Last June I was riding US 6 across Nevada and after 15 miles of riding through a low flying swarm of grasshoppers I was damn glad I had on my chaps and my shins still got beat up sore from the bug smacking. I wear them for protection, not for styling. Oh yeah, I wear First Gear 'hypertex' over pants when it's cold or raining.

 

Because they're pants. When you get to the end of the ride, they're what you have to walk around in. Imagine all these guys who are worried about their image in chaps if they had to walk around the office in leather pants all day.... With chaps, you're just two zips away from normalcy, whatever that means in your situation.

And think about the bug-splat story -- you arrive at your destination covered in grasshopper guts. Wouldn't it be a lot cooler if you could just peel off the jacket and chaps?

 

Nice sig Splatter, but where are you from?

 

Wear them below 70.

 

Thanks. I'm from New England -- the Boston area. I moved here from New Mexico -- compared to there we don't get to see the sun much... or the stars much... or the sky much.Seems like every time I take the bike out, I have to clean off the Splatter. Thus the name.

 

no chaps never have never will dont need to wear em to fit the image

 

are you supposed to wear pants underneath them?

I got strange looks when I showed up in a pair without jeans.[&:]

 

To the strip joint..............those chix love them...can you say free lap dances....

 

I wear my chaps and ONLY my chaps every time I ride.

 

Wearing chaps while riding - whetheryou wear them all of the time or only under certain conditions -is aboutprotection, not about image. And like helmets, gloves or any other protective gear - it's about individual choice. On the other hand, you can wear all the protective gear in the world and it's not going to stop some crazy a$$ cager from wiping you out.