My Riding Gear
When it came to gear, I did *not* go with the cheapest. For some things, like laundry detergent or toothpaste, I buy the bargain brand or whatever's on sale. But when it comes to equipment designed to save my life or preserve my limbs, I go as high-end as I can afford. Riding motorcycles is a dangerous sport, and there are few ways to make it less dangerous. But buying gear that will protect you is one way to minimize the damage if something goes wrong. Just this past weekend, I read a news story about a large motorcycle group ride with a theme: it was a protest against helmet laws in that state. Sadly, and ironically, one of the participants fell off his motorcycle and hit his head, and died that day. The experts agreed that he would have lived if he had been wearing a motorcycle helmet. Lastly, if you are on the fence about whether to spend the extra $100 for a particular piece of gear, just watch this inspirational video to help you make the right decision:
ROAD RASH QUEEN VIDEO: http://vimeo.com/user2245138/roadrashqueen. I never want to be in the position where I regret buying the cheapest when I could have gotten something better. So my gear is the best I could find. Here is my get-up, from head to toe. |
|
Helmet: Shoei X-11
I opted to go with a standard helmet rather than an open faced motocross helmet. This way, I have better protection in freeway situations and there's no visor to catch the wind when road riding.
This is a relatively safe helmet, but pricier than the $150 specials you can find. The way I see it, I've invested a lot of time collecting the memories and knowledge in my head, and I'd like to hang on to those memories (and life in general) for as long as I can.
I have found this helmet to work well, with built in venting and comfortable padding.
As I start doing more off-road, I might invest in a second helmet with a more traditional motocross look and functionality, but for now I'm very happy with this helmet.
I chose white as the color, because it's the safest helmet color with respect to visibility.
This is a relatively safe helmet, but pricier than the $150 specials you can find. The way I see it, I've invested a lot of time collecting the memories and knowledge in my head, and I'd like to hang on to those memories (and life in general) for as long as I can.
I have found this helmet to work well, with built in venting and comfortable padding.
As I start doing more off-road, I might invest in a second helmet with a more traditional motocross look and functionality, but for now I'm very happy with this helmet.
I chose white as the color, because it's the safest helmet color with respect to visibility.
Boots: Daytona LadyStars
I am 5'2", and unfortunately dual sport bikes tend to be taller with higher suspension. My height (or lack thereof) presented a challenge. You can see the mods we made to the bike to address this on my "mods" page, but we also tackled the problem via gear selection.
I bought boots that are not only some of the safest boots on the market, but also add about 3" of height to my inseam. There is a hidden platform sole inside the boot. From the outside, it looks like a normal sole, but the hidden height has saved me from dropping my bike at a few stop signs and the sole has excellent traction.
They are German made boots only sold through one retailer in the US, helimot.com of the San Jose, CA area. The owner of the store, Helmut, fitted me for the boots and gave me great riding tips. His store is a true mom n' pop, and I am happy to promote them as a great resource for all motorcycle gear.
I wear a size 6 in most shoe brands, including Asics running shoes and most pumps and sandals. I bought the smallest size LadyStars on the market, which are a European size 35. They fit perfectly, and are truly the most comfortable boots I have ever worn. If the zombies begin to take over the world, the first thing I'm doing is putting on my LadyStars. You can do some serious ass kicking in these boots.
I bought boots that are not only some of the safest boots on the market, but also add about 3" of height to my inseam. There is a hidden platform sole inside the boot. From the outside, it looks like a normal sole, but the hidden height has saved me from dropping my bike at a few stop signs and the sole has excellent traction.
They are German made boots only sold through one retailer in the US, helimot.com of the San Jose, CA area. The owner of the store, Helmut, fitted me for the boots and gave me great riding tips. His store is a true mom n' pop, and I am happy to promote them as a great resource for all motorcycle gear.
I wear a size 6 in most shoe brands, including Asics running shoes and most pumps and sandals. I bought the smallest size LadyStars on the market, which are a European size 35. They fit perfectly, and are truly the most comfortable boots I have ever worn. If the zombies begin to take over the world, the first thing I'm doing is putting on my LadyStars. You can do some serious ass kicking in these boots.
Jacket and Pants: Rev'It Ventura
I believe this is the best women-specific dual sport riding jacket and pants available right now, but I hope this is the beginning of a trend towards greater selection of gear built specifically for the female rider.
The venting is phenomenal. The arm zippers open up from wrist to bicep. The collar detaches to reveal vented fabric along the collar and chest. The waist cinches in, and the hip flaps are adjustable for curvy figures. I like the side and back pockets, and the material has a great quality feel. The waterproof liner and warmth layers are no really necessary here in southern California, but are a great feature nevertheless.
