Gear is very important to me. I am a firm believer in ATGATT, "All The Gear, All The Time". You can choose to ride in whatever you want, but if you crash without gear, your injuries may very well be much much worse than if you had gear on. Another point of the ATGATT mentality that many motorcyclists have is that gear is also useless if you don't wear it! Ideally, you should be covered head to toe each time you get on the bike: Helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, and boots. While no gear will protect you from all injuries, it will help reduce road rash and minor impact injuries. It will also keep you more comfortable from the elements, whether that be the cold, heat, rain, or even nasty bug splatters. Life is full of risks, but wouldn't you want to minimize them as much as possible? I do!
So what do I ride in? It varies on the situation obviously. I've been purchasing and using enough gear to realize that you get what you pay for, and the better and more comfortable it is, the more you will want to wear it. I have accumulated quick a collection of safety apparel!
Here's the gear I currently use!
[SORRY FOLKS! PICTURES GOT DELETED! THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS!]
Typical in town/commuter riding consists of the helmet, gloves, jacket, overpants, and boots. Long twisty rides, I wear the 1 piece instead of the jacket and pants. I vary my gear depending on the situation obviously, but textiles get most of the use since a lot of my riding is done at slower speeds! ATGATT!
