2Wheeltips

No doubt you have seen advertisements for special motorcycle socks that keep your feet dry in the summer and nice and toasty when riding in cool weather. These "special socks" also come with a "special price" of $15.00 or more per pair. Construction workers, police and athletes also need dry warm feet and they don't pay anywhere near that much for socks.

Department store socks work fine for riding. For hot weather rides, get socks made for running. They will wick the moisture away from your feet. For cooler weather, get thicker socks or buy sock liners. No ankle socks; you need them long enough to give protection from the wind and flying debris.

One way to protect your legs from road hazards and from the wind on cool days is to wear chaps. Most will buy chaps as a fashion statement. They do look good, if properly fitted. Others will buy them after getting hit on the lower leg by a rock or some other flying debris. In either case, they are a good fashionable alternative to expensive riding pants and I've yet to see a motorcycle show that didn't have a chaps vendor.

Chaps come in various styles, materials and lengths. The most common type is the full leather chap that covers the entire leg. Although they look nice, they can be very hot in the summer. An alternative to the full chap is the half chap. These fit over your riding boots and provide protection from the ankle to the knee.  We've seen some made of ballistic nylon which give full chap protection without making the wearer too hot.

If you do decide to go the chaps route, make sure you get measured for a proper fit. Few things look worse than a bad pair of chaps.

Funny how something as irrelevant as your hair can become a big problem.  Hair that is longer than crew cut length can sometimes make its way into your eyes while riding, even if you wear a full face helmet. You should consider wearing something like a riding scarf or bandanna whenever you ride, to keep your hair where it belongs.

In cool weather, wearing a scarf or cap under your helmet can keep your head warm.   So, if you are riding in cooler weather, you might want to consider having a thin, stretchy cap to wear.  There are many products available on the market that can be used to keep your hair in place; find the solution that best suits your comfort and needs.  Just keep in mind these tips:

    •    When shopping for a head scarf, etc., you need to consider that your current helmet just may no longer be as comfortable as it was without the scarf.  It is funny how something as thin as a headscarf made out of nylon, for example, can take up enough room to make you need a different size helmet.  Shop around to find one that works with your helmet.

    •    Make sure it fits right and will not shift around or slip down over your eyes.

Wondering what to wear when riding?  Do you want to look cool on your bike?  Sexy?  Great!  But “cool” and “sexy” won’t save your life if you have an accident!  The rule of thumb is this:  protection should be your primary concern.  There is plenty of great motorcycle gear available that looks good and has built-in protection.  This is what you should wear every time you go out on your bike:

A DOT/SNELL certified helmet
Anything less than this is not going to provide  protection if you have an accident.  It is your head and your brain that you are protecting!

A riding jacket
Good quality riding jackets have built in armor to absorb impact shock in the event of an accident.  There are some very good-looking riding jackets available and you don’t have to spend a fortune to get one that offers protection and good looks. They come in leather, denim or synthetic materials and come in many styles and colors.

Heavy duty jeans and/or riding pants
Heavy duty jeans are the least protection you should have from your waist to your ankles.  Better than heavy duty jeans are special riding pants that, like a riding jacket, offer built-in armor to absorb impact shock in the event of an accident.

Full finger gloves
Good riding gloves will cover your hands completely and some have padding for comfort during long rides. Gloves protect your hands from road debris and from injury in the case of an accident.

Riding boots
A good, sturdy pair of riding boots should have a low heel, slip resistant sole and cover your ankle. They also need to be comfortable enough to walk in, too.   Don’t forget a good pair of comfortable socks. Good socks can make a good boot feel even more comfortable!

Here are things to avoid when riding your bike:

• Clothing that bares any part of your body. Sure you might look sexy with your bare arms or midriff showing as you fly down the road.  But, if you ever have an accident while wearing next to nothing you will pay for it dearly.  Road burn is painful and you may ultimately need skin grafts  to surgically repair parts of your body that came in direct contact with the road (or other) surface.

• Sandals, sneakers or regular shoes. Sandals, sneakers and regular shoes provide limited protection from road debris and almost none if you are in an accident.

It can be quite warm under all of that protective gear, but once you are riding at highway speed, it is amazing how comfortable you can feel with all that gear on, even on a hot summer day. Our rule of thumb is this:  if it is too hot for you to ride with your protective gear on, then it is too hot to ride.