You’ll hear people say “all the gear all the time” (ATGATT), but I feel like equating things like helmets and airbags with gloves and jackets and pants is misleading. I mention the earplugs because while they won’t do anything in a crash, you will fuck up your ears without them.
You’ll also hear people say (mainly about helmets), “Get the most expensive helmet you can afford. Is your head only worth $150?” This is also misleading. Look for ECE rated helmets. DOT-only rated is “ehhh.” Snell rating is out there, too, but helmets with those tend to be really expensive, and their ratings are comparable to ECE. (ECE is arguably a better standard, anyway.)
The most important thing about a helmet is fit. It should be snug, should pull your face around when you move it, without slipping. It should be comfortable for you to wear for long periods of time. Different manufacturers make different shell sizes and shapes for different helmets and their size designations. If you buy an expensive helmet that doesn’t fit you well, you won’t want to wear it. Retail price is not the way to decide what helmet to buy. Sure, you can spend $1000 on a Shoei helmet, and they’re good helmets, but you’re also paying for the branding, and you’re still going to need to replace it in three to five years.
Personally, I ride with an HJC modular helmet. Quite comfortable for me, HJC is a known brand (not some weird Amazon/China fake DOT sticker thing), and it was … wait for it … $150. I have a jacket and gloves, but I don’t wear them very often. If future me slides, he probably won’t die, but he’ll suffer immensely. I don’t like that guy anyway.
You’ll hear people say “all the gear all the time” (ATGATT), but I feel like equating things like helmets and airbags with gloves and jackets and pants is misleading. I mention the earplugs because while they won’t do anything in a crash, you will fuck up your ears without them.
You’ll also hear people say (mainly about helmets), “Get the most expensive helmet you can afford. Is your head only worth $150?” This is also misleading. Look for ECE rated helmets. DOT-only rated is “ehhh.” Snell rating is out there, too, but helmets with those tend to be really expensive, and their ratings are comparable to ECE. (ECE is arguably a better standard, anyway.)
The most important thing about a helmet is fit. It should be snug, should pull your face around when you move it, without slipping. It should be comfortable for you to wear for long periods of time. Different manufacturers make different shell sizes and shapes for different helmets and their size designations. If you buy an expensive helmet that doesn’t fit you well, you won’t want to wear it. Retail price is not the way to decide what helmet to buy. Sure, you can spend $1000 on a Shoei helmet, and they’re good helmets, but you’re also paying for the branding, and you’re still going to need to replace it in three to five years.
Personally, I ride with an HJC modular helmet. Quite comfortable for me, HJC is a known brand (not some weird Amazon/China fake DOT sticker thing), and it was … wait for it … $150. I have a jacket and gloves, but I don’t wear them very often. If future me slides, he probably won’t die, but he’ll suffer immensely. I don’t like that guy anyway.