Gear advice for a new rider

[pookamatic]

Having just bought my first bike, not wanting to be a statistic, and last (but most important) being a father, priority one is gearing up.

-- USAGE --
Fair-weather commuting. Can's see getting her dirty all the time plus don't want the stress of inclement weather riding. I don't see myself doing much winter commuting.

Quick trips and weekend fun.

-- STYLE --
Mild. When I feel the need for speed, it is controlled.

-- HAVE --
Head: XL Icon Airframe black (came with bike)
Hand: Beat up Mechanix shop gloves
Body: Borrowed Joe Rocket mesh padded jacket
Legs: Jeans
Feet: Sneakers

-- NEED --
Head: Large full face. Importance order: safety/viz, noise/comfort
Hand: Decent all-around pair of riding gloves for warm weather for now.
Body: As much protection as possible without being cumbersome. Preferably summer + inserts (ride into work is before sunrise).
Legs: Overpants - knee/hip protection
Feet: Boots

Basically, I want to be as safe as possible without going nuts or breaking the bank.

One thing is for sure... I need to find a local store to try this stuff on. Since mainstream internet retail, this is a first for me. The feeling of needing to see/try out stuff before purchase is paramount because it's a family I'm protecting and the range is quite varied.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[DownrangeFuture]

Fieldsheer makes decent mesh jackets with wind liners and thermal liners included. It's a start. I have this one when it used to come in High-Viz colors. I had blue.

Alpinestars makes awesome gloves for warm weather riding. These look like the newer version of what I have.

Any good mesh over pants would be nice, or the jeans with padding built in.

Good riding boots. There isn't any comparison to good, over the ankle, boots designed for riding. They grip the road and the pegs and just feel rock solid on the bike. I have these

As for the helmet, this is where you don't skimp. Don't even think about going to a cheap helmet just so you can get pants or boots. I prefer the shoei brand, but any helmet that fits snug (but not too tight) and is Snell rated (M2010 if you can) should be great. Get a pinlock visor for those brisk mornings. You'd be surprised just how easy things fog up. If you can, get everything. But if you're going to ride, get a good jacket, good gloves, and the best helmet you can buy. I have the RF1100 in the archangel pattern. But solid will save you about $100 USD.

 

[mdfb42]

Having just bought my first bike, not wanting to be a statistic, and last (but most important) being a father, priority one is gearing up.

-- USAGE --
Fair-weather commuting. Can's see getting her dirty all the time plus don't want the stress of inclement weather riding. I don't see myself doing much winter commuting.

Quick trips and weekend fun.

-- STYLE --
Mild. When I feel the need for speed, it is controlled.

-- HAVE --
Head: XL Icon Airframe black (came with bike)
Hand: Beat up Mechanix shop gloves
Body: Borrowed Joe Rocket mesh padded jacket
Legs: Jeans
Feet: Sneakers

-- NEED --
Head: Large full face. Importance order: safety/viz, noise/comfort
Hand: Decent all-around pair of riding gloves for warm weather for now.
Body: As much protection as possible without being cumbersome. Preferably summer + inserts (ride into work is before sunrise).
Legs: Overpants - knee/hip protection
Feet: Boots

Basically, I want to be as safe as possible without going nuts or breaking the bank.

One thing is for sure... I need to find a local store to try this stuff on. Since mainstream internet retail, this is a first for me. The feeling of needing to see/try out stuff before purchase is paramount because it's a family I'm protecting and the range is quite varied.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

I got the Star all weather pants, they have insulated removable inserts and work great as over pants. I love em. I recommend going one size bigger on the waist (fits perfect so they aren't tight like actual pants but dont even feel like they might fall down). They are only $70 or $80 and your local Yamaha stealership. I also got the star drifter mesh jacket to go with it. Heard good things about the mesh jackets as they have the elbow and shoulder padding but are more comfortable. This also has the removable insulated liner and removable waterproof liner. Only $80 at local Yamaha stealership. O ya, pants are all waterproof too.

