I'm buying a bike to ride mostley in London- what do people recomend I wear?

Question

I'm getting a CBR600 (my first bike!) and will be mostley riding to and from work (although I will be taking it out of the city and would like to do some track days where I will obviousley wear boots and full leathers...). I was going to get a leather jacket - maybe Dainese (?) - and gloves (not sure what I should be looking for really hough!) but would people recomend boots and some sort of trousers as well for the city streets? If so what sort? I can only see racing boots when I look online- is this what I should be looking for? Help..!

Answer 1

anything that can make you be seen on the streets

Answer 2

...never been to London, but I've ridden in New England, U.S. of A., which ain't too diff from Old England I guess...even in winter weather, I was comfortable in a nylon lined jacket with a turtleneck shirt , not sweater, and jeans...and regular shoes just riding the short way to work...didn't get too cold, and I didn't have to find a place to put leathers, boots, etc.

ride safe!

Answer 3

No, you want a mesh jacket (textile jacket) if it gets hot there. You need OVERPANTS, if you want To blend in when you get there. (you unzip them and stow them on the motorcycle.)

And look for short boots, these are approximately what people wear in public and will not draw a second glance. Steel toes if you like.

Euro 2 armor, back shoulders elbows forearms, knees, hips.

Answer 4

Bike boots are a very underrated piece of kit.

The first thing people drop when they don't want to wear full kit always seems to be the boots.

How many people have you seen on a bike with a leather jacket, gloves and a helmet but wearing a pair of trainers?

Just imagine that exposed ankle joint when you get side swiped bay a car in traffic and go down with your leg under the bike.

It makes a low speed spill that is survivable with a bruise or two into a major accident simply because the rider wasn't wearing boots.

My husband went down on a big Kawasaki Z years ago, lay there with the bike on his leg and walked away with a bruise and was on holiday two days later.

But then he always wears leathers and boots.

And so should you.

Answer 5

I wouldn't bother too much with leathers in London, but you will want a good textile jacket with armour. Leather might get a bit hot while a textile jacket is likely to have enough vents and mesh panels to keep you from passing out in the heat. The problem with city riding (especially in London) is that you're more often stationary than moving, so you won't get a lot of benefit from the breeze. I would recommend boots and trousers, but again there's not much point getting racing stuff just for tooling about in town.

Hein Gericke have a good range of stuff at sensible prices that covers the commuting and touring markets as well as the sporties. Why not check out their range on their website?

Answer 6

at minimum, a good helmet and gloves... second, a jacket with shoulder/elbow/and back protectors... shoes are good to protect your ankles and feet... pants are also good to own, but if your like me you probably wont wear them much for street purposes... Dainese is a really good brand... if you want to go to track days, i would recommend buying a jacket and pants that can zip together to make a one piece suit, but can be worn separately as well

Answer 7

Always buy the best gear you can afford.

You have to wear a fastened helmet by law. Again buy the best you can. As I say to my pupils - "You only get one head"

Helmets made from Kevlar are the best material to go for but is also the most expensive. Carbon and Glass Fibre are also good materials to look for when buying any helmet. Good brands are: Shoei, Arai, AGV.

Remember that although all helmets are usually sized the same (Extra Small - XXL) it doesn't mean that you will be the same size in every make of helmet. Always try the helmet on. You don't want pressure along your forehead and skull but it should press against your cheeks so you look a little like a hamster.

As for gear. Get the best you can.Leather is a brilliant material to use as it offers a good deal of protection and can keep you cool in hot weather. A disadvantage of leather is that it is not waterproof and if it gets wet it can take a while to dry out and it smells. Don't get Frank Thomas gear - its s**t! Alpine stars, Dainese, Buffalo are good makes for clothing. Make sure that the clothing you choose, has sufficient protection from the weather and padding in case you was to come off and also make sure it is 'CE' marked. Its the same for gloves

As for boots, Leather boots would be the best. You can also buy rubber and plastic boots as well which are ok but not the best. I have a cheap pair of Nitro ankle boots and they are brilliant for my job as they don't get too hot and keep my feet warm in the cold weather and keep them dry. Ive had them now for about 2 years and not had a problem with them - only paid about £15 for them as well.

It doesn't matter what make or style you buy, as long as you feel comfortable wearing them and it gives you all the protection you need - thats all that matters, no one can criticize you for buying a particular boot, helmet or clothing! Its your personal preference. Alot of my pupils will ask me whats the best they can buy and I will tell them "there is no such thing as the best, everyone has their own taste in style, colour, make, price. Its all down to how you feel wearing it"

Good Luck

EDIT: Go to ebay for clothing as some shops will sell their old stock on there quite cheap - NEVER buy you helmet online or second hand!

Answer 8

Always wear full leathers, lid and gloves. AngelaD seems to think that falling off at slow speeds will save your feet in trainers (and the like). It's not the falling off, it's the being dragged by a car/lorry/bus that grinds the skin and bones off your feet and ankles. Also just dropping a bike from a stand-still will break bones in the feet. Be sensible, as you are riding a lot slower too, you will be colder - so wear good quality gear and keep warm. If you're on a CBR600, racing boots are fine. Only buy what you need as it can become very expensive to have 2-3 sets of gear.