Importance of boots?

[punkelf]

A while back, I was binging on safety gear research, and I came across a study that said that foot/ankle injuries are the most common injuries to cyclists.
It makes sense if you think about it, your feet are closest to the road, and how many of us are prone to sticking out the old pontoons if the scoot feels like it losing it's rudder.
I'll see if I can't dig up that link...

[duderiffic]

sooznd would agree (that rhymes!) - boots are important- sometimes I wish I had more storage to keep all my safety gear on the Metro after I arrive at my destination.

[Paddy_Crow]

I have a good pair of boots for cooler weather, I'm still shopping for the right pair for summertime.

[carolinatrophy]

sooznd would agree (that rhymes!) - boots are important- sometimes I wish I had more storage to keep all my safety gear on the Metro after I arrive at my destination.

Hahahaha! Yes, herein lies the real decision.

I don't say this with any pride, but I don't gear up AT ALL. I wear a helmet. That's it. Other than that, I wear whatever the heck I'm already wearing. Flip flops, t-shirt, shorts... whatever. If I'm going to the pool or the beach, I might not wear a shirt.

There are some risks I accept when riding a scooter. And although I know many will not agree with me, to me the joy and freedom of riding a scooter is heavily compromised if I have to gear up like a freakin' MotoGP rider to go to the grocery store. I simply will not do it. Instead, I ride safely, stay hyper alert, and try to avoid putting myself in dangerous situations on the road. I do the same thing on motorcycles, and I have been riding them for 20 years without crashing heavily. Yes, I've been down a couple times, but nothing that gloves and boots and leathers and whatnot would necessarily protect against. And although to some people this may sound crazy, I honestly believe NOT gearing up keeps me safer. In the same way that head injuries are less common in rugby than in American football, I think KNOWING I am vulnerable as hell keeps me safe.

Or as my friend used to say: "Why would I dress to crash? I don't ride to crash."

Just my $0.02. I don't advocate riding without gear, but I figured I'd share my personal opinions about it...

[srpvoltaire]

In regards to the MotoGP comment, a 1 piece race suite would be a pretty convenient option. One piece of gear does it all. If only they came without the pre-curved knees meant for a sportbike. In regards to your lack of safety gear keeping you safer, there quite a fallacy in that logic. Just because you have not had a serious crash while not wearing gear, does not mean the lack of gear is the cause of you not crashing. If you really believed that, why wear the helmet? Won't you be even more alert without it and lower your crash potential? That being said, if you know and accept they true risk of riding w/o gear, go for it. If it’s an informed decision, it’s not crazy. Plus, the only person in danger is yourself, no one else.

I doubt anyone rides with less attention, or takes additional risks, because they have protective gear on. When I ride my motorcycle or scooter, I'm an all the gear almost all the time person. I occasionally only wear jeans when riding the motorcycle and leave my riding pants off when on the scooter. The knee armor takes up what little clearance I have between my knee and the handle bar (I'm 6'3''). I get my full allotment of pleasure while riding with the gear. The only thing I need to store is the helmet and gloves and those fit under the seat. My gear certainly does not give me so much security that I worry less about being hit or crashing. That could be because I'm more worried about the bike than me. I've got no problem with laying around for awhile while my body heals, but if I have to replace the body work on the scooter again, all the while getting enraged that Honda put the whole thing together with 1/4in screws and mounts heavy parts, like the headlight and the tail light assembly to the plastic at week connecting points with said 1/4 screws, I'm going to be pissed!

All that being said boots are not a high priority for me. Tennis shoes or hiking boots with proper laces work just fine, at least against abrasion injuries. I am looking to get some riding boots, but mostly because I would like waterproof footwear that is always on my feet so that I can eliminate bring along my rubber overshoes.

[carolinatrophy]

Yeah, well... I also want to be "thrown clear" in a car crash.

(Just kidding.)

[ruck_ryder]

Like others have stated, footware which doesn't cover the ankle has a tendency to come off at the most inopportune time. Not that all over the ankle boots are created equal. I've seen folks sporting western boots with smooth leather soles. Personally, I wouldn't as you'll have zero traction on a wet surface. A sole with good traction is a must, especially for those like me who ride in all weather short of snow.

[Miguel]

I recently purchased a pair of relatively low top boots from Sidi. I had three criteria:
o I didn't want true boots but something lower
o Something that I could wear in social situations that didn't look like motorcycle boots or hiking boots
o Something with ankle protection

Here's what I ended up with. Miguel

http://www.newenough.com/boots/sport_street_touring_boots/sidi/blade_motorcycle_boots.html

[laspalmas7]

Cool boots Miguel. I'd considered the Sidis myself. I think their full boots are definitely in the realm of looking a lot like Transformers® - the short ones less so. But I have to ask: What social situations are you in where these don't look like motorcycle footwear?

