When I was baby biker, most of my moto friends were ATGATT (or mighty close to it… Aerostich suits and hiking boots, or all geared up but with armored jeans). Those that weren’t, I started getting nervous about riding with, because I really didnt want to clean up after they street crayoned, and I didnt want others to have those thoughts about me.

Good examples have always helped, and I try to be one of them now.

Personally, I always ride with full face helmet, armored jacket, gloves, moto boots. Pants? Well I have cordura re-enforced jeans (Levi’s skate edition 511). Not as good as full armored jeans but better than your average pair. Still some risk but yes, I do accept that in a compromise for comfort and uh, yeah, fashion. So I’m not really ATGATT but I’m more on that side than being a squid. I feel like a lot of riders are in the same grey area and I’d like to see more focus on that than the extremes. I think it’d be easier (and more helpful) to convince/convert someone who wears very little gear if you do it one piece at a time (and by example) instead of by preaching/being hardcore/all in about it.

We probably all got into this at least partially for the enjoyment of the freedom of riding, and I can see how some people feel that’s hampered by wearing lots of gear. Personally, I don’t have that problem, but I can see where they are coming from.

In having this conversation with an older coworker, who does not wear any gear and rides a much larger, more powerful bike than I do, he acknowledged that reality, then said that he’d “already had two accidents, and the next one would probably be his last, but it was okay, because his kids were grown up and moved out.”

I just figure it’s down to everyone’s individual risk tolerance levels, and try not to judge people who are willing to accept more risk than I am.