Had an opportunity to do some touring yesterday morning in the Adirondack Mountains while visiting Americade. I came across an older guy who went off the road and hit a large rock. Bike was a mess. He was surprisingly OK except for an injured ankle. He was wearing a full face helmet which had skid marks from the crash and also a leather jacket and good gloves. All the above showed signs of scuffing. He was wearing sneakers but told me he left his boots back in the hotel! Chances are if he was wearing the boots he would have gotten away unscathed.

Moral of the story: Accidents do happen and protective gear is like insurance. You do not need it until you need it.