Most of us have experienced what it is like to be down to the bone cold when riding, and how dangerous that can be. And most of us have tried out all sorts of things to stay warm and extend our riding season. I have tested a lot of gear, some products I have loved, and others not so much.
In the "I love it" category is the heated vest and foot warmers from Heat Demon by Symtec.
Let's talk about the vest first. The vest is made of water resistant Taslan fabric, so its lightweight, durable and very malleable.
It is an adjustable vest with 3 side zippers that offer multiple configurations and stretch fabric inserts that allow for the most comfortable and snug fit. Hence why there are only two sizes available for purchase - Small to XL and XL - 4X
The beauty of this system is that if you gain a little weight or loose a little wait you do not necessarily need to go out and buy another vest.
The heating elements are flat, made from high tech carbon fibre, and they are removable which makes the vest easily washable.
I don't know about you but that has been one of my complaints of some of the other heated products I've owned - you can wash them, just not easily.
Because the flat heating elements are in pockets inside the front chest and the back of the vest, there are no wires to rub or chafe and there is very little bulk to the vest, an added bonus is the heating pads don't draw a lot of power.
The elastic at the waist helps keep the vest in place and prevents it from riding up, it also helps to trap the heat in the upper part of your core.
The back heating pad does extend below the elastic waist band by about 2 inches.
The vest also has 2 decent sized zippered pockets on the outside and two Velcro sealed, extra large pockets on the inside.
Now, I have the battery operated configuration of this vest so the left inside pocket is already in use by the battery and therefore not available for storage.
Yes, you read right - battery operated.
The Lithium Ion battery that charges the vest will offer you about 7 hours of heat depending on the heat setting you run your gear at. When I was in Ireland last month, we had one day that was so wet and windy and we got so cold, that we stopped at a pub for hot chocolate and to warm up.
I took my Heat Demon vest and foot warmers out of the side bag and put them on in the parking lot.
The rain had stopped and everyone was divesting themselves of bandannas and gloves etc and hunting for dry replacements.
Running vest and foot warmers on 4 - the second highest temperature range, I was warming up nicely and by the time we got seated in the pub, I was no longer shivering. I was getting some funny looks and comments as to why I wasn't freezing like the rest and so I told them about the Heat Demon vest and foot warmers I had just put on.
Well, I was ribbed pretty heartily but as I expressed to them, I am a Northern Canadian rider and I come prepared. The ribbing turned to more burning comments like "Can I try that thing on? (They were referring to the vest.)
As we geared up to head out, I put the vest on high and had consistent heat for the better part of 4 hours using pretty much just the vest alone. I am not sure how much battery time you loose running the foot warmers at the same time as the vest as I unplugged the foot warmers after about a half hour. My feet were not wet and so once the chill was off of me, I just unplugged them. (I'll get to the foot warmers in a bit).
The heat this vest puts out is so nice and consistent with no hot spots like you find in some of the wired vests.
The Battery Operated Vest SHINES for its versatility; hands down, this is one of the best ideas in heated gear that I have seen.
You can run a cable to the motorcycle to power the vest just like any other system, but if you want to stay warm when you get off your bike, you just unplug from the bike and plug into the battery in the left hand inner pocket.
If you are riding a bike that is rented or borrowed and does not have a cable installed - no problem...you can stay warm. The battery takes about 5 hours to fully recharge.
The heat controllers have clips on them that allow you to clip to your pants pocket or to an outside jacket pocket.
You also have the advantage of being able to run two vests off of one controller with the use of a Y-cable you can purchase.
The cable that hooks to your motorcycle's battery to power the vest has a dust plug to keep grime and moisture out of the connector when it's not in use.
The features, benefits and quality of this product are simply fabulous.
Now Heat Demon by Symtec has put a ton of thought into your pocket book with their designs and offerings too. They offer the vests and the assorted cables & controllers to run them, in bundles and separately.
