I, too, simply do not have the time nor the inclination to put on all that protective gear other than a helmet and eye protection / glovers and what is necessary to protect myself from the elements.
I firmly believe in safety but at times I admit in the past I have foresworn some of the safety gear in lieu of pure freedom and comfort.
Its hotter than hades here in southern Arizona in the Summer and I will often just wear a short sleeve shirt or even a T-shirt and no jacket. Just too frigging hot for that. I am well aware of the risk of having chunks of skin and flesh removed via high speed road friction in the event of a crash but I guess I just take the risk.
I admit to even on occasion going for a joy ride with no bean protection.
I always wear jeans or long pants .....in my youth I was known to ride in shorts. When you think of it....if you experience road rash at a high rate of speed ...jeans are not going to last long anyway. A 50 mile an hour drag on hot gravelly pavemnt will eat right thru in a heartbeat. Might as well be naked for all the good it would do. Thick leathers and protective jackerts will save your hide or at least greatly lessen the lesions but ...****** its just to hot for all that in mid June.
"Put your bare palm down on the hot asphalt in mid June and imagine dragging it 50 yards at 50 miles an hour. How much skin will be left?" Thats the analogy our MSF safety class instructor used for protective gear. He was right but sometimes ya just gotta be free and take the resultant risk.
Which reminds me I need some decent hot weather gloves.
