Helmet, gloves, Jacket and audio/comms recommendations for new rider?

Gimpymoo

Gimpymoo

Gimpymoo

Soldato
Joined
31 May 2005
Posts
15,640
Location
Nottingham
Just completed my CBT (still having lessons to get full licence).

Looking for gear to get me started:

Full face helmet
Gloves
Jacket for Summer (Not bothered about waterproof, will get a waterproof to throw on top if needed).
Audio/Comms setup

Audio setup built into helmet type deal or a seperate device to strap onto helmet? many thanks.

Anything I need to look out for to help, good brands with warranty etc?

Any feedback appreciated, thank you.
 
Personally I'd avoid RST.
Their stuff looks good, but it really doesn't last long at all before falling apart.
I'm bit of fan of Shark helmets as they fit me well and aren't crazy expensive.
Congrats for the CBT :)
 
Are you planning to join a lot of group rides or touring with friends?

If not, you really don’t need anything that could interfere with your hearing all the other road users that may be about to invite you to their accident.

Buy the highest rated protective gear you can afford. I’ve found Shoei helmets to be excellent, but I’ve got a weirdly square head.
 
Take yourself down to J&S, Infinity or another store of the sort and try things on. Fit is the most important factor. I’ve went to the shop set on buying bits of kit before but after trying on have had to change to something else.

Agree with Jon about RST. Their kit is flimsy and the after sales service is terrible.

I have a Sena SRL20 comms setup in my Shoei Neotec 2. It’s a seamlessly integrated combo. The Neotec is modular but I think some of their full face lids can accommodate the Sena comms.

Statistically you are relatively likely to come off the bike as you gain experience. If you can afford it, get an airbag jacket. They can turn a life ending or life changing spill into something you walk away from.

Top tip - gloves get bigger as they wear in. Buy them tight and they’ll mould into shape.
 
Helmet - Always get one properly fitted at a shop rather than buying online. heads and helmets vary in shape and it's very important that the fit is right for both day to day comfort and also safety in an accident. You actually want it very slightly too snug as it will bed in over the first few hours. A decent shop would be able to check the fit is right or suggest an alternative helmet if the shape doesn't work on your head.

I was very happy with my Shoei Neotec 2 (which fits medium oval shaped heads best). I was hit by a car and my head went through his side window. I then bounced off the road. Despite a broken leg and hand my head seemed absolutely fine. I would 100% buy that helmet again.

After my spill I can attest to the value of spending good money on gear. I think my leg injury was because it was crushed between the side of the car and my bike (?). But I bounced off the car and road and where I had armour I didn't get any injuries. That includes the optional hip armour which I would strongly suggest everyone gets.

I see you don't mention riding jeans/trousers or boots? I was always an ATGATT guy (All The Gear All The Time) and my collision has drummed that into me even more. I highly recommend all gear including trousers and boots, along with the optional hip and back armour which some jackets and trousers don't include as standard. I'm not sure whether I'll get on a bike again due in part to family pressure. I'm still healing. But if I do then I will never get on one without wearing everything, however hot it may be.

Also, welcome to biking :)

EDIT: Also, even if you do buy a comms unit (you can get one which fits inside the Neotec) then I would still recommend riding without it for the first few months. You don't want anything distracting you while you learn. I also have a Shoei GT Air 2 which is similar to the Neotec but without the modular flip up face. It also takes an internal Sena comms unit, although I actually preferred the Neotec which I found to have slightly better airflow and was a tiny bit quieter.
 
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Thank you for the help guys.

Oddly, when googling, RST gear comes up a lot so I appreciate the advice so will give them a miss.

Terminal_Boy said:
Are you planning to join a lot of group rides or touring with friends?

If not, you really don’t need anything that could interfere with your hearing all the other road users that may be about to invite you to their accident.
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:D

It is something I would like to do but way in the future once got more skill else I will be RSVP'ing them to my own accidents. Honestly, my slow speed control is far from perfect.

You are right, fewer distractions is a good thing, especially being so new to riding so advice heard loud and clear. I just want to be able hear GPS, take take calls when pulled over without having to take helmet off etc.

Some of the mesh comms systems look great (Sena 30k for example) can they be setup like a CB in the sense you can talk to randoms while riding around?

I think it is scary that one does the CBT for a few hours then is LEGALLY allowed on the road. For example, I was with a 19 year old kid who said he had rode before (I guess he meant on a straight line in a field) because he was worse than me and I have no experience but he had zero highway code knowledge, stopping on green lights to give way or worried about other vehicles going through red at the lights. Surely it makes sense that the theory element should be required before letting these kids loose on the roads?

Scuzi said:
Statistically you are relatively likely to come off the bike as you gain experience. If you can afford it, get an airbag jacket. They can turn a life ending or life changing spill into something you walk away from.

Top tip - gloves get bigger as they wear in. Buy them tight and they’ll mould into shape.
Click to expand...