The foot warmers are ingenious, one size fits all, you cut them out to match you foot size based on the lines provided for cutting, you slide them into your boot and run the cable under your jeans or riding pants, they connect to the controller and voila - warm feet. There are no wires or bumps, no bunching - you hardly know the foot warmers are there except for the warmth emanating from them and the cable that runs up the side of your leg, but you get used to that pretty quick.
There are three options to the product that I would like to see in the future:
1) Have the back heating pad extended by about 2 more inches to warm more of the kidney area 2) Have a jacket option with a heated collar and heated sleeves. 3) For the wall charger to have the prongs slide sideways/collapse for shipping so that it doesn't take so much space to pack or run the risk of breaking a prong or something else in your bag. I'd pay extra for all of the above mentioned features.
I really, really like this vest and the foot warmers.
For the money, Heat Demon by Symtec heated apparel offers some of the best and most versatile heated apparel products in the business.
Think of the various applications for the vest and foot warmers; snowmobiling, quadding, motorcycling, and any outdoor activity where a little extra warmth is needed and if you choose the Battery Powered one - you will get so much more use and value from it outside of the recreations mentioned above. Heck, I keep mine handy by the door and take them in the car with me, just in case I hit the ditch, or have a tire that I have to change. My husband has used the vest while tinkering in his garage when he didn't want to fire up the big furnace for a 20 minute job he had to do.
If you are looking for a great gift for the outdoor enthusiast in your life may I suggest checking out the heated apparel from Heat Demon by Symtec.
Heat Demon Seats, Grips & Apparel by Symtec offers various snowmobile and ATV specific products too and their products are distributed by Kimpex in Canada and are available through the Kimpex dealer network. I think that I really should take their heated grips and one of their seat kits for a test spin.
Have a great Friday everyone, Belt Drive Betty Editor & Rider
Shopping local means something different to me than it does to most of the people who read my blog or our newspaper, simply because of the geographical location I live in. I am a rider and tend to, whenever possible shop with other riders who own small businesses, sadly all of them live hours and hours away from me but that does not stop me from supporting them.
I have always been a big proponent for shopping locally and in the rider community, for me, at least, that means shopping with small businesses on line. I do a ton of my shopping on line because for me it makes sense. I live in Grande Prairie Alberta and I am at least 5 hours by car to any other major centre where there is choice and selection. In the GP region we have 2 Honda and Victory dealers in the area, 1 Yamaha dealer and one Harley Shop. Other than that there are no small business to buy gifts from if you are a rider looking for gifts for other riders.
When I go into these shops to gift shop, I seldom find what I am looking for. It's no fault of theirs either, they can only carry so much stock and a lot of the gear they carry is directed at the dirt rider because motocross is huge here as is quadding. That's who their primary customer base is.
The one Victory shop deals in KTM and snow machines - so there is very little for me there.
The other is 40 K away and deals also in Honda and snow machines - again, other than service, there is nothing for gifts for someone like me there. The same is true of the Yamaha shop, they deal a lot in snow machines, boats and quads. I use their services for things like tire changes but beyond that there isn't a lot there for me either.
The Harley shop has lots of gift ideas however, a lot of the people I buy for do not ride Harley's and don't really want branded products for gifts.
There are no local aftermarket shops, no leather shops that are geared to the rider, no gift shops that carry rider specific gift items...so....
The bulk of my shopping is done by visiting the shops of the little guys on line, people I know or have met while on bike trips and I liked their product ranges.
As a small business owner whose kid is all grown up, I don't spend a ton on Christmas; one good present for hubby and small gifts for the daughter and her husband along with stocking stuffers for everyone. The rest of the gifts I buy tend to be stocking stuffers or smaller gifts for the people who work for and with me.
I support small businesses in the riding community like Grizzly Leather, West Coast Roar, Leather & Steel, artists like Mark Mullen and Gypsy's Art, Ken the Glassdude or ...just to mention a few.
