Thoughts on an ADV Rider thread

I don't know what prompted me to read the posts in the "Faceplant" section of this board but... The idea behind this section of the board is to learn from the mistakes of others. The rules are you can only post things that either happened to you or some one close to you so there is a personal connection and some follow up answers to questions. Two posts caught my attention recently.

The first was about mesh pants. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488246

I wear mesh pants and am quite happy with them. They are comfortable in all seasons and offer armored protection in the knees and padding in the hips. They are not inexpensive either, so in the you-get-what-you-pay-for (YGWYPF) realm, I'm hoping I'm getting enough. Then I saw this post with pictures of mesh pants (of a different brand than mine) melted after a crash. The rider goes on to say what a piece of junk they are. Many folks agreed, leather is the only way to go for them. Kevlar leather being even better. In the YGWYPF scheme of things, this is the top of the line. MotoGP racers wear full suits of tight fitting leather. Others mentioned the heat factor of wearing leather and that they could never do such a thing or they'd crash from heat stroke. They put in a bid for wearing what you are most comfortable with - physically and financially comfortable. They are of the mind that any gear is better than no gear. Still others claimed that mesh gear versus leather isn't simply a matter of what the stuff looks like after the crash. Mesh gear, they say, is designed to be disposable. It is supposed to take the brunt of the crash to protect you. If your pants melted but you got up and walked away, they did their job. Racing leathers are designed to take more than one crash. It is designed to be more durable so you can get up, get back on the bike, and get back in the race. All in all it is a very interesting thread to read and quite educational. I'll have to do some follow up research on this topic for my own piece of mind.

The other post was "I very very nearly died today..." http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=481931

Why I clicked on it I don't know. But, I was glad I did. The story is by a woman who was nearly taken out by a 4x4x8 that came off a truck at the woman and her husband. He was able to swerve and avoid it. She was not and it hit her head on. She managed to stay upright and not drop the bike, coming to a safe stop. The piece of 4x4 smashed into her headlight. She, knowing she was going to get hit, tucked down with her face next to her tank bag, and held on. Bravo to her for being in control of her bike and her wits at the same time! Wow! it was quite the adrenaline rush just reading her account of the event. I can't imagine being in the situation.

I read this one after hubby and I returned from our Colfax ride and it got me thinking. We take turns being the leader on our weekend trips. I think who ever is following has the most stressful part of the journey. I'm constantly worried about traffic around us, particularly around him. It's weird actually, because we're both fairly responsible riders, have taken multiple rider courses, and are very aware of our surroundings. But, being the one behind the other makes you more aware of how close cars are to the other person because you can see them. When a car is passing me, I barely even notice, even if it seems close. I feel like I can take action if needed and I dont' stress about it. But, it is another thing entirely to watch that some situation happen to your significant other. Get away from my husband you crazy drivers!!

We all accept the responsibility of riding. We wouldn't do it if we didn't know what we were getting into. It's one thing to know those dangers and accept them for yourself. It's another thing to know those dangers and accept them for the person you love. Anything can happen on the road whether you are in your car, on the motorcycle or walking across the street. Stay aware. Stay alert. SEE - scan, evaluate, execute - and be seen. ATGATT! Do what you love. Love what you do. And kiss your loved ones every day.

Ride, have fun, and come home at the end of the day. :-)