Those jackets look amazing, definitely on my shopping list. Noted about the gloves, thanks. What would you expect to pay for a quality/value pair of gloves?

Hades said:
Helmet - always get one properly fitted at a shop rather than buying online.

I was very happy with my Shoei Neotec 2. I was hit by a car and my head went through his side window. I then bounced off the road. Despite a broken leg and hand my head seemed absolutely fine. I would 100% buy that helmet again.
Click to expand...

When you say "fitted", do they just bash it on your head and say "How does it feel" or take measurements and stuff?

Hope you recovered OK, sounds like a mental crash. The fact you say side window makes me think the driver pulled out on you? :(

My understanding is all helmets are built to a certain spec (ECE 22.06) some may exceed to some degree but should not all helmets "protect" your head? Sorry if I sound ignorant.

Was looking at a few Ruroc helmets and the Shoei NXR 2, any good?


Thanks all.
 
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Gimpymoo said:
When you say "fitted", do they just bash it on your head and say "How does it feel" or take measurements and stuff?

Hope you recovered OK, sounds like a mental crash. The fact you say side window makes me think the driver pulled out on you? :(

My understanding is all helmets are built to a certain spec (ECE 22.06) some may exceed to some degree but should not all helmets "protect" your head? Sorry if I sound ignorant.


Thanks all.
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I went to Motolegends in Guildford (highly recommended but I see you are too far). They looked at the shape of my head to discuss which helmets would be suitable. Then measured it to decide on the size. The next step was to try the helmet and they had two different people assess the fit by feeling how much room there was around the cheeks and forehead. In the case of Shoei and some Arai helmets they can swap the inner linings for different sizes to either give a tighter fit or allow more room (they swapped these for me for free). I then wore the helmet for about 30 mins in the shop before confirming the fit was good.

If the fit is not right then it will become uncomfortable, either wobbling around or putting pressure on a part of your head. This might make you ride less safely as you get distracted. But a poorly fitted helmet also protects you less in an accident as your head can move around inside it.

Yes all helmets need to conform to the same safety standards which means they all offer the same minimum level of protection. But the better brands are likely to fare better in some types of crash and will probably offer more comfort etc. But as mentioned not all helmets are designed to fit all heads. Some are designed for oval heads and some for round.

Yes a car pulled out in front of me; they didn't give way and entered a roundabout right in front of me; I assume they didn't see me. I can't say too much at this stage because I'm going through a personal injury claim so don't want to put too much detail in public. Their insurer has admitted liability so it should just be a matter of healing and then proceeding with the claim. It was only a relatively slow accident which underlines even further how important it is to wear all the gear every time you ride. Even with AA rated riding jeans I still managed to get a small amount of rash on my leg. It was fairly minor but if I had been wearing regular denim jeans then I imagine that would have been quite bad. Without a good jacket and the hip armour in my jeans I expect I would have risked shoulder and hip injuries too. I was wearing proper riding boots but if I ever do get on a bike again I'll definitely be looking into even better boots. I hate to think what would have happened if I wasn't wearing everything I was, or if the collision had been at a higher speed. I'll definitely be getting another Shoei Neotec helmet if I ride again.
 
I forgot to mention - look out for a helmet with a pinlock. Some helmets have this as standard and some are optional. Some helmets don't have the option at all. This is a thin clear inner lining that goes inside the visor. It's designed to reduce fogging on cold wet days.

Also get some earplugs, even if they are just the cheap disposable foam type. While it may seem counter intuitive to block sound, they don't block it completely and prevent hearing damage.
 
Gimpymoo said:
Oddly, when googling, RST gear comes up a lot so I appreciate the advice so will give them a miss.
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Don't need to give them a miss - I have quite a bit of RST kit, and everything has held up perfectly well - in fact, my leather jacket (RST) is 9 years old and other than the white text on the shoulder caps yellowing with age; I've had zero problems with it. Same for my various pairs of RST gloves, my RST summer jacket and RST textile trousers, not to mention the aramid jeans; though these bits are only a few years old each granted.

The only bit of RST kit I have had issues with, were a set of vented sports boots - due to how I place my feet on the pegs during riding (on the balls of my feet/tiptoes) the heel on one side must have snagged on the heel plate, as a bit of plastic trim (covering a bolt) came off - Sportsbikeshop wanted them back to 'investigate' but I couldn't be ****** so just left them as is, as they still work fine!

I'm a big fan of RST kit, it has always been priced well, and brilliant kit too - I know they seem to bang the drum about it being built in the UK; but that doesn't matter to me, and tbh I'm sure a few bits say "made in Pakistan" on them.

Richa and Wiese on the other hand - I wouldn't touch either of them with a barge pole! Had kit from both brands, and it didn't make it past 12 months!

Honestly though, you will hear good and bad from people, for everything out there – I wouldn’t suggest letting this sway your decision; if you like the look of something, can afford it and it is safe, then buy it.
 
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