For me - that is shopping locally, even though Gypsy is in Red Deer AB, Grizzly is in Calgary AB, West Coast Roar is in Mill Bay BC on Vancouver Island, Leather & Steel is in Fruitvale BC, Ken is in Regina SK and Mark Mullen is in Keswick ON.
I love on line shopping for a number of reasons.
I can shop at 5 in the morning when I am taking my first coffee break of the day.
There are no crowds to battle and I find the customer service to be excellent with most small businesses who have a presence on line.
I like the fact that I can cruise through these web sites and if I am not sure of fit or style, I can call them, talk to them, send measurements etc.
Because they know me, they can help me out.
If they don't have what I am looking for they can generally get it for me and have it drop shipped for me or to me, so while Canada Post, can be expensive, it affords me the luxury of supporting my community by shopping with the rider owned businesses that I have come to love.
The other upside is that I don't have to spend hours in a vehicle driving in winter conditions - so using Canada Post actually becomes more financially viable for me too not to mention safer.
Lots of times when I call these small businesses I find out about other products that are similar to what I am looking for or they tell me about great deals they have....
Online shopping is not for everyone, but for this Northerner, it makes sense, I get what I need from people I like, people who are members of my community, the riding community.
I do what I can to support the little guys - the people who like me, are working at their passion because after all, small business is the backbone of this great nation of ours.
Yes, shopping local is different for me - what does it mean to you? I'd love to know.
Have a fabulous Wednesday Belt Drive Betty Editor & Rider
There is so much need in the world right now and I know how hard it is for people to raise money and awareness.
It's almost Christmas, we all have bills, lives and are busy. There are so many causes with their hands out looking for support and like many I would love to help them all.
We all have the charities and causes that mean the most to us, the ones we support and serve without fail, BUT, right now Illinois needs your help to recover from the Tornados - you can make a difference by helping Gypsy deliver simple things like Toothbrushes, diapers, water, clothes - whatever you can offer by visiting her Facebook Page - she is a sister biker doing what she can to help those who are homeless and in need.
And there is a lady veterans that also desperately needs your support. Watch this video and then once you are done drying the tears from your eyes - SIGN her petition - please!
There are many around the world who need help in the Philippines and elsewhere who need support - theRed Cross is the best way to help there I feel and lastly I ask you to support the Canadian Motorcycle Community defend it's freedoms and rights by signing our petition to Remove Police Chief John Hagarty or have him apologize to all he has wronged. Please educate yourself and then consider signing our petition.
My first
impression was “That’s a nice looking helmet.”
I eagerly
put the helmet on before reading the users manual and was a bit disappointed
that the helmet felt so tight. I hate having to ship something back it’s a
pain.
I do most
of my gear shopping on line these days;
I don’t
have to worry about going to 4 different dealerships to see if I can find what
I want. I can shop at 5 in the morning when I am taking a coffee break.
The
downside, things sometimes have to go back and that can become tedious.
Even though
I was disappointed that the helmet was so tight, I sat down and read the owners
manual and in a few minutes I was one happy girl.
You see I read about the
Speed Dial fit system and how with the turn of a dial, you can adjust how the
helmet fits on your head horizontally and vertically.
Speed Dial Fitment System
The claim
on the Bell Helmets web site that the Speed Dial Fitment System provides unmatched levels of comfort while drastically
reducing the tendency for open face helmets to lift off of the head, are not an
exaggeration in any way shape or form!
Once
I had the helmet fitted to my head, it went back in its carrying bag and in my
suitcase for my trip to Ireland.
Little did I know that I would be writing
about that helmet saving my noggin’ in a crash!
After hundreds of thousands of kilometres and 40 years around bikes, this was my first and hopefully only, crash.
Well,
before that little 35KPH reminder of our human vulnerabilities… I had 9 days of
riding and wearing the Bell Pit Boss helmet and I have to tell you that I LOVE
this helmet – it gets a 9 out of 10 from me!
I
am deeply grateful that if I had to crash that it was a low speed crash and
that I was wearing the Bell “Pit Boss” helmet equipped with the Speed Dial
fitment system when I did.
