Gear to get next

[Justaerin]

Well, I finally sold my primary, so I have some extra scratch to purchase a bit of new gear. Currently I only have the base Bilt gear from CycleGear. A $70 helmet, a couple of jackets, and some leather gloves. I ride with low-top shoes. Should I get boots and a better helmet?

It gets hot as heck here in the desert, so a better jacket will make summer riding more bearable... but that can probably wait. Just wanting to get your ideas. Thanks!

 

[Loki]

Its all up to you. The better any gear, the better you are. If you dont like your helmet, get a better one, find a nice shoei or arai on sell so you dont have to upgrade again. Or get boots to protect your feeties

 

[Justaerin]

Well my feet feel most vulnerable, definitely. I've never had the pleasure of a good helmet, so I don't know what I'm missing. Comfort in a jacket would definitely make the ride more enjoyable, and even some water-resistant but breathable overpants would be awesome. Maybe.... boots and a helmet for now...

Thanks for responding Loki!

 

[wolfo68]

my next gear purchases are heated pants and a heated jacket liner, but for you I would say go for the helmet, if you find a good deal on something you might put that as a priority and hold off til you can score another deal

 

[Kuntreeboy]

Helmet and boots most def!!! There's nothing like a good helmet!! I'm a Scorpion man myself but that's me!! You will feel a huge difference in a cheap helmet bs a quality one!!! And boots that's my next purchase!! Nut I have giant feet so I been riding with my combat boots for years and years!! Find somewhere you can try on as much stuff from different companies as possible!!! I have an xxl scorpion and an xxl Icon the scorpion fits like a dream I paid allot for the icon and hated it the second I put it on cause it was too tight!!!!

 

[JRage]

id say helmet i had a bilt helmet and didnt like going over 70 due to my head bouncing around like a pin ball. i have a scorpion exo750 and love it.

 

[vanson1200r]

Boots with over the ankle protection. If you can get real motorcycle boots all the better for not breaking them.

 

[Lesley]

6th!! oh wait you're talking about riding gear....nevermind.

 

[ct1200]

In the heat a good helmet makes a noticeable difference to me.
The better name brands do flow alot more air.

And boots are never a bad idea, at least a good pair of work boots can do the job for a while.

 

[Justaerin]

I've used my combat boots, but they didn't really provide enough dexterity or feedback, so I've been using my classic Adidas lowtops haha. Dude those ankles feel so vulnerable. My head feels fine with the Bilt (as far as bobblehead effect), but I can only imagine a lighter, more aerodynamic helmet would be better. I really like the Bells, but the tip of my nose touches the front... that feels a bit too close for comfort for me. Maybe I'll try on some others, but I think the big draw of the Bells was the availability of a transitions shield.

I'm also trying to find gear that I can either secure to the bike or walk around in. Any relatively inconspicuous gear options you can recommend, or security options for keeping gear at the bike? I have a Firebolt...

Thanks for the responses everyone!

 

[Kuntreeboy]

Bicycle chain through the sleves of the jacket and through the wheel and nO one will get your jacket without a battle!!!

 

[Justaerin]

Hahaha actually that might work... however anyone that tried would probably get pissed and cut it up or pee on it or something. Jerks.

 

[dave_xb12r]

It's good that you plan on buying more gear, but I don't think you're realizing how important gear is right now. I don't want to insult, but if you can't afford the gear you can't afford to ride. I'm not saying you can't, I'm just saying that having full gear is just as important as having brakes or tires. A good helmet, good jacket, good gloves, leg protection, ankle protection and foot protection are all must haves. I only ride for pleasure and I dont ride without full track gear and I think everyone should do the same.

If I was to get hurt on my bike, that makes you look bad. It makes that statistic that much higher. Now if everyone wore full gear when riding, people wouldn't have such a negative attitude towards bikes. Yeah I've been down, but both times I've had virtually no injuries. Just think what it would be like if people stopped getting hurt in crashes.

What I'm getting at is, don't pick and choose gear based on what you can afford right now. Buy it all or park the bike. It's that simple.

 

[ct1200]

Ya I keep a coiled cable lock in a jacket pocket if I don't feel like wearing it around.
Good for a jacket and helmet.
Or a set of saddle bags or a tail bag come in handy too.
Check out motorcyclegear.com, good name brand stuff at reasonable prices.
I have bought a # of things from them and never had any trouble.

Cycle gear is about worthless anymore.

 

[Justaerin]

Dave, no offense taken, I appreciate the feedback and agree - though I haven't followed my own advice. Even in the sweltering summer I'm wearing that leather jacket, gloves and helmet. I'm looking to rectify the mistake I've been committing for the last 6 months. That's why I was interested in opinions - I'm wondering if the gear I have is good for what it is and I can just add foot/ankle and knee or overpant protection, or if it should be replaced as a top priority and then added too. Considering the bike is my only vehicle right now, I'm stuck with riding in helmet, gloves, leather jacket, carharts and a pair of sneakers (unless I taxi everywhere, not wise here). Hardly ideal, and I'm not ignorant of the fact that I need more/better gear

ct1200 - Thanks! The chain is still a good idea I think, and my gear will be safe from the honest folk haha. I've heard there are some Firebolt saddlebags out there, so I'm definitely going to look into it. Thanks for the link!

 

[dave_xb12r]

[up] for the positive attitude. I completely understand how it is riding in heat like that. When it's over 90, I usually wear Dainese under armor pants under jeans and a textile A* airflow jacket. I cant really decide if the pants are really cooler than my leathers though.

Don't forget to check craiglist. I've bought my track pants, and 3 jackets and some SP-2 gloves on CL. I've spent $490 on all of that total, and they were all basically brand new. A lot of times people buy gear and rarely use it and end up selling it on CL.

 

[Justaerin]

Wow I never really considered CL, but definitely will do. And thanks for the tip on the pants, really curious about leg protection minus swamp ass!

 

[dave_xb12r]

They're knee/shin guards and hip guards built in to mesh pants.

You could also go the really cheap route and get A* shin/knee pads and their armored under shorts.

 

[Justaerin]

I've actually looked and considered those! But I need something I can either take off or wear at work, and armored under shorts might look a little odd in slacks. I think overpants would do me better!

Probably better for the longer recreational rides too...

 

[williegoat]

I ordered a pair of Alpinestar ST vented boots last night. I have been wearing, and riding in harness boots my whole life and finally decided to do it right; based largely on things I have read on this forum. [up]

6th!! oh wait you're talking about riding gear....nevermind.

Funny stuff