot in those things?

 

 Well, let’s just go ahead and think about this, shall we? If it is 90 degrees and sunny outside and I’m wearing a black cow on my rump then yes, of COURSE I’m hot!

2. Do you plan on crashing today?

 

 I don’t know too many people that hit the ringing alarm clock and rub their eyes after a nice big stretch and say, “You know? I think I throw my ass down the road today.” I don’t plan on it, which is precisely why I want to gear up. Life has a funny way of unfolding without your consent.

3. Aren’t they only for people who race?

 

 No, of course not! They’re for people who want to minimize the risks. Nothing is 100% safe. All you can do is try to lessen the hurt. Be kind to your behind!

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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15 Responses

  1. OG says:

    Like the other day when I stopped for a bottle of water and the kid behind the counter simply looked at my gear and said ‘seriously?’ I asked him how he felt about someone pressure washing his skin off the pavement 😀

  2. Fuzz! says:

    What a lovely thought! LOL

    One of these days it’ll become cooler to wear gear rather than not. I BELIEVE!

  3. goldenchild says:

    Fuzz, I applaude you for spreading the ATGATT ethos (w/o being preachy)! If a person wants to come out on a ride that I’m leading, it’s a requirement!

  4. Alex Pearsall says:

    At the CA/US border on my M900 one year, I remember a border guard asking me why I had my levers secured with zip-ties, rather than bolts. “So If I crash, I can put them back on, and ride home”. He looked at me funny and said “Well, I’d rather not crash”. I thought it was funny that he figured he could control when he did, and didn’t crash. *shrug*

  5. FUZZ! says:

    @GC
    I think its a good idea to have those rules. When someone hits the pavement on one of your rides..its you who is left to pick up the pieces.

    Plus, I think that it probably serves to weed out the type of riding friend you may want to surround yourself with. No gear, (leather or textile) to me.. just says I haven’t carefully considered the things that could go wrong. Doesn’t seem like a thoughtful rider, IMO.

  6. goldenchild says:

    I’m in complete agreement. Speaking about riding… when are you and Crud gonna get off that sand bar and come out for a roll with us?

  7. novos says:

    I remember in CA your replies got consistently more sarcastic, with every time someone asked if we were hot in our gear 🙂

    Brilliant!

  8. Fuzz! says:

    @GC
    I don’t know. Being a mom means that my ability to go riding is entirely predicated on when why daughter is busy. Though I’m a little scared of group riding anymore, I would love to come out. I’ll keep an eye on the posted SU rides. I’d like to at least once this summer!

  9. Fuzz! says:

    @My awfully quiet lately Novos:

    Me? Sarcastic?! Whaaaaat?

  10. Fuzz! says:

    @Alex

    I wonder if he can control the weather too? We could really use some more sun around here!

    Do you have a trick for jury-rigging broken footpegs /shifter/brake?

  11. Torch says:

    Yes, ATGATT! Do they have Pink Leather?

    Ride on,
    Torch

  12. Fuzz! says:

    @Torch
    They sure do. Made from pink cows. =o)
    You looking for something for yourself or someone else?

  13. oteka says:

    Keep up the good work… I completely agree with you on the need to wear ridding gear at all times. I cannot understand how some people spend major $$$ on their bikes, but will not spend $600 or for good riding gear. How you coming to the Ramapo 500 on July 18-19. Hope to see you there. I recall you did the Midnight Run a couple of years ago.

  14. FUZZ! says:

    Hey, Thanks, Oteka-
    No 500 for me this year. I wish I could get the time away to do more riding, but it looks like its not in the cards for me right now. I’m sure the 500 is a lot of fun. Everyone who ever does it has good things to say about it. Stay safe and enjoy… in your leather pants! 8-}

  1. May 3, 2010

    […] my own personal risk and encourage others to do the same by extolling the benefits of wearing ATGATT – All the Gear, All the Time. I’m not walking around like a Jehovah’s Witness […]

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