In
nine days of riding and wearing the Bell “Pit Boss”, I experienced reduced wind
resistance because of the shape and sculpting in the visor – to me there is
nothing worse than a helmet that catches a ton of air causing your neck muscles
to be tense all the time. My neck swells up and looks like I have a small
orange under the skin.
The air flowed off of it well and there was very little
buffeting of my head.
I
found that I was most comfortable with the removable neck curtain left in
place.
I liked the support it offered my neck and how it kept the wind from
going down my back.
Being
made of Kevlar, carbon fiber and fiberglass, it was so light.
There
were actually times I forgot I had it on it was that lightweight!
This
helmet was wonderful – absolutely wonderful.
And
in a need department that’s super important to me.
With
the 4 compressed disks I have in my neck from a car crash many years ago, I
have always gone for the lightest of helmet. Sometimes that meant I wasn’t
always as protected as I thought I’d be simply because of the fit. There are
too many downsides to wearing a full-faced helmet for me. Claustrophobia, that
feeling of not enough air, let me the hell out…is one reason I choose to wear
an open face helmet, the others all involve the limitations of using them.
I
find I spend too much time focusing on unlatching the jaw piece to take a drink
or relieve my claustrophobia. Not to mention the pulling of my hair even with a
head sock on, the heaviness, getting it on and then realizing you forgot to fog
proof your shield – I am trading one risk for another what, 5 or six things
that all take away my focus and make me less comfortable.
I get that. To me
this is a smart risk – I have weighed and measured my options, I have tried all
sorts of helmets and have come to the conclusion that being focused and
comfortable protects me more than the full face compensates for.
This is one decision I
feel a ton better about now that I have experienced a crash.
(ANDNO I DON’T intend to make this a habit in the name of product
reviews.)
I
have been riding my own or on the back since the late seventies and I have
dropped my bike, dumped my bike and rodeoed through a ditch with my bike, but I
had never had or been in a true crash until my trip to Ireland. I can’t image
if this had happened to me back in my no helmet and beanie wearing days.
I
am glad it hasn’t happened with a few of the DOT helmets I have had over my
time either.
I
can’t imagine the outcome would have been good.
I gave this amazing
helmet a 9 out of 10 because of two things.
One, I did not care for
the drop down sun visor. I guess because of the way I had adjusted the helmet
to fit me, the lens came down and rubbed on the end of my nose.It was just too close and rather
uncomfortable, but hey, that’s what they make facemasks, bandanas and good
goggles or glasses for! I wear the Liberty Sport Glasses and a bandana for my
face in the rain and high wind.
Two, the ear pieces that have
the carrying pockets in them for communications devices might have kept my ears warm
if I had been able to have the ear pieces lay flat against my ear, they bulged
a bit, letting wind in and caused more wind noise than I like. It felt like
they are cantered too far back by a couple of degrees.
I imagine that with
communications devices in those pockets though that it might be a totally
different experience.
Other
that the drop down lens and the earpieces, I absolutely loved this helmet and
now I need to go buy a replacement one because my new helmet is where it
belongs after a crash, in the garbage.
During
my crash the Bell “Pit Boss” Helmet took at least one good hit, in spite of the
fact that I had tucked during the first revolution of my body skidding down the
road.
There
were some deep asphalt gouges – the pavement in Ireland is rather aggressive.
You can see them on the bottom left of the helmet by the DOT Information.
The
helmet never budged.
It stayed on my
head and protected my head just the way it was meant to.
The
visor took some scraping but beyond that the helmet looked new.
I
never ended up with more than a dull headache caused more by all of the
bruising on my ribs and the spraining of my left thumb and hand I am sure. I am
still shocked that I never had much of a headache.
This is a helmet that
I feel truly good about recommending.
If
you prefer an open-faced helmet, this is one, I feel you should consider the Pit Boss by Bell Helmets.
That
Speed Dial Fitment System and the light weight of this helmet, makes this helmet
a champion in my eyes!
