Don't Sacrifice Safety In This Hot Weather

[Jogitu]

Rock the Gear is a website dedicated to rider awareness on the importance of the proper gear. It is a non profit started by Brittany Morrow. She was involved in an accident wearing a helmet as her only protective gear. Go to her site, read her story, watch her video and share this site with others.

http://www.RocktheGear.org/

[Jogitu]

[IMG]

How to Avoid Skinning Yourself Alive - Brittany Morrow from Brittany Morrow on Vimeo.

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[tvgal2000]

She's an inspiration... I just started to skim the site and I'm impressed by her dedication! It's too bad that she had to go through what she did...but I guess it brought her to where she is now.

[easy]

Good video to show during the basic course.

What types of videos do the instructors show these days?


E

[Jim Rogers]

Easy,

I will let you know after I take the BRC this weekend. After riding for almost 50 years, I figure it is time.

[johnnywishbone]

dressing up like a spaceman to go to the store? no. my schuberth and savanna suit stinks really bad. i don't want to wash this stuff twice a week. i gave up. yesterday, i bought a car.

[ckcondon]

Great story, but did anyone else notice the part about 120MPH as a passenger?
Gearing up is great, but riding stupid is asking for it.
Kinda like getting in the car with a drunk driver and wearing a seatbelt?
I'm glad she wasn't killed and I'm also happy to see her dedication to safety. I hope she spreads the word and gets through to some of the people who think you can ride that fast on the street with no consequences!

[tvgal2000]

ckcondon... yeah, I noticed the 120 mph but my thought was that she was on the BACK of the bike - not a lot of control in terms of getting off or making the rider slow down. So it could be that she didn't have much in the way of control of the situation.... or it could be that she smartened up and learned the lesson the hard way!

[Jim Rogers]

Good video to show during the basic course.

What types of videos do the instructors show these days?


E

I said I would report and hear it is. The videos used are just what you would expect: controls and what they do, thinking ahead, eyes up, drinking and riding, etc. I think the best was the one on gear since it was the one that had the most impact on me. It sure made me think. Like many out there, I bought a helmet because it matched Hilda's paint - black. My gear is also black with white insert panels and reflective piping. The vid showed two riders, one in black&grey with reflective piping and the other in outlandish multi-colored gear. I will start looking for new gear tomorrow.
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[i-scream-stop]

You learn to laugh about the funny looks you get when you walk into a store or grab a bite to eat. I love it when I am asked about my yellow jacket or "Don't you get hot in all that gear?" My favorite quote came from a buddy of mine as I was zipping up my boots after work, "If you would learn to ride better, you wouldn't need all that gear." I stated, "If people would learn to drive cars better, I wouldn't need all this gear."

I like what she is doing, too bad she had to learn the hard way, but maybe people will see her and think about it more. I posted a link on my facebook page.

[chiba13]

Some good advice in her video, but her #1 & #2 pieces of advice should be

#1 Don't go 120 mph on public streets.

#2 Don't ride on the back of a bike with somebody who's willing to risk YOUR life by going 120 mph on public streets.

[jstrube]

If you poke around on her web site a bit, you will see another strong part of her web site is personal responsibility, as in "I will wear gear because I know drivers do not see me", etc.

Most lessons are learned the hard way, some people can lean from mistakes others have made. I don't care whether it is 25MPH or 120MPH, if you have a get off, that pavement is going to do some damage.

[Meriden]

Asphalt hurts no matter the temperature.

It's been "a little warm" as the natives say.


Down in the subtropics it seems that a mesh jacket cuts the sun much better than a tee shirt. I was surprised how well Palmolive Antibacterial dish soap works at removing both dirt and odor. Gear dries very fast in the sun these days.

[flymymbz]

I look like a yellow Power Ranger in my 'stich, and sometimes I sit at a light or a RxR crossing when its 102F out and I think about how much more comfortable I would be if i didn't wear all the gear. I think about how much that 'stich cost, and the Combat Lite boots and the Lee Parks gloves and how much that new C3 is gonna cost. I listen to all the stupid and sometimes insulting comments and remarks by other riders and non riders alike. In fact this afternoon, while putting in the earbuds and firing up Pandora and getting ready to ride home, one of the officers I work with laughed and said that it must take me longer to gear up than to ride home. (as he puts on a long sleeve shirt to cover his uniform shirt, dons his helmet, hops on his dirt bike and takes off)

Then I look down at the pavement when I'm doing 75 mph and I think about how much flesh would become one with that pavement should something happen. Deer, drunk driver, the guy trying to figure out his new GPS, etc. And when its 102F out, just how hot IS that pavement if I found myself lying on it with a busted pelvis waiting for the aid crew to scoop me up.

And I think about how the spouses Field Sheer winter gear looked like when he was done sliding 50' down the pavement after hitting the coyote that dark and rainy night.

I think about all that as I once again put all that stuff on for my ride. You can talk till you're blue in the face to someone who doesn't 'believe' in wearing gear. Once in a while, you might change someones mind. But for the most part, we're just wasting our breath.

[AKsuited]

My gear is also black with white insert panels and reflective piping. The vid showed two riders, one in black&grey with reflective piping and the other in outlandish multi-colored gear. I will start looking for new gear tomorrow.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC387473/

This research report found that switching from a dark or black helmet to a white helmet will give a 24 percent reduction in accident rate. Needless to say, all my helmets are white full-face.

The main point is that you have to maximize the chance that a motorist in a big hurry to make a turn in traffic will at least notice you and perceive your existence on the road, and avoid violating your right-of-way.

Harry