[vito]

Bought my first pair of leather chaps and received them today. After 35+ years of riding I thought I'd give this a try since I know better than to try to convince myself to wear armored motorcycle pants. The pair I received are from LeatherUp and were surprising inexpensive for the heavy leather, and quality stitching that they are. But I will admit that it took me a minute to figure out how to put them on. Not quite like putting a pair of pants on, but I think that they will add a degree of safety for me. I think I could even wear them over a pair of shorts rather than jeans. I had to cut about 6 inches off the bottom to make them wearable, but that should not be a problem. I wonder whether or not I should buy a set of spurs since wearing these makes me feel like a cowboy. Hopefully my motorcycle will not leave piles of poop behind us like a horse.

 

[vito]

I hope I wasn't too hasty in cutting off the bottoms. But I ride a full faired bike so even if a tad short they should still work OK. I won't really know for a few months when I can begin riding again.

 

[vito]

After I first left NYC as a young man, and was now living in El Paso, Texas I bought my first pair of cowboy boots. For a boy from Brooklyn, that made me feel more at home in Texas. So when I first started riding, I never even thought about spending money on motorcycle boots, using my cowboy boots as I would any other day (other than when working, since the Army would have frowned on my wearing cowboy boots while in uniform). This worked for me for decades, but as I have gotten older, my feet larger and less even, while I always own a good pair of cowboy boots I only wear them rarely, and not for a whole day. For riding I mostly wear "shortie boots" like from Icon or Alpinestars, and when off the bike, pretty much just wear slip on shoes. I think I only own one pair of shoes, and no boots, that have laces anymore. Bending over is possible, but a chore so I avoid having to do more than fold over a velcro strap and pull up a zipper. Maybe now with the chaps I'll again try riding with the cowboy boots that sit on the shelf waiting for me. I think the Stetson stays home no matter what I'm riding.

 

[vito]

Putting them on is a pain, and I find I only use them if I want a bit more over my legs on a cold day. In the hot weather, chaps over shorts might make sense, but I think leather over skin would get very sweaty.