I am with Hendi on this one. I am a cheap bastard about some things for sure....but basic safety is where I draw the line. Without the gear or decent bike...I just won't ride.

I've seen some of the young guys at the HUBB meetings doing RTW rides running on some pretty questionable equipment. I totally understand they are on a tight budget....but hey, maybe they could reach out to other HUBB members here and ask for help!?? Worth a try, anyway.

Tires? Boots? Chain? Brake pads? Face shield? Many of us have a few spares in the garage (in the US at least) and could happily help out a RTW guy coming through our area. I know I would do what I could. In fact I've got probably one of each of the above items.

Riding off road without boots is simply insane.
In the two groups I ride with....one for 20 years...the other for about 7 years...anyone who shows up on either a sub standard, unsafe bike in serious need of work....or ridiculous riding gear...well, these guys are not asked back on our rides. We know better. We all have seen what can happen.

There used to be a guy that would show up for rides wearing Tennis shoes. We named him. Tennis Shoe Rob. Sadly, Rob took his own life about 7 years ago while on a Death Valley Ride. He purposely rode his Ninja ZX-12 off the road at over 160 mph.....at night...not wearing a helmet. Funny, he never hurt his foot on all the rides in Tennis Shoes.

I'm hoping boot-less riders will check out how expensive surgery is these days.
I broke my leg (compound fracture of Tibia/Fibula) in 1997. I hit an Armco barrier then flew over the Armco and free fell 200 ft into a creek bed. Besides the Tibia, I broke 4 ribs, ankle (other leg), concussion, and bruised my heart...which caused perio-carditis a year later(another operation). Things were much cheaper then...after six operations over two years (8 months of PT) total cost was right about $200,000 usd. Now it would be close to a million. Yep, ONE MILLION DOLLARS...this according to my hospital administrator friend....who should know. Intensive Care is the most outrageous cost. My ten days there was $10,000 in '97....nowadays it would be as much as $100,000. Robbery, plain and simple.

So anyone who thnks good boots are expensive should check out my little
report. Good boots are the cheapest insurance you could ever buy!

Patrick

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!