ATGATT? Not Me. My Realistic(?) Compromise.
Redlegs went down on his bike recently and came out in pretty good shape, with only a separated shoulder. He attributes it to ATGATT. That stands for All The Gear, All The Time.
I’ll back up just a moment to explain that Redlegs is a fellow motorcycle blogger who I have never met but have communicated with a number of times via email and comments we have posted on each others’ blogs. We may actually have literally rubbed shoulders recently at the Top Gun event but didn’t know it until we saw that we had each been there and written about it.
So in another overlap, we both went up to Frisco to the Concours Owners Group rally recently, though I went on Monday and he went on Friday. My trip was fine. For Redlegs, however, things were not so fine. Approaching the Eisenhower Tunnel, he hit some black ice and went down, at high speed. Ouch.
Redlegs says he always does the ATGATT thing, and right now he’s pretty darn happy about that. I have to admit, I don’t. Certainly I understand that if you go down you’re going to be extremely happy to have been wearing every bit of protective gear you own. And referring to another voice, Mark Tuttle Jr., editor of Rider magazine, says in his July 2008 column, “Take it from someone who has left his share of skin on the pavement–you don’t want to.”
I understand this. I believe these guys. So why don’t I do it? And obviously I’m not alone in not doing it. Why do so many of us ignore what we know is good advice?
I’ll be honest. A part of me has never gotten beyond my youthful conviction that I’m immortal and really bad things just won’t happen to me. For another thing, I’ve been riding for about 19 years now and the only time I ever went down on one of my bikes was going down a gravel road at about 5 miles per hour when a big dog walked out from between two parked cars, right into my path. In a slow motion split second I nailed my front brakes, realized they weren’t going to be enough, and touched the rears. Down instantly. But other than a bruised shoulder I was unhurt and my passenger was also unhurt. And we were not wearing helmets, but that was OK because our heads didn’t hit the ground.
The fact is, I like riding without a helmet. First of all, it’s extremely pleasant, and is a large part of what I find so enjoyable about riding. Secondly, when I do wear the helmet it gets very uncomfortable, even painful, when I wear it for a long time. Now, regarding this latter point, it may be that I just need a different helmet. But I’ve had a number of helmets over the years and the same has been true for all of them. They hurt my head. That said, I always wear a helmet in winter, I usually wear one when I’m riding on the interstate, and at other times it just depends on the weather and how I feel.
As for other gear, like leather jacket and chaps and gloves, I wear them depending on the ride and the weather. I wear the jacket and gloves the most, quite a lot of the time. The chaps I primarily wear in winter, when I judge that the possibility for a spill is greater and when the extra warmth they provide is welcome. I have a good pair of boots and I wear them on long rides but if I’m just hopping on the bike to go to the gym I don’t bother.
I’m pretty sure there are a lot of guys like me. ATGATT is a great concept but we just don’t see it as realistic. So I’ve worked out my compromise. In bad weather I wear it all. The odds are just more heavily weighted toward a mishap in bad weather. When I’m just trying to get somewhere and make time, I wear most of it, particularly the helmet and jacket. At times like that, the enjoyment is not the primary focus of the trip so I just hunker down and go. When it’s cold I wear all of it. That’s simple; it keeps me warm. The fact that it would protect me in a spill is secondary, though not unimportant.
But when it’s a beautiful summer day and we’re out on a lonely two-lane road just taking it easy and enjoying the ride, I’m sorry, I don’t want to wear a helmet. I judge that the danger is slight and it’s just worth it to me to take that small chance. And remember: Last year about 42 percent of motorcyclists killed in accidents were not wearing helmets. That means that 58 percent were wearing helmets and they were killed anyway. Sometimes you just play the odds. Yes, sometimes you lose. But I think this Biker Quote for Today sums it up for me pretty nicely.
Biker Quote for Today
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting HOLY CRAP!
Tags: motorcycle accidents
June 20th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Hello Ken
Interesting comments re ATGATT, it all boils down to this: One rides one’s own ride…part of my entry into the world of motorcycle riding was weighing the risks as you do, and acting accordingly when it comes to riding safety gear.
I’ve jumped (really just fallen) out of perfectly good planes and helicopters while young and in the army, but never really felt that “immortal” quality. Let’s just say the fear factor was always there. It’s a wonder I never really got hurt while doing such things, I think a twisted ankle while running in a company formation was the biggest thing.
Was I glad I was wearing full gear when I went down, you bet. My wife was happy as well and I think the way the gear did its job in protecting me is one of the major reasons she’s not placed any objections on further motorcycling on my part. Gives her some peace of mind, ATGATT, and as you know, if the wife ain’t happy, no one is happy!
Don’t get me wrong, she’s very supportive of my need to get a riding “fix” as often as possible, calls it my prozac on wheels in terms of dealing with life’s stresses. I expect she’ll be less thrilled once we’re back in Winter mode here in Colorado and I still want to go riding but we’ll cross that bridge then.
So, long story short, while I won’t ride without a helmet, I have ridden around my block for short periods without full ATGATT while testing out wrenching work on my motorcycle. So I understand where you’re coming from, I do feel like I am asking for trouble by not wearing it all but it is a pain sometimes to be ATGATT. But, that’s me and my view of things, it’s the way I’m put together.
In the end, one can only ride one’s own ride when it comes to motorcycling….
thanks, I hope we meet someday…. : )
dom