Advice

The Shane

Should have my learner permit shortly, got my bike picked out. Need some advice on gear.

First and foremost, what do I need?
What brands are good?
What am I looking for in a helmet?
Where is the best place to get it?
How much am I looking at spending?

Cheers,

Shane

daenerysstormborn3

Given the time of year that you are starting out I'd recommend buying your textile jacket first (a decent weather proof one) and waiting until nearer the "summer" to buy a leather one as a leather one will be useless to you if we have another 3 months of rain and cold. A decent textile jacket with a good level of protection in it will probably set you back between €200-€300, you can get cheaper ones but that's up to yourself. Personally with my jackets I like protection from the wrist to the shoulder and a full back protector built in.

I wear only Arai helmets so you're talking about minimum spend of at least €400 (online) you're looking at a minimum of €500 in most Irish bike shops. There are cheaper helmet brands which I'm sure other posters may be able to recommend.

I have TCX weatherproof boots (they have a good range of casual looking boots for under kevlar jeans) they cost me €110 and they are 100% weather proof and very warm. They also have great protection in them to about 6 inches up my leg from my ankle to my toes. Any boots you buy will take a bit of breaking in as they can be quite stiff at first.

I have textile pants which are about 90% weather proof. They cost me €180.

My textile jacket cost me €150 and is about 90% weather proof too.

My leather jacket cost €220 and is my best buy. It's Richa. Great protection.

My gloves cost €120 and are about 90% weather proof too.

My new year's resolution is to save up money and spend a good chunk on gore tex gear that a friend of mine has. 100% waterproof, bit more expensive but I'm on the bike everyday so well worth it in my opinion.

For gear I'd say you're looking at about €800-€1,000 for a full set. Most people I know starting out concentrate on getting a helmet, gloves and jacket for starters.

Also, don't buy a secondhand helmet unless you know for certain it's history.

To be perfectly honest (and of course there will be posters who will say shop local, we're in a recession etc. etc.) you will get the best value for money online. Just google "motorbike clothing" and pick any website. I have bought from topgearsuperstore.com a few times without any problem.

As regards sizing and buying online, if any of your friends are on bikes, try on their jackets etc. to see what the fit is like and then judge your own size. I try to buy all my bike gear a size bigger (except for my helmet and gloves obviously) but at the same time you don't want something too big and ineffective.

BlackWizard

I skimped on most of my gear.. but still bagged some quality stuff!

I bought a Lidl biker jacket for less than 100 euro. I love it! water proof, comfortable, lots of protection including back protector.

My gloves I got second hand on donedeal. Cost me 20 euro. They are Richa Summit and I like them.

I bought my neck tube on donedeal too. Cost me a few euro.

I bought a Duchinni 409 helmet. I love it! Comfortable and has a visor for the sun. Cost me about 90 euro.

I bought Gortex Danaise pants. 100% waterpoof even in floods. Got on donedeal for 80 euro. Brand new.

I got my boots on done deal for 50 euro. They are Sidi and very nice. Pretty much new.

All in total about 350 euro.

But I also bought a cheap Lidl helmet and gloves to keep me going until I source cheaper gear. I love the gloves, but the helmet doesn't fit my head right and is heavy. I also bought pinlocks for my vison on the Duchinni. Cannot ride without them anymore.

So really I spent more like 500 euro in total and came out with some very nice gear. Check on donedeal for gear! And go to a shop for a helmet and get one that fits you correctly.

spuddy01

Like the other posters said shop around try on plenty of gear then check prices online & try to see if the shops here can price match or do you a good deal if buying all together if not then get them online as there are plenty of really good sites out there! Best of luck & keep us updated

skyhighflyer

Also eagerly looking at this thread, getting my A provisional and doing IBT shortly so will be interested to hear any recommendations.

I was thinking of buying a new helmet in a shop and then trawling donedeal till some quality gear comes up in my size. I'd be mildly concerned about getting fake gear though, and knowing absolutely nothing about bike gear means that, if someone was likely to get ripped off, it would be me! What do people generally think about second hand gear?

Del2005

The link isn't for the helmet it's for a Bluetooth headset.


OP you have to get your head measured to get the correct size. You can't go wrong with the expensive lids, but look up the UK SHARP test for the best of the cheaper helmets. You can pick up a decent one for a couple of hundred Euro. You can buy all the rest of your gear 2nd hand, but I would always buy a new lid. Some brands suit different heads so go to a shop with a decent selection and try on a few different brands and different styles of the same brand.

It's not a good idea to buy motorcycle gear a size to big, the snugger the fit the better as there's less chance of it riding up and leaving body parts vulnerable. Big gear will catch the wind and unless its got loads of straps you'll be like the Michelin man at speed.

Del2005

skyhighflyer wrote: »

Also eagerly looking at this thread, getting my A provisional and doing IBT shortly so will be interested to hear any recommendations.

I was thinking of buying a new helmet in a shop and then trawling donedeal till some quality gear comes up in my size. I'd be mildly concerned about getting fake gear though, and knowing absolutely nothing about bike gear means that, if someone was likely to get ripped off, it would be me! What do people generally think about second hand gear?

Buyer beware. If it looks to good to be true it usually is. If possible try and meet the seller.

Green_Martian

One bit of advise i would give is never skimp on the price of a helemt, it is one thing that will keep you alive, always think of it that if you are unfortunate to come off would you rather have a 90 euro helemt protecting you or pay a few quid extra for a good decent lid i.e. Arai, Shark, AGV that will protect your head even more.

