I like to fly to foreign countries and rent a bike and typically stay in a country for 30 days which is the maximum period I am allowed to stay in the country unless I do a border run.
I fly to a city, rent a bike and complete the riding and then return the bike. Or I would then take a bus/train to another city and then rent a bike again.

Whenever I travel/tour on a bike, I practice ATGATT and that means I lug my modular helmet, textile jacket & pants, gloves, boot, rain gear (jacket & pants). It gives me peace of mind that I am protected in CE rated riding gear. But the riding gear is heavy and bulky.

My touring boot is a TCX Explorer 4 GTX.
https://www.tcxboots.com/us/en/road/...27G001008.html
I wear the boots when I board the plane and also wear them when I am taking a bus/train when going to another city. Being a high boot it tends to be uncomfortable when you are on a plane/bus/train for >6 hours.
I would love to ditch the boots and wear running shoes on a plane/train/bus! I can't put the TCX boots in my luggage as the boots are very bulky and I don't have space in my Enduristan Tornado 50L.

Should I just wear a low boot like my TCX Jupiter 4 GTX? Low boots don't offer shin protection and also allows water to enter the shoes due to it's low height even when riding.
https://www.tcxboots.com/us/en/jupit...T7115G001.html

As for the textile jacket (Clover Savana-3), I remove the back protector from the jacket and fold the jacket into a separate 40L duffel bag together with the textile pants (Clover Ventouring-2). I then put the back protector on top of the folded jacket & pants. They are just so bulky but I don't see any other options unless I opt to ride without protective jacket/pants.

I don't use the rental bike's helmet as typically the visor would be scratched and you couldn't see anything when it rains, the helmet stinks and might not fit me well. Would it be a good idea to get a open face helmet instead of bring my trusty RPHA90 modular?

Appreciate input from fellow riders as to how I can travel lighter with less bulky gear.

Thanks
:

Hey mate

This response will literally have people throwing their toys out of the Cot, but have a read with an open mind.

ATTGATT is relevant in certain circumstances, but not all, depending on the rider.

This is just my experience based upon being both a serious crash investigator and an emergency services advanced motorcycle trainer.

If you are a competent rider who rides maturely and defensively then all the gear is not needed. Contrary to what us riders have told ourselves, the vast majority of serious motorcycle collisions are caused by the rider, and those where it was not directly their fault, had they ridden defensively they would have avoided it. Here in Australia, and the statistics that I am aware of for some other countries are quite similar, is that most deaths and serious injuries are single vehicle crashes, rider v landscape or other vehicle.

And they die regardless of ATTGATT. In fact, other than a helmet, I can’t recall a fatal motorcycle crash where ATTGATT saved them.

If you look at emergency services riders, cops and ambos, very very few have big crashes, and very few wear ATTGATT.

It’s light weight stuff generally. Like most first responders, our team spent most of our riding operationally in jodphers, slip on boots and a short sleeve shirt in summer, leather jacket in winter - because despite riding fast, we road defensively.

I had two crashes, a low side at 90ks which rolled my ankle and bruised my hip, and a low side on an XR600 on the dirt that broke the back out of my patella, the top of the fibula and all the cartilage - I was wearing full motocross ATTG, at the time - my knee was recently replaced. The cause of the catastrophic injury - zero flex through the ankle - the knee was the fuse.

So what am I saying here?

Give some thought to the reality of ATTG - do YOU really need it for the type of riding you will be doing, and the type of rider YOU are.

I ride and travel like you do- I am off to Java in two weeks for a month of riding. I wear Kevlar type jeans, hiking boots that are comfortable, merino tshirt and for Indon a light weight summer jacket.

All this stuff is wearable out and about when off the bike. It’s causes less fatigue particularly in the heat.

BUT, when I do go for a scratch on the weekend, I wear ATTG, including a helmet collar.

Anyway - just a thought. Have a great trip.




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@Homers GSA,

Thanks for the reply mate.

Interesting take to ATTGATT.
I am actually a slow rider and am even more cautious when I ride in foreign countries since I am not familiar with the roads and the way the locals drive.
Furthermore I typically rent a little Honda XR150 dual sport.