Bell“Pit Boss” Helmets are available with a number of designs and a reasonable
number of colors, they also come in sizes small to extra large and because of
the Speed Dial Fitment System…all sizes in between!
Every day that I ride, it seems, that I come across a rider wearing little or no proper riding gear and I cringe.
Many years ago, I was one of those riders; I rode wearing
chaps, a beanie and a leather vest.
Then I witnessed a really bad crash. The rider of a sport
bike was speeding coming into a construction zone between Vernon and Armstrong
on our way home to Mara Lake BC.
He center punched the tailgate of a pick up; the very
buxom gal on the back of the sport bike was wearing a bikini, flip-flops and a full-face
helmet.She got launched over the truck,
landed basically face first on the pavement and skidded for some 2-300 feet,
and when they turned her over, I nearly puked at the sight. This once very
buxom young gal was now dead and you could see her raw rib cage – no triple D’s
left.
From that point on, May of 1987, I have been, for the most
part an all the gear all the time type of rider; I have lapsed from that mantra
a few times in extreme heat. But as gear evolves, so do I, and I take less and
less chances with my hide and my life than I used to in order to ride.
There’s simply no need to.
The new mesh jackets with armor in them allow you to be as
cool as in a tee shirt, but still offer you valuable protection. There are
hydration bags, Kevlar jeans, Kevlar shirts and all sorts of new products that
weren’t around back in 86, 96 or even 2006…and yet I hear the same reasons why
people ride with little or no gear now, that I did in the 80’s, 90’s and early
2000’s, as to why so many riders go out on the road with no protection today:
It's too hot out
I'm just doing downtown
I only dress this way for short
trips around town
I love the way I look
And on, and on it goes.
Well folks, I am
living proof of what I preach – “Dress for the slide, not the ride”.
I pulled a stupid rookie mistake while I was in Ireland and
had I not been wearing good gear, I would probably have been dead or in the
hospital at the very least.
The mistake I made was one I could easily make on any road,
in any city or country in the world.
The mistake I made had nothing whatsoever to do with being
in Ireland or riding on the opposite side of the road to what I am accustomed
with.
It had nothing to do with curves or challenging riding.
In fact, the mistake I made happened on a sunny day, on a
straight stretch of road at about 30/5 KMPH.
The mistake I made is a compound one and one I know the
dangers of.
I took my eyes off the road ahead of me for a second.
The
video footage I have of my crash shows that fact clearly. I looked right, using
peripheral vision, and moved my head slightly right, I detected brake lights,
looked fully forward and saw brake lights, there was no where to go and I
reached for the front brake, and pulled in the clutch to down shift, but I was
already in first gear.
I fumbled looking for the back brake, and I ended up getting
way too much front brake and compounded by the clutch being pulled in, because
now I had no engine braking, the next thing I know I am being pitched off the
bike as it twists right and then the bike rolls over top of me and I roll three
times.
Beyond the fact that I took my eyes off the road, literally
for a second, something every rider does when scanning the ditches, side roads
or looking at the scenery, something else contributed far more to this crash
than just that one act.
I had not taken enough time with the bike I was riding to
learn panic stopping on an Adventure Touring Bike.
From the crash video, one can see that we had been riding in
staggered formation with the rider in front of me on the centre line. We had
just come around a corner, I was picking up speed from having rounded the
corner to close the gap with the bikes ahead of me, the rider in front of me
chose to stay in the middle of the lane, and as I turned my head, to look at
the fair on the right hand side of the road, the riders in front of me had
begun to check up, I caught their brake lights out of the corner of my eye.(Remember when
watching the video– the camera has a 180-degree view and you can’t see my eye
movement)
At that moment that I turned my eyes to look forward, there
was nowhere to go to the right to swerve to avoid the bike in front of me as
there was a black mini approaching in the opposite lane; there was a rider
right in front of me and it was time for the panic stop. The one I had not practiced.
THIS IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE
I MADE! Watch my crash video and remember, it happens that fast and IT CAN happen to you!