As said above you are better getting textile gear this time of year for warmth, comfort and dryness. I have a set of Takano leathers but they are hanging up in the wardrobe until the better weather comes in, hopefully in the next 2 months :rolleyes:

Get a Jacket and trousers with some protection, also get boots that are waterproof, i have a pair of TXC and they have never let in a drop even in torrential rain and they are warm too. Also try and get a pair that give good protection to the foot and ankle.

It may cost a few hundred euro but it will be worth it in the long run and you will enjoy biking

galwaytt

Green_Martian wrote: »

One bit of advise i would give is never skimp on the price of a helemt, it is one thing that will keep you alive, always think of it that if you are unfortunate to come off would you rather have a 90 euro helemt protecting you or pay a few quid extra for a good decent lid i.e. Arai, Shark, AGV that will protect your head even more.

As said above you are better getting textile gear this time of year for warmth, comfort and dryness. I have a set of Takano leathers but they are hanging up in the wardrobe until the better weather comes in, hopefully in the next 2 months :rolleyes:

Get a Jacket and trousers with some protection, also get boots that are waterproof, i have a pair of TXC and they have never let in a drop even in torrential rain and they are warm too. Also try and get a pair that give good protection to the foot and ankle.

It may cost a few hundred euro but it will be worth it in the long run and you will enjoy biking

There is no correlation between helmet price, and, say, performance in the Sharp tests.......many very reasonable ones score very highly.....

Btw, I'm off to the London Bike Show in 2 weeks, so if youre that dedicated......

oleras

galwaytt wrote: »

There is no correlation between helmet price, and, say, performance in the Sharp tests.......many very reasonable ones score very highly.....

Btw, I'm off to the London Bike Show in 2 weeks, so if youre that dedicated......

I too laugh at "what price do you put on your head" argument...500 ? Mine is a million plus...:pac:

Killgore Trout

Independent ratings such as http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/ throw up some interesting results re helmet price vs impact protection.

Expensive lids are usually lighter, have better build quality, are more comfortable, less noisy at speed, better visor systems etc....

Fit is really important - to suit size and head shape. You'd be better off buying from a shop - where you can try on different sizes and types - sit down with it for a while, make sure it doesn't give you a headache etc. And you could have the best rated, or most expensive helmet and it's worth f-all if it's not a good fit. Buying helmets online is for people who have a bit of experience and know what they want.

If you're using the bike for commuting for 20 minutes each way through 50kmh zones the comfort of an expensive helmet might be wasted, but you'd appreciate it much more if you had an hour on the motorway to get to work or like to drive a few hundred kilometres at the weekend

Remember - Helmets must reach a standard before they can be sold as motorcycle helmets.

inchiuvatu

i have had three bikes so far, and none of them have been worth as much as the gear i wear while riding

i spend about 1200 the first time i bought gear, went to cotters and got some savage discounts and extras because i spent all in the one place.

Richa TG1 jacket and trousers
Shark rsi lid
richa gloves
alpinestars SMX-r goretex boots
full head balaclava (because i hate the felling of the helmet pulling down my ears)

i recently bought a new Arai rx7 gp helmet (but only because i let my shark lid fall)
and i also picked up a KNOX chest and back potector because the richa one covers only 80% or you spine, i got these bits in megabike and the leds in there were helpful and threw in about €80 of freebies.

my own advice go in have a chat with the guys/girls in the shop and see what you can get, and try on everything that takes your fancy, and dont compromise if you need to save for another week to get nicer gear then save

Green_Martian

galwaytt wrote: »

There is no correlation between helmet price, and, say, performance in the Sharp tests.......many very reasonable ones score very highly.....

Btw, I'm off to the London Bike Show in 2 weeks, so if youre that dedicated......

Im not saying you have to spend a fortune on a lid, just saying i would personally buy a lid from a bike shop that would have advice on lids rather than one for say 90 euro from the likes of lidl or aldi

Why would i want to go to the bike show with you in London am i missing soemthing here

Green_Martian

oleras wrote: »

I too laugh at "what price do you put on your head" argument...500 ? Mine is a million plus...:pac:

A million plus 1 :p:p

ogriofa

Hiya, just to add, buy stuff that fits well. Particularly the helmet. Too loose and it wont work as it should, too tight will give you headaches.

There's a guy called simon cotter out in Ballymount that is always reasonable.

For my budget I leaned towards high quality helmet, gloves & boots. I skimped a we bit on the pants (E80 in a sale) and 120ish for the jacket.

Best to avoid crashing altogether though A really good trainer will save you a fortune! (and make it more fun)

Good luck, fair play

The Shane

Thanks for all the replies. Think I'll head to Cotters tomorrow and have a look.

Shane

jag con

Hi Shane what size are you in bike gear i might have some stuff for sale.

ogriofa

jag con wrote: »

Hi Shane what size are you in bike gear i might have some stuff for sale.

Ah, good point, I've a Helmet for sale(BMW System 5) (Medium and not a scratch)

BlackWizard

I'm not a fan of spending a lot of money on a helmet unless you know what you are getting. Some have very nice technology in them from headsets to having a good weight distribution and aerodynamics. But you really have to know what you want. Different lids suit different riding styles too.

So unless you have a lot of experience with lids and riding, I wouldn't shell out a lot of money on one.

I mentioned my Duchinni D409 in my last post. It was less than 100 euro and has a 4 start sharp report http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/duchinni-d409

I bet there are plenty of safe good value helmets out there. Cotters has a good few for around 150 euro. As do other shops.