On another note, you wrote that you will be off to Java soon. I plan to go to Sumatra either in December or early next year. Most likely early 2024 as I have yet to work out a rough itinerary of my route for Sumatra.

Cheers

How do you feel about seatbelts?

Leaving aside the confirmation bias (you only remember the deadly ones - you would not have been called to investigate the ones that resulted in a property damage claim!), ATGATT is not for deadly crashes - it is for the middle ground between a bad scrape and mincemeat. ATGATT is to ensure that in a crash, you either die, or limp away - instead of surviving with life-altering injuries.

In Australia or Texas, sure - it's very hot and the cops are macho. Someone who is both a trained emergency rider, and spends their entire working days every day on a motorcycle, will make an informed decision that the continuous risk of overheating is a bigger threat. But regular riders don't ride like cops, and don't have the permanent scan-for-threats mindset of cops - and here in Europe, our moto cops are absolutely ATGATT.

So you've been lucky. I've had a few crashes that were caused by my own inattention (and habitual riders WILL be inattentive at least some of the time, especially on holiday when they are enjoying the ride and scenery, to say "if you'd ridden defensively it would not have happened to you" is victim-blaming and unhelpful). In those cases, ATGATT meant that I walked away with some bruises and sore muscles - the damage to my ankles is actually from falling off bicycles, in normal street shoes, not from dropping a heavy motorcycle on my boot!

But the reason that one of my forearms and both of my wrists are held together with titanium is that while I was riding on a straight, empty, countryside road at the posted limit of 90kph, on a dry sunny day with perfect visibility, a dude in an SUV decided to blow through a stop-sign and send me on a helicopter ride to the nearest major trauma center. Your defensive riding will not prevent other people's unbridled idiocy, and if it hasn't happened to you (ever or yet), that's a matter of luck.

Whenever I've flown overseas to ride a rental motorcycle, I've stuffed gloves, papers, etc. into my helmet, and carried that on in a helmet bag. I've worn boots, riding jeans, and a textile riding jacket on the flight. Non-riding clothes get put in checked luggage - if my checked luggage gets lost (and it has) it's a lot easier to buy non-riding clothing than riding gear in a foreign country.

About the only time I've toured overseas without full riding gear is a tour in southern India. It was broiling hot with high humidity, so I'd wear an armoured mesh jacket in the mornings, then have switch to a long-sleeved denim shirt in the afternoons to prevent sunburn on my arms, but not melt in the heat. I still wore boots, gloves, and armoured jeans.

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You make some good points. And yes i probably view riding from the very mindset of constantly checking and adjusting my riding for threats.

Luck? Maybe.

Your seatbelt question perfectly sums this up. I love seatbelts. Best thing ever. So why do we stop there? Why not wear a helmet? Why not put a full roll cage in the car? Because we have come to a balance between safety and practicality.

In the state I worked in we attended every reported accident and reported on them all, which is why our statistics was very thorough. So I saw the lot - from bumps to bruises to death.

And here is my experience;
The majority of serious and fatal motorcycle collisions were primarily the fault of the rider not riding as you say - constantly scanning for threats - combined with riding too fast for the conditions and their ability.

Very few motorcyclists riding maturely, to the conditions and within their abilities were involved in serious crashes where safety gear other than helmet gloves and good jeans would have had a different outcome.

Which brings me back to my point. If you are a mature competent rider your chances of being involved in a serious crash is very low.

I am not, and have not, told anyone not to wear safety gear. I have said to risk assess the situation and decide what suits you and your particular situation.

Your collision is a perfect example of why most riders should wear protective gear. It’s the level that I question.

Tell me more about your collision and how it unfolded.


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I wear all the gear all of the time. I don't trust other road users. There are plenty of moron/ drunk/ drugged cage drivers trying to take you out. And animals, pedestrians etc. And rider error. No-one is infaliable.

I try to plan my riding not to ride somewhere if the weather isn't to my liking.