Any time you get on a bike you don’t know you should
practice emergency stopping with it – I
KNOW THAT.
I am used to a back brake that you access with your foot in
an upward angle. (My personal ride is a Street Glide) A light, nimble adventure-touring bike is a
completely different beast from a heavy touring bike.
Because I have never ridden an adventure touring bike with a
back brake you access by having your toe pointed downward, I should have gone
for a few practice laps to get used to that back brake and how to do a panic
stop on an adventure touring bike so that I would know how this bike reacted,
but no…I let excitement get the better of me.
What a DUMASS MISTAKE
TO MAKE.
I rode the bike for 9 days before the crash, never in any of that time did I think to
try a panic stop in a parking lot to see what the bike would do…stupid and
costly.
Rider error...it
happens to us all at some point or another – we are after all human.
In spite of having a 400 + pound bike roll over top of me
hitting both back and front of my chest, I sustained only bruising and swelling
on my left hand and thumb and tenderness in the ribs along my bust line front
and back and my pride got a little wounded too…Been around bikes since 1976, and this is my first and hopefully my last crash...and it's my own fault!
No broken bones, no head injury, no one behind me when it
happened… I got off very lucky.
Why was I so lucky?Because I was dressed for the slide not the
ride and it wasn’t my time yet!
Having great gear on, for me, minimized the damage to my
body in my humble opinion.
My first reaction on getting up was to walk over and shut
the bike off.
The next thing I did was move to the sidewalk and sit
down.Then I examined my injuries and
assessed my next step, which was to talk to a fellow rider who checked my pulse
and eyes.
I was not in shock.My pulse and color were good as were my eye reactions, and cognizance.
I did not feel sick to my stomach or light headed. I refused
an ambulance.
I took a bit of water and some ibuprofen out of my first aid
kit and I had a granola bar with a wee bit more water.
I then, with help, stood up and reassessed how I felt physically
and mentally; my pulse was checked again.
Paul from Celtic Rider took the bike for a 10-minute ride before
he would let me get back on to ride.
When I decided I was ready to get back on, we rode for the ten
minutes to our destination where I was assessed by the first aide staff on
site.
I was fine, but I was going to be sore. I knew that already,
but it never hurts to get checked out.
We took two and a half hours off the bikes and my hand was
packed in ice right away and we had some lunch. I was able to complete my trip
safely as my wounds were very thankfully very superficial.
The bike sustained predominantly superficial wounds too,
albeit because it’s a BMW, they are expensive ones.
The windshield was scraped but not broken.
The right hand mirror broke off but the glass stayed in tact. The right hand signal had broken. The top and right hand boxes (panniers) sustained damage and need to be replaced, the handlebars have a slight twist and have to be replaced and an inspection of the frame and front end are scheduled to be done to ensure the bikes integrity. There are other minor cosmetic damages like scratching of side covers as well.
The top and right hand boxes (panniers) sustained damage and need to be replaced, the handlebars have a slight twist and have to be replaced and an inspection of the frame and front end are scheduled to be done to ensure the bikes integrity. There are other minor cosmetic damages like scratching of side covers as well.
My two Drift Ghost video cameras need to be replaced.
The gear I wore all needs to be replaced because while the damage to it was minimal its integrity has now been deteriorated.
I lost my deductible – 1,500 Euros (Approx. $2,160 Canadian).
But I am alive, walking and working and those things mentioned
above are all replaceable.
What a tough bike that BMW F650GS twin is!
Because of my crash,
Celtic Rider has decided to take their world-class rider training course to a
whole new level.
Celtic Rider has a dedicated motorcycle training school located
at their rental station, called M50 Rider Training School and currently they offer
a classroom rider training course that is mandatory before you ride out on
their bikes.
The safety course covers everything from signage and
roundabouts to riding on the left and how to be successful doing it.
They have decided that from now on, that since an adventure
touring bike is so different from a touring or cruising bike they will be
teaching emergency braking to anyone who comes from the touring/cruising
background and chooses an adventure bike to ride so that you know how your bike
reacts. They may in fact look at doing that with all rental customers.
