I'm sorry, but I'm now a weekday ATGBP rider.

[Rogue]

Just get a 150 cc scooter and wear shorts and T-shirts all day long.  You know you want to.  If you have the fear factor, keep the speed to no more than 25 mph that way your road rash will not be so bad.  

I ride my bicycle 4 times a week and exceed  40 mph on downhills.  Usually I'm doing 19-20 mph in shorts and T-shirt.  It's a small risk I'm willing to take.  

[919]

Bingo. Best hot weather riding pants evah.  

I've missed these in searches, details please.

[Cablebandit]

The pictured pants are Olympia Recon.

[sagerat]

Up to you, but I go AGATT even in on hot summer days and my short (~3 miles one way) commute.

[expatbrit]

I'm confused by 'overpants are a pain', myself. It doesn't take me long to put them on; my boots take longer.

I will admit that I spend a lot of time wearing my Cortech jeans, rather than mesh overpants. That's more because
I don't have anywhere to STORE the overpants rather than the issues with taking them off though.

[Bravo12]

These: http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/pants/reinforced_jeans_and_cargos/agv_sport/excursion_kevlar_cargo_motorcycle_pants.html



I have a pair of Cortech kevlar-reinforced jeans (with removable knee armor), and the Cortech cargo pants that zip off into shorts, both of which were on Closeout on many sites for the past two years or so. I don't think I paid more than $60 for either of them. Unfortunately, I can't wear the cargos to work, since the zippered legs sets off the metal detector when I'm leaving (we get scanned going in AND out), so I usually wear the jeans. If it's raining, I'll wear my Joe Rocket Ballistic 7.0 pants over the Cortech jeans or shorts.

I used to be a ATGBP rider whenever I wasn't planning on "going riding", but rather just tooling around the city: commuting, running errands, etc. Until I went down on I-95 (18-wheeler merged way too soon on me), and lost all the skin on my left knee. That wasn't my only injury (fractured ribs, pelvis and wrist as well) but it's the only one that still shows scars 7 years later, and it's the one that kept me out of work the longest. I could have returned to work in 2 weeks, on light duty, with my wrist still in a cast, but I couldn't get cleared to return to work until my knee had closed-up, which took around 7 weeks total.

I probably won't go back to my old days of full race leathers during the dog-days of July and August, but I won't ride without SOMETHING protecting my knees, even if it's just an extra layer of kevlar under a pair of rugged jeans. I've read numerous times that nearly all motorcycle crashes involve some injuries to the lower body.

[sprk_sprd]

I bought two pairs of those Cortech cargos.  Unfortunately, they don't breathe and quickly become uncomfortable in anything over 70 degrees.  Having said that, I still would never ride with shorts.  There are other options including CycleGear's brand Bilt pants.  They're fairly thin, but include CE-approved knee armor that isn't very bulky.  Probably the most comfortable, semi-protective "all purpose" motorcycle pants I've ever tried on.  

http://www.cyclegear.com/eng/product/steel_motorcycle_jeans/web1009966

http://www.cyclegear.com/eng/product/motorcycle_cargo_pants/web1009965

[R Doug]

Shame on you.

Do it for the children.

oh hold on, never mind....

 


Scott, you realize you're never going to live down your comment re:  Chloë Grace Moretz, don't you?  

Anyhow, back on topic.  I too have been riding ATGBP when I work on the weekends.  Most of the time I slide on my Six Six One knee pads underneath my jeans.  

[R Doug]

PS, you have just under 3 years before she's legal.  

[Bravo12]

She's already too old to play Hit Girl in the upcoming sequel.

[stew71]

The pictured pants are Olympia Recon.

The key point being you can zip off the lower legs and turn them in to shorts upon reaching your destination. Came in handy during our tour of the Southwest last month.

Of course, that leaves your calves vulnerable to zombie kitten attacks...

[SWriverstone]

you could throw on a pair of overpants over your shorts.

