Advice

[Guest]

Hey, I'm gonna be getting a bike soon and my family have said they will buy me the gear for my birthday in March.

I was hoping you guys could reccomend some gear. I'll be riding almost all year round in the East-Midlands area of England.

I'll need:

-Helmet (150?)

-Jacket (150?)

-Gloves (50?)

-Boots (75?)

(Links to where I can buy them would be good)

Do you think I'll need trousers? Are there any other things you guys think I'll need?

Thanks

Edited February 21, 2012 by Anonymous

[mealexme]

All year riding? That requires waterproofs. Such things are not available in the biking world... They claim to be but never are.

You will need some sort of trousers. I personally don't have any bike trousers, only "waterproof" ones which you will need if you ride in the rain.

As for prices, it depends what quality you want and what deals are around. With helmets NEVER buy second hand, and always try on before buying as fitting well is more important than the safety rating imo

Again, I would try on jacket/gloves etc but its not as important as trying on a helmet (A good fitting one can be hard to find)

Jacket I would buy waterproof textile with air vents which open and close - should also have as much armor as poss, but definitely have it on elbows

Gloves - try and get a pair that don't have a seam on the palm of the hand, as the seams are the most likely part to fail in a crash, and the palms will take a lot of the impact.

boots - again, waterproof, they should cover your ankles! (you can get some that don't, but they are useless imo). You may find that as a new rider ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) which basically means wearing all the gear when ever you go out, however far you go, gets a bit tiresome, so what I have are a pair of black leather boots which look -smart when tucked under my trousers so I dont have to take them off when I reach my destination

As you are new to biking, you will hear a lot of funny words. I cant think of many of them but...

Lid = Helmet

D-rings = a type of fastning which many helmets have and imo are the best sort which literally look like a D. I would ask how to fasten it in the shop as it is hard to explain and not very easy to get used to, but if it is a good shop (like my local Hein Gericke) they will come over and make sure it all fits properly and tell you how to fasten it etc

http://www.canyonchasers.net/reviews/helmets/images/suomy/spec1r-04-thumb.jpg

Armor = the metal or plastic parts which usually re-enforce the shoulders elbows and knees

"100% waterproof" = will be 100% waterproof for a while, it will keep you dry all day and night until you go on that road trip you have been planning or that long ride when you are miles from home and have no spare clothes on you, then it will turn into a sponge...

[Guest]

Some good tips, but as I've been riding mountain bikes for years I understand the principles behind fitting and wearing gear (armour, helmets etc). I was hoping more for some manfacturer reccomendations or websites where I can order the gear

[mealexme]

Ah, ok. In which case I cannot really help as I have only had one set of gear, but we do have a tried and tested section. Maybe have a look through the relivant sections http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=72

[cb350sg]

My gear consists of:

marushin samura helmet - I actualy really like this helmet, bought it off my brother cheap £50. Usually like 70 I think. I don't advise buying 2nd hand unless you know it's history.

I have an RST jacket, It cost me £75 from a local shop here in Scotland. It's a comfy jacket and very warm. But I did have a problem with some waterproof lining in the pockets tearing and had the jacket replaced. ever since though my new ones been great so I think I'd reccomend it.

Boots I just wear some supposidly 100% waterproof boots that I got for £25. They protect my ankles etc. so they're okay'ish for riding. Better than trainers but not the best in an accident. I just couldn't afford new motorbike boots at the time. I figure new ankles are free on the NHS so...

Trousers, I wear jeans with waterproof trousers over the top. I've come off a couple of times and found jeans to be pretty good. Again I'd reccomend decent bottoms though, your looking at around £50. And I plan on getting some in the not too distant future.

Oh and gloves, I have These gloves.

Hope I helped mate Happy early birthday!

Heres my helmet being hit with a sledgehammer, makes me feel sorta safe now.

[cruz]

If you have the cash now get down to Lidl's tomorrow, a pair of the best gloves I have had cost me £12 several years back, and this years are £14.

[Susieque]

Personally I would buy trousers as well. There is well-documented evidence of what can happen to a pair of jeans if you come off!!

As far as what make, I suggest textiles if you're only gonna have 1 lot of gear.

It's difficult to say which brands are better than others because what suits one person may be no good for another - I daresay people can tell you which ones are no good though!!!

Don't necessarily go for an expensive brand - expensive doesn't always = best!!

Have a look for styles you like, read some reviews by people who have actually worn the gear (not just magazine articles!) then go and try on. You can then buy from ebay!!

[Throttled]

Here are my recommendations

http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=79

and now after a year all still looks good and I have never leaked.

[Tango]

Hein Gericke are normally pretty good....and they may have some stuff on sale at the moment:

http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/

Personally I'd always wear armoured trousers or jeans too.

[dimmers]

Some good tips, but as I've been riding mountain bikes for years I understand the principles behind fitting and wearing gear (armour, helmets etc). I was hoping more for some manfacturer reccomendations or websites where I can order the gear

Google the following for good web sites,

sportsbikeshop

hein gericke

lids direct

mandp

and for the prices you stated, i would take a look at the RST range of clothing.

helmet for £150 easy, lots of people on here would spend a lot less, me personally i always wear an Arai. But a recent thread on here is talking about Lidl helmets, i think they are about £40, up to you really.

gloves for £50 no problem, plenty to choose from for that price. Check out RST, Spada, Buffalo, Hein Gericke.

boots for £75, yep you can do, but i would spend a bit more on boots. A good pair of boots will last for a long time, and wet feet when riding is horrible, having to dry your feet off and change socks is a right pain!

and if you can, get a proper pair of motorbike trousers!

i always think getting a back protector is a good idea, not the type that fits in the jacket, a separate one that you strap to your back - Forcefield are excellent!