2 Points -
1. During summer in many EU countries, motorcycle police will often be seen wearing nothing more protective than normal trousers and a short-sleeved shirt, the idea being that all the protective gear will make them too hot and is more likely to result in an accident;
2. I regularly used to cycle a 25 mile circuit around the town I used to live in. Returning to the town, the final mile & a half was a downhill section where I regularly did speeds of around 50mph wearing no more protection than a t-short and shorts. Most other cyclists can regularly achieve speeds of 30+mph on the flat on regular weekly ride-outs. How many of them wear 'full protection'?
I've never understood why so many bikers and other Health & Safety hanger on'ers make such an issue about protective gear. We live in a pathetic nanny state. I've even been 'chastised' at the local petrol station for not wearing full protective gear by a total stranger. If I want to ride into the city centre (30mph limits) with my only protective gear being a helmet, that's my decision. I asked the guy if he knew where I was going and what speeds I'd be travelling at. When he replied it made no difference I told him to f**k off and go and annoy the group of cyclists who were passing at the time.
Like a couple of old bikers I used to work with told me one day... There's far too much talk about accidents and 'offs' made not only by the health & safety brigade, but by bikers themselves - like it's an occupational hazard and a certainty it will at some point happen. Reckoned it was all a load of old bollocks from magazine journalists pushing bikes to their limits even in unsuitable conditions, and bikers riding beyond their capabilities. They did annual mileages that would take half the people on here a decade to notch up and the biggest spill either of them had ever had was when one slid out on gravel whilst on a tour of the Highlands of Scotland - admitted it was his own fault for not paying attention and reading the road surface.
End of day, it's a personal choice and one which may vary hugely depending on the temperature, weather, location, likely speeds, and personal attitude to risk. No-one can advise you. You just need to do what you feel is appropriate for your needs.
