I almost always wear helmet, jacket, boots, gloves, and a pair of jeans. Only on the real short jaunts (even rarely then) would I skimp on anything. Even if I was heading to the park to play soccer or whatever, I would bring a backpack or my tail pack with a change of clothes. Yeah, there have been a few times where I "tested the waters" and went the squid route, but it made me feel uneasy b/c you never know when shit is going to hit the fan. Ironically, I just had a low-side about three weeks ago and got out with some minor rash on my right arm (textile jacket tore at the seam). If I had not been geared, I would have been screwed. I nailed my head hard, my boots got torn to hell, and luckily I slid on my wallet (normal jeans aren't all that great protection). I personally think it's stupid to not at least wear a helmet, for obvious reason, let alone if you aren't on a cruiser with a big windshield, have fun taking all the bugs in the face. Either way, it's your personal decision and not my right to judge. Honestly though, I think the discomfort is well worth the price you pay to keep yourself from getting seriously f'd up when that day finally comes, because everyone goes down eventually... Yeah in the summer it can get quite toasty, but you only really notice it when you're in heavy traffic and/or stopped. It's honestly not bad at all when in motion. As for gear, as mentioned, you can get some nice riding pants that are well vented. I hear that a lot of the leather jackets you can get actually aren't all that bad with all the venting. Mesh, I don't trust. I went textile for me b/c my weight was fluctuating, and I didn't have the cash to fork out at the time for leather. I highly recommend boots, since they seem to be the most overlooked. I've seen enough crashes where people are geared, but wear their sneakers and have some pretty major repercussions. Heck, with my recent low-side my ankle would have been ground to the bone if I had worn my tennis shoes. As for the harley riders (and others for that matter). All I can say is who cares what someone else thinks/does. The question is, to what length are you willing to go to so that you can ride another day, or at least prevent from having skin taken off your ass to replace elsewhere on your body?!