-andrew

[Miguel]

I pulled off the shift pads which are removeable (primarily for replacement purposes). I'm talking afternoon parties, casual lunches and dinners. If I could have found something even more suitable, I'd have gotten them instead. Suggesions? Thx.
Miguel

[duderiffic]

Out of curiosity why'd you go low-cut?

[Miguel]

I didn't feel I needed the shin padding but wanted some ankle protection. I also couldnt figure out how I was going to get a shin injury easily if I did fall. Someone here or on another site stated a statistic that the most common injuries were to the ankle. I was a little suprised by that. Another ting that was said is that when you do fall, its not uncommon to have your shoe come off. The Sidi has a pretty broad velcro for holding it on. I trid pulling it off when it was velcro'ed up and it it felt pretty secure. I hope I never have to report back on actual performance.

A note on the Sidi: THere's plenty of room top to bottom inside so I'm going to put an insert in to fill it up a bit.

On the sizing, I wear a 43 bike shoe and I got a 43 in the Sidi. It fits fine.

I don't know much about how hot they will feel if I'm ever in real heat but in Santa Cruz, the mountains, and Silicon Valley, it rarely gets that hot.
Miguel

[Miguel]

I pulled off the shift pads which are removeable (primarily for replacement purposes). I'm talking afternoon parties, casual lunches and dinners. If I could have found something even more suitable, I'd have gotten them instead. Suggesions? Thx.
Miguel

BTW, I'm trying to figure out how to take the SIDI logo off the outside heels if I can. Miguel

[laspalmas7]

Miguel, I got the Gaerne G Dukes.

http://www.thebikerstore.co.uk/Gaerne-G-Duke_AKVO4.aspx

There don't seem to be many dealers in the US that carry this model. I got mine at Moto Market in Acton, MA - http://www.motomkt.com (lame website, great store).

They are (amazingly) both breathable and waterproof as well. I've put them through their paces in cold weather, heavy rain, and sweltering heat - and they've kept me comfortable (and theoretically safer). My choice of full length boots was based on this: if I'm going to get specialized boots for riding, I will get the ones that give me as much coverage as necessary.

Of all the safety gear I wear, the boots are the least convenient to deal with once I'm at my location... so I know what you mean about needing the boots to suffice OFF your ride as well. Mine do fit in a backpack... which I can bungee/cargo net to my rack while riding... but if I'm not going to do much walking in them, I just keep them on. When I commute to work, I just leave them (and the jacket, pants, and helmet) on/under my desk.

-andrew

[Bustin]

I also couldnt figure out how I was going to get a shin injury easily if I did fall. Someone here or on another site stated a statistic that the most common injuries were to the ankle.

Boots with stout uppers on them are super important on a scooter. Here's why :

Scooters are a bit different than motorcycles or bicycles, because they have that big floor and legshield sticking out on the sides. It has a tendency to land right on the lower leg when a lowside occurs , especially when the rider tries to "flat track" the lowside and stick the leg out on the ground to steady the situation ...an automatic,instinctive move for anybody who has ever ridden a dirt bike, BMX bike ,street bike, or otherwise kicked the ass end out on any bike. You put that inside leg on the ground to hold stuff up as the rear wheel kicks out. Bikes typically lowside on the handlebar and footrest , with a gap underneath for your leg to ride it out. Not so with a scooter, you will find a rash running right down the sidewalls of both the legshield and the floor if you look at one that has lowsided. No place for a lower leg to go , except to the orthopedic surgeon , if that "edge" lands on it.

Broken Tibia/Fibula time.

One piece of good advice for anyone riding a scooter ..... get your feet up on the floor if you are going down .You probably won't even get a scratch , even in Chucks or flip-flops. But if you hang that leg out there and get it caught under the floor..... it's gonna suck , and stout boots will save your skin, but only the best roadracing boots stand a chance to transfer the weight of the scooter from your Tib/Fib to the ground , and prevent a fracture. Hiking boots or work boots might prevent some abrasion ,but basically have a soft upper which doesn't transfer weight. You can kiss those Chuck Taylors goodbye....they will probably end up cut to shreds in the garbage can at the E.R. as they reset your leg , sad to say. Only the most top end roadracing boots like Alpinestar and Sidi have a chance to prevent an injury like this , and even then , it's a bad bet.

Yeah,good boots are important for a scooter rider....even then, try and remember to get those feet up on the floor if things suddenly start going from verticle to horizontal !