Do Jeans Help?

I ride with a buddy- he has a Ducati 999- who insists on wearing shorts when he rides in hot weather. His thinking is that if he gets overheated he gets a bit fuzzy in the head and that can't be safe. His main reasoning though, is that jeans offer very little protection in a "get-off". It will make the doctor's job more difficult because they will have to pick denim out of his wounds as well as asphalt. Does anyone have any direct experience here- I have never gone down on asphalt ( touch wood). Does his argument have any merit in certain situations?

I'd say no. If you're not going to wear gear, *something* is better than nothing. Every little bit helps, as they say. Shorts.... makes me shudder thinking about it.

That's some twisted logic on the 'dress for the crash' line of thinking.

Show him this: Live to Ride - Ride to DIE

had a friend who wore shorts and got into a bad accident, he had more rash and damage to his body then when I got into my wreck wearing jeans
I def say no

jeans hold up better than skin

I went down i shorts about 3 years ago i got rash on my ass and my hips i all ways were jeans now something is better then nothing

Originally Posted by Quick 26

jeans hold up better than skin

for about 5 feet.

its still better than nothing. what about those dragon jeans?

Your friend is an idiot trying to justify his continued stupidity.

Jeans are FAR better than skin.

For a cool alternative look into something like a Joe Rocket Phoenix. Certainly not as cool as shorts but in a get off much better than jeans (cooler than jeans also)

Oh and as I have been told, it is easier to wipe off sweat than scars.

also I am in Alabama so his idea of 'heat' is when I wear leathers (unperfed)

those draggin pants and jeans are not cheap. But the khaki ones would be sweet, I could wear those to work. May consider that.

[madkaw]

I agree with everyone above...jeans=good, shorts=baaaad

I've been thinking about the jeans, but I don't know if I want those or if I want to get a full leathers

Personaly I've been down 4 times. The first time was in shorts when I was 18. Young and dumb. At least I was wearing a helmet which wasn't legaly needed in California at the time. I had no skin left on my hands, legs, hips, some stomach. That was only doing about 20mph. Since that I've wore leathers and had some pretty high speed crashes and not a scratch. Save for the broken foot from hitting a reflector pole.

Even with my daily commute to work I wore them. Even in the 110 degree heat. As a fellow member says "Stupid Hurts" I know from experience.

never heard of these dragon pants... I'll have to check them out

i want leathers but my wallet does not

funny..... i didnt have any denim stuck in my hips and knees when i went down..... i agree your friend is an idiot.

Originally Posted by JeepinJeff

those draggin pants and jeans are not cheap. But the khaki ones would be sweet, I could wear those to work. May consider that.

Originally Posted by Atreyu

I've been thinking about the jeans, but I don't know if I want those or if I want to get a full leathers

For commuting, I'd highly recommend getting over-pants. Several brands (JR, Tourmaster, etc.) make them, both mesh and not. On and off in seconds, provide full protection (that even the Dragons won't), has padding in impact zones, and you can wear real dress/casual clothes underneath. Not very expensive either at around $125-$150 for the good ones with liners and stuff ... cheaper when they go on sale. I consider this a compromise for my relatively safe ride to work (country road with limited access)

For longer rides or anything sporty, I would definitely recommend full leathers. You can get perferated ones, vented, or like the Vanson unit that has the zip down pannels so it is almost perferated. Get a good one and dress for the crash.

I've been in black full leathers, with poor ventilation, in 105F rush hour traffic for over an hour ... did I get hot and sweat, yes. But I sure felt a lot safer than if I were naked out there with those idiots and garbage on the pavement.

Drink water, wet your shirt, and get used to it. Keep hydrated either way, that is what you need to do to keep your head straight.

Originally Posted by KenB

That's some twisted logic on the 'dress for the crash' line of thinking.

Show him this: Live to Ride - Ride to DIE

That is a wild site. Some of the things (like the biker getting plowed from behind by a pick-up, all caught on cop's dash cam) can't be avoided, but the others can. Ride safe to avoid many of them, but look at the pictures of skin missing. If that doesn't tell you to get some real protection, I don't know what will.

And look at those helmet pictures. Those should convince you to get a full face helmet too. Check the percentage of helmet hits that happen in the chin and jaw area. Beside protecting the skin, it is much easier to talk and eat when your jaw isn't wired shut ... or worse.

I'm glad this topic came up.. i've been riding in shorts lately lol. Stupid - I know. It's been over 105F degrees here lately, but that is no excuse, as is saying wearing gear will make you fuzzy minded while riding in the heat. Proper gear will still keep you cool enough to ride. Also mist the inside of your gear with a spray bottle of water and about 2-5% rubbing alcohol, it will keep you cool.. and sweating inside your gear also serves to keep your body cool.

I'm going to buy the ICON knee/leg guards today. Thank You guys for putting this thread up as a good reminder.

I always wear a helmet each time i get on my bike. I would like to get a new one though Mines almost two years old now and i want one that is the right size for me as mine is a little too tight.

half helmets are better than nothing, but deffinately not full protection.