I will have to say that I am an advoacte for gear. Gloves, jacket, boots and helmet minimum for me. I have a pair of Kevlar jeans now because I just can't do full pants with pucks and what not, but to tell you the truth... I am not sure I would have wore a helmet in the beginning when I started riding because I was young enought to think I was invincible and the what not and would have fallen to the peer pressure of "cool". I'm sure I would have been pushed by family and that potentially in the end would have saved my life as well. I was fortunate enough to be wearing full gear when I went down twice. All except for boots which in both instances flew right off my feet. Second time down I got some road rash on my calve through my jeans that hurt like hell, but would have had rocks otherwise. I would not have the knuckles on my right hand where my pinky and ring finger connect (I had armored knuckles and they were almost worked fully through) and smashed up my toe a bit because....well, my freaking shoe flew off my foot for the SECOND time! I will continue to shake my head because I know much better than that from years ago and was guilty of rolling down the road with just a t-shirt, jeans and helmet on, but consider myself fortunate that my accidents didn't happen in the summer at that time and when I was doing something increasingly much more stupid on the bike. If you wear one piece of gear: Please let it be a helmet. Alot of crap can happen a slow speed that may spare your skin (not that I advocate no gear), but it doesn't take much to bump your head the right way to turn you into a drooling monkey for life. Just food for thought.
