Getting my gear on

Now that I’ve been out a whole 2 times, Zorro is convinced this is gonna be a regular new pastime for us. Being super safety conscious, he suggested it was time to get geared up correctly. I have my Kabuto helmet (see my first post) but the rest isn’t proper bike gear.

Yay, time for some retail therapy!

This is probably the only type of clothes shopping Zorro enjoys. We headed for MCA at Auburn, which has a pretty big range.

First up, the jacket:

The first one I saw ended up being my final choice, even after trying leather. It’s an Rjays Evolution III which met my criteria of being:

• Weatherproof
• Comfortable
• Padding and protection in all the right places
• Lots of good, accessible pockets
• Reflective elements for safety
• And most of all, it looked good!

Next up – jeans.

I hate trying jeans on. It’s usually a soul-destroying pursuit.

The first pair – an American brand – just weren’t my fit. The Draggin Jeans looked ugly. But third time lucky, the Draykos were just right.

Not only do they look pretty flattering, but they instantly felt like an old favourite pair of denims.

They’re stretchy which makes them amazingly comfortable.

They’re lined with essential Kevlar but without adding bulk.

And they looked good with the jacket.

On to the riding boots section.

Here I had less luck. Actually, no luck.

For someone of small stature and small feet (shoe size 6, or Eu 37) I have very w i d e feet – an E fitting. It’s a struggle to find any shoes to fit. And so it proved with motorbike boots.

I’ve heard that they should be snug, but bone-crushing doesn’t seem like a wise choice.

We dropped the boot idea and went to the glove counter instead.

Gloves, gloves and more gloves:

Leather gloves? Fabric gloves? Summer gloves? Winter weight?

Too many choices!

After breaking a nail in one pair, I eventually opted for a cute pair of Dainese black and  white leather ones, Summer-weight.

Comfy enough, long enough on the wrists, not too hard to do up myself with jacket sleeve inside or out.

All up, a good chunk of cash was handed over. But I have an almost full set of gear now that I love and that should protect me if the worst were to happen.

Hopefully I’ll never get a chance to test all the technology that goes into making motorbike fashion…!