I say bravo!
These guys are riders who really want you to
enjoy your time in their country, on their bikes, on their tours.They want you safe, healthy and whole so that
once you catch the Irish bug, you will come back to them to rent your next bike
and take your next tour.It is no wonder
these guys have won so many awards.This
to me is customer service that is above and beyond.
I have ridden with other rental companies. I have never been
offered any kind of training course that I can remember and they sure do not
take the time to ensure that you are 100% comfortable with your choice of bike.
I think the fact that Celtic Rider offers a course and wants to up their game,
shows they really do want to help riders have the most safe and enjoyable time.
More than anything else they offer, the gps rentals, the
fabulous service providers, the incredible riding and the amazing attractions,
this one service – rider safety training coupled with great gear for rent, says
the most about how they feel about you, their customer.
I want to thank the
manufacturers of the gear I was wearing.
My HELD gloves did their job, and I had no road rash, no
broken bones – only a sprain and swelling/bruising on my left hand and a wee
small cut at the wrist. The gauntlet on these gloves is small and contributed
to the cut when my wrist was exposed.
My Bell "Pit Boss" Helmet stood up super too.A few good chunks of the outer layer were
taken out of the back of the helmet; the beak had some scraping – other than
that the helmet looked brand new – which it was.I never had a headache only a sore neck. No
scrapes or abrasions to my face.
My new Bell Pit Boss Helmet is now in the garbage, but I
have to tell you that is/was one comfortable and well fitting helmet.
I need to get a new one!
The all-weather Macna riding gear supplied by Celtic Rider
sure did its job.There’s a fair amount
of tearing on the jacket and pants, but it wasn’t my hide that was torn. The Stylmartin
boots were not compromised.
Because the gear is armored and I tucked in, I had no broken
bones – and oh, that means no osteoporosis yet either - YEAH! (I also found out that I still have a very high
tolerance to pain.)
I also wear Draggin’ jeans and shirts that are made out of
Kevlar and Dyneema – I wear that as my gear under my gear so that if it gets
too hot I can just have the mesh jacket with armor on and my hide is still
protected. Draggin’ jeans and the
Draggin’ shirts offer excellent road rash protection. It wasn’t called upon to
do anything this time, but after this little episode, I am grateful I have it
for those days when I just have to go up town quick, or it’s so hot I want to
melt.
Good gear saved more
than my hide; it saved my piece of mind.
As a rider I know that scanning the side streets, and
ditches for dangers or looking too long at some gorgeous piece of scenery means
that sometimes my eyes are off the road, and that can result in needing to
panic stop.
I found out the hard way, that when you do make that one
stupid rookie mistake, that lapse in judgment that we humans are prone to, and
compound that by just hopping on a strange bike and heading out - good gear can
save your life.
I cannot thank Paul, Mick and the gang at Celtic RiderMotorcycle Rentals & Tours enough for their care and concern, and the great
gear and safety course they offer.
The tour was amazing, beyond words really.
Ireland is gorgeous, the people are wonderful, the food is
incredible, the history is mind blowing and the riding is absolutely,
positively some of the best this girl has ever ridden.
I can’t wait to go
back to Ireland and ride the Wild Atlantic Waythat is opening up spring of
2014. It is the longest coastal ride in
the world, (2,500 KMs) hugging the west coast of Ireland.
I loved it so much I made a promo video:
I can’t wait to ride another BMW and share the road with a ton of great people.
And as always, I will dress for the slide and not the ride…
In the "I love it" category is the heated vest and foot warmers from Heat Demon by Symtec.
It is an adjustable vest with 3 side zippers that offer multiple configurations and stretch fabric inserts that allow for the most comfortable and snug fit.
Hence why there are only two sizes available for purchase - Small to XL and XL - 4X
If you are riding a bike that is rented or borrowed and does not have a cable installed - no problem...you can stay warm. 