Because of weight restrictions, I wear my MX boots onto the aeroplane and carry my helmet in a helmet bag. No-one at the airport seems to care about your bike jacket as long as everything is permitted from a security point of view. I recall weighing my jacket once and it came in at 25kg! Knee braces and clothes in the arms, body armour laced into the jacket with zip ties, all the pockets full of my heaviest electronics. Yes, you'll spend time at security while they search everything Just get there early in plenty of time.

At the boarding gate, be able to carry your heavy jacket over your shoulder "casually" (you're clearly unable to wear it ), maybe draped over your helmet too. Use your body to obscure it's size depending on where the boarding gate staff are standing/ looking. Always be friendly (distraction technique ), have your passport/boarding pass ready etc.

On the flight, the boots go in the overhead locker or underneath the seat in front. Sandals/ flipflops/ light weigh shoes go on my feet. To walk off the plane, I carry a length of webbing and tie the boots together so I can carry them over the other shoulder not carrying the jacket.

If my luggage/ bike clothes are only going one way (e.g. I'm repatriating a bike back to home, as I did recently, bike was parked over the winter in the Caucuses and I rode it back to Europe), I put hold luggage in a "Chinese laundry bag" wrapped in cling film for extra security/sturdiness, that can be binned at the destination city/ airport.

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You are over thinking this. Buy a big cheap duffel bag for the riding gear which you use when on flights, trains, busses, etc. When riding, leave the empty duffel in the city where you rent the bike as you will always return to that city to turn in the rental. The rental company will probably keep it for you. Or a hotel/hostel. Or connect with the local motorcycle community and ask someone to hold on to it.

For the helmet, consider the option of buying a helmet when you arrive if you have a common head size / shape. Then give it away when you leave. Some rental companies will buy it from you. Some will give a discount to buy a helmet from them when renting for a month. Rental companies will typically be happy to bargain with you, especially on longer or more expensive rentals. In most countries where motorcycles are common you will find good quality affordable helmets easily.

I also agree with the above comment about ATGATT being worth a closer look depending on the type of riding you will be doing, your experience in riding, and the location. But if you want to keep with ATGATT, the above should make the transits a lot easier.

Have fun out there!

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Blog: The Seductive Life (General Travel)

I had a hospital appointment yesterday and to carve through the early morning traffic I went on my motorbike in my shorts and T-shirt. The receptionist questioned my wisdom and my response was that the route through London was 20mph zones all the way and I was in no more danger than a cyclist.

So yes, I'm with @Homers GSA regarding AGATT.

When I started riding (tuned Lambretta GT225) in 1968 helmets were optional and typically worn just to keep one's hair tidy or when it was cold/rainy weather. Hence my actions in this video from 14 years ago (scroll to 1min 10 seconds). But of course I knew the road and was being ULTRA careful.



Nowadays my preference is for an 'airflow' type lightweight jacket and back protector such as this Rev'it jacket in sun-reflecting silver which I can insulate in cold weather with other clothes, and if it rains I put my waterproof walking jacket over the top.

As I do a lot of walking and exploring off the bike, my boots are the very comfortable Forma Low Adventure.

And my helmet is the wonderful Nolan N70 2X which can be used in six different configurations. My norm is to ride with the chin guard removed but keep the peak, but on a long fast 'liaison' ride I also take the peak off to reduce buffeting.



These items suit me well. After taking my advanced riding qualification about 15 years ago I found riding to the standard great increased my enjoyment and my style is generally 'bumbling along' at 65-80 kph—I ride to explore interesting places rather than for the thrills of high speed.

If on the other hand, the reader of this enjoys the thrills of fast riding then I strongly support ATGATT.

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To wear or not to wear protective gear is a personal choice, I've done both but if I'm miles from a trustworthy hospital I tend towards the former. You can be as careful and skilled as you like but if somebody T-bones you it's gonna sting, and most accidents happen at 'low' speeds in town.