I have some overpants, and they're fairly easy to get on/off. If I just had to do it to/from the office once a day, no problem. But the kicker is that I'd have to get them on/off anywhere from 4 to 10 times a day...THAT gets old really fast (because of all the meetings I have to attend---which of course are never scheduled back-to-back).

Maybe throw on some kneepads?  I figure the knees are going to protrude more than any other part of the leg, and the knees are pretty important.  Besides, 1 - 3 miles at a time, around a campus, what's the top speed you're gonna hit anyway?  35?

That's a good idea I hadn't thought of. I have some knee/shin guards, and they'd be a lot easier/faster to get on/off than my overpants (while still allowing for sufficient air circulation to the junk, LOL). And yeah, my top speeds around town are definitely no more than 35-40 (usually more like 20).

Just get a 150 cc scooter and wear shorts and T-shirts all day long.  You know you want to.  If you have the fear factor, keep the speed to no more than 25 mph that way your road rash will not be so bad.  

I ride my bicycle 4 times a week and exceed  40 mph on downhills.  Usually I'm doing 19-20 mph in shorts and T-shirt.  It's a small risk I'm willing to take.  

  You're RIGHT! I **do** want a scooter!   Alas, the wife won't let me spend the money.   The bike analogy is a good one---I ride road bikes and mountain bikes all the time at higher speeds than I ride the motorcycle around town---in nothing but spandex. (Not to mention mountain biking down rock-strewn trails that would likely mess me up far worse than asphalt if I went down.) Of course no gear is rationalized by bicyclists on the basis that you're working...but still.

I guess I could shave my legs like a Tour de France rider.  

I might give the knee/shin guards a try. Of course they're bright red, and I'll look like a motocross wannabe, LOL. But what the hell?

 

Scott, you realize you're never going to live down your comment re:  Chloë Grace Moretz, don't you?  

Anyhow, back on topic.  I too have been riding ATGBP when I work on the weekends.  Most of the time I slide on my Six Six One knee pads underneath my jeans.  

I know, I know.   I recently saw her in "Hugo" (great movie!) and she was not even remotely as hot...


Scott

PS - Those Olympia Recon pants look shweet! Might have to try on a pair sometime...

[Cablebandit]

I know, I know.   I recently saw her in "Hugo" (great movie!) and she was not even remotely as hot...


Scott

Told ya she's got a broken face.  

[dm_gsxr]

The problem with knee and shin guards on a bike is without the surrounding support structure, they might spin or slide off during an accident.

There was the one rider (and I can't recall who it was) who made a turn at an intersection, slid on the crosswalk paint, and almost rubbed enough bone from his elbow to disconnect the tendon and lose the use of his arm because his jacket was loose. This was back in 2004/2005 as I used it partially as an excuse to get an Aerostich suit because of all the weight I'd lost at the time.

Carl

[Cablebandit]

The problem with knee and shin guards on a bike is without the surrounding support structure, they might spin or slide off during an accident.

That's the case with 90% of gear short of racing leathers.  If it's comfortable to move around in odds are it will shift in an accident.  Hopefully it's in place for the initial impact (which is usually the worst)

[sammyseaman]

Told ya she's got a broken face.  

 

[Bounce]

I gave up---screw it. If I crash, the same thing will happen as would happen on my road bicycle: road rash. I accept it. (But I still feel guilty riding in shorts.)

IMO your expectations of events being the same are naive.

[Blunder]

Complete the deal and fit a really loud and obnoxious end can.

Really, the choice of what you wear is up to you. You've obviously weighed the possible consequences and made an informed choice. The fact you posted about it here is a sure sign that you're fishing for gear nazis.  

[Cablebandit]

IMO your expectations of events being the same are naive.

 

I think the hot 500 pound bike on top of you or whipping you down may be a little different than a 10 pound bicycle.

[PatM]

I'm on my second pair of BMW's Summer pants. Same as the Olympia recon, they convert into shorts.
The Summer 3 has lighter, thinner pads, a huge improvement over the Summer 2.