Best part is they have the zippers to connect eachother incase of rain to prevent water flowing into the grand canyon back there :thumbup:

If you have shorter legs, you can go with the ladies size on the pants...same exact as mens except a little shorter

 

[cap'n]

Agreed on trying things out in person, the range in one size between manufacturers is crazy. Helmet, then Jacket and Gloves. I will say that "cheaper" helmets have come a long, long way in crash tests the last 5 years, so honestly I'm not sure I could tell you why you NEEDED to spend Shoei / Arai money on a helmet when a KBC or an HJC will pass the same crash tests. The vents and fit and workmanship are better, but that stuff is second order to safety, pretty much. Not to start a feud - my current helmet is Arai and my last was Shoei, I buy the nicer stuff these days because I can afford it and because I've had a KBC with crappy vents... I did my time - but the $125 helmets these days are frankly pretty damned nice. "Cheap (2012)" is not the same as "cheap (2006)," if you're talking about $125-$200 HJC and KBC helmets, anyway. In other words, I pay about $400 for new helmets these days when I replace, but I don't tell myself that I'm neccessarily "safer" for it, just more comfortable.

I have always gotten waterproof jackets, but I ride no matter what the weather. Ditto pants. Gloves, however, I usually have a thin pair with some armor for "warm to hot" weather, and then I keep something waterproof and warm in the saddle bags.

 

[greg]

get the best you can afford, cheap gear will only fall apart after a couple of months

don't forget to get decent back armour, and the jacket should have shoulder and elbow armour too.

 

[cap'n]

get the best you can afford, cheap gear will only fall apart after a couple of months

don't forget to get decent back armour, and the jacket should have shoulder and elbow armour too.

True especially on jacket and boots. Those seams give out quick.

 

[Caesar]

Do you guys buy back armor separate??? It just seems that most jackets have poor back armor.

 

[crowelor]

It's good to see a new rider interested in safety from the get-go. I would recommend getting some sort of protective pants ASAP. Jeans are not a good barrier between skin and concrete in the case of a fall.

For touring, I wear Olympia AirGlide pants. They are great in the summer with the mesh, keep me very cool while moving, and in the winter, you just slide in the liners and you're good to go.

http://olympiamotosports.com/catalog/mesh-tech/mens-airglide-3-mesh-tech-overpant/

If I'm just running to the store or to dinner, I wear Draggin' Jeans kevlar liners. You can get optional armor for these if you want that extra padding. I went with these because I could still have the look of my regular jeans with the skin protection underneath. The one downside is that I can't zip my jacket to these pants like I can the touring pants.

Draggin Liners

The liners can get a bit warm in the summer if you're standing still outside, but when in air conditioning, I haven't had any problems.

I'll also say that getting the best you can afford is a good idea. For me it was about peace of mind, and the gear will last if you bought good stuff so you'll likely get more use per dollar that way.

 

[crowelor]

Just re-read the first post and saw that your jacket is borrowed. I can't recommend the Olympia Nomad enough. It's like having 3 jackets in one. Summer, Winter, and waterproof. This zips to the pants I recommended in my last post to keep them together if you ever had a get-off.

http://olympiamotosports.com/catalog/mesh-tech/mens-nomad-all-season-transition-jacket/

The panels in the front and rear allow a ton of airflow when it's warm outside, and that can be tapered down by using the smaller zippers if it's not really hot. The liner has been good for me down into the 30's.

Another plus for me was that I could get it with Hi-viz on it. I don't know how much other jackets cost, so this one seemed pricey to me at the time, but it's been worth every penny.

 

[Xavias]

What I have:

Alpinestars T-GP-R Air Jacket (great windproof liner in it) - $200
Alpinestars SP2 Perforated Leather Gloves (AWESOME) - $100
GMAX G-68 Matte Black Full Face Helmet(I'm upgrading in a while, wouldn't recommend) - $100
AGV Solare Black Textile Pants (Highly recommend, lots of airflow, but you can put jeans under it if you want) - $100
Sidi Strada Evo Air boots (I flipping love these) - $200

jacket: Alpinestars T-GP-R Air Jacket - RevZilla
gloves: Alpinestars SP-2 Gloves - RevZilla
helmet: GMax GM68 MAX Helmet - RevZilla
pants: AGV Sport Solare Vented Pants - RevZilla
boots: Sidi Strada Evo Air Boots - RevZilla


I would recommend all but the helmet! They all look great and offer great protection.

 

[pookamatic]

Thanks all. Gonna check out cycle gear in DE tomorrow with these recommendations.

 

[red06]

im a fan of teknic and agvsport , both quality brands without the high price

 

[abraxas]

What gear should you buy?

All of it.

Boots, reinforced pants, jacket, gloves, helmet.