However I think the answer above from othalan is closest to the mark. If you're going to rent, pack all your gear in a big duffel bag and ask the hire company to store it until you return. Or buy one of those big fabric laundry bags and cling film wrap it all over, cheap enough to throw away if you need to. You're presumably taking throwover panniers or something like that for your ride, so you're already paying the airline for luggage, what's a bit more?

When I went over to Thailand in 2014 for a months worth of riding I took, my own helmet, off road boots and off road gear with me, as well a some civvies to wear as I had a week in Bangkok with my daughter beforehand.
Riding gear went in the hold and I carried my helmet in my hand on the aircraft.
When on my biking trip I left all my extra stuff at the place I stayed in the night before I departed.
I can understand the choice to wear gear or not when riding, I don't ride in shorts, or flip-flops, minimum for me is jeans and a shirt with helmet and gloves.
I live in Thailand now and its easy to get lazy with the gear.

Wayne

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The older I get and the more riding I do, the MORE I want to wear better and more protective gear. My bones aren't as strong as they were in my youth and injuries take WAY longer to heal.

When I started Overlanding in my 20's, I took many risks. And test riding bikes at work I took silly risks too. But I mostly got away with it.

As you spend more time riding and meet more people on your life journey, you gain experience. You hurt yourself. Or you meet people who have been hurt. Those who have had their lives ruined or changed by preventative injuries. And that changes you.

Until you've been sliding down the road sideways, had your lower leg trapped under a bike or had a taxi T-bone you on a sandy road, you need to pipe down about "You don't need safety gear"

It's like the smokers who try to convince you to light up because their Granny lived to 100 and she smoked 50 a day.
I don't want to spend weeks or months held up in a shit hole town or having to fly home with a cast on my leg.

If you're travelling in countries where medical facilities are basic (especially emergecy services) , why the hell would you take these unneccessary risks ?

I don't want my ankle immobilised for life because I'm wearing walking boots instead of my Tech 7s. Nor do I want to be disabled because I didn't pack a back protector because I didn't want to carry a bigger bag.

It's true... Lots of people don't fully gear up and most generally survive the experience. But quite a lot don't. So yes, the risk is personal.
Is it worth the short term ease of travel vs the risk of life-long life-changing injuries that you could have prevented ???

For me... No ! Not now I'm older and wise. And had my fair share of crashes and accidents.

The fundermental basics have to be:

Excellent helmet
Armour for back, shoulders, elbows, knees
Gloves
Adventure/MX boots


For me, you're either riding or you're lightweight back packing. You need to chose which one. They don't mix well together unless you're able to rent gear (which is generally crap as you say).

My entire riding gear fits into a large hold all. It weighs 15kg. Then I have a cabin-size bag for my clothes and personal items. Which is easily enough for a month of backpacking.

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Rode some bikes.
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Can't say anymore.

@Tim Cullis,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I might just travel with my TCX Jupiter 4 which are low boots and definitely more comfortable.

London cyclists (the ones who mix it up with double-decker buses, not the Amsterdam or Copenhagen cyclists) are hardly a yardstick of good sense to begin with!

@othalan,
When I fly I have 2 bags only.
A Enduristan Tornado 50L duffel bag is checked in together with my helmet in a nondescript brown box. Hand carrying a helmet on board Air Asia is a hit & miss thing. Airport security might not allow the helmet on board as carry on.
The Enduristan duffel and the helmet box comes in to about 17 to 18kg. I typically buy about 20kg on luggage.

The other 40L duffel bag is carry on and has my textile jacket & pants with the armour and my other stuff like phone charger, power bank, secondary phone for navigation, passport, etc.

I will leave my nondescript helmet box in a hotel and pick it up when I return the bike.

Your comment on buying a helmet locally sounds like a good idea for further thought. I don't have to faff with bringing my own helmet.
In fact whenever I fly overseas and bring my helmet, I have to go to the airport customs at my home city to declare the helmet and they will provide me with a little slip which is a temporary import document. If I don't have that document I will have to pay tax when entering Malaysia again as Customs will scan the bags and if they see a helmet they assume that the helmet was purchased overseas.

My next planned trip is Sumatra, Indonesia so I will gather more information on buying a cheap helmet there.