Or does this nice weather seem to bring out all the 'would be' bikers who ride around with t-shirts and jogging trousers??

Must have seen at least 8 of them yesterday and they don't ride very safely either!!

If they can afford a big expensive powerful bike surely they can afford the extra for some proper protective gear!!

And with the recent Aldi and Lidl offering they really have NO excuse!!

Sorry but this really makes me mad as I have seen first hand the results of no proper protective clothing!                                                                                                                                                                             

Totally agree with you, but were supposedly in a free country and it's their choice. :-))
                                                                                                                                                                             

Good point and indeed it is their choice.                                                                                                                                                                               

it may be there choice but when the saftey exec decides bikes are too dangerouse because of there injurys it us that will bare the brunt of the leggestation !  just my oppinion                                                                                                                                                                             

Would be good to see this in MCN or the like showing grafic pics of the remains of the hands arms legs and feet after an off may help them to change but as said there choice                                                                                                                                                                               

I totally agree JP they should show these idiots what is left of skin after sliding down th road even at slow speeds.

I pulled up at lights in the car with my daughter once and a guy on big sports bike came along side no gloves... tshirt ....and jeans ... had boots and lid on tho so guess he thought that was ok
                                                                                                                                                                             

hope he had some undies on hun ..                                                                                                                                                                             

lol .... didn't want to ask just shook my head and told my daughter loud enough for him to hear thats not how to ride a bike ....funny he didn't like my comment pmsl                                                                                                                                                                               

Unfortunately the sad truth is that these idiots only learn the hard way.  Eventually they fall off, give themselves severe gravel rash and leave society having to foot the bill for all the medical support and emergency services on site.

And then of course they give up bikes because "They're too dangerous".  I'd love to be able to say to each and everyone of them, "Funny how they're not that dangerous if you're NOT A MORON!"                                                                                                                                                                             

when i go out i wear combats ( armoured ), but i do wear a hoody and a leather waistcote , shorty helmet, sunglasses, does that make me a moron too ???                                                                                                                                                                              

Everyone wears different lids ... but after coming off a bike with reg jeans on and feeling the gravel rip into my knee I would think twicenow ..... if they hadn't been brand new ones and been washed a few times and soft I reckon it would of been worse ....Had bike jacket and gloves on tho and full face lid which was just as well as slid face down on watched the road go by my visor had it been open face wouldn't have had face left 
We learn by mistakes I hope !!
                                                                                                                                                                             

I Totally agree. I came past magny cours last year at WSB weekend and I was astounded cos ALL the gendarmes on bikes (and there were a lot) were riding around in short sleeved shirts. What a bloomin example to set....arrogant sods. Certainly the highest concentrations of bare bike-riding arms (...tanned, hairy...lol) I've ever seen in one small area. In fact I was so outraged by this macho- fuelled irresponsibility that I felt compelled to take photos...purely as evidence of course                                                                                                                                                                             

Of course minnie pmsl                                                                                                                                                                               

Well .... I wouldn't go as far as to use the word moron Ian!

But if the worst does happen (and I sincerely hope it doesn't) then I bet you'll remember this thread whilst recovering from skin grafts to the arms and face!

Sorry if indeed anyone finds it offensive for someone to suggest it isn't very clever to ride a bike without full gear.  After all it's their choice as to what they ride in, right?

Well, with the average cost of a serious road traffic accident in the UK now standing at over £200k (Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2009) there are a lot of arguments for it not being their choice.

The issue for me personally and I'm sure, many other bikers, is that although I generally ride in full protective gear, there are times when I'd rather just throw a pair of jeans and trainers on instead of leathers and bike boots.  Such as nipping down to the local shop for example.  But these people who insist on riding like this all the time are bringing the dangers of doing so to the attention of the bureaucrats who could well decide gear needs further legislation.