In any accident your extremities are most likely to get damaged first, your hands and feet. Start there

 

[dxh24]

Get some A*'s or Sidi's for your feet, general consensus is most people either have a Sidi foot or an A* foot


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

 

[outasight20]

Gear I rock:

HJC CS-R1 helmet
Tour Master Magnum jacket w/ A* Bio Armor back protector
Scorpion Deuce Pants
AGV SP7 gloves
Icon Field Armor boots

I had a tailor stitch the zipper half from the jacket onto the pants, so they zip together.

I feel a lot more confident riding ATGATT, but gear can only do so much to help on the street.

 

[pookamatic]

Based on my limited searching, it appears as if retail shops have darn-near internet prices. Is this true?

I'm used to electronics and other household items costing much more at brick and mortars than the internets.

 

[JoeSTL]

One thing is for sure... I need to find a local store to try this stuff on. Since mainstream internet retail, this is a first for me. The feeling of needing to see/try out stuff before purchase is paramount because it's a family I'm protecting and the range is quite varied.

DEFINITELY try things on first. Every helmet brand fits differently on every person's head. I used to LOVE the Scorpion helmets, though when I first tried them on, they fit my head weird. HJC is where it's at for me. It fits perfectly. Also make sure to try on BOTH your gloves. I fitted my original pair of gloves from my left hand only, not realizing my right hand is a tiny bit larger. After a month of hand pain, I had to buy another pair.

Don't worry about getting the expensive 'brand name' stuff. Just make sure it all has the protection you need. Try everything on at the store, then go looking for deals in the internet. You'll be surprised how many you find.

Lastly, make sure you read lots of the reviews posted online. If a 'cool looking' product has a ton a bad reviews, then it's prolly not a good product to buy.

Good luck!

 

[SweaterDude]

By Priority:
Buy a GOOD helmet that fits YOU! you only get one head. PROTECT IT!

A good breathable Jacket. I have a Joe Rocket with a removable liner and mesh front.

I Dont wear gloves often, because i dont like how they feel. But when i do i ride in padded MotoX gloves. Thor - somethingorother

For good cheap boots look at MX shorty style boots. Alpinestars Tech2, O'niel Shorty, Axo Slammer, Gaerne (something). Personally I ride in Timberlands they're leather and have pretty good ankle support.

 

[SweaterDude]

Based on my limited searching, it appears as if retail shops have darn-near internet prices. Is this true?

I'm used to electronics and other household items costing much more at brick and mortars than the internets.

most internet sources are running *sales* year round. this means late model merchandise that didnt sell out. mostly odd sizes/colors/designs are left behind as the most common ones sell out first. your local shops will do the same thing so its good to check around. definitely try things on first to figure out what YOU want. Prices will be close because everyone's competitive, Internet has shipping (in most cases) but locally you pay tax, ***unless the internet source is based out of the same state as you then you pay both***

 

[NorCal FZ6]

Im on the same boat with you. Don't skimp on safety. I have been going back and forth on equipment, a few RMA's. Ultimately I ended up with the Shoei RF1100. It's a decent helmet and my understanding, ergonomically speaking, it's more oriented for sport/touring. Decent ventilation with minimized wind noise, (white noise).

Inlight of a jacket. I ended up returning the Joe Rocket Reactor 2.0 jacket. A solid mesh jacket with elbow and shoulder protection. I just wasn't sold because it wasn't what I ordered. I am glad I returned it. I ended up going with a Joe Rocket Alter Ego 3.0. This jacket rocks. It's a 4 season jacket. Mesh, with a removable inner fleece vest. But the best part of the jacket is the removable outer jacket. The outer jacket is actually waterproof and serves as the windbreaker and rain jacket. Instead of actually wearing a inner plastic rain liner like many multi purpose jackets, I have seen. Not that I plan on riding in the rain. But it is nice to know I have it. Another major plus about this jacket Is refective piping. Although it doesnt have the biggest reflective piping. It has alot of it which helps when riding at night. I would of went with the Joe Rocket 2.0 Alter Ego. Especially now that it is a cheaper variant. But I didn't like the fact it had elastic pull strings instead of Velcro. Worst case scenario I would think it would be easier to replace Velcro over elastic pull strings. The gloves? Well that's another story...

Oh hey I noticed Revzilla.com has a lot of video on product, not just plain catalog pictures. Of course nothing beats trying things on physically.