Riding ATGATT – It May Save Your Life!
Riding ATGATT (all the gear, all the time) is something that every new rider does at first. After all, it only makes logical sense. However, many riders soon begin to stop wearing some of their gear when they go riding. They forget that safety is more important than “looking cool”, and it only takes one meeting with the asphalt to make that a rather harsh lesson.
ATGATT – All the gear, all the time. “All the gear” typically consists of a DOT approved helmet, riding boots, riding gloves, and a quality motorcycle jacket. A pair of motorcycle pants is also a good idea.
Crucial Gear When Learning to Ride a Motorcycle
Everyone knows that a helmet is required to ride a motorcycle, both by law and by common sense. However, many people don’t know why other gear is required or what safety benefits it offers them. Below is a list of gear and what it can do for you in the event you lay down your motorcycle. When learning to ride, wearing as much protective gear as possible is a smart decision.
- Motorcycle Helmet – We can’t even count the number of times we have seen motorcyclists riding without a helmet, or with a helmet that offers little to no protection. There are two basic types of motorcycle helmets: full-face and partial face. A full-face helmet has a visor that extends over your face, providing protection from wind, rocks, bugs, and additional protection in the event you find yourself sliding on the pavement. A partial-face only covers the head, leaving the face completely exposed.
- Motorcycle jacket - Regardless of whether you choose a fabric or leather jacket, wearing one is absolutely essential- especially if you are just beginning to learn how to ride a motorcycle. A good quality motorcycle jacket will protect your torso, shoulders, arms, and back in the event of a fall. Many jackets now also include a spine protector, which reinforces the area around your spine.
- Riding Gloves - A pair of fabric “work gloves” do not qualify as high-quality riding gloves. Aesthetically there may not be too big of a difference, but physically the differences between the two are astronomical. Riding gloves feature wrist and finger supports, and many have Kevlar inserts to assist with sliding. A good pair of riding gloves are also relatively inexpensive (most pairs run between $25-$50).
- Riding Boots - Your feet are essential for many reasons, the least of which being riding a motorcycle. It makes sense to protect them, and a good-quality riding boot will provide much more protection than a shoe or work boot. A riding boot will have reinforced material in key points, such as where you come into contact with the shifter, and ensure that your foot and ankle or securely in a comfortable position. In the event of a fall or slide, a riding boot can be the difference between a broken ankle/foot and being able to walk away from the crash.
- Motorcycle Pants - Made of specific materials or leather, motorcycle pants provide more wear protection than slacks or jeans. When you’re sliding, an extra fifty feet of wear-through protection could be the difference between a skin graft and walking away with minor injuries.
Things Most New Riders Don’t Know About Motorcycle Gear
Motorcycle gear is, for the most part, beefed up versions of their non-motorcycle counterparts. Riding gloves, for example, have reinforcements on key pressure points to help prevent your hand from breaking during a fall. A riding jacket, along with keeping you dry and warm, is designed to help you slide easily across the pavement while still providing wear-through protection. A jean jacket may provide 50 to 60 feet of wear-through protection, where a motorcycle jacket may provide 120 feet or more. The difference? A motorcycle jacket will protect your skin twice as long.
When learning to ride a motorcycle, take the time to ride ATGATT. You’ll become comfortable in your gear, break it in, and develop habits that may wind up saving your skin, or your life, in the event that you crash. Every new-rider manual on the planet, including the excellent MotoLearn.com new motorcyclist riding guide (see our review of it here), preach all day long about why riding ATGATT is essential.
Stay safe our there, and remember: it only takes one fall to remind you why you wearing all that gear– or why you should have.
Related posts:
- Riding in the Rain – The Best Sensory Experience of your Life
- Universal Designs – Movie Replica Riding Suits
- Learning to Ride Sportbikes: A Beginners Guide – Part 1
Category: Learn To Ride A Motorcycle, Motorcycle Articles
A lot of people forget that riding with all of their gear can save their lives. Who would want to mess around with their lives? I wouldn’t. Good post!
Every time I see someone on a motorcycle with little more than a helmet on I cringe.
I will soon take the safety course and buy my first bike soon thereafter, and have been reading countless articles on gear (and other bike subjects). This article is the only one I’ve seen that explains the specific reasons for wearing each type of gear. For example: “A jean jacket may provide 50 to 60 feet of wear-through protection, where a motorcycle jacket may provide 120 feet or more.” This info may be obvious to the initiated, but it was a major eye-opener for me. Excellent article. Thanks.
David in FL
Glad it helped– stay safe!