Once again, a few spoil matters for the many.                                                                                                                                                                             

It's interesting to see other peoples views on the matter.  My bother in law will sometimes ride short distances in just a t-shirt and jeans and I always tell my lads that they should never do so.  Am I being over protective?

My eldest cycles to work now he has a job and wears a high vis jacket and a cycle helmet.  I did not tell him to he just bought one naturally!

It is obviously up to each and everyone to wear what they choose but as I said in my original post I have seen first hand the results and I would never want to be in that situation.

I came of last June.  Not anything bad, although did cause £400 damage to bike, bit slid for about 10 meters.

Roads were wet and I must have hit some diesel.  Anyway when I took my jacket of there was a hole burnt in my shirt underneath.  Arm was fine but what would it have been like if I had not had the jacket on?

An old friend cannot ride a bike any more as he basically lost his arm when he came off.  Only wearing a t-shirt, jeans and trainers!

I take him out every now and then but he would love to ride again but cannot!                                                                                                                                                                             

Good thread this one!, My opinion, for what its worth is a little hypocritical, I Never ride far without protective clothing, By far i mean the three miles into Rhayader for some fags i'll do in jeans, but never a t shirt, always either my kevlar elbowed hoodie or a textile jacket,NEVER NEVER without gloves, I make my living with my hands ( mechanic before the jokes come in!!) and have seen twisted bent and ripped fingers on more than one occasion! If i ride any distance ie for any PLANNED journey I will always be in my Ex police Leathers,Gloves and boots. (NOT an ex copper by the way!!) You could argue the point of freedom and human rights for the skin graft brigade, But then again it IS law to wear a helmet! So why not a law for BS kitemarked clothing? Surely manufacturers could make suitable alternatives for every taste?   But then would engineless stupidpedalingmorons come under the same law? they regularly come down the hill past my house at 50 plus Mph with their plastic Brains on the outside and Lycra??? WTF!!   How many medical bills have there been for those MORONS!!!!                                                                                                                                                                              

OH and if we rode four abreast at 20 mph we'd be arrested!!!!!!!!     I Hate them!!!!!!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

I know that I was so very glad to be wearing my leathers when I was knocked off my bike last june, yes I had serious leg injuries bit didnt have any road rash at all. I was also wearing a shark full face helmet which totally saved my head and face from serious injury. The whole right side of helmet was damaged from hitting the road. It is peoples own personal choice I agree but i dont think the young lads on the scooters have a clue what injuries they could get if they happen to come off, I see them and feel like stopping them and telling them what happened to me and I was wearing leathers and a textile jacket with good armour in it. I have also seen men on big bikes in shorts, leathers and flip flops, but they have had helmets and gloves on........unbelievable                                                                                                                                                                             

well i have to admit i have mixed feelings on this - i am totally against the idiots who go out even if only "5 mins down road" with no gloves on... how do they know you only get knocked off on long journeys!!!!   i also think that shell suit bottoms should be banned and if ya come off a bike in shell suit bottoms they will melt to your skin aswell as give you as much protection as bare skin... nice  - im not sure those that ride wearing that gear acutally have the intelligence to understand about safety or just aint been taught correctly or think coz they are such good riders they are beyond any form of accident by others or themselves!!.   but i do know peeps who ride in jeans and i also know peeps who just wear pilot jackets wi a leather cut over top.. so i cant really say im against that!  the only thing i know i am defo against is bare legs, bare hands or shell suit bottoms.... its nothing but dumb to go out with bare skin when on a bike in my book.. so i guess its each to their own if we talk about costs... what about those that drink so much they end up in hosp or those that smoke...??? the list can go on lol                                                                                                                                                                             

Yes warm weather, isn't it great. Sweating your t![s in full leathers, full armour, back protector, chest protector, oh and can we have an air bag. Plus leg shields.
Its each to there own. If you start with legislation, where will it end.
I've rode in shorts, tee shirt and flip flops on a moped in Spain many times, in kin hot temperatures. Would the protection in first sentence be suitable.