My only complaint with this jacket is that when you detach the collar, the velcro left on the back is the hook side versus the fuzzy loop side. Thus, my hair gets caught in the hooks. It would have been much better for the designers to switch the velcro so that the fuzzy side is the piece that gets left behind when the collar is removed. UPDATE: I contacted REV'IT and their design team thanked me for the suggestion and sent me a piece of velcro with reflective backing to correct the problem! No more ouch when I turn my head!
The matching pants are nothing short of fantastic. The knee cups are comfortable and stay where they need to be; the venting at the thighs makes these great summer riding pants, and the waist is high enough in the back that it sits correctly on my hips when I ride. This jacket and pants set has made me a huge Rev'It fan.
The venting is phenomenal. The arm zippers open up from wrist to bicep. The collar detaches to reveal vented fabric along the collar and chest. The waist cinches in, and the hip flaps are adjustable for curvy figures. I like the side and back pockets, and the material has a great quality feel. The waterproof liner and warmth layers are no really necessary here in southern California, but are a great feature nevertheless.
My only complaint with this jacket is that when you detach the collar, the velcro left on the back is the hook side versus the fuzzy loop side. Thus, my hair gets caught in the hooks. It would have been much better for the designers to switch the velcro so that the fuzzy side is the piece that gets left behind when the collar is removed. UPDATE: I contacted REV'IT and their design team thanked me for the suggestion and sent me a piece of velcro with reflective backing to correct the problem! No more ouch when I turn my head!
The matching pants are nothing short of fantastic. The knee cups are comfortable and stay where they need to be; the venting at the thighs makes these great summer riding pants, and the waist is high enough in the back that it sits correctly on my hips when I ride. This jacket and pants set has made me a huge Rev'It fan.
 |
 |
Rev'It pretty much rocks and has great customer service...
I love my Ventura jacket, but had one issue with it. I wrote the email below to their customer service department:
Hi Revi-It team,
I am a huge fan of your gear, and my boyfriend and I both have Rev-It jackets, pants, gloves, and even socks as part of our moto getup.
We both ride, and I was thrilled when you came out with the Women's Ventura jacket--- I bought it before it was even released so that I could get the first shipment.
Since last spring, I have noticed a flaw in the design, and this past weekend it annoyed me to the point that I feel I owe it you as a fan to let you know about the one single design oversight I found with this jacket. I think your design team was either all male or that the women on your team (and the test subject women) all had *short* hair.
My hair gets stuck on the velcro teeth on the back velcro strip when the wind collar is off. See the attached photo. This could be solved easily by switching the velcro so that the teeth side is on the wind collar, and the fuzzy side on the jacket itself. The way it is now, my braid always gets stuck, and it hurts and pulls my hair when I turn my head. Ouch!!
As a fix, can you please mail me a strip of fuzzy velcro that I can use to cover the toothy strip? As a bonus, it would be really cool if that strip had reflective tape on the back for even more reflective qualities on the jacket. Please let me know if you are able to make that fix so that I can ride more safely, and also please take this into account on your next round of production for these jackets (you should switch the velcro so that the toothy side is on the wind collar that detaches, and the fuzzy side on the back of the jacket).
Your fan,
[Dual Sport Girl]
Well, the rep responded right away, and their design team thanked me for my feedback and sent me the strip I had requested. The "before & after" photos are below. It may seem like a small thing, but having your braid pulled and tugged every time you turn your head is no fun. This made a nice difference!! Rev-It ROCKS.
Hi Revi-It team,
I am a huge fan of your gear, and my boyfriend and I both have Rev-It jackets, pants, gloves, and even socks as part of our moto getup.
We both ride, and I was thrilled when you came out with the Women's Ventura jacket--- I bought it before it was even released so that I could get the first shipment.
Since last spring, I have noticed a flaw in the design, and this past weekend it annoyed me to the point that I feel I owe it you as a fan to let you know about the one single design oversight I found with this jacket. I think your design team was either all male or that the women on your team (and the test subject women) all had *short* hair.
My hair gets stuck on the velcro teeth on the back velcro strip when the wind collar is off. See the attached photo. This could be solved easily by switching the velcro so that the teeth side is on the wind collar, and the fuzzy side on the jacket itself. The way it is now, my braid always gets stuck, and it hurts and pulls my hair when I turn my head. Ouch!!
As a fix, can you please mail me a strip of fuzzy velcro that I can use to cover the toothy strip? As a bonus, it would be really cool if that strip had reflective tape on the back for even more reflective qualities on the jacket. Please let me know if you are able to make that fix so that I can ride more safely, and also please take this into account on your next round of production for these jackets (you should switch the velcro so that the toothy side is on the wind collar that detaches, and the fuzzy side on the back of the jacket).
Your fan,
[Dual Sport Girl]
Well, the rep responded right away, and their design team thanked me for my feedback and sent me the strip I had requested. The "before & after" photos are below. It may seem like a small thing, but having your braid pulled and tugged every time you turn your head is no fun. This made a nice difference!! Rev-It ROCKS.
|
|
