To wear or not to wear protective gear is a personal choice, I've done both but if I'm miles from a trustworthy hospital I tend towards the former. You can be as careful and skilled as you like but if somebody T-bones you it's gonna sting, and most accidents happen at 'low' speeds in town.
However I think the answer above from othalan is closest to the mark. If you're going to rent, pack all your gear in a big duffel bag and ask the hire company to store it until you return. Or buy one of those big fabric laundry bags and cling film wrap it all over, cheap enough to throw away if you need to. You're presumably taking throwover panniers or something like that for your ride, so you're already paying the airline for luggage, what's a bit more?
|