Wednesday, 23 April 2008 23:16
The Right Riding Gear
Written by VFRHocksI am sure many of us on here has had to spend lots of our hard earned cash on getting ourselves kitted out and getting the bike.
Here is a few tips that I hope someone might be able to make use of and hope others continue to add.
1. The kit
We all want to be safe but also look the part. At the end of the day you have got to be comfortable in what ever you wear and it has to fit right. Go to lots of bike shops and try lots of things on, don't settle for something cause you want to get out on the bike or because you feel pushed by the salesman. If they are be too pushing, tell them, if they don't get the message then walk away. They need the sale more than you, there is plenty of shops out there. Shop around and be cheeky and ask for discount, you dont know unless you ask.
Here is a few tips that I hope someone might be able to make use of and hope others continue to add.
1. The kit
We all want to be safe but also look the part. At the end of the day you have got to be comfortable in what ever you wear and it has to fit right. Go to lots of bike shops and try lots of things on, don't settle for something cause you want to get out on the bike or because you feel pushed by the salesman. If they are be too pushing, tell them, if they don't get the message then walk away. They need the sale more than you, there is plenty of shops out there. Shop around and be cheeky and ask for discount, you dont know unless you ask.
Start of with getting the right jacket and trouser/one piece. You want elbow, shoulder and back protection, you can buy a back protector separately and well worth it. Make sure they fit everywhere they should, don't rub and feel comfortable, if you have a bike take it with you, any decent shop will allow you to try it on and sit on your bike. It wants to be tight, more so leathers but you still want to be able to move and reach the handlebars. Make the adjustments where needed to ensure it will adjust to fit you, don't assume they will.
Once you have the main garment that fits you need boots and gloves, find a pair for the time of year and for the correct conditions you will use them for. Different makes will fit a different type of person. Try on both gloves/boots to make sure they are both the same size. Once you are happy, put everything on and make sure it all fits and you can put it on together.
You then need a good lid. You can get some good lids for a reasonable price but like everything in life, you get what you pay for. Normally the more you pay the better the lid but this is not always the case as you can pay heavily for the design. It wants to be a tight fit but again comfortable but put slight pressure on your cheeks and forehead, when its on you should be able to shake your head vigorously and it wont move.
You are now ready to jump on a bike and go.
2. The bike
This is another thing that you will spend lots of your hard earned cash on. You want to get the right bike for what you want to use it for but also one that is suitable to you.
The first thing to do is decide on what bike you want, this is easy, all you need to do is look it bike mags, go to bike rallies and bike events. Once you have found a few bikes that you think will best suit you, you then go to the various bike shops about and get a feel for them, ask the shop whether you can sit on them. Can you reach ever where you need to and does it feel comfortable, could you imagine sitting on it for a long time. Take a friend who knows there stuff a bit, don't let your heart take over and be guided by them too, ask them to hold the front so you can sit on it with both feet up.
Ask the shop to take it for a test ride, ask them if they mind you going some distance as you need to make sure it is for you, do some fast riding(within the speed limit) on motorway or duel carriage way, go down some back roads, you want to be out for at least 30 minutes to get a good feel of it.
Before you part with your cash, once you have chosen your bike, shop about, barter with them, also look at private sellers as you will get it cheaper from them but with out the warranties and someone to go back to should it all go wrong.
Biking is not a cheap hobby, so you want to get it right first time.
