What kind of bike do you plan on getting? Sport, street, cruiser, dual sport, off road, what????
What kind of riding do you plan on doing???? Canyon carving, cruising, touring, commuter, dirt, mud, racing, etc????
w/ helmets, theyre made for different shaped heads. Arai's have models for 6 different head shapes (theyre also expensive as hell). You just gotta try em on and see what fits best. I searched for 2 weeks before I found a $150 HJC that fit me perfectly. Youre gonna be wearing that helmet for hours (longest ride Ive done is 4-5 hours). Thats a long time to be wearing a helmet that doesnt fit you perfectly. The cool part about the more expensive helmets is that they tend to be the lightest & have the best airflow.
DO NOT SKIMP ON CLOTHING! Ive had 2 accidents on my bike already. Each time Ive upgraded my clothing to something better, stronger, more durable, etc. The difference between a good jacket and a bad jacket could be your life. Im not a gear nazi and have been know to be squiddish (riding around w/ a sleeveless t-shirt, blue jeans, and running shoes) because I believe that its your life, your choices, your consequences.
Now, regardless of temperature, I wear at least my helmet, armored leather jacket, armored/padded gloves, and over the ankle boots.....
