New Rider - Think Outside The Uniform

What To Consider When Choosing Motorcycle Gear

When you are a new rider or thinking about starting to ride, you have all of these visions of all the great rides and adventures to come. You might dream of leaning into the curves of a mountain road, or cruising the strip at the beach. What you probably haven't given much thought to is "What should I wear?". Most riders simply copy the stereotypical look of a biker. It's often referred to as "The Uniform". The Uniform is blue jeans, a black tee shirt, black boots, dark sunglasses, and a helmet (depending on where you live, the helmet may be optional) and if it's cold, a leather jacket. The Uniform that many riders wear comes from someone, who copied someone else, who copied someone else, and so on. It doesn't reflect what a rider should actually wear.

It is my hope that you will explore our site and take the time to consider what you should actually wear. If you have not, please subscribe to our email list as we publish ongoing content designed to help new and experienced riders alike.

Let's start by seeing why The Uniform is the Uniform and then we will highlight the better choices. As the saying goes, "Dress for the slide, not for the ride!".

Blue Jeans

Blue Jeans are part of the Uniform because they do offer some minimal level of abrasion protection, but mainly because most people own them already and it is their go to casual clothes. So, if you are not going to invest in riding pants, blue jeans are certainly better than shorts or a lighter weight pant. Just keep in mind that jeans today are made of much lighter weight fabric than they used to be. The heavier weight fabric, the better. Actual riding pants are better though. Riding pants usually offer a heavy weight fabric or even Kevlar linings. You can also find some that have armor pockets, like the Tobacco Motorwear Ironsides. Kevlar offers abrasion protection while the armor protects against impacts.

Tee Shirt

Oh, the famed black tee shirt. We can blame this one on Harley-Davidson, as most of the shirts are black and offer some really great designs. You get to show off where you are from or where you have been by the tee shirt you wear. It can be a great ice breaker at any bike event. Unfortunately, the famous black tee shirt isn't actual riding gear. The tee shirt should be worn under actual riding gear that offers some level of protection. A riding jacket is the best choice. There are riding shirts available as well. Now, you can even find riding jackets that look like shirts. A lot of what you choose comes down to your personal style. One thing you should consider is the weather. If you are riding in cool or cold weather, making sure you have enough protection is easy. It can be a difficult decision in the warmer weather. If it is hot out, you want to look for riding gear that offers ventilation. Some jackets have large front ventilation zippers and rear exhaust zippers. These can be opened to maximize airflow. Perforated material also really helps with cooling you down as well. Ultimately, the best protective gear is gear you will actually wear. Having great gear at home that you chose not to wear because it is too hot, isn't going to do you much good if you are involved in an accident. As I mentioned before, the leather jacket is usually only part of The Uniform when it's cold. A riding jacket should be as much about the protection it offers as the warmth it provides.

Sunglasses

This probably seems obvious to about everyone. Everyone but me when I first started riding. Glasses are great for reducing glare and improving visibility, but they also provide protection from debris that might get in your eye. Riding glasses should meet ANSI standards to provide adequate protection. In many states, some form of eye protection is required by law. It was a Sheriff's Deputy that informed me of this when I was 18. He pulled me over in a gas station and informed me I could go in and buy a pair of glasses or he would impound my bike and write me a ticket. Needless to say, I bought a cheap pair of glasses. Check out our recommendations for protective eyewear.

Boots

The most common boots you see when riders are wearing The Uniform are based on work boots. Before protective gear was really a thing, people would hop on their bikes and ride in whatever they were wearing. A lot of times, they wore work boots. This work boot style has continued as a design element in a lot of riding boots today. You can also see boots that take their design from cowboy boots. These are very often in the form of harness boots with a square toe. Of course, styles have changed over the years. You now see a lot of riding boots that look more trendy and modern and can often be confused with casual shoes. Like anything else, the boots you choose comes down to your personal style preferences. The key thing you want to keep in mind is the purpose of riding boots. Riding boots should have ankle support and padding, a stiff toe box (often reinforced like a steel or composite toe), and oil and slip resistant bottoms. These are the basics, regardless of what style of boot you choose.

Helmet

When we think of The Uniform, we often think of a biker without a helmet, or a helmet that barely covers their head. First, regardless of whether a helmet is required in your state or not, we strongly recommend a DOT approved helmet. The smallest helmet available and what is usually found as part of the stereotypical uniform is a half helmet. There are a lot of half helmets on the market that are called novelty helmets. Please, do not get a novelty helmet. They offer no real protection. If you love the look of the half helmet, check out our top pick for the best Low Profile DOT approved Half Helmet. We also have a great article on the different types of helmets available. Check out our article on the different styles of helmets.

Gloves

In the early days of riding, if riders wore gloves, they wore work gloves. Again, riders wore what was readily available to them. Work gloves are not a horrible choice as they do offer a certain degree of protection. In face, many modern gloves are styled after work gloves. Somewhere along the line, gloves fell out of fashion, unless it was cold outside. Though, it is not part of The Uniform, you should wear gloves. Gloves do a lot more than keep your hands warm. They offer protection against abrasions and in some cases offer impact protection in the form of knuckle guards. They can also provide a better grip and can greatly reduce vibrations felt through your hands. The reduction in vibration may sound trivial, but vibration can cause numbness in your hands and contribute to rider fatigue, which could be a huge safety issue. Learn more about the different types of Riding Gloves.