Kitting up for the first time - what are the essentials?

[jeanied1]

Hey guys,

So I've got my first bike and while waiting for it it to be delivered on Tuesday (not soon enough!!), I spent yesterday getting some gear. First time ever in a bike shop... big thanks to Chris at Peter Stevens Motorcycles for talking me through every purchase and seeing me right.

So far I've got: a full-face Arai helmet, a sturdy textile/cordura jacket with removable lining and adjustable everything, leather motorcycling boots and leather gloves with reinforcement in all the right places.

I figure that's enough to get me started - and I spent over a grand, so my credit card was feeling a bit traumatised after that little lot! But is there any other gear you'd strongly recommend I get at this stage? I wanna strike a balance between being sensible and safe and not bankrupting myself in these early stages of my riding career!

Jeanie

[markharf]

Does your jacket have armor? Let's assume so. Do you have riding pants? Do they have armor?

Probably you won't be riding in the rain for a while....or at least not deliberately. Getting wet, therefore cold, therefore somewhat stupid, is high on my list of preventable mistakes. Depending on where you live and what sort of riding you're doing, you might want to start thinking about this.

Lastly, if you spent over a grand in one fell swoop, I'd be thinking about a discount. If they don't offer, you ought to ask.

Hope that helps.

Mark

[jeanied1]

Hey Mark, thanks for your reply!

Actually I did get a discount for spending so much in one go, so that made me feel better about the initial outlay. Happily, I found a great shop assistant who didn't just recommend the most expensive of everything and seemed to understand my needs as a newbie rider. He offered the discount without me having to ask, too, I so knew I'd come to the right place!

Yes, my jacket's armour-equipped in all the right places, but I don't have riding pants yet. They're next on my list to purchase. I was just gonna get some kevlar jeans or something, but am open to other suggestions/advice.

Haven't thought too much about wet-weather gear yet, as the idea of riding in the rain slightly fazes me at the moment! I think I'm gonna be a fair-weather rider to begin with, till I'm more comfortable on the bike and with traffic. The jacket I've got is apparently waterproof though, if I did get caught out...

Jeanie

[markharf]

I almost always wear riding pants with at least knee armor. Lots don't, so make your decisions accordingly.

Rain's not a bad thing unless you get cold (sez I, although there are certainly issues with wet roads, oil slicks, leaves, mud, bad visibility, etc.). Riding gear tends to leak, particularly if you're riding all day in the rain. You won't be doing that for a while, but sooner or later you'll be far from home and the skies will open up, and after about a half hour you'll start to feel the annoying sensation of a trickling leak at a zipper or seam, and next thing you know you'll be wet. And cold. And still a long way from home.

But not this week or the next. It's just something to keep in mind.

I suppose you were asking about getting "kitted up." That might include a manual, some fuses and patches and other such, a toolkit and the know-how to use it. Or not. Think about it.

Mark

[hmadams]

tire irons, pump, and patches

[DAVSATO]

hi jeanie,
a lot of choice on gear depends on what sort of riding your going to be doing? its macabre but think about what will hurt you if you come off. australias a big place and from 'sunny' England it conjours up mental pictures of thousand mile straights through bright red dust roads with nothing to see in either direction, when all you might want to do is pootle round the melbourne 'burbs?
so what youve already got sounds fine for now. whats the rain like down there? here you cant go out the house in the summer without something waterproof on, which is why so many of us go for breathable textiles, mine from hein gericke has big zip vents down the front and back so i get the best of both worlds. i generally wear kevlar combats from hardas(giali) if you get wet you get wet, you cant get wetter than wet so it doesnt bother me too much, but like has been said you dont want to get wet and cold, that will distract you. good gloves are a must, ditto decent boots, with ankle protection. that ball joint poking out the side is the first thing to get ground off when you go down the road, horrible but true theres too many kids on scooters here that think nike airmax's and a velour shell suit is going to save them. the local police have a new bit of kit, its a big bit of blotting paper!

dont want to put you off, sounds like you are off to a good start in the right direction anyway, and you found a good shop that didnt screw you first time and wants you to enjoy yourself. if you do you come back again and again, smart business sense AND enthusiasm, places like that are gold dust these days